When the world turns upside down and things feel inside out, the quickest and best remedy is to go to lunch with one of my most favorite people on the entire planet. And it never fails that by the end of an hour (give or take a few minutes), the problems are smaller, the blessings become clear again, and the laughter flows with enough force to wash away more troubles than Calgon could ever even think about.
Today was one of those days. A near and dear friend and I met at the Cameron Bar & Grill. With it's fancy black awning and cloth napkins, we thought it might be pricey but we were surprised to find out that the prices were reasonable. The waitresses were friendly and the service was lightening fast.
We fought the urge to resist the specials advertised on the chalkboard- Beefaroni and Martinis. I’m pretty sure the CB&G people didn’t intend for those items to be on a combo platter but we weren’t the only ones who noticed, and commented, on the unlikely pairing.
My friend had some sort of flatbread sandwich with blackened chicken, red peppers (I think) and pesto. She gave it high marks for excellence. I had the club sandwich; I love the idea of a club sandwich- three toasty layers of bread, ham, bacon, cheese, lettuce, and tomato held together with a frilly toothpick. But, is it just me or is a club sandwich about the messiest sandwich in the world? Messy? Yes. Worth it? Also a profound YES! And the fries were perfectly crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside so I was a happy camper.
This happy camper could have gotten the Girl Scout badge for Elated when the dessert arrived (which I didn’t take a photo of so as to not embarrass my friend who threatened, while laughing, to take her dessert to her car if I pulled out my camera to photograph the rich, gooey, yummy, off-the-diets evidence). My Oreo pie was fantastic but to be honest, the peanut butter chocolate brownie pie on her plate was sensational. Next time, I’ll skip the sandwich and just go for Fries & Pies, the lunch of champions.
And, as the last swirls of chocolate were scraped from my plate, I realized that we’d done something that was so much more important than just having lunch at a fun new-to-us place (that we’ll go back to over and over again, I’m sure). With laughter, we were distracted from looming work worries. With caring candor, she helped me to resolve an issue I hadn’t even realized I was having. With encouraging perspectives, we gave voice and merit to some solid ideas that, only moments before, had simply been lofty notions rolling around in our creative minds.
Lunch was delicious even if it wasn't quite nutritious (you can't really call fries and pies nutritious) but more than it fed the growling bears in my belly, it fed my spirit and for that, I am forever thankful and eternally grateful. Thank you, friend; today was… Something More.
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