Fri 14 Jul 2006
Last nite, I redeemed Karen’s birthday dinner offer. I met up with her at her Santa Monica apartment, so that I could also visit Dozer…
who is my cat Dodo…
‘s older brother.
Scottish Fold cats are very inbred and therefore have genetic vulnerability to many health problems. Don’t make me get into them. We love the Do-brothers, as Karen called them once. The above are the 2 most recent photos taken of the brothers, thru my new cameraphone. (rest mouse over the cats to make them chase it! just kidding, it’ll just bring out a caption.)
We had dinner at a new Spanish tapas restaurant called Tasca in Beverly Hills. Her best friend Jose of nearly 2 decades met up with us there. The chemistry between the two of them is hilarious. They are so night-and-day, but so in sync, that they totally play off each other. The earliest example I can think of is when Karen wore a Windex T-shirt to school in high school, and Jose happened to be wearing a plain white T-shirt. They looked at each other, and Jose took a big marker and drew a window on the front of his T-shirt. And the two walked around together all day like that. (I may have gotten the details on that story confused, so feel free to correct me, Karen.) Anyway, dinner was fun and delicious. We all took turns ordering small plates, and ended up sharing something like 7 small plates and 2 desserts. The Argentinian owner was very nice and service-oriented. Karen assured him we’d be back.
Thanks for the birthday dinner, Karen!
They are both so CUTE! I miss DoDo! I hope you are giving him a health dose of cat knip. I left the bottel next to his snacks.
I haven’t given him any catnip. You can come over and throw some at him!
Aww! What a special post, with shout-outs to the three creatures I eternally hold dear to my heart. I’m so glad that you were able to make it up here on a “school night” and that you paid such perfect homage to the Do-Brothers featuring these photos.
Yes, Jose and I have been in cahoots for years, going on 16 come September. Cindy, I am very impressed that you remembered the Windex story! It is a classic! But, to be more accurate, I admit that it was all plotted the night before. (Obviously, I would not spontaneously paint a bottle of Windex on my shirt and wear it to school.)
It happened that we sort of sat on opposite ends of the classroom in our “Core” English-History hybrid class. We talked about this t-shirt bit and discussed various scenarios of popular duos. Peas and carrots? (No, that would end up being an orange blob and a green blob.) Peanut butter and jelly? (Trademark issues.) Then we had it. Jose, the superior artist, would draw a bottle of Windex on his shirt. Karen would have a window pane on hers.
We both found white t-shirts and set about with our own artistry. Jose’s had the requisite level of detail; I embellished with some shading and curtains. The next morning, people were confused at why Jose had Windex on his shirt, but it all became crystal clear when they saw my window.
Later on in the day, a stupid white boy teased me that I was perfect for that shirt because I was as flat as a window. We never wore those shirts again.
I asked Jose about it months later, but he had used water soluble markers and his creation basically washed away.
Another brilliant thing we did, one of my favorites. When we were in another English-History-for-Gifted-Kids hybrid class later on in high school, “Humanities”, Ms. Fundukian had the class submit aliases so that she could post the grades on the wall. Jose and I have last names that put us one after the other on the roster. We put our minds to it again. When the list came out, everybody asked, “Hey, who is Siegfried and who is Roy?”
Jose and I have been collaborating for years. Just wait for our upcoming hip hop album.
1.) Who are the 3 “creatures?” Dozer, Dodo and the Argentinian restaurant owner?
2.) When that boy insulted you about being flat as a window, Jose should’ve instantly leapt to action, i.e. spit at the boy’s face. It would’ve been SO apropos.
Boy: That’s the perfect shirt for you, ‘cuz you’re as FLAT as a WIND —
Jose: *hock, SPAT!*
Boy: *blink, blink* *just noticing Jose’s shirt*
Karen: *squee-geeing boy’s face*
Well, I meant the two cats and Jose. The Argentinian’s memory suffered slightly in my mind since I spent half the night thinking he was Persian.
As you pointed out, Jose and I are like night and day. This was true in 1993, when I was loud and boisterous and he was peaceful and reclusive. So, there was really no other response to Mike Smith except me telling him to shut the fuck up.
It was nice to see you, Cindy and it’s great that you remembered that Windex/pane anecdote because the details for sure had escaped me. The gist too, I would have long forgotten, if it weren’t for Karen’s near encyclopedic recall of our dysfunctional history. She knows me more than I know myself, a sign of loyalty I can only repay with knowing her preference for Burger King’s Chicken Sandwich.
See you again in a few weeks.
Karen, the conciseness is impressive.
Jose, I didn’t know you have a blog! I’m gonna set up a link. Karen doesn’t update her blog very consistently, and I need stuff to read when I’m bored.