Sweet Freedom

Thanks to Barb and Steve Lewis. They really came through for us. What did they do, you may ask? I’ll tell you what they did. They brought a whole mess of Tim Horton’s to the gulag and bartered for our return.

After that, we were whisked off to dinner with the whole extended Lewis clan. Since Steve already has a brother named Mark and a brother named Mike, we became “Texas Mark” and “Texas Mike” for the duration. We got to crash one of their regular Sunday family get-togethers, and a nicer bunch of people I’ve never met.
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We knew we had to work off the sizable Tim Horton’s bill, so Mike got busy in the kitchen making a batch of authentic Tex-Mex salsa and some Jalapeno poppers (wrapped with bacon and stuffed with chipotle cream cheese), while I entertained the family with wild stories of Texas. Barb had her own cooking agenda, which included grilled chicken, grilled salmon, salad, squash, sweet potatoes, green beans, and more. Everyone fell into the food and we all ate like shipwreaked sailors.

Hail to the chefs! Barb and Mike take a break for dessert.

Hail to the chefs! Barb and Mike take a break for dessert.

Mike’s salsa and poppers were a big hit; everyone enjoyed the poppers, and no one could stop eating the salsa. With the extended family over, we were a little intimidated, but we shouldn’t have worried. Everyone treated us like old friends, and it was a very relaxing evening filled with conversation and laughs.

After dinner, Steve showed me his art studio, and it was really impressive–filled with oil paintings and canvases and reference books. He’s got a self-sufficient set-up that allows him to work for extended periods without interruption. I really envy that. He also has among his books several George Bridgeman books, Andrew Loomis’ “Figure Drawing for all It’s Worth,” and Jules Feiffer’s “The Great Comic Book Heroes.” Geek alert! Steve’s one of us! He did animation work on the documentary “Comic Book Confidential.”

Mark and Steve awash in nerdly bliss. And coffee cake.

Mark and Steve awash in nerdly bliss. And coffee cake.

The evening ended with a round of well wishes, promises to come visit, and sincere fare-thee-wells for our upcoming endeavor. I have no doubt we’ll see them all again, somehow, some way. If we’re lucky, they will bring the super pugs.

Ripley and MayBelle, looking worn out by the fact that they didn't get any coffee cake.

Ripley and MayBelle, looking worn out by the fact that they didn't get any coffee cake.

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