Today, my friend, Larry, and I are wearing our Stand With Wisconsin red t-shirts with the blue fist. We are tired from a day of politcs and another day of grandchild and decide to go out to eat. A good place to go dressed like this is El Centro in Rvierwest, So we jump in the car and head just across the bridge from our house. It is early, and we are in luck and can have our pick of outside tables.
It is a lovely evening, 70’s and still blue sky above us. The waiter comes by, hands us menus and compliments us on our shirts. We start to discuss the political situation and how much we all dislike the governor’s policies. Another customer joins us and adds her two cents worth. Then we settle into our menus and order two dsihes from the new summer menu: a cold chicken with pasta dish for Larry and a pasta with artichokes, tomatoes, prociutto, mushrooms and calamatta olives for me with a small rocket salad made from lovely, fresh arugula and shaved parmesan cheese.
Right away, the wiatress brings bread and then more bread. I order a glass of a new red wine from Tuscany. It is fruity and yet not too heavy, just as it says on the menu. We share a bottle of San Pellegrino. I am beginning to feel happy, especially as Riverwesters walk by commenting on our shirts with smiles and thumbs up. A friend goes by on her way to work and blows me a kiss
The pasta arrives, and it is good as usual. For dessert we share a lovely lemon ice that is served in a real lemon and is tart and fruity and just the right thing to top off a summer meal.
The sjy stays blue; we continue to talk politics although lazily now, and the Riverwesters coninue to saunter past, smiling at us like indulgent parents, and for a little while, all is right with the world or at least with Riverwest.
