It was the best of times, it was the worst of times … okay, it was just the best of times.

A dear friend from Los Angeles was up in my area and called to get together. As if this wasn’t fun enough, he was accompanied by his dear friend from Australia! Someone I knew of but had never met.

Exciting!

Oh, and they are both named Richard!

I knew Richard-A (for Australia) was a really really nice person because years earlier he has assisted Richard-LA (for LA) in creating CDs of the cast recording from an original musical Richard-LA and I had been in – We had vinyls of the recording but having a CD was sooooo wonderful – and then Richard-A even made me some extras for family and friends! How nice is that?

We were to meet at a local dive for burgers and onion strings that wasn’t too far from their hotel.

I got there a little late (thank you San Jose traffic), and I’m waiting and waiting – okay I wasn’t waiting that long, but I was excited so it seemed like forever.

(You do know time dilates in direct proportion to how nervous/excited you are to see someone.)

I can now honestly tell you, Richard-A is just as nice in person – and quite a hunka-hunka man. Tall and with the most amazing mustache! It goes down the sides of the mouth to the bottom of the jaw line and then is curled up in two great big curls (like they had been set with curlers). You want to know how unique it is? I just did a big search on the internet and could find nothing that looks like it – I did see some nasty weird ass mustaches – and I want to be clear that Richard-A’s mustache was neither nasty nor weird-ass – just really, really unique and cool.

Richard-LA has a full beard with a mustache that just has the ends curled up in little spit curls at the sides of his mouth; very nice but much overshadowed by the man from down under!.

Both gentlemen came bearing gifts from Australia! I got a fresh supplies of Tim Tams –YUM. And some musk flavored Life Savers – yes, I said musk. (Richard-LA told me its like having Jovan Musk perfume explode in your mouth and suddenly you’re back at the disco!) And turkish delight (a rose flavored jelly, which I have had before). Richard-A brought Australian-themed baseball caps, pins, and keychains.

My husband was extra thrilled with his key chain – shaped like a kangaroo and clearly made to enable the user to open bottles! I have the purple koala keychain, perhaps not as practical, but infinitely cuter. The baseball caps went to husband dear, who likes caps and really likes these.

I can’t wear baseball caps.

Well, I can, but when I put on a baseball cap, I suddenly transform into Michael Moore. Which is a great look if you’re Michael Moore, but not so much if you’re a fat old lady.

We gabbed and gabbed and gabbed. It wasn’t until 2 ½ hours later though that I realized that I, in my fat old lady brain-fartism, had chosen the only eatery in San Jose that closes at 9 pm on a Friday night.

WTF?

Oh well, it had been a long day and our respective beds were calling.

So we exchanged hugs (Richard-Ais a international class hugger), and fond farewells in the parking lot.

And I went home knowing I had made a new friend and had a great time with an old friend. And life is good.