A return to normalcy, almost, was signaled when our core group gathered once again since December.

I commend the Karneses for the evening pick. I note the number of times I have passed this eatery, just south of the Greene-Ulster county line on Rt 32, and have wondered who frequents such a dive-y looking place. As it turns out, ownership seems to have changed, and a recent pr campaign has advertised a menu and a welcome not seen in our memory.

The menu is a casual, easy to prepare favorites of our local community – burgers, salads, sandwiches, pizza, wings with lots of different sauces, and a page of specials, depending on the night. Our table ordered the cauliflower Buffalo wings, a burger, a stack of onion rings, and chicken chili; from the special list came a meatloaf (with salad), a Philly cheese melt.

Drinks included beer (choice of two drafts) and wine and soda and glasses of water around.

Our waiter was satisfactory with skills commensurate with new owners wanting to make a good impression.

The ambiance, generally, reminded me of the Freehold Country Pub. A 25 foot bar with a J-hook (fifteen more feet) seated 15. A mirror divided part of the bar from whatever was on the other side but our table could see through the J-hook and see a couple customers. It was an interesting visual. The interior seems dimly lit, with seats for twenty (of which we took up almost half). More important was the centerpiece of a large section – the pool table with the full wall windows looking out to the woods and the Escarpment. It could be a cozy place for a regular stop with some friends to accompany.

The bill for everything, per couple should have been in the $50-$60 range, a little higher with more than one drink per. For those of us who wondered what lurked behind the front door (yep, I was one of those), we left with the feeling it would be an under-the-radar type of place to come back for a beer and a burger, or a special, shoot a round of pool, and sit on the J-hook of the bar. And the owner was nice enough, friendly, and eager to make a good impression (see below).

Discussions for the evening mostly needed to be half-shouted to be heard but that was due partially to an event we had not come across in our almost 24 years.

A semi-raucous bar greeted us upon our entry, with a group of 10-15 milling around, chatting, laughing, and having a good time. And several were women dressed in a variety of nice white dresses. On the marquee, both inside and out, was a message of congratulations to Fallon for her pinning with her nursing-school friends. Add some drinking, and their group conversation was loud for the 30’x40’ establishment. Once upon a time, we were there and we understood. So, we continued to almost yell across our table for an hour or so when the friends left and it was almost quiet. ‘Twas a touching scene, something to be celebrated, and Candlelight 2 posted photos of the pinning event on Facebook.

Another vignette worth remembering was the result of a waiter blunder. The two meatloaf dinners that came with salads waited until delivery of the entrée until the salad came. This is an hour after our seating. The waiter must have told the owner who ventured out and apologized profusely and said she would comp us all with a key lime pie dessert. So, we all had a version of key lime pie for dessert. A nice touch.

Other topics we could hear, sometimes not the whole table, given the noise:

            Ken was not present because a house service call came at 5 pm. Ken being Ken, he had to stay to make sure all was well. (I think we are all like that but I might have considered not missing DP8. I suspect Ken made the right call.)

            DP8 had an unusual winter after a few years of blank entries for January through April. That was due mostly to the Monterverds staying north, for the toughest winter in a while, for Ken to have treatments. While we did miss April for lack of a quorum, we did enjoy January through March for LP8 – Lunch Party of Eight.

            So, the return of the Notars meant a few months of catch-up on their part – Disney, golf, FL friends, house stuff and so on.

            And the Monteverds had been gone for six weeks. They caught up on winter damage, catching up with friends, and Ken enjoying the warmth of Florida.

            One more big topic was instigated by the Notars revealing they are searching for a new home in the area, ready to leave a too-large-for-two house. And that led to the observation that we have enjoyed the houses we have lived in but they keep getting bigger as we age. No decision, no greener-on-the-other-side, just a recognition of our changing abilities and wants.

            OK, the usual mishmash of topics (what a catch-up of big stuff that was): Deb K baking desserts for Five Furlongs; if Chay wants a piece of apple pie, he should go to Furlongs (ha); the Teator garden expansion with terraces; event prices, like concerts, Disney, Broadway, defying the common sense compartments of our heads and hearts; cash only, no credit cards at Candlelight 2; C-D Hall of Fame and the honor felt by selectees; golf games; Memorial Day sneaking up on us; the mowing of lawns; Don’s bicycling; summer plans; Notar upcoming trip to Iceland and UK; the Adamses experience on their cruise and with pneumonia (Tim, we drank to your health!); although Candlelight 2 has a Catskill address, it is in the middle of the circle between Palenville, Kiskatom, and Blue Mountain, with Catskill way over the horizon; Lynda & Ross in FL and then Lynda in Spain and Ross in Cape Cod; no mention of the Quinns that I could hear from my corner; John Hull’s accident breaking several ribs; glamping units on Big Woods Road, and another dozen topics that defy my pulling them back!