Welcome to my first Friday Flashback. When I wrote Monday's post, I had an older post from the first year of my blog already in mind. When I went to look it up today, I found this one and changed my mind. I worry that this may not be my most impressive piece, and I really wanted to start off with a bang. So why this one? Well, I think it comes down to the fact that I'm really missing my husband while he's in CA this week. I know I'm blessed because he is returning, and also because we have a relationship that makes him so miss-able. But for tonight, I'm still kinda lonely, and reading this cheers me up. Enjoy ...
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Trying to get back into more regular date nights, Larry took me out for Chinese last Friday night. I love Chinese food. And I have to say, it's not just the food, it's the whole experience. Our little Chinese restaurant up here is no exception, although in a quirky sort of way.
There are several celebrity photographs gracing the wall, taken at the restaurant with the owner. The one that stands out, for various reasons, is of Dolly Parton. Over the PA system croons a recording of a female vocalist doing Beatles covers who sounds a bit like Vikki Carr which seems like it would play more easily in a bakery in Little Italy. The waitress/maitre'd tends to seat folks just a little too close together for the number of parties in the place. There is an art to spacing. I tend to require as much of a buffer as possible.
Dishes are plastic versions of the Asian-inspired china one might find elsewhere. This bothers me, I have to admit. Good plates are a one-time investment, unless you have a careless dish-washer. Perhaps that's their problem. The glasses are also plastic. Water, even with ice, seems warmer if you drink it out of plastic. Larry ordered a 7up and was served a can along with a plastic glass of ice. I noticed the trio seated next to us ordered beers and received glass glasses. They couldn't put a name with Dolly's face, and got a couple of photos of themselves seated around the table.
We ordered a family dinner with sweet and sour shrimp and beef with black mushrooms, then chatted over some great fried won tons, egg rolls and duck sauce served with our soups. We talked about important things, and things with almost no significance at all. We had to chat quietly to compensate for a small buffer space. Our food came a little slowly, but we weren't in any big rush. This restaurant is odd to me in that they seem to skimp a little on the rice. Most Chinese places serve enough rice with your meal for a small army. That said, we always have left-overs to bring home.
And, of course, who doesn't like fortune cookies? My brother used to recite a funny SNL bit about the people who make up the lucky numbers for the fortunes. "4? What the hell kind of lucky number is 4?" That's all I can ever remember of it. When I was a teenager the cool thing for me and my geeky friends to do was to add "in bed" to the end of our fortunes. It can get pretty darn funny. But being grown up now and married . . . it's even funnier. It may even pan out. But not this time. I got, "You love playing to a crowd."
Larry opened my truck door as we left. I was thankful that chivalry is not entirely dead, and Larry was thankful that I appreciate such a gesture. Maybe the greatness of the night wasn't the restaurant at all. Maybe it was being with my sweetheart, with no one needing a drink filled or more ketchup squirted on their plate, or beans picked out or chicken cut up. Yeah, I think that was it.
21 fishy comments:
I do love a good date night, though it only happens about twice a year. This is a fun flashback! Thanks for sharing!
Fun flashback. You described it all so well that even though I haven't had breakfast, I suddenly want Chinese. But on real plates and with a glass glass.
Fun read! Thanks for sharing :) ♥ Hugs!
I think you're right about Chinese food in that it can feed an army. Sometimes my wife and I just get egg rolls then split an entry just so that we don't have to bring home leftovers— don't get me started on what happens to leftovers… that's an entire post to itself.
Great flashback. My husband and I have decided we are doing date night every week. No matter what. It was very nice to go out last week, because the last year we kind of let crazy life get in the way...I really related to your last paragraph.
I loved the last paragraph too! I like myself better when my husband and I get away regularly. It always reminds me why we fell in love in the first place, which sometimes gets muffled by the stress of everyday stuff.
it is good that chivalry is not dead, isn't it? That sounds like a lovely evening, I hope you've had many more since that last post.
This sounds like an awesome date night!
You've inspired me to call a friend to watch my kids so I can take my husband out this weekend. Thanks!
I need a date night! My birthday is Sunday, maybe that's what I need to ask for. :o)
What a fun flashback! I love Chinese food too and reading my fortune cookie. When we were stupid and young, we would add the sentence "in bed" to the end of our fortune. It's a crackup! Try it sometime. Happy Friday to you!
I enjoyed it. My husband and I need to get out more.
Date nights are such great things. My hubby and I need to do it more often than we do.
Date night? What's a date night? (Glad he'll be back soon!)
I never get tired of date night. I wish we could have one every night. Even with the kids practically gone now, I still want to go out and get away
That sounds like a great tradition, my parents still do date nights and I think they are a must, to make sure spouses get time to themselves once we, their children, come along. LOL! I hope he gets home as soon as possible!
Ah, the beauty of being able to eat at a table that you cannot draw on with a crayon and to not feel rushed to leave in an effort to quiet your screaming children.
This is called a date night, is it? Interesting. I will have to look into this more.
-Francesca
PS: I hope your husband comes home before you know it. :)
As I'm sure you already know, my very mature husband loves to add the "in bed" part, but I have to admit that I play along. I just opened Eric's desk drawer where I've noticed that he has actually kept one of his favorite fortunes from Panda Express. It reads: "Yes. Do it with confidence." Love it! Glad your hubby made it home safely.
What a fun Friday idea!! I might have to start doing Friday Flashbacks!!!
Love the flashback Friday. Why can't I ever remember to do these things. Thanks for being a great blog friend. See you. or rather......read you later.
I love your new Friday Flashback! And I even remember reading this back when I first started reading your blog. I am looking forward to a date night we have planned for the end of the month for Mike's BDay. Ours are definitely too far apart.
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