"Lazy, Hazy, Crazy, Friday Afternoons" - Time Out #186

It goes without much fanfare, many things in life are anticipated with great joy and happiness.

Others, not so much.

Included in my negative anticipation categories are driving in the rain on I-5 at any hour in the Greater San Diego area, watching my beloved local Pioneers or Cowboys being defeated in an athletic contest, or listening to modern Americans talking to each other and frequently using the terms "like" and "you know" as if these words absolutely HAD to be used in each and every sentence out of their mouths!

Included in my extremely positive anticipation categories are officiating Oklahoma high school football games (for 52 seasons), playing with our 4-legged superstars, Spanky and Tux, my bride, Debbie, has made famous via daily social media postings, and my every Friday afternoon extended late lunches at Mazzio's, with all my high school class of 1965 peeps.

Wow, that weekly lunch is quite an event, dear readers in Our Town and far beyond!

The legendary lunch actually began almost 40 years ago when Roger (aka Rollo) and I devoted one day per week to eat together, after I moved back to our hometown in 1981. For over a quarter century, he and I made it happen once/week at various restaurants over our great town. Then, about a decade or so ago, we invited Tom and Steve to join us, and the rest of the story is history, as the old saying goes.

Now, the regular players have swelled to Steve #2, Dave, Jimmy, Pat, Ronnie, Gary, Bob, Jim, Greg, Kenny, and James and his wife, Paula, who we have made an honorary class of '65 member since she is a regular attendee with her Mr. Wonderful husband. Because this weekly function has taken on a life of its own, we also get regular visitors when former classmates are visiting in Our Town. Therefore, frequently, we have to push together 4 or 5 Mazzio restaurant tables, so everyone may sit together during this 2+ hour eating/gab session.

Absolutely any topic is fair game for our diverse group to address when a subject is brought up; that is IF all participants are able to hear (?) the constant jabber!

Of course, athletics is by far the most common subject, and almost everyone has an opinion on how they would have done things differently from their so-called "Monday morning quarterback vantage point". All of us are well-aware it is much easier for us to determine the athletic outcome when we have watched the instant replay for 11 straight times!

A close second-place typical Friday afternoon topic is politics. This area has been very interesting to observe over the years, since Oklahoma (and our group overall) is "red", but we do have a slight smattering of "blue". However, the "red" individual feelings run all the spectrum from "deep, hot red" to "barely registering light pink" on the political scale, among those assembled each Friday.

The truly wonderful thing about politics, or really any controversial subject, which may be a very wide variety of topics in today's climate, is we almost always "agree to disagree". That is to say, I can truly say over the many years, I have never witnessed any of my buds get angry at another lunch-table member. In fact, we all usually end up laughing at the entire disagreement issue!

I have to think it is therapeutic for us to all come together weekly to discuss whatever is on our minds. I know sometimes before Friday a particular thought will cross my mind, and I will make it a point to bring it up to my friends for their collective wisdom comments at Mazzio's that particular week. Sometimes, it actually becomes our major table topic that individual session!

What a special gift multiple close friendships continually provides our bunch! As I write this, I look forward to our next get-together with our wonderful group, as our experiences are totally priceless.

Oh, by the way, you are always invited to attend; no formal invitation is ever needed. Please, come by and see us!!!