Lunch With Jbuck

[Ralph]

Our very own master contributor, Jbuck, passed through Manhattan today after retrieving his car, shipped back from Germany. We met at the Barnes & Noble at Lincoln Center and went to China Fun, one of my favorite Upper West Side restaurants.

It was a pleasure conversing with John, a too short lunch. He headed back north to Warren County where he lives. I've never been there.

Hopefully, he'll return for a concert in the spring and we can have a CMG get-together.

[jbuck919]

I've never been there.

And I'm sure never hopes to be.

It is always a pleasure to see Ralph, our true man for all seasons. Just seeing him coming down the escalator at B&N filled me with a feeling of friendship even though we have only met three times. It is true that the meeting was rather attenuated, perhaps in large part because I was thinking ahead to meeting some high school classmates near Cornwall (this went swimmingly well) and then proceeding on home at night along a route that after it leaves the interstate would best be accompanied by a loud peformance of Danse Macabre. Well, it would have been the sign of a wasted life if I had not tried to squeeze something pleasant and personable into an otherwise dismal trip to retrieve my car from God help us Edison, New Jersey. I won't need an excsue next time and look forward to what we used to call in high school (after another fashion of course) a "spring concert."

Let's all wish Ralph in the heartiest way the best for his spring semester. Not that he needs the wishes, but just because he is such an inspiring example of a good teacher who both loves his work and goes ABCD in the interest of his profession and of his students.

[Werner]

Just a note to add to yours, John, and that is that good wishes are never wasted.

[karlhenning]

Well, I do call that curious timing, since I just sent you a PM, John.

Glad you two got to meet for lunch, Ralph!

Cheers,
~Karl