Rosa Dabbles with Beer

"You sure are drinking a lot of beer lately," I told Rosa yesterday.

"I need something to take the edge off," she replied.

This has worried me deeply about my best friend. I have noticed as the days have progressed she has gone from drinking a single "tall boy" Budweiser to drinking a six-pack. I am not trying to be a busy body, but know all too well the insidiousness of addiction.

We sat on the side of Fat Albert's convenience store as Rosa drank her beer and I smoked my cigars and drank a diet soda. I have noticed a shift in the gang hanging out down at the shopping center to Fat Albert's which is only minutes away. Fat's has all the vices – lottery tickets, cigarettes and cigars, junk food and cheap alcohol. I can buy a twenty pack of little cigars for .93 cents.

"What are you cooking us for supper?" Rosa then asked me as she finished beer number three.

"What would you like to eat?" I asked.

"Cook some of your southern style cubed steak and gravy with biscuits," she said.

"That is always one of my favorites as well," I replied.

4pm found me in the kitchen cooking with Rosa watching television on my computer. I salted and peppered two pieces of cubed steak and then dredged them in flour frying them until done. I then set them aside and poured off most of the oil adding flour to make a roux. After the roux had darkened to a chocolate brown color, I added some milk until the gravy got good and thick. I then re-added the steak and simmered them in the gravy for another hour. This will cause the steak to be fork tender. I served the steak and gravy with steamed broccoli, rice, and biscuits. Rosa thoroughly enjoyed the meal and so did I.

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Some things that have been going on…

• This morning, I have lost 17 pounds on my diet. I and Rosa quit eating at Rodger's Barbeque everyday because it was so fattening and the portions were so huge. My father asks me every night why I am not going.
  


• My friend, Charlie, put in a dog door for Maggie here at this house. It has been one of the most welcomed things. Now, I don't have to worry about accidents on the floor anymore when I am gone. Maggie started using it the day Charlie put it in.
  


• My good friend, Cheryl, sent me some magazines and a note yesterday via the postal service. It was so good to hear from her and I stayed up late last night reading those magazines. Thank you dear friend.
  


• I have pretty much exhausted places to put flyers for my support group in the local area. I am hoping for a better turn out come this Monday. It will help next Monday not being a holiday.
  


• I finally start moving stuff to my new home today. I and Charlie are moving the couch and the piano and all the stuff I had in storage after my divorce which is boxes and boxes of my Model Railroading kits and supplies. Charlie has also got me up a queen sized bed for my bedroom which will be nice.