Big Fatting

It had obviously rained overnight and plenty more was on the way. Remained in bed until almost 9am. As a result of the weather, it was a slow start to the day. Shortly after Mindy and I were downstairs it began to storm. Enjoyed coffee and internet for a couple of hours. At times it rained so hard that the gutters were overflowing like a waterfall. I walked Eiknarf at the first break in the rain. It was still coming down but not quite as heavy.

Around 1045am I could take it no more and resigned myself to getting wet. There wasn’t any lightning or thunder in the area so it was simply a matter of getting wet while running. Blessed as I am, the rain slowed during most of my run, and I stayed relatively dry. According to the weather channel, we got more than an inch of rain.

It was noon in a hurry. Mindy made us eggs, bacon and tomato sandwiches. Hit the spot. Headed to the basement for more work on the project. My priority for the day was to box in the exposed support post and then box around the one that sticks out an inch or two from the studded east wall. I set up a make-shift work bench using two horses and an old bedroom door to support my miter saw. It’s a 10” Makita but somewhat disappointing. I’m giving serious consideration to buying a new one – a 12” compound miter saw. For the time being, I would work with what I have.

Took about 90 minutes to build both. Felt good with the results. Spent the rest of the afternoon running the two 14 ga./15amp feeds from the panel box, and then neatly marked and attached all four switch runs. When I wrapped up for the day, those two circuits are ready for hardware (outlets, switches and breakers).

While I worked in the basement, Mindy went grocery shopping. And while she was away, the kids arrived home from their weekend with Jimaken. All hands on deck to help Mindy carry in groceries. As for dinner, Mindy suggested we do dinner out with the kids, and around 6pm we settled on the Big Fat. We hadn’t been there for a long time.

Thinking we arrived at the Big Fat near 630pm. Not much of a crowd at all. We were promptly seated at a table and Mike was our server. I think he’s been there for a while. The menu appeared to have a number of new choices, but noticeably missing were the best Alaskan King crab legs in the world.  To get started, Mindy ordered a glass of wine and I ordered a Jack & Coke. They’ve always mixed their drinks strong. The kids went with pink lemonade.

We gobbled up the baked pita and green sauce. It’s always a big hit. Before and then during dinner, we went through three servings. It’s complimentary. As for our entrees, Mindy ordered the special, which was salmon based but covered in shrimp and scallops in a creamy sauce. Jacob went with the seafood stuffed flounder, which was the same dish I considered getting, but in the end I couldn’t resist the carving for a good old fashioned gyro. They’ve always made one of the best anywhere. And Bella, bless her heart, she ordered bowtie pasta in butter – no sauce. Everybody sans Bella ordered a side salad. Hands down, their produce is the absolute best – freshest ever! Always has been. The salad was terrific.

We learned from Mike, our server, that Johnny was cooking. He’s the owner’s son, as well as the restaurant GM. The food is historically better when Johnny’s cooking. My gyro was the perfect mix of meat and produce as well as the correct texture, but the Grecian sauce was different than what I am used to. That knocked it from an “A” to a “B” in my book. I tried a bite of both Mindy and Jacob’s dinners. I really liked Jacob’s stuffed flounder – spicy!

Like we often do, we ordered dessert to-go. They have some of the best chocolate cake anywhere. Mindy wanted to get three varieties: not only chocolate but the lemon and raspberry cake. They were out of the two latter, so she went with two slices of chocolate cake and then on chocolate baklava. Johnny came out to greet and chat with us for a few. Surprised us when he shared that they just recently agreed to sell their newest, more upscale restaurant at Polaris, Fisherman’s Wharf. We celebrated my birthday there last year. Moreover, he went on to share that they’re closing the Big Fat within the next 6 months. Said it was for sale too, but no takers. Hmmm? Hate to see it go. Said he was looking forward to getting out of the restaurant business, having taken only 3 vacations in the last 20 years. They typically work 7 days a week and long, long hours.

As soon as we arrived home, Mindy and the kids dug into the desserts. I changed into my PJs then headed back to the basement to get started on cutting in the electrical outlets and switches. I managed to get two of them in before calling it a night, workwise. Upstairs I shoveled in a bite or two of the chocolate cake Mindy and the kids left out on the island counter. I poured myself a beer, a Widmere’s UpHEavel IPA, and then tuned into college football – Baylor/SMU. Looked like a blowout in the offing.

Mindy and the kids were off to bed around 930-945pm. I stayed up a while longer watching more of the football game. I ate a little more of the desserts they left out, too. Headed for bed around 1030pm.