yfritz's Journal, 28 June 2021

So back in the days when I was still a sweet young thing, I shared a rundown duplex with a decidedly sassy woman from Thessaloniki. All her friends were from Greece as well and they were nuttier than a 5-pound fruitcake. Without restraint they considered our place their home, and they popped in and out ad libitum. They did bring wine bottles and music without fail, which I thought was mega ace. We would discuss politics and smoked cigarettes (of course) until the cows come home. The mood was strangely Byzantine thanks to the music they brought. We were all tipsy, occasionally there was sexual tension, but mostly our nights were all about longing for the homeland. While I am not a Greek, I was a nomad just the same, and I shared their painful search for a sense of belonging.

Around 5am, the newspaper boy would emerge on the horizon… we cheered him and blew kisses most enthusiastically. The mysterious Byzantine music enveloped our silhouettes. Later we were told the kid was traumatized by our enthusiasm and quit his paper delivery job. Anyway, the delivery of the paper prompted us to consider partaking of the divine thing called food. This is the part I remember most fondly; these Greek friends could fix the most wholesome meal with a very few ingredients even when their mind was foggy with wine, cigarettes, unfulfilled lust, and endless arguments about the future of the Republic of Cyprus.

I think about those nights from time to time with a tinge of sadness. Youth, dreams, genuine friendship, where did they go?
Today I was made keenly aware that I still haven’t found a place where I could call home. It is nothing new, one could get used to it, I have reconciled with the fact that my demise will occur in a place far from my own homeland. But maybe, maybe, occasionally, it is okay for me to calm my painful longings with wine, cigarettes, and orzo casserole my Greek friend taught me?

(Orzo casserole: orzo, olive oil, baby spinach, tomato sauce, garlic, ricotta, maybe feta too, tomato. Bake 30min at 400F, possibly 500,000 calories per serving)

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610 kcal

Fat: 22.81g | Prot: 26.22g | Carb: 48.48g.   Breakfast: Nescafe Clasico Dark Roast Instant Coffee. Lunch: Wasa Multi Grain Whole Grain Crispbread, Wegmans Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, BelGioioso Fresh Mozzarella Cheese. Dinner: Watermelon, Marinara Pasta Sauce, Baby Spinach, Whole Milk Ricotta Cheese, Orzo, Tomatoes, Mozzarella Cheese. Snacks/Other: Casillero del Diablo Malbec. more...