A Friend

============ ========== Larry and his beautiful wife, Fina ====================

This post is about a friend who always pushes me to do my best or else he'll be on my back! In my last post I used the word ZIT as a synonym to nil, nada and do you know what he did? He got a dictionary and this is what he wrote me:

Hi Ms, my teacher,

I am not challenging your proficiency in the English Dictionary but I just did more research on the word ZIT and all I got was it is a SLANG for PIMPLE OR BOILER ON THE SKIN. There is one word I encountered which means the same thing as NADA OR NIL. The closest to ZIT is the word ZILCH. Both ZIT and ZILCH originated in the U.S. Other words for nothing are ZERO, CIPHER, NAUGHT. English words are really confusing especially when they are giving DIFFERENT SLANG MEANING. Sorry and don't consider this as questioning your knowledge about words but I want to learn how I can use this word I just learned from you correctly.

My friend's name is Larry. He is a Principal Accountant with the City of Los Angeles by day and a Dance Instructor by evenings, nights and/or weekends. He is as good an accountant as he is a DI. Students sign up with him for years. He once told me that dancing will make him enjoy retirement when it finally comes his way, and right now, is a very good mode of excercise. During their annual trips, Chechoslovakians, Greeks, English, Italians, Mexicans, Bulgarians, Austrians, Germans, French and many more, had seen him and his wife, Fina, display their dancing talents on cruise ships and dinner halls. I still can not imagine that only about a little more than a decade ago Larry couldn't distinguish between a cha-cha and a waltz. Gloria and I used to teach him the very basic steps, but guess what, he is now our tutor for those latest ballroom dancing moves! And Gloria and I? Well, we still know the very basic steps!!!

One thing about Larry is that when he puts his mind into a thing, whether it is buying a Lexus or a leather sofa for their living room, studying a new hobby like dancing or going to a new place, he would spend hours and hours researching (Have you read the quote?) about it before he finally buys, does or visits! I have learned so much from him when it comes to thinking twice or thrice before buying or doing anything. The only one big thing between him and me is that he sticks to his plans while I don't (chuckle)! (BTW, I stand corrected and have edited my last post.)

As a friend, he is sincere, loyal and caring. For our twenty-fifth wedding anniversay, Ed and I decided we would not celebrate it because financially, we just couldn't afford it. Both of us lost our jobs and we just bought a house. We were surprised when on our anniversary day, friends and relatives from as far as Maryland, started coming with everything from food to dinner napkins, decor and music. Ed and I learned that Larry, together with Gloria, called them one by one and told them of our situation. That was the best anniversary we have ever had.

I am grateful to have you for a friend, Larry. I want to thank you immensely, too, for today, I have something to blog about (more chuckles!)