Bob and Emily Talk IV

It's Sunday afternoon, and Bob and Emily have not seen each other for ten days (but who's counting?). Bob's brother, a friend of his who has kindly agreed to accompany him for this ride, and Emily are all sitting at Yogi's Sports Bar at the Crown Plaza Hotel that is almost exactly halfway between Bob and Emily's home and Bob's brother's home (BTW, mystery book club discussion members and other friends in CT, this would be a great halfway point to meet sometime. Good food and very friendly service and nice hotel rooms if you don't feel like driving home. It's exit 8A off the NJT). This is where "The Emily Exchange" will occur, as Bob is expected any minute, and brother and friend will leave her with him to drive back to CT.

Bob has not yet arrived. He's called to inform them that (surprise! surprise!), he's sitting in traffic on the New Jersey Turnpike (on which he only needed to travel a few exits, but which those of you familiar with the NJT will realize is something like 82 miles). No problem. They've ordered beer and snacks and have just been given this really cool device they've never seen before that allows them to choose which of the five hundred TVs on the walls they want to listen to. The TV right in front of them has the Yankees playing Minnesota, but who needs the sound for that? (Mostly just commentators jinxing your team by saying things like, "Bases loaded, and here he is, coming up to bat, sure to get a hit. Remember, no one in this team's history has ever struck out four times in a row.") Emily looks across the room to see that Obama is just about to give his commencement speech at Notre Dame and hits the button on the little box that brings in the sound for this. The snacks arrive, and she makes sure they save the majority of the onion rings for Bob, since he loves them.

Finally Bob walks through the door, looking like Omar Sharif in Dr. Zhivago (well, without the Tolstovka shirt). Needless to say, Emily is thrilled to see him. He sits down, orders a beer himself, and Emily pushes the snack plate his way. Everyone sits there for a while, torn between watching the Yankees suddenly start to make a comeback in a game that seemed like it was all but over and listening to the fantastic speech Obama is giving, addressing all the controversial issues head-on in true Obama fashion.

Emily: You know, this is kind of [embarrassing nickname for Bob that she does not want the whole world to know] Heaven.

Bob: What do you mean?

Emily: Well, you've got the Yankees on one wall suddenly looking like they might win. You've got Obama on the other wall knocking 'em dead. And you've got a Bass Ale and onion rings on the bar.

Bob: You know, you're right, but you forgot one thing.

Emily: What's that?

Bob: [Embarrassing nickname for Emily that she doesn't want the whole world to know]!

Emily: Just smiles.

I've trained him well, everyone, haven't I?