Finally got around to CELEBRATING!

.

Well, I had this Saturday off from work...and man, was I looking forward to it! It turned out to be everything I hoped for...and MORE!


As y'all all know, The Mrs. and me jumped the broom on April 7, 1979 (The Year of Our Lord 1979).  But, y'all probably didn't know that I had to work on Thursday, and The Mrs. is still keeping care of our great-nephew during the week.  So, Thursday did not shape up to be a really good day to CELEBRATE our 32nd anniversary (Thanks again to you all for your kind wishes.  It was a good day, but not really celebratory).


So, we I had made grand plans to take Saturday (that's today) as a day of celebration.  And, golly gumpers, it sure turned out just like I had planned.  Maybe even better!


I had asked The Mrs. where she wanted to go eat lunch.  And, she said, "Ralph & Kacoos."  Good gravy Granny!  Why didn't I think of that?  It's a dang shame that one of the most world famous Cajun/Seafood Restaurants in the entire Universe is less than ONE HALF OF A MILE from Andy's Place...and we hardly EVER go there.  Seriously, Ralph & Kacoo's is so close to Andy's Place that if the wind is blowing out of the Southeast pretty good, I could hoist a tennis ball (if my shoulder ain't bothering me), and land it square on the roof.


As we took the long 45 second drive to Ralph & Kacoo's, The Mrs. and I figured that it had been about TWO YEARS since we ate there. 


I suck! 


Well, anyway, back to the celebrating...


So, we get in the car and drive there.  (Heck we could have walked, and we probably shoulda' walked home when we got finished)

 (taken with my cameraphone)

When you go in to Ralph & Kacoo's you are greeted by some awfully friendly folks.  Seriously, you are.  We got there about 1115 HRS (we did not eat breakfast, and we were hungry, so we decided to open up the joint), and the little white gal receptionist showed us to our booth.  We asked for a "booth," because we like sitting at a booth.


The frenchie in the entrance way holding the chalk board is one heckuva friendly looking cat.  But, he don't say much.   I talked to him for a couple of minutes, and told him that me and The Mrs. were celebrating our 32nd anniversary, and I told him about how it had been TWO YEARS since we had seen him, and how I suck, and all...

 

(taken with my cameraphone)

But, he didn't say much.  He was just holding the chalk board with the Specials Of The Day (SOTD), so we went on in and sat in a booth.  I saw that deal about "Redfish Voodoo," and got kinda' scarred.  I mean, I love me some Redfish, but I don't need any more of the devil working in my life, so I decided I'd pass on that one.

Our "server" was a REALLY, REALLY nice young black lady.  I mean, she was NICE!  She had a regular name that you could remember easily.  It was something like Shaquanda, or Shueelika, or something.  It wasn't one of those hard names like Nancy, or Andrea, or Deborah.  I can't remember what her name was right now, but she was a DANG GOOD WAITRESS SERVER!!!!  I'm gonna ask for her to be our SERVER next time I go there.  It'll come to me.


Nyuk!  I ended up giving her a $10 tip on a $23 ticket.  Really, I did.  The light is really low in Ralph & Kacoo's (even during the day), and when she brought the ticket I thought it said $28.13.  So, I figured that since she had been so nice, and such a good server, I would hit her with 5 bucks.  So, I filled in $33.13 in the "Total" line.  But, when I got home with the receipt, I put my reading glasses on, and discovered that the original bill was for $23.18.  So, Shaquanda got a 10 buck tip due to the fact that I need to carry reading glasses with me everywhere I go, but don't.  

Well...she really is a sweet young lady, and I hope she does good with the ten bucks.  (I bet if I find her next time I go there, she'll remember...and thank me). 

Anyway, The Mrs. and me both ordered the same thing from the menu.  I swear...we both looked over hundreds of choices and came up with the same thing!  Again.  


We BOTH decided on the Stuffed Shrimp, with a twice baked tater, and green beans.  Jeepers!  Them 3 Swimps were stuffed with crabmeat, and seasoned to perfection, and that twice baked tater was to die for.  Seriously!  


And, Ralph & Kacoo's has without a doubt the best dang hushpuppies I've ever eaten.  Really.  Now, I've gotta throw one criticism toward 'em.  They're not as good as they used to be back several years ago when we used to eat there.  Don't get me wrong...they are very good...but, they used to have a really sugary tang to them.  The ones we had today were fabulous...but I think the Chef forgot the sugar.  Or, maybe they dropped the sugar for health reasons or something...


Who knows.  But, they were bitchin'!!!  Not quite sweet enough, but aces up.


So, I had planned to take The Mrs. to see the film, "The Adjustment Bureau" or something like that.  I had gotten a recommendation from a guy I work with, and from Roses, that it was a great "date film."  But when I got up this morning, and checked The Fandango, they are not showing it anymore here at our local film houses.  So, I asked The Mrs. to look at The Fandango and see if there was any other film she would like to see instead of the Adjustment deal.


She said, "No."


So, I decided to surprise her with an anniversary gift from me after we left Ralph & Kacoo's.  

I'm just full of surprises.

Y'all long time visitors to Andy's Place might remember the time I posted pictures of myself NEKKID!


Well, the ring never did show back up.  I swear, I looked high and low, and drew blanks.


So, after we got THOROUGHLY stuffed with swimps & crabmeat, and taters, I hauled The Mrs. to The Kmart, where I made her buy me a replacement wedding band.  Well, actually we ended up at The JC Penneys to buy one (they had a better price).


See, this has been kind of a buggaboo with me.  I hate to mention this, because it ain't Christian to brag upon ones self...but,  it seems that the older I get, the more attractive I am to the opposite sex. 

It's a curse...

And, since my hair is growing back out, and I'm almost finished with looking like a retarded fuzzball, I feel somewhat uncomfortable with my beefcake status, and no "DON'T GO THERE" sign.

And, I am quite possibly the MOST MARRIED OF ALL MEN.  


So, I figured it was time to go ahead on and pick up a "NO TRESPASSING" sign, since it seems that I'd never find the one that got lost.  So, I gave The Mrs. myself an anniversary present.  And, I like it.  I feel like I'm clothed again. 

I have nice hands.  And, the ring just accentuates leftie.  Just sayin'...

(taken with my Kodak digital camera...the cameraphone sucks inside)

Anyway, since the film we wanted to look at was not showing anywhere in a metropolitan area of roughly one half million folks, we decided to purchase the ring, and go on home.   

When we got home, The Mrs. got out The Mantis®, and busted up her garden. I cut the weeds grass.  Hey, we're overrun with this clover-ish junk in the yard that The Mrs. just "loves," and won't let me kill.  I did a blog post about it a couple of years back, and Patrick Conlon told me what it was, and sure enough he was right, but I don't want to go back and search the archives. 


(Okay, I went back and looked in the archives, and it is Oxalis, as correctly identified by Barry the Barbarian/Redneck/Joubert/Barn Painter/Whoever. )


So, it was a fabulous day.  I mean, one for the record books and all.  Hope y'all had as good a one as I did.  Dang, this ring is pretty.  I started to hit the "PUBLISH POST" deal, and it caught my eye.  Man, it shines.


I am one lucky cuss...