Fascinating week in Providence

The last week or so has been interesting, enlightening, tasty and pretty incredible.

First off, a week ago today I completed my 60th year on the planet. (Where I was prior to this I don't know.)

A week ago Thursday night Susan and I attended a wine tasting in Seekonk ("See. Konk. See Konk run. See Konk fall over. . .") at a wine shop there and thought this was a grand way to kick off my quiet but unique birthday celebration. You can click here for more information on that excursion.

On Friday, the actual birth day itself (at 12:01 a.m. in fact), Susie worked much of the day so I did a few chores around the house and then had lunch at a Mexican restaurant near our condo, called El Rancho Grande. I had heard some pretty good things about this place and wanted to check it out.

For my notes on lunch click here.

That evening Susie and I drove 5 minutes over to Atwell's Avenue and had dinner at Lili Marlene's. A dark yet somehow inviting space Lili's is widely known for some of the best burgers in town. That and beer is pretty much their stock in trade. They didn't disappoint us on either score.

Click here for my notes on dinner if you're of a mind.

Saturday was another busy day for Susie but we had the pleasure of seeing an old friend from Paris. Valerie, who had been with Susie in the basic pastry course at Le Cordon Bleu, flew in from visiting friends in Virginia, to spend a couple of days with us. Born and raised in Paris Val fell in love with America when she came to Las Vegas to work on an engineering project. We surprised her by taking her to Gracie's for my "official" birthday dinner. And in true Parisian fashion she was up to the challenge. You should have seen her eyes light up when she saw the wines they brought. . .

Chef Joe had worked up a special tasting menu for us and our friends Stan and Margie in Michigan had ordered the wines as their way of wishing me a happy birthday. And frankly I couldn't have asked for a better present. Absent friends and family were with us in spirit that evening to be sure. Miss Ellen and the whole staff of Gracie's were very kind to me that evening and we spent four hours or so, the three of us just eating, sipping wine and sharing warm conversation and great stories.

For more details about that remarkable evening, just click here!

Sunday Susie had to work for a few hours in the morning -- the previous night had been terribly successful as far as desserts went but it required her to come and prep more for the rest of the weekend. So Val and I drove over to the East Bay Bike Path and walked along the shore of the bay -- we then went downtown and, while we waited for Susie to finish, I showed her some of the city's very cool buildings (and imaginative outdoor murals like the one below).

A little after 1 p.m. we picked Susie up, drove home and after she got cleaned up -- making dessert is a messy business -- the three of us drove up to Dick and Dorothy's house in Douglas, MA for birthday dinner. Uncle Frank and Cathy were there as well -- and we spent the next couple of hours around a table full of delicious food, topped off by a scrumptious dessert prepared by D & D.

You can see a short video of what it was like to sit at my end of the table that Sunday afternoon by just clicking here!

That evening Susie, Val and I watched a funny Amy Heckerling movie, I Could Never be Your Woman. Although frankly I have a hard time saying that with a straight face. . .

The only downside to the weekend was the weather: it turned rainy and clammy early and stayed that way through Monday. But it didn't stop us from driving Val down to Narragansett and showing her the ocean:

"See it's that big flat, watery thing out there beyond the mist, rain and fog. . ."

After a nice lunch we dropped Val off at the airport in Providence and drove home. The weather remained lousy and so when we got home I tracked her flight to see if she left on time and she did. Or rather her plane did. We assume she was on it.

Now of course it's her turn to host us the next time we're in Paris. That can't happen fast enough.

On Wednesday we went back to Gracie's for the weekly wine flight tasting. This it was Sauvignon Blanc wines, one from California, one from France and one from New Zealand, paired with seafood and a lemon pound cake. We concluded this was the best tasting yet: the pairings were about as perfect as we had so far experienced and the wines themselves were very good.

Oh, and today, Friday, I had my appointment at the Municipal Court in Providence. A couple of weeks back I was given a parking ticket for an "expired meter" but in fact the meter had failed -- it's one of the digital meters -- so of course I pled not guilty. After all, it's a $25 fine! I went in this morning, my summons was for 8:00 a.m., and after waiting about 45 minutes or so, along with a roomful of other people, my name was called and after explaining what happened the case was dismissed. It took all of about 30 seconds.

I must say, sitting there in the courtroom reminded me of that wonderfully funny sitcom Night Court, starring Harry Anderson as the youthful, iconoclastic Judge Stone. Our judge this morning was not a young male but she was still attractive nonetheless. Of course I don't think for a moment that she let me off by mistaking me for Brad Pitt. She probably just felt a sense of pity for this old geezer standing in front of her, about five years away from drooling for a living.

Otherwise the week has been quiet and rather ordinary.

Oh, until yesterday, Thursday. I finally got word that I'll soon be working as a freelance web editor for one of the local colleges. They are in the process of revamping their website and I cannot wait to pitch in. They sent me the contract to review and ask when I could start next week. Frustrating as cyberspace may be sometimes, how I do love the Internet. Anyway, more on that next week.)

Until then, stay cool, stay warm, keep calm and, as always,

Wish you were here,

Steve