VALENTINE

I realize that it is not Valentine's Day today. I ain't lost it yet. I was panicky a few minutes ago when I realized that, after frantically scrounging through dozens of yet-unused Mat's titles, there was not one suitable for tonight's post. So I went online and started digging for track titles that I had been unfamiliar with. Lo and behold, I discovered a track called Valentine from Paul Westerberg's 1987 Pleased to Meet Me album. While you might be saying, "Yes Linda, but today is still not Valentine's Day." Well see, that's where you're wrong. Since Poopy and I celebrate out first-date anniverary on 2/17, we incorporate V. Day and celebrate both together. Cheaper and less time-consuming. Where romance is concerned, those are two prominent factors, don't you know.

I don't think I mentioned this little tidbit. Just before Christmas, I found out that the restaurant where PD and I have been going to for 15 years as we had on our first date, was closing. The owners retired and that was that. So we had to decide on another place not too far from home that was worthy of our honorary anniversary celebration. Being that more often than not, it snows and/or freezes on that night, we decided it would be better not to travel far. So we decided on a place and went there last night. It's a charming place aboot a half an hour away. The only part I wasn't crazy aboot was that the bar borders on the dining room and there were a lot of loud people there last night. Evidentally an ex-waitress had returned from Hawaii with her new husband and everyone in attendance was more than glad to make them feel welcome.

But the dinner made up for the lack of ambience. I had the Sole Romano (no relation to Ray) which was two lightly breaded filets smothered in baby scallops and chunks of lobster. I could not decide between lemon-butter-wine sauce and the Garlic Alfredo, so they brought me both. Sides of roasted red potatoes and perfectly steamed baby carrots were excellent. A nice glass of Chianti and I was in dining heaven. Poopy had a fisherman's platter that he claims was yummy too. All in all, tres excellent.

The best part though was on the way home. I was driving. PooDo (ha!) knows how I am aboot driving with music cranked. It was aboot 38 degrees. I suggested we crank the music and open the moon roof, which is exactly what I was in the mood for. The next thing I knew we were cruising, doing about 60 with John Hiatt LOUD and the roof open. Cool :-) It was a good date.