HANGING OUT IN HEAVEN by Joseph Tom Riach is the 11th of twelve articles for light holiday reading in my 2020 series of Tom's Summer Shorts. The tales are a blend of my real life experiences, professional insights, personal views and fun stories. My hope is that in them you find joy and inspiration. My friend Zé lazed back in his rickety wicker chair. He exhaled a perfect ring of blue smoke from his inhalation of aptly named Disque Bleu cigarette and replied, “Hanging out in heaven of course.” Then he smiled contentedly and said nothing. He eyed me as the crazed foreigner which I so clearly was. He had a point. I had asked him 'What was he doing here?' … then instantly regretted it. His response confirmed the inanity of my question. Zé had been a cordon bleu trained chef, preparing quality cuisine for discerning diners in posh restaurants … before giving it all up and becoming a beach bum! For the ten years preceding our conversation he had lived in a makeshift, tarpaulin…