Bravo! ... Let the celebration begin

I was eager to get Thursday underway. This would be the final workday of the week after scheduling Friday off to celebrate my 50th b-day. Meanwhile, it was another gorgeous day with clear blue skies and an expected high of 80 degrees. My morning routine was like most others. I exercised, walked Ykraps, delivered Mindy’s coffee, played, stretched, meditated and ran – all before 715am. Mindy had a plate full of scrambled eggs awaiting me after my run. We confirmed our dinner plans, Bravo 6:30pm, before she left for school. Mindy said my dad would be meeting us their too. I saw the kids onto the bus at 8:03am, and headed into work immediately after. I drove the Trooper since I planned to pick-up our snow skis at lunch time. Work went well. I left for lunch around 1245pm and headed directly to Aspen Ski & Board. Skis were ready. I inspected the bottoms carefully and was impressed with their work – edges sharp and bottoms smooth and waxed - probably better than new. It was well worth the $20. I almost caved for some fast food on my return to the office but ultimately decided against it. I was back at work by 1:30pm. I called Indian Springs Golf club to cancel the Friday tee-time having settled instead on Royal American. As the afternoon waned I grew increasingly excited about the long weekend ahead. But since I wasn’t meeting Mindy, my dad & the kids at Bravo until 630pm, I stayed at work late – 6:15pm. After all, it’s only a mile or two up the road. I thought I was the first to arrive at Bravo, but my dad walked up after seeing me perched on their patio. He was lurking somewhere in the parking lot waiting. Mindy wasn’t far behind. Prior to Bravo, she was at a pediatric dental appointment for Rocky & Bella. We had a reservation and were seated right away. After a cursory review of the drink menu, I selected something different – a raspberry martini. Everyone else went with soft drinks. Meanwhile, Bella wasn’t in the best of spirits. She had a baby tooth pulled just an hour earlier and was sporting a mouth full of gauze. I wondered how she might be able to eat. I ordered chicken parmesan. Mindy: lasagna, Dad: spaghetti and meatballs, Bella: oven-fired pizza, and Rocky & Jacob each ordered chicken fingers. As a side, I ordered a bowl of their tomato bisque. Lastly, we shared an order of calamari. Since we last visited Bravo, about 11 months ago, it was painfully obvious that their recipes have changed. And honestly, if you ask me, for the worse, and most likely to cut costs. My chicken parmesan was little more than a frozen breaded chicken breast with a small dab of melted cheese resting atop. I could tell that the lasagna was different, too, but it was still tasty. We were there for little more than an hour. Our server, whose name escapes me, was very attentive, and offered a free dessert for my birthday. I respectfully declined knowing that Mindy had a cheesecake awaiting me at home. However, the kids were all over the idea of free ice cream. As a compromise, the waiter brought some to-go. Mindy picked up the tab. Rocky asked to ride with me, and Jacob rode with dad. Bella rode with Mindy. Mindy warned that she had already walked Ykraps but only long enough to greet the kids at the bus stop around 4pm. Not wanting to chance it, I walked him again as soon as we arrived home. And while he and I walked, she prepped the cheesecake for my 50th birthday celebration. Suddenly, it felt like my birthday! After blowing out the candles, Mindy & the kids gifted me. But, of course, I already knew that Mindy had gotten me Vikings/Browns tickets and the Vikings cornhole boards. Jacob & Bella gifted me a Vikings travel mug. Rocky gifted me a tooth brush, toothpaste, and a hockey stick eraser. Mindy had another package for me too – a bottle of Asti, some bakery fresh cookies, and a large bag of dark chocolate M&Ms. And Dad handed me $20 to use for popcorn at the Vikings game. We all enjoyed some of that cheesecake, too. Dad soon left for home, and Mindy left to take Rocky home. I was ready to relax a little. I tuned the TV to the NFL opening night programming just before kick-off. The opening night’s game featured the Steelers going against the Titans. I poured myself a Jack & Coke but sipped it slowly. After all, I was quite full from dinner and cheesecake. Mindy was back home in short order, and the kids were pretty much ready for bed upon her return. We tucked the children in near 8:40pm. The Steelers and Titans went back and forth, but neither was able to score at least early on. Very fun game to watch. Mindy headed to bed near 9:30pm. I, of course, planned to stay up for a while longer. After all, I wasn’t working on Friday. I stayed up well into the third quarter but was already dosing off. I headed to bed for good around 1030pm.