Date Night

Last week, Hank and I went on a date. We were the only ones in the family who wanted Chinese food (Hank kept saying, "I wuuuuuv Chinese food!" but could only name "those cookies with the paper inside" when pressed for some of his favorite dishes). We went to Golden Star, just in time for a 5:30 pm dinner...early enough to dine with the over-65 crowd. We both loved it. The festive poinsettias, the ancient faux wood paneling, the signs saying they'll be open on Christmas Day and New Years, the lanterns, the pork and seeds ("soooooo de-wicious!"), the sweet and sour chicken with fried rice, the egg roll. I couldn't have picked a more enthusiastic dinner companion. As we finished up, I told him that when you go on dates, the boys always pay (it's never too early to teach chivalry), so I handed him the credit card and the bill and off he went. Next stop, the mall. We looked at the toy store and ran around the play area, then a stop at the thrift store to do a little shopping for our family gift exchange. He found himself a black belt to wear with his new suit and a fish that swims in the bathtub. It was a true delight and a Christmas gift for me to be able to spend some time with Hankers.