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To Whom Are You Drinking Right Now?


starfish

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To the incredibly kind and generous gentleman aboard a flight yesterday from Frankfurt, Germany to Washington DC. Upon seeing a wounded soldier in an arm sling and a leg brace struggling down the aisle toward a middle seat in the back of coach, this man asked the soldier to please take his seat in BUSINESS class. When the solider demurred, the man told him that he insisted upon exchanging seats with the soldier. Awesome.

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To the incredibly kind and generous gentleman aboard a flight yesterday from Frankfurt, Germany to Washington DC. Upon seeing a wounded soldier in an arm sling and a leg brace struggling down the aisle toward a middle seat in the back of coach, this man asked the soldier to please take his seat in BUSINESS class. When the solider demurred, the man told him that he insisted upon exchanging seats with the soldier.  Awesome.

That *is* awesome, and genuinely heart-warming.

I only hope there was an extra business-class seat for the gentleman who gave his up, and that the airline gave it to him. This man, whoever he is, deserves to be on the nightly news - especially because he apparently asked for nothing in return. I hope someone tracks him down - which airline and flight number was it?

Man, if only everyone in the world was like this - and there's no good reason they shouldn't be.

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Don, there was no extra seat in business class, so this man sat in the middle seat of a row at the back of the plane on a transatlantic flight that probably lasted 8 hours.  Mark told the flight attendant that, whatever the man wanted in terms of food and drink, he wanted to pay for and tried to hand her his credit card.  The flight attendant refused the card and told him that the man's nourishment would be taken care of by the airline (United Airlines).

This story gets even better.  This man insisted on accompanying Mark from the plane and through customs.  He is a frequent international traveler with a specialized clearance that allows him to get through customs and security in an expedited way and he insisted that they allow Mark to do the same.  He then stayed with him until they reached the area where Mark's father was waiting to pick him up, saying that he would not leave the airport until he knew that Mark had connected with his father.

So, my husband was able to meet the man, express his deep gratitude, and contact information  was exchanged.  I have not put his name in these posts out of respect for his privacy.  Rest assured, however, that we have every intention of inviting this man and his wife to dinner at one of Washington's finest restaurants.

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That's a heartwarming story, and the generous traveler is certainly to be commended for his kindness. But how different would the story be if it were a "wounded man" rather than a "wounded soldier"? And if the answer is "a lot", why?

That soldier is, to many, emblematic of the reason the gentleman could afford to buy a business class ticket in the first place - he sacrificed his well-being for all of us. Giving up his seat was not only a gesture of kindness, it was also a gesture of gratitude.

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To my friend, Jim Grossberg, who is housing me in Laguna Beach.

I had the best Chinese meal I've ever eaten tonight in Irvine.

Jim, you are one of the greatest people I know, bar none.

You know more about food *and* wine than anyone.

The world is better because you, sir, are in it.

Thank you for everything you've done.

I'm incredibly lucky to know you.

You are just a great person.

Nothing more, nothing.

Thank you, Jim.

Thank you.

Rocks.

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I drank last night to Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatwright, U. of Connecticut Point guards that played spectacularly last night on offense and defense, passing, shooting, penetrating, stealing the ball, being quicker to the ball, totally confounding Kentucky's young atheletes and enabling UConn to win the NCAA basketball championship.

Two terrific point guards in the starting lineup.  A terrific combination.  Great game for the underdog.

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Born early this morning. Mom Kristin Connor is doing great; Dad Mark Kuller is positively beaming!

Welcome to the world, Ida and Cash!

To my dear friend, Mark Kuller. We're *all* your friends, Mark and Kristin.

We all love you, your restaurants, and your family. I can say with confidence, speaking for our entire community, that you are irreplaceable, and that what you've created in this city is worth infinitely more than anything you ever made as an attorney - you cannot put a value on love, and we all love you, immeasurably.

Anytime you need anything, people in this community will drop everything at a moment's notice and come to your aid.

I remain your friend forever. Reach out to us, Mark, whenever you need to - we're here for you.

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To my dear friend, Mark Kuller. We're *all* your friends, Mark and Kristin.

We all love you, your restaurants, and your family. I can say with confidence, speaking for our entire community, that you are irreplaceable, and that what you've created in this city is worth infinitely more than anything you ever made as an attorney - you cannot put a value on love, and we all love you, immeasurably.

Anytime you need anything, people in this community will drop everything at a moment's notice and come to your aid.

I remain your friend forever. Reach out to us, Mark, whenever you need to - we're here for you.

It is so fuckin' hard to forget "the diagnosis date."

Thirteen years ago tonight (or, yesterday, I suppose). I did pretty well this year, but in general it's really tough "remembering certain days, and forgetting others." A happier anniversary is coming my way on Sunday.

Mark, I'm so sorry. No, not about you. This world can just ... blow me.

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To Don Rockwell. He has been my friend for more than 30 years. I have yet to meet anyone remotely like him.

He is a kind and generous man with a brilliant mind. He is funny and giving. He has had to endure more tragedy in his lifetime than most people I know. He carries on, despite his challenges, and goes out of his way to make every day a little brighter for the people around him.

I wish nothing but the best for Don. I think good things are going to be happening for him soon. He deserves it.

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To Jeffrey Glenn Miller, Allison B. Krause, William Knox Schroeder, and Sandra Lee Scheuer. May 4, 1970. Never forget.

you said it brother.

oooof.  I was in college then.  That video is a striking recollection of an emotional intense time period.  Its very sad but so much of the political anger of today is reminiscent of that era.

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OK, that brought a tear to my eye. I know who I'll be raising a glass to when Bob and I hit Annie's in a couple hours--which seems utterly appropriate for all sorts of reasons. Peace to you both as you grieve his loss as well as joy as you remember his life.

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Yeah. I got a sudden tear in my eye too.

And on a completely different note, I'm drinking to my favorite video game company right now - Gearbox. I'm about to put in more hours on top of the countless hours I've put in on Borderlands 1 and now 2, and I'm excited about the Pre-Sequel. It's not just completely addictive (and hilarious) game play, but also how they come out and try to make the game inclusive while avoiding tropes about female characters (I liked their response at being pointed out in Anita Sarkeesian's video series), including LGBT characters you might not expect (I play the commando, who is the stereotypical cocky mercenary type, and as you play the game you discover he's bisexual, for one) and handling differently abled folks with class.

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To Suzy. She was mostly a friend of one of my best friends; she was the girl my first year who sewed my ROTC tags onto my uniform. She told me great stories about visiting Russia in the early '90s. I always had a crush on her.

And earlier this week she died of a brain aneurysm.

WTF?

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You beat me to it, Pat!  He's amazing -- 16 saves!  The most ever recorded in a World Cup game.  MVP of the US World Cup team, IMO.

Tim Howard.  The USA wouldn't even have come close without him.

I was feeling ill, too ill to drink....and it didn't even have to do with the game.   But Tim Howard was amazing, great, and kept the US in the game, giving us a chance to tie and/or to win.   He was incredible.  Worth a toast or two or 3 or 16!!!!

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To the guys who came out today to fix a giant, gaping hole in our house that was caused by and hidden from us by other contractors installing gutters.  I have an amazing recommendation for a contractor if anyone is looking. 

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