I was looking over my posting list at blog central and realized that this post was still in draft form and I'd never actually posted it. Duh. Must be that hitting 50 is already affecting me. It's from back in February when Dave and I got together with Mark and Mary (aka The A-Team) to try Korean cuisine ...
First, we had to change our plans a bit and instead of going to The Korean House for dinner, we went to Young’s Korean Restaurant. As it turns out, they are practically across the street from one another and I guess it was just our good fortune that The Korean House was closed to the public last night due to a private wedding party.
I’m sure that gives you a heads up about what’s to follow — I LOVED Young’s Korean Restaurant! We had such a great experience. Our waitress, believe it or not, mentioned how we all look familiar and as it turns out, she works at the post office that is right up the road from where we live! She willingly gave us some great suggestions and information that explained the menu to us a bit better and we were all able to make dinner choices that we enjoyed. (In fact, I brought a little box home filled with yummy leftovers and just had it for breakfast!) On top of that, she had a great sense of humor and kept us laughing.
David and I both decided to have … argh. I can’t remember what it’s called in Korean. But it was basically a stir fry filled with meat and veggies and served in a spicy sauce — mine had chicken and David’s had shrimp. Mary had a beef dish that she thought was terrific and Markie had a seafood “Korean pancake” that was fantastic! (We all shared a bit.) Everything seemed so fresh.
We had a great time having a cup of hot tea and sampling all the banach — various side dishes such as kim chee, spicy cucumbers, fish cakes, tofu, bean sprouts — that were served before our meals were brought out.
Of course, the fun part was watching us all trying to use chopsticks. Mary had a little bit of experience having spent some time in Japan when she was younger and Mark seemed to know what he was doing. David seemed to be holding his own as well. Me? Well, I figured it was going to be one of the longest dinners of my life! I don’t remember another time when I honestly wondered if my fingers were working against me.
I hated to be the one to give in and ask for a fork, but eventually when our waitress came to check on us and I responded by asking how late they were open she took my hint and brought us all forks. As much as that was a relief, I was so glad that I gave the chopsticks a try. I secretly plan to keep working on perfecting (ok — improving) my abilities at home so I can WOW everybody next time we venture out for Asian cuisine.
Once we’d all finished our dinners, we headed back to our house and celebrated my upcoming birthday. Actually, our evening started out with a birthday treat — Daisies!!! Mark and Mary took special notice of my “25 Random Things About Me” that I posted in Facebook and surprised me with a huge bouquet of my favorite flowers.
Then — also noticing that I mentioned how much I love Mounds bars — Mary made me a Mounds Bar Cake! To say “simply delicious” is an understatement. And how touching to think that she took the time to go on the internet, search to see if she could find a “mounds-like” dessert and then to take the time to make it! I felt especially — well — special!
And then — there were gifts! Yes-indeedy. Mark and Mary never miss an opportunity to amaze me. This next part needs a little bit of set-up since I’m sure most people aren’t aware of my love for the comic strip “For Better or For Worse”.
A couple of years ago, knowing how much I loved the comic strip and my admiration for its creator, Lynn Johnston, Mary sent a blank unsigned birthday card to Lynn asking her to sign the card as a special treat for my birthday. Lynn went above and beyond and actually drew a personalized message to me (which I have since framed in a memory box along with pictures of me opening the gift, a copy of the letter Mary sent her, etc.) It was a thrill that I thought could not be matched.
Well — think again. To my absolute delight, Mark and Mary gave me a copy of Lynn’s book “The Big 5-0″ with — yep! — a personal wish from Lynn for a happy 50th birthday and another drawing on the opening page of the book.
How could anyone be so blessed?
Well, now that I’ve shared all the highlights of the evening, I should probably mention a few other fun things that happened as well.
Throughout the evening we were entertained with frequent text messages (that seemed to come at very appropriate times now that I think about it) that kept us informed about the much-anticipated arrival of Mark and Mary’s new grandson. (As of this moment, I understand that Tammy is pushing and Joseph’s arrival is imminent!)
And — we planned out several fun adventures for the coming year that will keep The A-Team busy, busy, busy as we discover Rochester and take in the sites, sounds, and culture of our hometown.
What a wonderful evening. Great friends, great food, great gifts, and the promise of more fun in the future. Doesn’t get much better than that!
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