It's been a quiet week...almost too quiet. My visits to my favorite haunts have been unnervingly absent of my long-time "friend."
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Not at the Farmer's Market, where I got my knives sharpened. Not at Costco, where I make my weekly "I don't really need to be here, but I'm going to buy something anyway" visit. Even going to Walgreen's was a tranquil experience. To my surprise, there was not even a hint of my buddy Fast Eddie. He always has a knack of showing up at the oddest places at the oddest times. Not this week. It's been eerily serene...until it wasn't. I knew I was counting those chickens too early...
I went to the new Palestinian coffee shop in Mid City. Delicious. Expensive, but delish. I was taking a quick sip of my drip coffee (it had cardamon in it, which put it over the top!). I got the pistachio latte for my wife, and was about to exit when you-know-who steps through the front door.
"Joubert!" Eddie calls out as he slings the door open, catching it right before it slung too far. "Whazzup, my bud?" and he holds out his hand for a high-five. Totally out of character for my long-time acquaintence, and I found out why quickly.
Eddie was dressed in something akin to overalls, though what it really was escaped me.
"You know me," Eddie shared without me asking. "I celebrate any way I can, and this Oktoberfest stuff is awesome!" Then I caught on. They were Eddie's version of lederhosen, though, for the life of me, I couldn't figure out how a cross of britches and suspenders made them German. But, that's just Eddie, I guess.
"i haven't been to that German house on the Bayou yet," Eddie continued, "but me and the fam are gonna make it that way before the month's out." I didn't have the courage to tell him he better go this weekend, or he'll miss out.
As Fast Eddie pivots to order his coffee he turns to me to talk Tulane.
"The Greenies did a number on Memphis, huh?" Eddie started. "Didn't see that comin', since I took Memphis and gave the points." He cups his hand on his chin as if he's thinking. "First time the Greenies lost me money this year."
"Not gonna let that happen again," Eddie declares. "The Greenies hadn't lost at home since Phideaux was a pup, so I won't go against them again until they show me otherwise. I'm taking Tulane and the points."
With that, Eddie and his coffees (and those "lederhosen") head out the door, almost slamming it again as he exits. I cannot wait to see him celebrating at the Deutsches Haus, if they even let him in dressed like that.
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