Lunch never tasted so good

I wrote about Barvo around Memorial Day.

Barvo is the sculptor that made the bronze of Pete that stands in the public cemetery in Melissa, Texas.

Barvo and I have become very close friends. First, because he got close to Pete. But Barvo and I enjoy lots of the same things. Politics. Stopping the spread of radical Islam. Church. And good Mexican food.

Barvo was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last August. He went into the hospital three days after we unveiled Pete. Barvo spent nine long months in various hospital beds. I would visit him often, and we always ended with the same promise. "As soon as you get out, we were going to have a good Mexican lunch."

Today was the day. He is back working partial days at his studio in south Dallas.

Nearby is La Calle Doce, a family owned Mexican restaurant that specializes in seafood.

The shrimp tacos were awesome. But more awesome was seeing his sweet face and those dancing blue eyes.

Barvo told me today "they lost him" twice. Meaning they had to use the paddles to get his heart started on two different occasions.

He weighed 150 lean, mean pounds on 9/11/08. He got down to 114 in the hospital. He is now back to 125. If he keeps eating flautas and guacamole like he did today, he will be back to fighting weight soon.

Barvo ended lunch with as nice a thing as anyone can say to another.

"The only thing wrong with our friendship is I didn't know you sooner."

Love you, Barvo. Keep eating.