It was a good time. All of my cousins showed up. We toasted to my wife's cousin and his new bride. They made it official the day before. He must've like it, because he put a ring it. They both have good heads on their shoulder's and I wish them nothing but the best. We were also joined by some of my co-workers. They were there to party "Let's get this party started!!" One of them announced, then invited everyne to get their drink on. Although a lot of great people came to celebrate with me, I still felt a bit melancholic. Except for Mr. Miranda, none of my crew showed up. I knew already that some couldn't make it, because they had reached out. There were some who assured me that they would come and didn't. It didn't seem like a party to me, because some key people were missing. One lives to far to visit, but was there in spirit. Another has drifted away from us. We miss him, but understand that his life is changing and wish him the best. It's OK if he doesn't have time for his brothers.
 |
| Irish beers |
 |
| My green outfit, complete with beads and BEER button |
 |
| The happy newlyweds |
The next morning was a slow start. Even though I managed to get up at 8 am, it took me two hours to get something to eat and think about getting out and about. We weren't sure what was in store for our Sunday. I knew that we would eventually end up at a thrift store. I did some research online and discovered a flea market in the parking lot of Wheaton Mall. We got dressed and headed to Silver Spring. It was a decent sized outdoor market. We found a few things. Quantity doesn't always equal quality. These days you go flea markets, especially in urban areas, all you find is "extreme couponers" selling off their excess inventory of detergent and toothpaste. Other then that most of the Latino vendor's are selling CDs, DVDs and flag themed and soccer team related merchandise. Most of the new items they sell are cheap and low quality. However here they had a few people selling used clothing, jewelry, and shoes. I saw a couple of bikes. Not a lot of antiques or vintage toys. It was nice to go to one. I did happen upon two unusual finds. They were in a bargain bin mixed in with broken watches, travel clocks, and other lighters. I don't collect lighters, but these were very different. They don't work anymore but have a common theme. One has 4 small multi-colored dice inside the chamber where the gas is stored. It's encased in plastic to you can see the dice. The other also features dice, except this one has 2 tiny white dice on what looks like a roulette wheel encased in a plastic dome. On one side of the lighter is a small lever. If you pull it back and release it, the wheel spins sending the dice everywhere.
After leaving the flea market we ended up in Downtown Silver Spring. Near Wayne Ave, where there is a new open air mall. It mostly features eating establishments. I had intended to have lunch at McGinty's Pub, my daughter wanted Red Lobster, and my wife wanted Romano's Macaroni Grill. Just as we were about to go into Romano's, my wife made the executive decision to go to Cooper Canyon Grill. I should've known this place was gonna be expensive when we walked in. The hosts were dressed in black tie. When we were seated, they notified us that there was no kid's menu and showed us their menu. It was one page, with food on the front and an impressive wine list on the back. They featured some wines that were 700 dollars a bottle. I didn't worry, because I wasn't gonna order wine anyway. I then looked at the entrees. I've been in the mood for a good steak. The best deal on steak they offered was 30 bucks. If it had just been me, that would've been fine. I was feeding 3. True, I wouldn't have had a problem paying the bill, but my thing is if I'm gonna pay a hundred fifty bucks for a meal, I need to know that it's the best I'll ever have. I can get a "good" steak for much less anywhere else. My wife was distressed because she wished she hadn't have changed our destination. Before they came back to take our order, I told her to take her and the kid to the bathroom and I would meet them in front of Romano's. If questioned, mention an "emergency" and leave it at that.
Romano's proved to be a better choice for us. From the moment we walked in, it was less pretencious. Their decor was inviting. The staff was friendly. We ordered our meals. As the plates paraded past me, to their respective diner, I could see me eating any of those meals. My daughter had a chicken Caesar, and my wife a trio of ravioli, cannelloni, and lasagna. Then they placed my plate in front of me. It was a 20 oz piece of perfectly medium rare sirloin with thick sliced tomatoes and Parmesan fries. It was a great meal. We even had some dessert, which is a rarity for us. My daughter ordered the NY Cheesecake which was excellent, and my wife ordered something called Lemon Passion. Dad had a Roman Coffee, which was a coffee spiked with Baileys and Khalua. The perfect end to good meal. With tip I still put down a Benjamin, but enjoyed the experiance overall and had a great steak.
 |
| My girls |
 |
| My lil maniac and me |
 |
| Sweets never had a chance |
No comments:
Post a Comment