Food, friends and one really bad joke

It was friends and fun Saturday evening, first dining out with the gang at Ippolito’s, then spending a chilly night at Margaret and Peter’s home, cheering for LCU – you know, Land of Cotton University, more commonly known as The Dawgs!

Highlights included bunches of warm bread and garlic-infused marinara sauce during dinner; peppermint ice cream coated with Margaret’s dee-licious fudge sauce; and, of course, LCU’s HUGE win over cross-state rival, LCT – that would be Land of Cotton Tech, the hated Yellow Jackets!

Stan, jokester extraordinaire, managed to keep the warring parties – that would be Margaret versus everyone else – in good spirits as the game played out. He spent most of the evening ignoring the 100-inch, flat screen tube, while searching his smart phone for jokes on the web.

Meanwhile, the lovely, svelte and always charming Denise, stayed busy reading the latest gossip in People magazine. Between Stan’s jokes, and Denise offering a blow-by-blow account on the marriage plans of Kate and William, I almost missed Tech’s kicker blowing the game, missing an extra point attempt in the closing minutes of the annual meeting.

I also almost missed the play because I was still chuckling over a joke Stan shared a bit earlier. “Why is Al Gore getting a nipple ring? Because George Bush has a Dick Cheney!”

Okay, Stan needs to keep his day job and there’s a good chance the Dawgs still need a new coach. But at least for one evening in late November, my tummy was full with good food and heart filled with good friends. I don't think any of us can hope for more!

GEORGE'S CHENEY: Truch to tell, Dick (photo above) really didn't offer much comic relief during the Bush administration.