#christopher stanis

Dear Gus & Magnus,

I didn't take a photo today, so I went digging in the archives and found this one from 13 years ago. I looked for this photo recently and couldn't find it because I thought I took it when Stanis and I first visited the abandoned Six Flags when he came down in 2010. I forgot we went back in 2011. That cafe menu he's pulling down now sits displayed in our kitchen. I forgot there were more menus. I wish we would have gotten them all.

Dad.

Dear Gus & Magnus,

Mom and I went to breakfast by ourselves again this morning, then -- at Gus's request -- we went to buy him a Defend New Orleans t-shirt "like Dad and Magnus have."

We went back to the house to rest before joining the group on a pedal pub situation through the Bywater, where we went for drinks at Vaughan's, oysters at Parleaux. For dinner we all stayed in and had Chinese Takeout.

I mentioned that Chris and I rarely talk, so every time I do talk to him he has major life updates. Turns out he's been dating Dawn for years.

Dad.

Dear Gus & Magnus,

Stanis and I met at Army journalism school in Maryland when we were 18 years old and we've been friends ever since, even though this is only the fifth time I've seen him in 22 years. And he participates very little social media, so I'm never aware of what he has going on, but we always pick up right where we left off. (When talking to him tonight I found out he's been deployed to Djibouti for the last year.)

He still lives in Tacoma, but he wanted to celebrate his 40th birthday in New Orleans, so he rented a giant house (next door to the house Serena Williams rented while in town for her wedding a few years ago) and invited friends for a celebratory weekend. There were a dozen of us, coming from New York, Chicago, Atlanta, and the Pacific Northwest -- and of course, Mom and I drove down from Little Rock.

If feels good to be reunited with Stanis, and New Orleans.

Gus is staying with YP while we're gone and Nene is staying at our house with Magnus. This trip will be the longest Mom has ever been away from either of you (three nights).

Dad.

Dear children,

Six years ago today, Stanis and I busted into Six Flags New Orleans, which was abandoned after Hurricane Katrina. Fascinating thing to see. Here’s a little thing I wrote about the experience. Also, trespassing is bad. Don’t do it. Unless Stanis is with you.

Dad

My friend Stanis is training up at Camp Shelby, Mississippi for a deployment to Baghdad. He made the drive over this weekend to hang out with us before he's shipped off at the end of this month. We left him with some of April's friends on Bourbon Street this afternoon. When he came home, he looked like a fleur-de-lis-branded peacock.

Seattle, Washington.

Items of note:

I've done a bad job at taking photos lately.

I trimmed my beard and I'm debating a haircut.

Stanis and Mary and I spent all day Saturday moving her from one apartment (where she may or may not have destroyed some covered parking with the moving truck) to another with a rooftop hot tub that overlooks the city.

I love a hot dog vendor that sells vegan chipotle dogs.

I had my first experience with Hot Pot.

Tacoma, Washington.

I made it around 1am early Thursday morning. Dembeck and Stanis were hosting me--both of whom I'd gone to The Defense Information School with back in 2001 when Dembeck was just a kid from Houston, Texas, Stanis was a kid from Gainesville, Florida and I was a kid from Beebe, Arkansas. I hadn't seen them since, but it felt like we'd been hanging out ever since. They'd been living together in Tacoma for roughly two and a half years.

Tacoma was nice. Really nice, actually. They have a great blown-glass museum that you should check out if you are ever in the area. Lots of green parks. Great views. Great food. Great drinks.