Tina and I had agreed to meet ‘half way’ in Monrovia, CA, at a MiMi’s Restaurant. I arrived early and asked the hostess for a quiet spot where two people could talk – she suggested the enclosed patio. I then told the hostess that I was expecting another person and I didn’t know what she looked like but her name was Tina and she would probably ask for Julie.
The patio was a great choice and I was seated away from others (just so we could talk, not because they knew me there) next to beautiful windows overlooking a little garden.

I wasn’t seated too long before an older woman (older than 70) came in, calling out the name “Julie” so I stood up and asked if she was Tina (I would have been astounded if she had said she was). But, she said she wasn’t so I walked out to the hostess stand with her and told her I was the wrong ‘Julie’. It should be noted that the name of the hostess was also Julie. I then walked back and sat down, ordered coffee and told the waitress that the woman I was waiting for was joining me on her birthday. (That was the ONLY lie I told that day: Tina’s birthday was the next day. What the heck, one day off!) The waitress said she would take care of it. I got a little nervous waiting so thought that going to the ladie’s room might be a good idea while I had time. I walked out of the patio, across the lobby and across the largest dining room to the restrooms – then, of course, I had to walk back.
A short while later, Tina was brought in by the hostess, personally, and she asked if THIS was the right person and I knew it was. I knew because we had spoken on the phone at least six times and the sweet look matched the voice I had heard but had not prepared me for how pretty she is: great hair (very envious I am) and nice eyes and a beautiful smile. Tina and I hugged and her sunglasses fell off and there was a little commotion. I thought that maybe the excitement of meeting me was just too much for her: I could certainly understand. Okay, she dropped her glasses because they were just resting on the top of her head and, being a hugger, I probably jarred them loose.
We sat down and started talking and the poor waitress came back about five times to ask if we were ready and we weren’t. We decided to concentrate on the menus and make our decisions but the conversation got off-track again. Finally, we knew what we wanted and we ordered. Lunch lasted two hours – two hours which really flew by. If I hadn’t had a friend, from 40 years ago, expecting me, we might have stayed a while longer. We managed a lot of talking while eating because one would be chewing and swallowing and then talking as the other one took a bite and chewed and swallowed. We seemed to have a rhythm which was great – we got a lot done inbetween chews. While we were lunching, I felt for my napkin and my hand felt something odd on my thigh. I felt that whatever it was shouldn’t be there so I leaned over and saw that I had not removed the long, sticky tape they put on the legs of jeans – the tape which gives the size so you don’t have to mess around and look for the label. I started to laugh and told Tina what I had found, and just removed, and then I recounted all the walking I had done with the tape on: a long walk in the parking lot to the restaurant plus all those trips to or by the hostess station and into the large dining room. What’s a girl to do other than remove the tape and have a good laugh. Life is too short to worry about what all those people thought: on the other hand, why did I think that anyone was watching me anyway? Just how many senior citizens do YOU watch? A young babe or a young hunk, maybe, but not ‘us’ – well, unless we’re using a walker which has bells to tell you to get out of our way. But, I digress.
After lunch, the waitress remembered and brought one of those chocolate cakes which is filled with melting chocolate which flows out when you poke it with your fork – think it is called a volcano or a molten chocolate cake or something like that. Tina offered me some but I, fortunately, do not have a sweet tooth (except for plain, twice-baked cheesecake).
After lunch, we walked to my car so I could get my camera and introduce Tina to Charlie who is always so patient when I leave him and so appreciative when I ‘find him’. So, with dog and camera, Tina and I prowled the parking lot, looking for someone to take our picture. (Prowling at 2 in the afternoon isn’t the same as doing it at midnight – so I have read.) We found one person and he or she (can’t remember – its not that we couldn’t tell whether it was a he or a she, its just that I can’t remember) took the picture and quickly handed the camera back so I didn’t dare ask if he/she would take a back-up picture. Fortunately, there were three people just arriving: a younger man, an older man who had probably had a stroke, and woman who looked horrified when I asked the stroke victim if he would be so kind as to take a picture of us. That nice man agreed and I think he was grateful that someone was giving him something to do and believing that he COULD do it; however, the woman gave us a horrified look – as though we were about to abuse the elderly. The nice man took our picture, with his thumb in front of the lens, and he seemed so happy that he had made us happy – who cares about that thumb! (Anyway, Kosmo doctored the picture and removed it.) I felt like sticking out my tongue as the mean lady walked by but I was with a young woman, whom I had just met, and who was in touch with a lot of EN-ers, so I decided to behave myself.
I left Tina, almost reluctantly as we had had such wonderful conservations on all sorts of subjects: amazing how easy it was to talk to a stranger yet someone I felt that I knew and certainly someone I will stay friends with.
I arrived at my ‘old friend’s’ house just when I was supposed to and she asked why I looked so happy. I told her that I had just had lunch with a friend of Thomas Edison and she didn’t ask anymore questions.

Did I mention that she has beautiful eyes and hair and a smile which is hesitant and also welcoming.