Back In The Saddle, Again

6:39

7:49

It's 7:00, the sky is starting to lighten, a band of clouds sit on top of the Bemus shoreline but it's blue skies above the lake and Woodlawn.  When I went out to get the paper, the windows of our car were frosted over, making me wonder where my plastic de-icer is.  It's 32º  It looks like we may get some rain today although, at the moment, it does not look like it.

Yesterday was a nice crisp but a mostly sunny day, the high in the 40's, perfect weather for working outside.  After my paddle, I decided to work in the yard for an hour or two, raking leaves in the flower beds, behind the garage and part of our lawn, just under the willow, which is always strewn with twigs from the tree.  I managed to fill up two more pails of leaves and twigs and took them up the hill.  Around 11:00, I drove to Lakewood, stopping at Ryder's Cup for a coffee and picked up a dozen eggs.  Joyce, the barista, did not seem herself and I later learned, from the cashier at Wegman's  by the way, that she was suffering from shingles.  Small world, as the cashier recognized me as a Ryder's Cup customer because she works there on and off as a barista. 

Anyways, I spent more time than I wanted at Wegman's because, once again, they have moved items around, making it difficult to find things even when using the Wegman's app.  I picked up lots of staples since the cupboard and refrigerator were almost bare.  It was strange to be back in my routine after three weeks of travel but that won't last long.  The groove of routine will soon be deep and comfortable.

I was home by 1:00, heated up some leftover spaghetti for lunch, read and took a luxurious, at least it felt that way, nap.  I was deaf to the world for at least an hour and woke to the sound of Evie mowing and mulching the yards.  I went out to join her and did some tidying up of the leaves in various nooks, filling another pail and I also did some trimming of the trees in our front yard with my pole saw, standing on our dock pieces to reach the branches.  Evie oversaw the project. 

Around 5:30, we opened a bottle of sauvignon blanc, our white of choice, and Evie started prepping our dinner, shrimp and grits, a dish she has been wanting for three weeks, but never ordered when we were in Florida or New Orleans for some reason.  Fortunately, I bought the five-minute grits earlier in the day, so dinner did not take that long to make, basically, saute the shrimp, add the creams, jalapeno, and spice, and serve over the grits.  Along with a salad, we had a tasty dinner, as we watched the latest faux pas by Trump, a nightly entertainment, as well as wondering who would be the next 'big wig' to be accused of sexual harassment.  The accusations have ruined the lives of every one of the accused except one, Donnie, the former friend of Chuck and Nancy, supposedly our president.  It's a bizarre world when the fear of a nuclear war takes a back seat to a tweet or sexual harassment. 

3800 Miles, 11 States, 22 Days, Six Hotels...And Home Again

Happy Thirteenth Birthday To Our Granddaughter, Halle

Well, we are back at the lake after a great three-week sojourn, the best part, visiting with our families.  Now, however, we are home and I am back to getting up before sunrise, sipping chicory coffee from New Orleans Cafe Du Monde, listening to Morning Joe, waiting for the sun to rise.

7:31

7:34

I just got back from a windy paddle and as I was kayaking back, I wondered where all the ducks had gone.  Just as I was thinking this, a raft of coots scooted out of the shade, into the sunlight, about 15 yards in front of me.  No herons, no mallards, just coots remain.

Kayak Morning

A Raft Of Coots

We left the Dayton area yesterday around 7:30, were lucky to avoid any traffic jams as we drove around Columbus and had an easy drive home, lots of sunshine, temperate weather, and a late November drive which seemed more like spring then the onset of winter, not that I am complaining. We both felt the difference between our drive from three weeks ago when some of the trees still had their leaves and there was still some green. Yesterday, however, the empty branches of tree's rising, a purple blush to the woods, and suddenly the openness, the wide open spaces on both sides of the highway. We did have two silly stops, one at a Mc Donalds, just as a bus of retirees had arrived and gotten in line, the other where construction made it difficult to find the way into McDonald's for breakfast.  That was it and we were home by 1:45 to a beautiful afternoon on Chautauqua Lake, water a dark blue, the sky, clear and azure.

Once More To The Lake

We quickly unloaded, surprised at how quick it went.  Once everything was out of the car, we took our time unpacking and Evie enjoyed taking her time, putting things where they belong whereas I am always in a hurry to unpack and put my empty duffel away.  Once all was done, we always feel an emptiness, like now what, its over, what are we going to do.  Well, we got back into routine, as I read, took a nap and Evie played Words With Friends as we moved towards the end of the day.  Around 3:30, however, I was antsy, wanted to do something so I went outside, picked up twigs from our yard, emptied the five inches of rain from our rain gauge, raked some leaves, filling up two garbage pails, and mulched the backyard, filled with leaves from our still leafy Bradford pear.

Long Point At 4:14

Long Point at 4:30

We relaxed with some appetizers and a Manhattan at 5:15, as the sun began to set, the sky darken and by 6:00, it was pitch black, such a contrast to a later summer afternoon when much of daylight was still ahead of us. For dinner, our daughter in law Mary had packed us up some meatballs and spaghetti sauce, so all we had to do was boil up some noodles, heat up the meatballs and sauce, and we had dinner.  We watched a couple of old Vice News and Stephen Colbert before going to bed, tired from our driving and happy to be home in our own bed.

To The Lake

Morning On Interstate # 70 Near Kansas City

7:24 AM

I am sitting in the Hampton Inn lounge, just off of Interstate # 70, near Dayton, Ohio, for the last time in I hope quite a while, say next April or May when we decide to go on another road trip.  Right now, all we want to do is get home to our home, our lake, our living room, our bed.  I am the only one sitting here at 6:00, having gotten up early because we were in bed 9:30 and we are in a new time zone.

Monday was a busy morning for all of us; Evie and I were up at 5:30, as both of us were thinking about our long drive and wanted to get a head start.  By 6:00, Marlena, Mary and Tom were up as well, getting their morning started.  Nick was due to get up at 7:00 and drive back to Arkansas about 8:00.  We were on the road, heading towards the sunrise, over Interstate 70, which will be our main route until we hit Columbus and head north towards Cleveland.  It's Trucker Alley, hundreds and hundreds of trucks to pass, going east and west, probably carrying Amazon Prime packages.  We made good time, better than I thought and we had time to stop at a grocery store Meijers literally next to our Hampton.  We stopped because there are no easily accessible groceries stores on our way home and we wanted to get some staples for tonight's dinner at the lake.

Sunset In Ohio at 5:28

We checked into our Hampton by 4:30, relaxed until 6:30 then drove about a mile to a Mexican restaurant called El Toro Bar And Grill.  It was fairly quiet, we easily found a seat at the bar, Evie had a beer and I had a margarita. We ordered Mexican, what else, neither dish was worth mentioning and we were not that hungry.  It was good, however, to just sit down and relax for an hour and think back about the past few weeks.  We had done a lot, driven many miles but best of all, we were able to spend time Beth and Tom and their families.  We miss them already.

We have a six-hour drive today, should be home early afternoon, perhaps in time for Evie to fire up the lawn mower and mulch some leaves. Now that our road trip is almost over, it all seems as if it never happened, like it was just our imagination.  I feel that way, too, about our early lives in both Hawaii and Istanbul. Did we really live there? The past is gone, finito, bye bye.

On The Road To Ohio

Tommy And Family, Thanksgiving, 2017

KC Thanksgiving, 2006, With Both Tom And Jill's Families

We both were up early, even Tom because the three of us want to be on the road early.  Evie and I are heading home, with an overnight stop in Ohio and Tom is flying to Ft. Lauderdale this morning at 8:00 on business for two days.  It's been a fun three days with Tommy and his family and good timing because both Nick and Tommy have to leave today.

Yesterday I was up for a couple of hours before anyone stirred.  I don't blame them for sleeping in, just wish I could once in a while.  Once everyone was up, we talked about when to make dinner, a family favorite, Mary's spaghetti and meatballs.  Tom, Nick and I had picked up most of the ingredients yesterday, ground beef and pork, tomato paste, and pasta.  Unfortunately, we forgot the parsley for the meatballs, so I volunteered to drive to Hy Vee.  It's ten minutes away, an easy drive, and I was in and out in ten minutes, picking up some mini nutty buddies for Evie, her favorite.  When I got home, everyone was busy, putting together the meatballs, simmering the tomato sauce, then frying the meatballs.  Mary and Evie made the meatballs, Tommy browned them, and I watched.

Bella, Our Little Einstein

Around 11:00, Evie and I drove off to the stores.  I wanted to check out Dick's for some sweatpants and found some that seemed long enough at half price.  It's nearly impossible to find any in a tall which makes me wonder how any basketball players find sweat or running pants.  Evie found a few things at TJ Maxx's, no pillows this time and we stopped at Hallmark to pick up some paper for Marlena's school project.

Marlena And Bella

When we got home, Evie helped Marlena with her project, Mary cleaned up the kitchen and because it was such a nice day, I washed my car, getting it ready for our trip home.  When I was finished, I helped Tommy and Nick with the leaves in their backyard, raking and putting them in paper bags.  We were out there close to an hour, finishing up the backyard.  We then came in and watched the depressing first half other Kansas City Chiefs game.  At halftime, we took a timeout to have our spaghetti and meatball dinner.  Needless to say, we loved it, the meatballs were done perfectly and the sauce has a sweetness to it which all of us like.  We then watched the rest of the game, the Chiefs losing to the Buffalo Bills.  After it was over, Tom and I went outside to finish up a few leaves and Evie and Marlena went up to the playground with Bella.

By 6:00, we were watching some more football, then part of the Miss Universe contest before deciding on a movie all of us would like called GIFTED. Before the movie, however, we had to have more spaghetti and meatballs, for Nick and me, and Evie made her #1 son, a healthy salad.  The movie was cute and predictable, perfect for a family, with only one f-word.  We ended the night with mini ice cream cones as Marlena had to get to bed because she gets up around 6:00 to get ready for school.

One More Day...Granny Gone Wild

Granny Gone Wild

Boogieing With Mike, Keith Leading thr Band

The Neighborhood Gang

 Another solitary morning here in Lee's Summit.  I have been sitting downstairs in the dark for the past hour, up since 6:00 and may have to wait another hour for someone to get up.  I have to admit I miss waking up to a sunrise on the lake but being with our grandchildren more than makes up for it.

Marlena And Her Dad

Yesterday was easy, do little day for most of us.  The gang slept in, relaxed with coffee until 10:30, when both Tom and Mary went off to the gym to work out for an hour.  I took Bella out for a short walk, mostly because she started puffing when I rounded the corner.  She is more of an indoor dog.  I was looking forward to the Ohio State/Michigan game, not sure why, perhaps because I like to see Michigan's obnoxious coach lose.  And he did although the Buckeyes looked terrible during much of the first half.  This game takes on an enormous importance for both Michigan and Ohio fans and they tend to live or die depending on the outcome.  Football, not religion, is the opium of the people.

A Couple Of Grands

Early afternoon, after a lunch of leftover turkey, potatoes, and stuffing, the girls went off to the local mall, another day in Evie's never-ending quest for a sleepable pillow.  Tom, Nick and I stopped at Lowe's to pick up a few home improvement items, like a hose and a door spring, then headed to the local Honda dealer to test drive the newest Honda Accord.  Tommy had read about it and is thinking of trading in his Jeep Wrangler and getting the new Accord.  I have to admit it's a fine car at a reasonable price.  All three of us liked the salesman; he was not pushy, seemed honest and I assume Tommy will be back.

We got home around 4:00, in time to watch more football, what else, and Evie and the girls had already returned with new pillows and a few things for Marlena to take on her Christmas cruise.  We were going out for dinner around 7:00, so we snacked some, watched Alabama lose, another pleasant surprise, then all of us showered and got spiffed up for our big night out.

We were going to a local bar and restaurant, Lewellen's Pub, in Lee Summit, because a friend and colleague of Tommy's band, the Suburbans, was playing, starting at 8:30.

Waiting For Pub Grub

We sat in the restaurant section and met another couple, Kelly and Mike and their son Peyton, now good friends of ours as well since we see them everytime we visit.  We all had mediocre dinners, typical pub food I guess and they even forgot Evie's order but when they realized it, they comped it, which was nice.

Grooving In Lee Summit

Mary And Her Good Friend, Kelly

The band started at 8:30 and they were great, playing all genres of music, but most had a great beat, the kind that makes you want to dance.  The bar was packed, at least a hundred or more, loving the music, and we were able to find a table because more friends from Tom's work saved us a spot.  Evie got a little crazy as the night wore on, as the picture suggests but then she becomes a different person when she hears a live rocking band.  She could easily dance the night away and she almost did.  We finally were able to drag her out by 11:00.  When we got home, all of us were hungry so I had some Thanksgiving ham, Tom some turkey and Evie made herself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  Mary disappeared, however, a result of a Grey Goose evening.  It was a great way to end our day, thanks to The Suburbans.

A Quiet Morning In Lee's Summit, MO

Selfie With Our Son Tom's Family

It's 7:30 and not a family member is stirring; it's just me and Bella, the dog.  The morning sky is just beginning to wake, to lighten through the shades so it looks like another stellar day in the Midwest, with a high of 60º, our kind of weather.  When we arrived yesterday, it was a warm 74º, unusual for this time of the year.

There's not much to say about yesterday's eight-hour drive from Dallas to Lee's Summit, a suburb of Kansas City.  This is the third time in three year's that we have made this drive yet it never seems very familiar, perhaps because the landscape does not change much during the 500 mile drive. 

Oklahoma's Welcome Center

The route is through mostly cattle farms, with animals grazing off to the horizon.  Occasionally, we would drive through a town, the ubiquitous strip of fast foods, one or two lights and a Pilot or Love gas station.  In other words, the drive seemed long and boring, but it was better than Interstate where there's no view.

We arrived at my son Tom's house just about 4:00.  We let ourselves in because they were at a Missouri/Arkansas football game party.  We were able to get unpacked before they texted to say they were on their way around 4:15.  They all look great, Nick back from college for a few days, Marlena, now a 9th grader and tennis player at the local high school.  We were able to get caught up on all their busy lives, with Tom's work, the kid's school and Mary being a busy Mom.  I forgot to mention Bella, their dog, who seems to recognize both Evie and I and quickly jumps up on our laps to be petted.  I love other people's dogs.

Evie And Marlena And Nick

We sat around until dinner time, watching TV, both football and basketball while Evie and Mary sat with Marlena while she did her homework.  What kind of school gives homework over break?  Most of them I guess.  At Reserve, as I recall, we purposely did not give homework because we thought the kids needed a break.  Around 6:30, Tom pulled out the marinating vegetables and cooked them on the grill.  Once they were about done, he grilled six or seven tenderloins.  We had them with the rice and veggies and they were thick and juicy, just the way we like them, almost raw on the inside.  The last time we had tenderloins was a year ago at their condo on the Lake Of The Ozark.

After dinner, Evie mentioned a movie that she thought everyone would like, a romantic comedy called THE BIG SICK.  Other than using the f-word about 50 times, we figured it was an appropriate film for a 9th grader like Marlena and it was our other granddaughter's Marisa's favorite current film.  And, I think, everyone did like it, even Nick our sophomore in college.  By the time it was over, it was 10:30 and we were all ready for bed except for Nick.  His friend from high school and college came over and they were going to play video games.

Aloha Dallas, A Road Trip To Kansas City

Kitchen Help

A Proud Dad And His Boys

Our Granddaughter

We are both up at 6:00, as we have an eight-hour drive ahead of us to visit our son Tom and family for the weekend in Lee's Summit, just outside of Kansas City.  Weather should be fine, clear skies mostly, temperate weather for this time of the year.  We have had a great week with Beth's family, now on to Kansas City for a fun weekend.

Tyler And Me

We had what I think would be a typical Thanksgiving Day around the United States, starting out with much of the family together, the kids sleeping in,  the adults up early. We had a big breakfast around 10:30 when everyone got up, of eggs, bacon and English muffins.  The guys relaxed, ready to sit down to the first of three NFL games, none of which were of any great interest but they were on TV so we watched them, sort of.

Dining Room Ready, One Down

While we were watching the first game, Evie and Beth were busy in the kitchen, again, getting the sides ready for our dinner.  Beth made up a sweet potato and brown sugar casserole, then put together some chorizo wrapped in dough, then turnip greens, then baked for an appetizer.  Evie cut up the potatoes, trimmed and readied the Brussel sprouts, and got the dressing ready to heat up.  Once that was done, the table set, the appetizers of cheese and crackers put out, most of the hard work was done.  The turkeys were out, ready for frying outdoors in the hot oil.  Company was not arriving until 3:30 so we had some time before Evie's sister Jean arrived and Cliff, a friend of Ramiro's from work.  Both came bearing gifts, Jean, wine and a salad, Cliff, a pie, wine and a bottle of tequila.

Evie And Her Sister Jean, From Denton, TX

Both arrived about 3:30, just as Ramiro put the first turkey in the fryer, checked the heat and let it cook according to directions, 45 minutes at 350º.  We had not seen Evie's sister Jean since last Thanksgiving and neither Evie nor I had ever met Cliff.

Beth, Cliff, And Ramiro

Earlier, Rami had made up some pomegranate margaritas, so they were served along with the appetizers, wetting our appetites for dinner, enough to hold off our hunger but not enough to quench it, especially on a turkey day.  I forgot to mention that Ramiro bought new light bulbs so that they turn on and off via a command to Alexa.  They also change colors by voice command or flash on and off for disco fever.

The Ladies in Pink

And Blue

Around 4:30, Ramiro pulled the first turkey out of the fryer and it looked like something out of the remake of Christmas Vacation with Chevy Chase.  It was completely black, lacking any attractiveness but when we cut into it, it was not bad.  So we plopped the next one in the hot oil and turned the temperature down some, cooked it just about forty minutes and the dark meat ended up being undone when we pulled it out so we put it in the oven.

The Turkeys

We had enough good turkey, however, for the nine of us so all was good, especially the fixings, the sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, Caesar salad, dressing and Brussels sprouts. We also had some fine wine and Cliff brought over a tres expensive bottle of tequila, so all of us had to try it.  Needless to say, it was a happy, fun, and tasty Thanksgiving dinner replete with three pies, homemade whipped cream, more wine and tequila as we sat around for a good hour after finishing our food, enjoying the wine and dessert and listening to various stories.

No After Dinner Naps For Marisa And Her Dad

We managed to avoid any serious or unpleasant conversations about politics although there were attempts to rouse Evie's ire, like the mentioning of a blow-up Hilary doll which spouts some of her quotes.  Evie did not take the bait, laughed off the mention of guns, the fact that Cliff always carries, so it was a fun evening, no one mentioned the blackened turkey and Jean stayed til 9:30, helping to clean up though Cliff left around 8:30.

A Texan Thanksgiving With Family And Friends

Tyler's Home

It's Turkey Day in Dallas and finally, all of Beth's family is here as Tyler flew in from Boston last night, arriving home around 9:00.  After living on his own for months, he was typically starving but we had lots of dinner leftover for him to devour. 

Yep, Another Family Selfie 

We had a busy day yesterday, especially for the girls who did lots of prepping and baking.  Evie and Beth began the day with figuring out what would be the best container to brine the turkey.  Fortunately, since we are frying two, neither one is that big so we were able to place it in a bag in a pot and put it in the refrigerator for twenty-four hours.  Once that was accomplished, Beth and I skipped yoga so we could get some shopping done before the crowds but getting to Costco never seems early enough as the parking lot was mostly full when we arrived at 10:30, a half hour after opening.  Our major buy was a pumpkin pie, at the request of Tyler.  We also picked up some salmon and veggies for last night's dinner.  And I bought something else we don't need,  a couple of bottles of avocado oil, recommended by Beth, expensive but healthy with a heating limit of 500º.  We then decided to stop at Central Market despite the crowds and picked up a few more things for last night's dinner and Thanksgiving dinner as well.  It's never enough so I am sure we will be going out somewhere today to get 'one more thing.' 

While we were gone, Marisa and Evie were busy in the kitchen baking.  First, they made the families favorite, a cranberry bread, part of every Thanksgiving.  Once that was done, they made some cookies, another family favorite, snickerdoodles.  Then, Evie put together the dough for her dinner rolls which rises in the refrigerator overnight.  And finally, Evie also made a dairy-free pumpkin flan in ramekins for Mitch using coconut milk.  Most of the prepping for Thanksgiving was done by the time we got home.  Marisa was even able to give her room a cleaning and straightening up. 

Around 3:00, Mitch and I drove off to the local strip mall, as Mitch was looking for a new snowboard and I wanted to find a jacket at the upscale St. Bernards.   I did find a coat but did not like the collar so neither of us ended buying anything.  We then stopped at Tyler's, the local tee shirt and surf shop store but I was not in the mood to buy anything so it was a wasted trip.  When we got home, I took Cody out for another walk as he was begging me to go.

Beth And Ramiro Among The Hydrangeas

Rami got home around 5:00 and he and Evie got busy making marinade for the second turkey, of onions, cilantro, garlic, beer, honey, lime, and chipotle chili powder.  Once everything was pulverized in the blender, Evie strained it through a cheesecloth and Rami injected it into the turkey, getting it ready for today's frying.  By the time they were done, it was time to make dinner, so Beth spread an aioli mustard from TJ's on the salmon, baked it, heated up some ribs and chicken from Costco for those who don't like salmon, roasted asparagus and Evie made her garlic spinach,  We had quite a feast obviously and just enough was leftover for Tyler, good planning. 

The Many Faces Of Our Working Grandson

Evie and Rami picked Tyler up at Love Field, about 15 minutes from their house and he arrived, happy to be home for Thanksgiving, with lots of requests for dinner, among them a cranberry bread.  We sat around listening to music, screaming requests at Alexa, the new app which controls the lights in the house, the Sonos system, and TV via voice commands.  I can say, Alexa, play Barry White's "I Can't Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe," and voila, it comes on.  All seven of us sat around listening and talking, for the first time since the summer I think. 

A couple of us went to bed around 10:30, the early risers, but Marisa and Tyler went up to play a video game till late.  Beth fell asleep on the couch as did Cody, the end of a good day.

The Day Before Thanksgiviing

The Family With Evie's New Selfie Stick

I slept in till 6:45 which may not be sleeping in for most people.  Rami was already up, no workout this morning, just coffee, breakfast and off to work at 7:30.  Mitchell, our grandson at the University of Texas in Austin, drove in last night, arriving around 1:00.  Tyler, who works in Boston, flies in tonight and the gang will finally all be here.

Yesterday we did not have to get our stuff together until about 10:30.  So Ramiro was off early, Marisa at 7:50 for her final day of school, then lots of coffee and some breakfast.  At 10:30, I drove to downtown Dallas, a quick and easy 10-minute drive if it's not rush hour.

The Texas School Book Depository Building (6th-floor window on right)

We parked at the Elm Street Garage, next to the Sixth Floor Museum At Dealey Plaza.  It's basically a pictorial history of the Kennedy Presidency, to the assassination and its aftermath and consequences.  Each visitor gets a pair of headphones and the visitor stops at each station to listen to the explanation. Unfortunately, it's not a very large area, just the sixth floor, so there were lots of traffic jams, especially at the beginning.  I was surprised at the number of people who were visiting as well.  I guess many like us were either retired or on Thanksgiving vacation.  I have to admit I expected more but I am not sure what that might be.  The corner where Oswald shot Kennedy was glassed in so we could see what it must have looked like back in 1963, with piles of boxes of books surrounding the windows.  The seventh floor had a video and it's where they have exhibitions, this time of works of art portraying both Jackie and the President.

The Grassy Knoll

We stayed for an hour and a half, then went outside to the Grassy Knoll memorial, with a green X marking the spot where Kennedy was assassinated.  That was kind of cool, to also see where Abraham Zapruder was able to capture the assassination on film.

JFK was assassinated 54 years ago today.  I remember being in a Teaching Of English class at Ohio University when our teacher announced JFK's death, then talked about how to use this as a teaching moment!

Two Thanksgiving Turkeys!

We decided to skip eating lunch out because we were going out for dinner, so we were home by 12:30, with nothing we had to do the rest of the afternoon, other than walk the dog.  Marisa came home early, happy that she had a vacation for a few days.  Both she and Evie got busy making a gingerbread Thanksgiving Turkey cake, not quite as easy as the direction seemed but fun nevertheless.

Not Quite A Work Of Art

I finished my book, MY ABSOLUTE DARLING, started my fourth Longmire, ANOTHER MAN'S MOCCASINS,  took another nap, much needed I think, and then did some browsing at a local store called Tylers, which has lots of neat clothes I like although I ended up buying nothing.  It was getting dark by the time I returned but light enough to take Cody out for another walk.

Rami arrived home around 6:00 and we sat around deciding where to go out to eat, finally deciding on a restaurant we had never been to called The Porch.  It's about 20 minutes away, in an area called Henderson.  We had been to the bar across the street after Mitchell's graduation from high school 18 months ago.  We were surprised at how crowded the restaurant was on a Tuesday night, we even had to wait in line to get a valet.  Fortunately, there was an open booth, an efficient waitress, so we got our drinks, water, and an appetizer, parmesan onion rings quickly.  The inside is welcoming, with a great long bar on one side, tables on the other and an outdoor seating area with curtains up because of the chill.  The menu was interesting,  eclectic.  Evie and Rami ordered the Tomahawk pork chops, Marisa and Beth the steak, and I had wood roasted Texas quail on a bed of kale, squash, and lardons.  It was really good.  The finality of a great meal was something called a 'gooey cake,' hard to describe but a moist, delicious, extraordinarily rich cake with ice cream and caramel sauce.  Two pieces were more than enough for the five of us.

Gooey Cake

We didn't get home till 9:30.  Marisa and Rami then went upstairs to play a video game they both like, inviting Evie to join them but she passed.  So the three of us sat around talking, watching some TV until 10:30 when we all were tired enough to go to bed.