Alex came to our house normally for the sole purpose of eating as much of my mother’s homemade food as possible. This became particularly apparent the night I came home from a hard day’s work looking forward to a large bowl of chicken and noodles (a favorite of my mother’s that prepares dinner for five with leftovers for at least a few weeks). I knew my luck had run out when I noticed a white Jeep with a South Carolina sticker parked in the driveway. When I got into the house, I learned not only was every bite of chicken and noodles gone, but ‘the boys’ weren’t home because they had gone out… to Wendy’s. Unbelievable.

A year or two later, I learned a little more of just what Alex Liollio was willing to eat. It was a bright day at the ballpark in St. Louis, and Alex Ford, Dan Barnes, Andy Nelson, and I were enjoying some normal ballpark snacks.

Apparently, normal ballpark snacks weren’t enough for Alex Liollio. It was then that we all spotted a vendor that had sold all of his rainbow ices. What remained was the thick, brownish syrup that had congealed all morning in the bottom of the vendor’s bin. Andy suggested it might be a good idea for Liollio to consume said syrup. Thirty-two dollars later (eight of it the vendor’s own money), Liollio finished off a nice tall glass full of possibly the most disgusting substance I have ever seen.

Despite all of these events, people seem to like having Liollio around. From this, I can draw only one conclusion: Alex Liollio must be pretty damn awesome.

And he is.

Fin.

- posted by Karen Barnes (Dan Barnes’ sister) -