Journal Entry

My freshman year in college (so, 10 years ago, now), I started a tradition because of my deep, life-long love of cheap Mexican food.

Specifically, it was Enchilada Night at El Chico’s. They used to offer a Wednesday night special enchilada platter for $2.99. These days, I’m pretty sure it’s running $4.99, but any time I’ve been to El Chico recently, it’s been the tamales for me.

Anyway, every single Wednesday night I went to El Chico’s for the enchiladas, and as I gradually invited others to join me, it became something of a Thing. I’m not saying that I set a trend, but my whole group of friends knew that Wednesday night was Enchilada Night.

Yeah, no big deal, college is about stupid stuff like that. But, since then (and even since El Chico fell from its place of honor), Wednesday night has remained an opportunity to share dinner with friends. If I have the opportunity, I pursue it.

Obviously, anyone reading this blog knows that I manage to spend a lot of time doing stuff with friends, but Wednesday night is the only real scheduled weekday get-together. Now that I’m going to the gym regularly, I see K– and N– on Mondays and Thursdays fairly often, and the rare week that D– doesn’t stop by for at least one full evening is a lonely one, and from time to time we’ll devote a whole season to getting together to watch each new episode of Lost or Stargate, but those come and go, drifting on the whims of various conflicting schedules. Wednesday night dinner, I think, everybody knows about, and knows to plan for. It’s not that everybody always makes it (actually, that’s pretty rare), but everybody knows, and there’s always somebody to share the evening with.

Yesterday, we found ourselves with a buck fifty in the bank, and going out just wasn’t in the cards. I called D– after work to let him know things weren’t going to work out, and he said, “Pshaw,” and went and got dinner for us. He’s a hell of a guy.

After dinner, T– took AB to church, and D– and I spent the evening playing the new MarioKart. It was fun. We unlocked all the race circuits on 50cc (easy mode), and unlocked two new characters. Also: the new Rainbow Road is ass. But what do you expect?

We also got tickets yesterday for K– and N– and Toby and Gwyn (say that out loud) and T– and I to go see Jim Gaffigan when he comes to town in July. That is going to be awesome.

I found out about the appearance at work several days ago when I heard a coworker mention it to another coworker over the cubicle wall. Rather than joining in the conversation (right, because I’m me), I went to jimgaffigan.com and looked up details, then emailed everyone I thought might want to go.

That day, on the drive home, I heard a commercial advertising it. They opened with, “Jim Gaffigan one his new tour brings all new, never-before-heard material to OKC….” Then they played about a minute of clips, all of which I’ve heard dozens of times over the last ten years. I laughed anyway. I really can’t wait.

Word has it B– is having an even worse week than usual. Keep him in your prayers. If you hear of an opportunity for me to go hang out with him, let me know.

Other than that, it’s just things and stuff.