Love Thy Neighbor & I finally got to go out & celebrate her 21st birthday (2 & 1/2 months late). I've known her since before she was a year old & have been there for all of the milestones. Well, we wanted to go out & have fun while she enters the "legal age" but could never get our schedules to match. We managed to grab last night for food, lots of conversation & drinks of both the alcoholic & non-alcoholic nature.
We were originally going to meet in the city because she works there 5 days a week over her summers & breaks off from school. I left it up to her seeing as I do not really "work" like most people do & have a much more flexible schedule. She called Thursday night (while I was on greek time) to say she'd rather go local & it was up-in-the-air as to where our stomachs would take us. She left, in the message, that she'd only had mudslides at Houlihans but it seemed like a fun place to go. I ended up calling her back & having to leave a message & said "oh yes! they have good food & if you haven't tried their 'shrooms, you just have to".
Well, LTN was listening to this message while eating breakfast with the family the next morning before having to catch the train into work & her brother heard me say that & she said she had to stop for a minute & said out loud, "I think Grotter wants us to eat 'shrooms tomorrow. Does that sound right?" Well, she should know me by now (heck its 21 years of family) and that it must be food related--to which the little brother said "This is Grotter we're talking about. She doesn't do drugs." And he was (according to LTN) shaking his head and laughing at the thought of me offering her drugs on a cellphone message. It is rather odd & I found this a riot.
Anyway, we did end up at the extremely crowded Houlihans & got a pager & sat outside with approx. 25 others waiting. But, we managed to get a table in under 10 minutes while these people were still waiting. Must have ben a good-looking night for us!
We pondered the menu way too long & changed our minds a dozen times over food choices. We ended up with the 'shrooms, watermelon martinis, and I had the quiche florentine & a salad while she ahd the southwest wrap. Both were amazing. Not to mention that she & I are champion eaters. (Ask me about her "hungry little princess story one day if interested.) I will point out two things: 1. I had eaten dinner at 6:00 because I ws hungry & was now eating a full meal again just an hour & 1/2 later & 2. the waitstaff didn't proof either of us. I just got proofed while out with the Ultimate Shopper but not now? & LTN barely looks 21. So where's the proof people?
We sat & ate & talked nonstop & drank the martinis & ate & drank & talked some more. We finally decided we were stuffed & freezing (cute tank outfits + cool night + air-conditioning - long sleeve cover-up = too cold for me to sit) and went outside to the car. I gave her a tour of the benz, seeing as she hadn't sat in it yet but has drooled over it from her window.
It was then off for a bit of driving to let food settle & decide if it was dessert or coffe or both. We ended up at Starbucks & talked & drank & drank & talked. We got home 3 1/2 hrs later stuffed, tired, and jaws aching. We also left it with a "have to do our annual fall trip to the outlets & palisades" run. I have done this every semester with her for the last 3 years of her college experience. Sometimes it's just her & sometimes it's the roommates. Either way, it's a day of shopping, laughing, & food. Can it get any better?
