LAST Weekend
We started out pretty good with this whole blog thing, but the girls seemed to have lost their interest. Joy's currently catching flies on the family room couch, and the girls are in Ashley's room playing and actually getting along.
So a few things happened last weekend that, when they happened, Joy and I were like - "this is definitely making it to the blog." So Tita Cora treated the whole extended family out to dinner at Grand Lux Cafe, a more upscale version of The Cheesecake Factory owned by the same people who own The Cheesecake Factory (I think). We get seated in the corner of one of their back rooms, and just as we start getting comfortable, "it" happens. The table right next to us, occupied by 6 middle-aged ladies, starts to yuk it up. I'm all about having a good time when you go out to dinner (ask the waitresses at On The Border after I've just finished my second margarita), but there's a difference between having a good time and making sure others in the restaurant know you're having a good time. And let me tell you, the 6 "sisters" at that table fell in the latter category. Throw a few martinis into the mix, and this table was LOUD. Luckily, they left before our entrees arrived, so we were at least able to eat in peace.
Joy and I also noticed another interesting phenomenon at Grand Lux . . . over the past few years, we've had occasion to treat the whole family out to dinner numerous times, and when we treat for dinner, it's pretty obvious (or it should be obvious) to the server who should get the check when that time comes. So when we treat, the server always knows to give the check to me, as it should be. What I don't understand, though, is that even on those occasions when we're all out for dinner but it's not our treat, the server still manages to give the check to me, which makes for an awkard situation. Case in point . . . last Saturday night at Grand Lux Cafe. Tita Cora's treat. There are 12 of us sitting at a rectangular table. Tita Cora and I are sitting diagonally across each other at opposite ends of the table. I'm thinking to myself, "Okay, I should be safe tonight . . . the check should be going to her". I then notice that Tita Cora orders appetizers for the table, which should be the final nail in the coffin - isn't it common sense that whoever orders appetizers and desserts for the table is clearly "in charge" that night and should be given the check when that time comes? Joy and I think so. So throughout dinner, we're enjoying ourselves. Me especially since I'm thinking that there's absolutely no way in heck that I'm getting the bill at the end of the night. After all, Tita Cora ordered appetizers for the table! So I'm my usual polite self making reasonable requests of the wait staff and thanking them whenever they bring stuff to our side of the table. Fast forward a couple of hours and just as I take my last bite of a beignet (which I highly recommend, by the way), I see our server across the room holding the black leather bifold with the check in it making a BEELINE for me. "No way . . . " Yes way. She plops it down right in front of me, looks at me directly and says, "Thank you so much for coming tonight! Take your time on that and let me know if there's anything else I can get for you!" Holy moly. I look at Joy and my eyes are bugging out bigger than that girl from the For Eyes commercial. Joy can't help me because she's since fallen off her chair and is laughing uncontrollably on the floor. What do I do? WHAT DO I DO?!?! Should we pay? We could, to avoid any awkwardness, but we weren't exactly ready to treat . . . so, of course, I do what any self-respecting guy in America would do. I turn to my mom and say, "Mom, can you give this to Tita Cora?" Problem solved.
Last weekend was an extended one for Team Lic due to President's Day on Monday. This is the first one I've had off as a holiday, Ashley was off from school, and Joy was able to take the day off since she had worked a lot of overtime recently. We were wondering what we should do - bowling . . . ice skating . . . seeing a movie . . . cleaning the house were all thrown out as options. But since this was truly a "free" day for us, we decided to have a family day and take a field trip to the Shedd Aquarium. We had taken Ashley there when she was 3 years old, but they've since opened a new Oceanarium and the Wild Reef exhibit, so we decided to check it out. It was fantastic! The girls LOVED the Oceanarium - the dolphin show, the beluga whales, the penguins, the sea otters, etc. The Wild Reef was fun, too - sharks, big fish, and even bigger fish. Of course, the highlight of the day for the girls was when they saw Nemo and Dory in one of the fish tanks. Seeing the happiness on their faces was worth the price of admisstion. Throw in lunch at Penny's Noodle Shop, and it was a great way to cap off the weekend.
So a few things happened last weekend that, when they happened, Joy and I were like - "this is definitely making it to the blog." So Tita Cora treated the whole extended family out to dinner at Grand Lux Cafe, a more upscale version of The Cheesecake Factory owned by the same people who own The Cheesecake Factory (I think). We get seated in the corner of one of their back rooms, and just as we start getting comfortable, "it" happens. The table right next to us, occupied by 6 middle-aged ladies, starts to yuk it up. I'm all about having a good time when you go out to dinner (ask the waitresses at On The Border after I've just finished my second margarita), but there's a difference between having a good time and making sure others in the restaurant know you're having a good time. And let me tell you, the 6 "sisters" at that table fell in the latter category. Throw a few martinis into the mix, and this table was LOUD. Luckily, they left before our entrees arrived, so we were at least able to eat in peace.
Joy and I also noticed another interesting phenomenon at Grand Lux . . . over the past few years, we've had occasion to treat the whole family out to dinner numerous times, and when we treat for dinner, it's pretty obvious (or it should be obvious) to the server who should get the check when that time comes. So when we treat, the server always knows to give the check to me, as it should be. What I don't understand, though, is that even on those occasions when we're all out for dinner but it's not our treat, the server still manages to give the check to me, which makes for an awkard situation. Case in point . . . last Saturday night at Grand Lux Cafe. Tita Cora's treat. There are 12 of us sitting at a rectangular table. Tita Cora and I are sitting diagonally across each other at opposite ends of the table. I'm thinking to myself, "Okay, I should be safe tonight . . . the check should be going to her". I then notice that Tita Cora orders appetizers for the table, which should be the final nail in the coffin - isn't it common sense that whoever orders appetizers and desserts for the table is clearly "in charge" that night and should be given the check when that time comes? Joy and I think so. So throughout dinner, we're enjoying ourselves. Me especially since I'm thinking that there's absolutely no way in heck that I'm getting the bill at the end of the night. After all, Tita Cora ordered appetizers for the table! So I'm my usual polite self making reasonable requests of the wait staff and thanking them whenever they bring stuff to our side of the table. Fast forward a couple of hours and just as I take my last bite of a beignet (which I highly recommend, by the way), I see our server across the room holding the black leather bifold with the check in it making a BEELINE for me. "No way . . . " Yes way. She plops it down right in front of me, looks at me directly and says, "Thank you so much for coming tonight! Take your time on that and let me know if there's anything else I can get for you!" Holy moly. I look at Joy and my eyes are bugging out bigger than that girl from the For Eyes commercial. Joy can't help me because she's since fallen off her chair and is laughing uncontrollably on the floor. What do I do? WHAT DO I DO?!?! Should we pay? We could, to avoid any awkwardness, but we weren't exactly ready to treat . . . so, of course, I do what any self-respecting guy in America would do. I turn to my mom and say, "Mom, can you give this to Tita Cora?" Problem solved.
Last weekend was an extended one for Team Lic due to President's Day on Monday. This is the first one I've had off as a holiday, Ashley was off from school, and Joy was able to take the day off since she had worked a lot of overtime recently. We were wondering what we should do - bowling . . . ice skating . . . seeing a movie . . . cleaning the house were all thrown out as options. But since this was truly a "free" day for us, we decided to have a family day and take a field trip to the Shedd Aquarium. We had taken Ashley there when she was 3 years old, but they've since opened a new Oceanarium and the Wild Reef exhibit, so we decided to check it out. It was fantastic! The girls LOVED the Oceanarium - the dolphin show, the beluga whales, the penguins, the sea otters, etc. The Wild Reef was fun, too - sharks, big fish, and even bigger fish. Of course, the highlight of the day for the girls was when they saw Nemo and Dory in one of the fish tanks. Seeing the happiness on their faces was worth the price of admisstion. Throw in lunch at Penny's Noodle Shop, and it was a great way to cap off the weekend.
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