MADE IT BY THAT MUCH 

We had our 33rd Yat-Together (and the 19th month in a row) on Tuesday, but it almost didn't happen. The first few dates we tried in June were a no geaux. One in the middle of the month couldn't be attended by enough, and one last week was canceled due to LSU playing for a national title. 

I thought the 18-month streak was over until I got my schedule for this week and saw that I was off on the final day of June. Wouldn't you know it, enough people (Kelli, Stephen, Amanda, Bode and Kevin) were free, and we snuck in the June meeting by the hair of our chinny chin chins. 

Mahony's Po-Boy shop is just before Louisiana and not a few blocks past as I thought when I drove by the place and was lost for 10 minutes. It has an at-home feel, especially with the little, black gate in front and the porch. 

We had two orders of onion rings. Those things were addicting. I had the shrimp po-boy, and the shrimp were huge and golden brown. It's well worth the visit, and we chalked up another successful meeting. 

There was a sign in front of the building (they picked it up before I could take a picture of it) that said they were going to start closing at 10 p.m. instead of 8 p.m. beginning July 1. Then underneath that, it said the policy will be on Thursdays through Saturdays. Well, this Thursday is July 2. So, the new hours don't start July 1. These are the things I notice. 

At 8:15, we left and headed for some dessert at Sucre in the heart of Magazine's ice cream section. I had two scoops of the triple chocolate. Rich.  

As we were planning July's meeting, we realized the best week to do it was the week I'm going on vacation. WTF, mate. So, I'm missing next month's dinner. Breaks my heart. I feel sad already.

Boy, did those guys rub it in after that with their jokes about sending messages about the set-up and while they're actually eating. They couldn't have been more excited that I was missing one of these things. Assholes. Yeah, I said it. ASSHOLES! 

I'll show them, though. How? By having the place they're going to condemned the day before. 

THE TINA CURSING CORNER

My mom opens the paper and discovers Bernie Madoff for the first time. "He got 150 fucking years." 

Mom had a thought on another trial: Bill Jefferson's. "I wish they would get this fucking shit over with." (Amen.)

Mom still can't get over the events of Monday's Young & the Restless. "He fucked a man just to stay out of trouble." 

Mom reads about gunplay in the paper. "You see the fucking shooting in front of the casino? Less than 24 hours from when you were there." 

Mom nearly got into an accident Tuesday morning. "Almost had my car totaled. Fucking asshole switched lanes at the same time as me. I was just able to move out of the way." 

Mom comes back home. "Fucking drenched." 

The toilet handle in my bathroom broke. Mom sees me trying to fix it. "What the fuck? Why does something have to break every day! Not once a week. Every fucking day. Every fucking day. ... Every fucking day. ... How does a handle break? I ain't never seen that. Motherfuck. What the fuck happened? Every day of my fucking life." 

We take it apart and get a new one. "Uncle Vince probably tightened the fuck out of it. Every day! Every fucking day. You're scratching the fuck out of the porcelain."

As we struggled to put on the new handle, mom referred to it on four separate occasions as "a piece of shit." 

PARTING SHOTS

Stephen was on fire at Tuesday's dinner. 

Someone: That's good. She's a dancer. 

Stephen: Yeah. Flexible. 

Then later. 

Me: Yeah, she was drunk and vulnerable. 

Stephen: Nice. Bases loaded. 

THE DAILY TOP LIST

My favorite five moments of June. 

5) My last No. 1. June 11. 

Man, do I miss me some chicken fingers and fries at work. 

4) Fleetwood Mac concert. June 20. 

They were selling shirts for $40.

3) Matt's farewell. June 19. 

And Baton Rouge hasn't been the same since. 

2) Extreme Rules PPV. June 7.

The dude in the front row was saying some awful things with a 5-year-old right behind him. 

1) LSU wins sixth national baseball title. June 24. 

With my headline: SIX FLAGS. All that's left is to frame it.