Our Lady of Angels
The Cathedral of our Lady of Angels, Los Angeles

I was regaling my friend Jim with yet another adventure from my misspent youth.  "So there I was," I was saying, "with this chocolate bunny I'd taken to church with me Easter Sunday and it had melted all over my hands and my brother was sitting next to me in the pew and he was like, 'Dude, look at your hands.'"

"He did not call you 'Dude.'"

"Well, I grant you it was some time ago --"

"I don't know any Old English but he definitely did not call you a dude --"

"No, I admit it wasn't something he would --"

"-- I mean okay, maybe he said like 'Wee Laddie' or 'twenty three skiddoo' --"

"Wait, there was a point to this story --"

"Or, Bee's Knees."

"Now you're being mean."

"He did, didn't he?  He totally said you were like, the Bee's Knees."

"He did not say anything of the sort --"

"Unless you were Quakers or Pilgrims or something, I suppose.  Like in the Bible and you like had to Begat and Thee and Thou yourselves.  Before zippers were invented and no one could afford central air or indoor plumbing.  It must have been very sad.  Get thee to a nunnery, sister, and prithee I say mine elder brother, didst thine eyes see the glory --"

"I am what, six months older than you maybe so it's not nice to --"

"I think it's way more than --"

"Okay, a year."

"Did you watch the HBO Making of Sam Adams?  Or was it the Adams Family or --"

"John Adams.  Sam Adams is a beer.  The Making of John Adams."

"Whatever.  Anyway they like totally made everyone look dirty and unwashed, and I mean, so is that what it was really like back then?  Poor Laura Linney in all that mud.  Of course, she'll always be Mary Ann to me.  Do you think Armisted still gets high?"

"Happy Easter."

"Right on, dude."

"I am tops a year and a half older."

"Two and a half.  I love you man."

"Two years."

"Hallelujah, Bee's Knees."

"Twenty-three skiddoo to you too."