Sunday, Dec 6, 2009: YES....I am STILL alive....but COLD!!!

OMG....how to reconstruct the past almost three days since I last wrote........and this sagging hulk of Me struggling with bouts of short-term memory problems!!!! WHEW.....not sure about the past days....haha!!!

Friday.......the 1st Lady and I went to Cape....I am going to HAVE to get some eye glasses....and so, I went to Lenscrafters to check out their frames. Well........suppose I should be happy.....they really didn't have anything new or different or updated since I purchased glasses from them two years ago last month. Soooo, I tried on a few, but OMG.....what the hell am I suppposed to do when I look at the different frames on my sagging skin of a face.....WHEN, of course, I can't see a damn thing without my present glasses(and can hardly see WITH them!)???? My whole face in the mirror is nothing but a big, blobby blur!!!!! Soooo, as I see it now....and, I CAN'T see.....is that I will have to bring my digital camera, have someone take a pic of me when checking out the new, possible frames...and then put my current glasses back on my face...and check out the picture. Won't that work????? I think it will! Sooooo, as I said above.....I didn't really see anything that would improve my gorgeous, hunky look.....what to do, what to do???!!!

The 1st Lady and I then went to Logan's Roadhouse for a quick lunch.......a hamburger/fries/chips. WELL......I have eaten there before...and enjoyed their steaks, etc.....but, OMG.....we didn't enjoy their overdone, dry, tasteless piece of blackened cardboard that they presented to us as hamburgers!!! Strike two....while we were in Cape!!! (Oh yeah....their coffee is the kind that leaves your mouth feeling like it had just swallowed some nasty cough syrup, or something worse....the "whang" just remains....ugh).

We then picked up Becky and went to see Mike for a few hours. THAT was the very best part of the entire day!! We finally then returned to the stick and brick about 9:30pm......

SATURDAY:

I got up before the 1st Lady....and quietly(??) showered and finishing my morning rituals, I left for the local coffee shop in the city center of Fredericktown. There, I met Michael and Melissa Goldsmith for coffee and a bite of breakfast. And.....of course, there were others that I knew, a couple of former students, also.....and they stopped by our table and chatted for awhile. The Goldsmith's and I spent the two hours that I was there dicussing upcoming events for them and, then...for us. I am beginning to have a few concerns about the upcoming former student reunion......and we discussed these and other ideas about the reunion. Just not sure that there is anywhere in the Lake of the Ozarks area that can handle the type of events we would like to have.....with the possibility of such a large participating crowd. From previous discussions a few weeks ago, the gymnasium at the School of the Osage will not be available to us.....so, we are now left with questions as to what where we can have this event. Our thoughts are currently rotating around the St. Louis area.......but.........???????? We just don't know...and time is running out....damn quickly!!!

After the two hour discussions and coffee......the 1st Lady and I then left for STL to do some shopping for the Holidays. And....we did just that...........and then at 7pm, we met Andrew and Laura Gipson at the Zagat's top rated restaurant in St. Louis......."Niche" on Sidney Street, just off of I-55.

OK.....it is a great little restaurant with very contemporary decor....and we were ushered to our table....and I personally believe that it was in the best location of any of the tables there!!!! Our server was fantastic!!!!!! Sooooo personable, so easy to talk with, to ask questions of, and we learned soooo much about the food that was on the menu. This menu changes often.....and definitely with each season...as they use local produce, meats, etc., etc. depending on what is the freshest and what is available!

Everything is priced separately, from the appetizers, the small pasta dishes, salads, the entrees, the sides that go with the entrees, desserts and the wine list. A very interesting and unique choice of dinners on the limited menu.......but, there was no problem with any of us not being able to choose what to eat!!! I ordered some cheese bread.....small little biscuit type of cheese bread, still warm when it was brought to the table.....and then the 1st Lady and Andrew and I all ordered wine. The Cabernet by the glass was really quite good......"Bin 36" was the name of it....and it was really, really wonderful.

The salads were very good...wonderful dressing and the greens and nuts were soooo fresh. Laura ordered the parsnip soup.....and OMG, it was terrific!!!! I then ordered the sea scallops, with mushrooms, bacon, a delightful sauce, and some greens....and then added some puree potatoes as my side. WOW....WOW...WOW.!!!!! What a great choice all of that was!!! Two very thick and very large scallops were presented on the plate....and they were soooo amazing and sooo moist and juicy......GREAT!!! But....I believe the star of the table presentations for dinner was my puree potatoes. They came in a bowl which was large enough for all of us to have some.....and they were just soooo finely pureed in this incredible butter.....OMG, to die for!!!!! My mouth waters now as I remember how great they were!!!

The 1st Lady and Laura each ordered the pork chops....which were very thick, but not as juicy as they should have been!!!! A disappointment there for both of the girls. Andrew ordered the chicken....served in an entirely different kind of presentation.....but, it was very good, also!!!

Following dinner, we ordered two of the dark chocolate little cakes which was accompanied by peppermint ice cream, in honor of the Holiday season. WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!! YUM!!!! Andrew and I both had coffee.........coffee from Ethiopia....which was sooooo good!!!!

The dinner WAS the entire evening......as were there for almost 3.5 hours. Incredible service, unique offerings, lovely decor, and very, very friendly staff there. The Head Chef came to the table, introduced himself to us, and inquired as to how we enjoyed our meal......a very nice touch and a really nice young man!!!! In fact, he returned to our table to chat a bit more before returning to the kitchen, at the end of the evening. Now.....for all of this wonderful evening, the bill was not cheap. However, we do not do this very often, so we really didn't mind the price tag. The entire bill, without the 20% tip was $222.00 for the four of us.....mine and the 1st Lady's portion of the bill was $144.00. Just a super, amazing evening.....and it was sooooo wonderful to be with Andrew and Laura once again for a delightful dinner!!!!!! We miss getting to see them more often due to everyone of us having busy schedules.....but, we are going to try to find ways to get together more frequently!!!

We returned to F'town and the stick and brick a bit before midnight on a COLD evening. The weather here is really back to being miserable.....damn and frigid!!!! UGH...time to get out of this icebox!!!!

SUNDAY:

Today, the 1st Lady and I spent the morning and early afternoon putting up the Christmas tree, which always entails moving a bunch of furniture around to have room to put up this tree. Then this afternoon, I slipped away and went to the Middle School/High School Band(s) concert at the HS gym. OK.......it was really great to see some people and former students that I have not seen in a long, long time!!!!!! The concert.........???? I believe I will just say that the kids appeared to be giving it their best...........change happens...and when it does, as in any and everything, nothing remains the same.......OK???

Returing home, I am now getting ready to have some supper.....some Mexicano food....before the last episode of "The Amazing Race". Can't wait to see how this ends!!!!! Soooo, I will bring this a close......and hopefully, I have not forgotten anything important that need to mention on here. Just counting the days until we can leave for Texas!!!!

LIFE IS REALLY, REALLY GREAT!!!!!!!.....And, I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!