Bingo! Thats the icing on top of the cake. Its a little different at a dinner (when time is somewhat limited) but these weekends afford some quality time with our member's families. You get a "feel" about a member from his/her posts and you have something of a pre-conceived notion about what they're like before actually meeting them. But their family members (spouse, significant other, children) are coming into these totally "clean" (so to speak). I've been very pleasantly surprised by all those I've been lucky enough to meet.

I've been fortunate to have spent time with some of our members and their partners/wives away from the sitdowns and those times have been wonderful, but its an added plus to see them together at our meetings. Watching DMC & Flame Angel and Mr. & Mrs. Sicilian Babe together is to watch people who are genuinely in love and its very relaxing. Watching, and interacting with the kids (Cardi's and Becky) is a great source of fun and makes you feel good that your friends are so fortunate. I still say the single most endearing moment of any of these sitdowns was watching Don Smitty and his little daughter. Here's this big bear of a man holding this precious little thing as she slept in his arms after having dinner. Smitty was content on letting the others fight it out about frozen desserts while he held onto his prize. I guess I would have been, too.