Thursday 7 May 2009

Big Night Out

A year ago, an organization that I had volunteered and worked for over the years gave me a generous parting gift - a massive gift certificate to a highly respected local restaurant. The task seemed simple enough: husband and wife enjoy really good food for free. But we’ve never actually gone out for dinner as a twosome, or on any sort of date, since we had the kiddos and it took us a near 12 months - right to the certificate’s expiry date - to get it together enough to make use of the damn albatross of a gift (I suppose we’re a bit odd but only recently has Ferg shown any interest in being left somewhere without us. Procrastination may also have played a part.)

Last night, we finally made it there and had a wonderful meal, celebrating, as it turned out, our 16th anniversary of being together (Gillian rejected the “16 years of kissing” tag that I tried to bestow upon the occasion). Helen and Adrian were kind enough to help us out with the diversion of their kids, pokémon and Ben Ten Wii. Here’s an exciting shot of us picking up take out for the kiddo-minding clan. I then forgot to take the camera to the restaurant where I had planned to document the entire evening… who knows when this will ever happen again!!!

After we got home, I took a picture of the bill and am posting it here for the purpose of showing off our stupendous money management skills. Gillian was determined not to waste a cent of the $150 g.c…



Effie did not seem jealous in the least that her Mom had two different servings of lamb for dinner. She had a jelly bean sandwich for dinner after all.

9 comments:

Cap'n Franko said...

Happy pseudoversary!

Sounds like a swell time.

Zenmomma said...

Monkey gland? Nostradamus? Who knew Canadian food was so unfamiliar and exotic.

anna kiss said...

What a generous gift! Lucky you! Sounds good...though I too wonder about Monkey Gland and Nostradamus. I'm guessing wines!

mesmith said...

Yeah, Monkey Gland was an absinthe and gin based potent drink. Nostradamus is a brown ale from Belgium. Creme Brule was heaven.

ipsa said...

Oh, phew (re: the Monkey Gland - absinthe connection). I was really starting to feel concerned...

Rachel said...

Oh yay for you guys! I can totally appreciate this date (having only recently had our first one of these). I'm only disappointed to not have the frame by frame account of each and every course as you cleverly calculated and indulged. Forgetting the camera...I did the exact same thing when we went out! How is it that we are there to capture almost every event of our children's lives and we completely forget to record a milestone of our own?

Renee Cabatic said...

beating a dead horse:
But I really was worried about the Monkey Gland!!!!

Cap'n Franko said...

Absinte is the best!

Carolyn said...

Yes - Bret's diving team gave us a gift certificate for fancy dinner, an OVERNIGHT room, and breakfast at this lovely resort where we lived Wyoming...when Vivian was 3 weeks old. Baw ha ha ha ha! It expired when she was just over a year, and I found it when packing to move...I called the resort, begged a little, and asked if we could just use it for dinner, to which they said "sure"! So, one of our last nights out in Wyoming we went there (friend babysat) and had a lovely time...

Good for you getting OUT! Wahoo!

(Glad someone else asked about the monkey brain...)