Date Night

Last night, Eamonn and I had a date night. Actually, it accidentally started as a date afternoon that stretched into a date night. It started as a date afternoon because we're procrastinators of the highest order (at least I am. I won't bring Eamonn down with my procrastination).

So last spring at the St. Baldrick's silent auction, Eamonn bid on, and won, a trail ride at the local dude ranch because he knows I love to ride. We had until September 30 to use the certificate. Around September 1, I pulled it out and panicked. We didn't have any free weeekends to use the certificate. That was a problem. And I hate letting certificates for things go unused. I'm cheap that way.

Fortunately, a friend came to our rescuse and said she'd take the boys right after school on a Friday and keep them for a sleepover so we could go on the trail ride and go out afterwards.

Spring and fall are great times to live in a resort town. All of the restaurants, spas, hotels, etc., run huge specials for the locals (OK, who are we kidding--it's so they stay in business during the off season and the only way locals will come out to play is with huge discounts). There had been an ad in the paper that Spago was running a special--all entrees $11. At Spago. Oh my word. I was going to get to eat at Spago once in my life.

So the plan was: trail ride, early movie, Spago or trail ride, Spago, later movie--however it might work best.

Problem. Everyone else wanted to eat at Spago once in their life, too, and they were totally booked. Oh well. A great sushi restaurant was having 50% off. Eamonn forewent a burger so I could have sushi.

Our new plan was: trail ride, early movie, sushi.

Trail ride. Check.

On to movie (the Informant), which was scheduled to start at 4:10pm. We arrived there in plenty of time. The movie was late starting. And still later. Finally, at 4:30pm I went out to see why the movie hadn't started. Turns out we, along with about eight other people, were sitting in the wrong theater because of some bad signage.

We were annoyed, so the theater said we could come back for the 7pm show. To kill some time, we went to look at a house Eamonn has been remodeling and we fed the people's fish since they were out of town. It was the biggest fish I've ever seen outside of a large body of water. I had nightmares about it. It was a mutant goldfish or something.

Then on to sushi were I ate so much I could barely move. At 50% off, I felt we could indulge.

And finally, to the movie, which was excellent, but it was so painful to watch this man self destruct by his own doing. Highly recommended.

So even with our big agenda, we were still home by 9pm. We're just crazy, I know.



That's the Sawatch Mountain range behind us. Photo kindly taken by our guide, Steve. Check out my horse, Gus. Possibly the most docile creature on the planet. I think he's actually asleep in this photo.


That is a mountain called Red and White behind us, apparently named because in the winter when it's all snowy and the sun is setting, the red rays make the mountain red and white.

And now, date night is over. Probably for another year.