The day before Valentine’s Day this year, my husband, Terry asked me what I thought of having our friends the Lapslys and Geocks over for dinner and to play cards on Valentine’s Day. “It’d sorta be a spur of the moment affair,” he said.
Since I love spur of the moment events and I have a passion for cooking, entertaining and playing cards, I jumped at the thought.
Terry emailed the two guys (no formal invites) and both of them got right back to him. I got busy planning the evening. I pulled out all my Valentine decorations and set a table with red candles in see- through red goblets with different length stems.
We really had a great time! I served a rack of pork and my recipe for Almost Carbohydrate Free Almond Bread and a Caesar Salad. After dinner I went into the kitchen and overheard one of the guys say to Terry, “Thanks for saving my ___. I’d entirely forgotten about Valentine’s Day!“ “Yeah, I forgot until two days ago when I invited you guys,” I heard Terry reply.
Wait a minute! Did I get snookered? Did I save those three guys from planning a special night out for their ladies? I think I did. I know Terry and I would have gone to a nice restaurant had I not been intercepted with his idea. And we don’t get each other a Valentine anymore, because we have two we saved from years ago and we just bring them out and re-give them. What irk sme is our Valentine’s Celebration came out of my grocery budget.
I can’t send a bill to the two men whose you-know-whats were saved, but I emailed Terry a bill for the evening (he’s in charge of our entertainment budget).
To: Terry Richard
From: www.saveyouryou-know-whatcatering.com
Valentine’s Day dinner for six $75 per couple = $225.00
Please add 18% gratuity. Thank you for your business.
I don’t know if he’ll pay up, but to be fair in case he does, I’ll give him $37.50 for my half for the two of us.
Reading over this essay, it occurred to me we don’t come across as a very romantic couple. And I know the planning of a romantic evening shouldn’t fall on the male of the species, so I think I’ll take the payment (if and when I receive it) and get a room for us at Skamania Lodge on the Columbia River. Looking at the calendar, I see it’ll have to be a romantic St. Patrick’s Day. Somehow I don’t think either saint will care whether we drink green beer, and dance a jig or sip wine over a candlelight dinner and follow rose petals to our bed.