I will now tell you the story of three men, three bowls of pho and one unwanted dinner guest...

It all began yesterday at work. NESF wasn't feeling well so PMRob and I were thinking of ways to make him feel better. PMR's had the idea to bring him some pho, great idea. However NESF wasn't bedridden by any means so after some deliberations we decided to just meet up and get some soup.

Now I usually get home at 6:45 which would mean that I wouldn't be able to meet up until like 7:30. My dinner guest were hoping for a little earlier so I decided I'd bust ass to get out of work early. Everything was going well, we had it all on lock down till 5 o'clock hit and it all fell apart on me. All of my preparation was for nothing and I still ended up leaving work at 5:35 like every other day.

Most days I end up waiting on the 7 for at least 10 minutes (sometimes more like 20) but I must have done something right by the cosmos and the bus pulled up in a matter of moments from my arrival. However when we reached the ID it too fell apart. There was multiple lifts, some kind of disturbance in the back, and lots of people toting more things that they could reasonably handle, all of which delayed the process further. I got downtown at about the same time I do everyday.

I hurried myself across Pioneer Sq to catch the 18. Now I usually have a 10-15 minute wait because I always just miss one. However my luck renewed and as I strolled up to the stop so did the 18. I said a small bit of thanks and boarded the bus. We made good time up until the Ballard Bridge which, as you may have guessed, was up. But not so much up as was going up. Fate had foiled me once again.

I arrived home at 6:47, all my labors for not. But I shook it off, dropped off my bag, and headed back down the hill to meet NESF. I was across the street from the building that some day hopes to be a QFC when a man on a bike comes up to me, "Hey man where's the QFC?" I point to the half constructed wasteland, "right there." "What are you talking about?" I then explain to him the void of grocery stores on that side of Ballard is a result of QFC's lost haste and that he's got to go back to 15th. He was a little perturbed but so be it.

Hooked up with NESF and headed on to Market. A small back track delayed our progression but worked out for the best being as PMRob was still a few minutes out. He descended the 44 at Market and Ballard and we all got to moving to the Than Brothers.

Now I've been to many a Than Bros at various times in my life. I have long considered them to be a decent option when outside of the ID for my pho needs. Their broth isn't the best, but it's generally more satisfying than most. Anyone who's ever been to a Than Bros will recall that they are all covered in mirrors.

So as we walk into the restaurant we're directed to a booth in the far back corner of the restaurant. Before we could even take our seats a waiter arrived and took our order. Now I'm all for prompt service, but that's a little extreme. A minute later we all had our soup and were ready for the magic experience that is pho.

NESF and I were nearly finished when PMRob got a grim look on his face and said, "What's that?" while pointing over my shoulder. I turned slight and much to my disgust there was a bug no more than a foot away from me. We debated what type of bug it was for a little while. Was it a cockroach? An earwig? After PMRob dropped the knowledge about the half moon shaped tail of an earwig we all agreed we were dining with a cock roach. I tried to just ignore it, what could I really do at that point? We conversed a little longer until PMRob abruptly injected, "Lets leave." When asked if something was wrong he replied, "our little friend". I think he had been staring at it since he discovered it.

We paid the bill and left, not likely to return.



Luckily for me it didn't ruin the evening. NESF went back home to rest up for the big weekend while PMRob and I did what is becoming our thursday standard, hit up Wingmaster for some pool and buck hunter. Good times. I was a little rough around the edges this morning but that has passed. Now I'm getting pumped up for Grizzly Bear.