Out to Lunch

Monday I did something I rarely do . . . I went to lunch with a friend. I don't know why I'm not a "go to lunch-er." Everyone would rather go out and have someone else fix the food and wait on them, than have do it themselves. Right? Well, not everyone. Not me. If I could, I'd invite all my friends . . . in groups . . . or one at a time . . . it wouldn't matter . . . to come and have lunch at my house. And I would cook. Or sometimes I would have people bring some food but I would still cook. I like to cook. I would do it once a month . . . at least. But my friends would probably think they were imposing on me or feel obligated to return the favor so I don't do it. Who knows . . . ? Maybe sometime I will anyway.

So Monday I went to out to lunch. What got me to do it? First, Barry gave me a Chili's gift card for Christmas. Maybe he knows I don't go if I have to spend "unspent" money. But a gift card . . . well, that is already spent so . . . yut tah hey! Second, I hadn't seen my friend Emily in about 6 months and I was past due for a dose of Emily. 

I met Emily at a Master Gardener class in 2001. We had just moved to Utah and I needed to get educated about gardening in the desert. Emily sat up in the front of the class and asked good questions. I decided I wanted to be friends with her, so after about 4 classes I positioned myself in her vicinity and foisted myself into her space. We found we had tons more than gardening in common.

I love Emily. Here are a couple of the many reasons why. She gives me way too much credit. But even if I'm not as good or smart or talented as she seems to think I am, she makes me want to be good. That's because she is good. That's another reason I love her. She is just good. She is also smart, capable, talented, generous and a host of other glowing adjectives. But I love her because she is good. One more reason I love her is that she is an "includer." She is always doing something and including people. I have personally been the beneficiary of her 'including.'

I picked on Emily because we just went to lunch but she is just today's poster child for all of my women friends. I love them because they are good. I think I'll have some more 'poster friends' in the future. 

We had a great lunch. The food . . . just marginal. The service . . . hmmmm . . . maybe we won't go there. I think the waitress needed a hug or something. The conversation . . . GREAT! It could only have been better if it had been at my kitchen table. Maybe after this gift card is all used up we'll just have to do lunch at . . . say . . . GARLICK'S!