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Anne worked a split shift on Monday. In the morning she was the substitute nurse at the elementary school. This was a novel assignment for her. I’m not a real doctor nurse, but I play one at school. Her duties included handing out ice packs and Band-Aids to the mortally wounded. She also prepared needles for a diabetic student, rubber gloves and everything. Later, she underwent Election Judge training for April’s election.

Barbara, my walking buddy at work has deserted me this week. She and Steve have flown off to Cancun. I could have tried the ploy that the security officer attempted, but since it didn’t work for him, I didn’t think that I stood much of a chance: “Barbara, you were supposed to give us thirty-day notice of your foreign travel.” “I didn’t know that I was going until last week.” “Well, the only way that I can let you go, is if you take me too.” 😉

Monday night, Valentine’s night, date night, Anne and I went out to dinner at Frank Papa’s in Brentwood. We have dined there twice before, once on a regular dinner date and once on another Valentine’s Day date. Both times were lovely dinners. Once we tried to get in there on a Valentine’s night without a reservation, but were shutout. We ended up going to Nachos Mama on Manchester, which is also a nice restaurant, but not particularly romantic. Especially since some of Anne’s students were there too.

Frank Papa’s runs a special Valentine’s Day menu and this is what we had:

Anne
Calamari Fritti – Thin, tender squid flash fried to a golden brown
Papa’s house salad
Grilled salmon served with capers and dill butter

Mark
Escarole – Crisp flash fried greens topped with grated parmigiana cheese, finished with a squeeze of lemon, a house specialty.
Tomato bisque
Filleto Monte Carlo grilled tenderloin with a portabella brandy cream sauce

Anne’s calamari allowed us to reminisce about a meal at Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. We were there with the boyz and they were still young. It had been a long day and we were all tired and hungry. We found a place that served seafood, chicken strips and hamburgers.  Even though the boyz got what they wanted, they were still acting like whiney pests. Anne’s solution was to order calamari and play see food. At times she looked like a cross between Peter Ustinov in the Blue Lagoon or something out of one of the Alien’s movies. Whatever, the boyz were suitably grossed-out into submission. [I look forward to see how that last sentence translates.] Such is what passes as romantic dinner conversation, between an old married couple. I hope that you had a happy Valentine’s Day. I know that we did.

The slideshow photos with this post are all Anne’s. They are from her trip to the Gardens on Sunday. I plucked them from her camera roll; consequently they only cover the orchid show. There will be more to come.