Uglyhead

Tomorrow is our twelfth wedding anniversary. Right about this time we were finishing up the rehersal dinner at Aunt Jenny’s on the Beach. Afterwards the bachelorettes went to someone’s hotel room, while the bachelor’s group went to the Bombay Bicycle Club and later the President Casino (both of which were destroyed last year by Hurricane Katrina). These were just a few of the tidbits that Pamela and I recalled this evening. Alone. At a restaurant. Just the two of us. Like it was before kids. Like it will be again in twenty years. I can hardly wait, not because I am in a hurry to get rid of the kids, but because tonight reminded me of all the reasons why I married this wonderful woman.

St. John’s Meeting Place was where we ate and talked. The owners say it has the same “quality and attention to detail, as St. John’s Restaurant in a more casual atmosphere.” I find it just as elegant and romantic for roughly 80% of the cost. Pamela went out of her comfort zone and ordered the stuffed veal, while I went with the pork tenderloin. It sounds like I was playing it safe, but at St. Johns you can expect nothing less than extraordinary. It was thick, juicy, cooked to perfection and rested on the best tasting bed of grits this side of Dixie. But the next time I go back it will be for the braised beef cheeks.

After dinner we drove down by the aquarium district to walk around. First we stopped in at Jax Liquors to look for egg nog liquor. They were out (“Only ordered a few cases,” the clerk said). Egg nog is too good to be enjoyed once a year, so we rode over to Riverside Beverages and bought a couple bottles—Evan Williams and Pennsylvania Dutch. We have already sampled Christian Brothers and McCormick brands (my personal favorite), so we will see how these new varieties measure up. I also think that my brother-in-law Albert and I are going to try to make some from scratch over Christmas.

Before going home we checked out the new independent bookseller on the corner of 4th and Broad streets. Alli did a nice write up a couple weeks ago about Rock Point Books. Both Pamela and I concur with her when she says that “it was so nice to walk into their spacious store and browse the shelves.” Rock Point stands in stark contrast to the big chain booksellers, where I feel so overwhelmed by the mounds of books and endless aisles that I never feel like lingering. At those places I just get what I came for and leave. While a smaller store may have less selection, I find that the selections are better on average. For example, best sellers still abounded, but every other title felt as it had been carefully chosen and displayed with loving care. We found three or four books a piece that we wanted. Both of us made sure that the other took mental notes. Christmas is just around the corner, you know!

Taking the long way home we drove around looking at Christmas lights. We did not see anything earth shattering, though there was a car in the rear of Turkey Run with its windows all steamed up. It seems as though new subdivisions under construction are prime spots for teenagers these days. I did hit the brights just to tease them, but quickly whipped the Odyssey around the cul-de-sac and headed toward the house. We arrived just in time to tuck the kids into bed and thank Pamela’s mom for a wonderful evening off.