Yesterday my coworker Pete and his g/f Maggie hosted a cookout, long-awaited.

Black Angus beef + fancy cheddar + medium rare = delicious. Probably you could do that one in your head if you tried, but it took some serendipity for that same equation to work itself out for me on the grill.

I'd hung around in town making yet another library run, so I was the first of my coworkers to show up at Pete's. Fortunately Maggie's friends have good taste in books and beer, so we were able to have some decent, not-especially-awkward conversations before the rest of the guests arrived.

I have to say: the quality of conversation yesterday — in all the usual categories: music, television, movies, and ribaldry — was extremely high, especially when you consider that half the group didn't know the other group at all.

The spotty weather cleared up soon enough and we ended up sitting around a campfire outside as more and more people arrived. Including plenty of my current-and-former coworkers.

I ran my mouth off as usual (which always strange, since my self-conception is that I'm "quiet," or at least "reserved")... but I didn't say anything especially foolish. And apparently I had some good quips? I thought they were funny, but I can never tell with these things if people are being serious. Or if they're just inebriated...

The party wound down slowly but surely, and after the busy week I've had, I was ready to leave at around 11 pm. I got lost in Minneapolis on the way home, just as you'd expect, and I ended up back here just after midnight.

Ah, nine hours of sleep. Glorious.