Safari Njema, My Friend

My Zanzi-buddy is gone, but the memories still linger on. The lemongrass and ginger vodka he discovered at Nairobi's version of Wal Mart. The snorts of laughter. The supreme snarkiness. The relaxation. The sense that you've known somebody so long, you don't have to "perform," you can just be.

Our friend Kelly says this particular photo looks like it was staged for a New York Times wedding announcement. Perhaps in a parallel universe, but here's what you need to know about Kelly: she's as dangerously fun as we are. I'll tell you more about her later.

Here's one more thing you need to know about Ron. I'm sitting here at work when he sends me an email from the airport, where he was parked in a coffee house waiting for his boarding call. From that "poor man's business lounge," Ron reported,

"It is exhausting ignoring the baleful stares of the elderly, pregnant and limbless who are coveting my perch. (and that's just one lady!)

You just gotta love somebody with a warped brain like that. Granted, it's hard work, but after 25 years, I reckon I've signed up for the long haul.