He's such a good guy

Had a nice long, lovely conversation with my old friend in Key West. He asked about my career, I asked about his job at the paper. We talked about the runaway train and Miley Cyrus on Saturday Night Live. He told me how happy his lover is these days tending bar, which is better than waiting tables. He asked about my niece and nephew.

The part of the call I liked best, though, was when he told me about his friend, Ted. I've met Ted several times and like him a great deal. Ted is recovering from radical but so far successful treatment for brain cancer and needs a lot of help -- getting to the grocery store, making his way to Miami for follow up doctor appointments, etc. And my friend is completely there for him. I'm not surprised. My friend is a very nice man.

Most of all, I enjoyed the blabbing. In this world of emails and texts, I don't just sit and blab on the phone very much anymore.

A good day

Yesterday my nephew and I celebrated his 14th birthday. We ordered gigantic burgers and, while we waited for them to arrive, he unwrapped his gifts -- a new video game and a tube of Axe Facial Scrub. Then we went to see The Butler, which he enjoyed enormously.

I'm amused by his attitude toward sex. He thinks it's irrelevant and kind of silly. After the movie, I asked him if he thought Oprah's character had been unfaithful. It's not a minor plot point, but I could tell he thought it was unimportant and the conversation was a waste of our time.

He's a sweet kid. Very smart. I don't know how long he'll still want to hang around with his old auntie, and I'm grateful.