Last night couldn’t have been more fun, having dinner with Mary Kay and Frank at the Cheesecake Factory, who both worked with Tom on the railroad and whom we hadn’t seen since we left Minnesota in 2012. We had a lot of catching up to do. Three hours later, we finally said our goodbyes with warm hugs and plans to get together again while we will still be in Minnesota.
Back at the hotel, still reeling from the wonderful time, we settled in for the remainder of the evening, streaming and finishing a good series on Netflix, Godless, a riveting western we both enjoyed. Finding a good new series on streaming services has been challenging due to the pandemic and last year’s writer’s strike.
If any of you have suggestions for newer series on Netflix, Hulu, and Prime, please let us know. We’ve watched many of the older series made before 2020. Tom doesn’t care for science fiction, and neither of us enjoys fantasy, super hero-type shows. Another limitation is that neither of us cares to watch “dubbed” or subtitled shows.
This morning, we didn’t bother to go downstairs for the hotel’s breakfast. We both were tired of the lack of options and the less-than-healthy choices.
We don’t have any big plans for today. I’m waiting for my granddaughter Maisie’s reply to see if she’d like to go for “girls’ lunch” today. Tom and I will pick her up and he’ll drop us off at the restaurant we choose and then pick us up after we’re done. If Maisie and I go out to lunch, I will bring something back for Tom for dinner.
As mentioned, I don’t feel comfortable driving right now. My reflexes aren’t as good as they were a few years ago, and with my heart condition, I don’t want to risk something happening while I am driving.
A few nights ago, Tom stopped at Wendy’s for a bite to eat when I still had something in the fridge in our room. He ordered a chicken sandwich and a plain single hamburger with fries and a Coke. The total was $20. For that much, I can order dinner to go for him. We can’t believe the prices of fast food.
Last week, I picked up a Chipotle Bowl, minus corn and rice, which was a small portion for $13. Plus, it didn’t taste as good as I remembered years ago. Maybe our expectations are too high. Last night, Mary Kay and Frank insisted on picking up the bill at Cheesecake Factory, which was over $250 with very few included drinks. When we insisted on at least paying half, they suggested we pay the tip.
Tom tipped the excellent server 20%, which is expected in the US, which was $50. Our bill for dinner, drinks, and tips at Jabula in Marloth Park was never over $50. Things are different here. We are trying to adapt to these higher prices and have plenty of time to do so while we spend so much time here.
We’ll be back with more tomorrow.
Be well.
Photo from ten years ago today, May 19, 2014:
