Forty-Five Big Ones!

Forty-five years ago today Dear One and I entered the Holy Temple in Cardston, Alberta, Canada and were married for time, and for all eternity.  Now, eternity is a long time, but I think we have made a good start.  It has not been all sweetness and light, but we are still plugging along hand in hand.  And we still begin each day with delight and eager anticipation of what lies ahead together.

To celebrate we broke down and went to a restaurant one of our sweet friends in Vermont used to tell us about.  Well, actually, he would sing a little ditty made up of the title of the restaurant. I always wanted to try it out and recently, by a fluke because I was looking at the scenery as we crossed the highway bridge, there it was!  So we went on Saturday.

It is called Red Robin.  When we came in the host invited us to sit in the bar, even though he made note of our name tags and told us he knew we would not want alcohol but he thought it would be more comfortable for us there since there was barely anyone up there.  The main dining room was jammed with diners so we appreciated his thoughtfulness.

We had two different servers, both of whom were lovely young men.  I think the first one was ill all of a sudden and had to leave.  Dear One had a fabulous veggie burger with all the toppings PLUS endless steak fries which were not as endless as I had thought he might choose. I had fish and chips with a wedge salad.  The wedge salad was enough and I should have stopped there, but I decided to eat on the rest of the meal and eventually I finished it.  They have some really delicious "campfire sauce" that we both liked on the fries.  Dear One was able to help me out with my basket of fries. The server was surprised I left some in the bottom of the container, but I just did not want one more bite.

At the front door are these darling cheeseburger seating pieces for people waiting.  It must be a popular place because both burgers look like people have been sitting on them for long periods of time.

Today at the office we are having a potluck lunch.  I look forward to them because I enjoy trying other people's cooking. I plan to make Vietnamese Salad Rolls.  I stopped in at the Can Tho Market to get some Hoisin sauce and some fish sauce to use in the dipping sauces.  The proprietor, when I asked if there were smaller bottles, said no...one was 500 ml and the other was 700 ml!  The 500 ml bottle was five dollars more costly that the larger bottle. I asked him why.  He said, "It is the best! You need to get this one."  I asked what made it the best.  He told me it was the flavor and that it was much better.

 As I was leaving with the items, I had the more expensive bottle. He said, "If you have some Vietnamese friends and they see this bottle, they will think you really know what is good."  Or something like that.  Now I am going to have to find many recipes to use the fish sauce with.  I am taking suggestions!  One good thing: it does not need to be refrigerated.  Also it lasts forever!

Tonight we hope to attend the temple here in Portland to remind ourselves of that day forty-five years ago. I do remember it as if it were yesterday, though.  Such a sweet day with his friends and my parents with us.