Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know it’s December 26th and Christmas is all over for another year, but I have one last Christmas tradition to share with all of you, so here we go!
Six years ago I was living in New York City and was doing a blog called, “A Guy Walks In To 365 Bars.” The concept behind the blog was that I had to go to a different bar for an entire year, take photos and document the whole thing. So when I came home for Christmas, we had to find a bar that was open on Christmas day. My brother Tom found out that The Last Chance Bar was open and that was the destination for Christmas afternoon of that year. I was supposed to meet Justin, a guy who was doing a Peoria bar blog that afternoon. Well, he couldn’t make it, so he asked his friend Amber to come and meet me and she did. Amber was living in Chicago at the time and we had a nice conversation at the bar and I really liked her. But she had to leave and when she left I was happy to have met her but felt a little sad knowing that I’d probably never see her again.
Well, three years went by and I moved back here in October of 2012. I started this blog and one day in 2013 I went to a dental office where I had heard they were making novelty teeth for Halloween. I went in, met Danielle who was at the front desk and she told me that there was a woman from my past working there. Well, that kind of scared the shit out of me until Amber walked out and we had a reunion there in the office. We started hanging out and she’s become one of the best friends I’ve ever had.
We’ve started going back to The Last Chance on Christmas day and it’s a fun tradition I really look forward to. Here we are in 2014 with teeny tiny beers.
And this is us in 2015. I call this photo blonde and blonder!
Here’s a photo from yesterday and Amber’s parents, Chuck and Diane met us there. Amber’s parents have become wonderful friends too and the big news this year is that Amber’s engaged to Joe, who’s a great guy and he took this photo (I forgot the MBIP Camera). All of them have become a second family to me and I really feel lucky to have them in my life.
Happy anniversary, Amber, I love you and thanks for the friendship! Meeting you on Christmas will always be a treasured memory! And this concludes the MBIP Christmas celebration for 2016. I hope you all had fun and we’ll see you all tomorrow!
Related Post: MBIP Christmas Card 2016 (Part One) and (Part Two.)
Surprise link...click on it, I dare you!
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Bonus Christmas Photos From Matt!
My nephew Matt (the husband of my niece Mary Beth and the father of Tupac) took these photos from our Christmas Eve celebration at my sister Terry’s house. Enjoy these, because once you’re done looking at them, Christmas is officially over with! I’m serious!
