Just...hi

Just wanted to say a quick hello! It drives me nuts when I visit a blog I love and the blogger hasn't written in it in months. I don't want to be like that. (Not that my blog is so interesting, LOL!)

Nothing much is new. Father's Day was very nice. The kids and I gave Mike a blue-ray system plus the movie "Avatar" to watch on it. He really enjoyed that. We had a barbecue for dinner. Mike would eat burgers every day if he could.

Friday night, my daughter Katherine surprised us with a dinner out. I happened to have a Restaurant.com certificate for $25 at a new Italian place, so we went there. Mike and the owner have known each other for years through the gym they go to, but I didn't know that when I got the certificate. (It was verrrry cheap, btw, maybe $4? You totally have to try Restaurant.com if you haven't already. And if you use Paypal, see if they've got a deal going on.)

I have to tell you it was one of the best meals I've ever had in my life! Certainly the best in years. Mike and I usually hit the diner or Taco Bell or Wendy's on Friday night, but Katherine insisted on someplace much nicer. You know how sometimes you treat yourself to a special place and it's such a let down? Not Martino's! I had duck in a raspberry-apricot sauce that was perfect--love the crispy skin. And, OMG, the spinach salad! Put goat cheese, cranberries and toasted nuts on a salad and I'm totally there!

Mike enjoyed his veal parmigiana, and Katherine had a nice pasta dish with vegetables. We won't even talk about the amazing desserts. Okay, I had a piece of toasted coconut vanilla layer cake that sent me to heaven. Mike had Mississippi Mud Cake and Katherine had a Napolean.

All in all, a beautiful treat from our beautiful daughter.

Ha, I just realized this was a little bit more of a post than 'hi'!