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Quoting Lord Of The Sith:

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Let me apologize in advanced because I think this might get long.  I recently took my family of vacation and asked one of my closest friends to sit my house while I was a way.  Recently, he had been helping a young woman get on her feet.  I had met her, she seemed nice polite well groomed and the sort.  We agreed that she would be allowed to help him house sit so they could hang out and watch movies, to make sure my animals were cared for and my house wasn't burglarized while I was away.  Like many of you my collection is over 2000 films, I do not look to see if every film is where it belongs everyday.  My wife decided it was time to do some spring cleaning which includes dusting the DVDs.  This is a horrific task but must be done yearly or we would stop breathing.  I printed out a list and figured I would see the condition of my collection (eg, look for missing films, see what I may want on Blu-ray, broken cases that need replaced.)  This is where it begins to suck.  As I have known this friend for more than 15 years and know he would NEVER steal from me, it came to pass his friend did.  She obviously just grabbed the just watched pile of DVD's off of a desk and dropped them in her bag when my friend wasn't looking.  Not that the content matters she stole Castle Season 5, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Hobbit The Desolation of Smaug 3D Version, Lego Ninjago Master's of Spinjitzu, and Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief.  I have already replaced Castle Target had it for $22.99.  I am waiting to replace the Desolation of Smaug until later this year when the extended version comes out.  My local Sam's Club has the Lightning Thief for 7.98 Blu/DVD Combo.  This Prisoner of Azkaban is about 12.00 on Amazon and Spinjizu I am sure I can find, I am not really keen on replacing it.  All in all I am out about $100 - $150.  So after all of this, here is my question.  As she was not my friend she was my friend's, should I ask him to cough up the cash for the missing DVD/Blu-rays.  I do not want this to become an issue in our friendship, I am not mad at him.  But as he brought her in my house even with my permission, I feel he is kind of responsible for her actions.  Finally, I am unable to go to her as she has packed her things and moved out of state to get away from EVERYBODY she stole from including my friend.

So, I was walking around one night in Antigua in search of a transvestite who had robbed me the previous night, when all of a sudden, my buddy, Max, spotted across the street a breathtaking nude painting in a small little art gallery. He insisted that we take a break to get a closer examination. Reluctantly, I agreed to pause my search. In hindsight, I couldn't be more satisfied with my decision to do so, for little did I know that I would immediately there after meet a man who would soon earn his way into my list of Top Five Favorite People in the World. Alexander Ferrar is, without question, the most interesting man I have ever met in my life. I could go on for pages about what an incredible individual he is, and how fortunate you are if you are ever blessed enough to make his acquaintance, but I will try my best to stick to talking about his first restaurant, Sobremesa. Of all the months I spent in Guatemala, never did I experience such exceptional cuisine. The first meal I had was the Croque Jean Pollet with a side of potatoes and carrots for only Q58 (about $7.50 for something that would easily go for $20-$30 in the states). For the first time since as long as I can remember, I literally LICKED THE PLATE CLEAN. Hands down, the best meal I had eaten since I had arrived in the country, and I had eaten at several restaurants and house holds around the country. After that night, I returned to his restaurant every night until I left a week and a half later. Each entrée on his menu is an original creation. From his Unicorn steak (yes, unicorn, and you can even ask him where and how he acquires them) to his apple-habenaro ice cream (oh yeah, he has 47 original exotic flavors of ice cream which he created), every bit of food to come out of his kitchen is (in my opinion) better than your grandma could've ever hoped to make. Not only is it the best food you'll ever have, it's dirt cheap. The sandwich menu ranges from Q50 to Q58 (between $6.50 and $7.50), and the steak/other stuff menu ranges from Q80 to Q95 (between $10 and $12). In fact, the only thing that breaks Q100 on his menu are bottles of wine. Just try comparing that to the several other gourmet restaurants in the area whose food, I guarantee you, will not come close to comparing to Alex's. Aside from being a world class chef, Alex is a remarkable painter, with several works on exhibit and for sale in his restaurant/art gallery, along with many from local artists. And what he's doing is amazing, because while most art galleries are selling their cheapest pieces at a couple grand, Alex sells his (which are just as good if not far better than the other "high end" art shops) in a range of $200 to $2,000 at the most because he hates the cliché that art is typically marketed to the hierarchy of society. Instead, he wants art available to everyone, and is even up for bartering in some cases. Having this mind set, he is able to sell far more paintings much more frequently than other galleries which is good news for his struggling local artists. One guy, for instance, was able to put his kid through four years of college thanks to Alex for pushing his paintings when he had previously been denied from other galleries since he hadn't actually been to school for painting. Alex has an amazing heart, and this is unmistakably apparent in his attitude and service with which he treats each and every customer that enters his shop, even if to just pop in to glance at a painting that captured their eye as they were walking by. My only regret is that it took me an entire summer to finally stumble upon the jewel that is Sobremesa. Look for the new location near the Citibank on the central park.