[bsenftner]

Early 90's, I was checking out a dive bar in LA's Koreatown over lunch and noticed him at the bar. I happened to be reading one of his books a few night earlier, or I'd never have recognized the guy. It was one of those "welp, now or never" moments, and I got up and set next to him at the bar. After a glance and a "who the fuck are you?" I replied I was the idiot fan that was going to buy him drinks. His waving two fingers at the bartender was him indicating "okay" and we slowly started chatting. I ditched work for the afternoon, and had to call in sick the next, claiming my lunch was bad and made me sick. We smoked, this being when people could smoke indoors, and drank at that bar for hours. I think I slept in my car for a few hours too. He was a curmudgeon with a royal tongue. A life time memory, that afternoon. I think I was 25 then.