Two straight days where I did not go to work? I honestly can't remember the last time that happened. Dad was in town and the weekend was pretty much all myself with my parents. You never really know how that is going to turn out. All in all, I would say it went very well.
We opened with breakfast at Egg Harbor, simply the best place to eat breakfast. If you know a place that serves better breakfasts than this place, let me know. And I guarantee they don't serve carafes of fresh orange-strawberry juice!
Then it was back home for a few games of Yahtzee. We must be stuck in the 80's, playing board games. Suffice to say, I got whipped. Mom just gets on these streaks of Yahtzee, large straight, four 6's, it's crazy. And watching Dad's reactions to them is just priceless.
Then we drove to Aurora and watched Kenny Rogers live. He has so many awesome songs and he is a very good performer. He is in command on stage and really knows how to work an audience. One thing, we went to the 3 p.m. show. I swear I was the youngest person in that audience. As I sat down in my seat, waiting for the show to start, and getting used to the surroundings of the Paramount Theater, I know I smelled Ben Gay in the air.
And there's this unwritten rule, when you go to a concert in this part of the country, you have to be quiet. They even announced we were not allowed to stand during the performances! That is sad. I paid my money, I should be able to have fun within reasonable limits. But anyway, Kenny sang "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town" early in the show. You know he sings "Ruby" and holds that word for a few seconds and then the music stops and he sings "Don't take your love to town." Well, each time, the music stopped, and he held the mike toward the audience. They were so quiet. Kenny remarked even Quebec did that louder and they don't even speak English there!
Then it was dinner at Catch 35, a seafood restaurant in downtown Naperville. Very innovative menu with a bit of an Asian edge to it. I had swordfish with a peppercorn crust and a cognac/avocado salsa. Came with fried rice and veggies. I would rate it as very good, but I don't know if I would spend the money to return. The hot sourdough bread and coconut shrimp were incredible though! And I'm not a big apple pie guy, but this had a lot of cinnamon flavor, which made it more appealing to me. Dad and I ended the night watching Samoa Joe vs. Kenta Kobashi, voted the greatest match in the first 100 ROH shows. What a fight.
Sunday started with church at Willow Creek. They started a series on James, which is probably my favorite book in the Bible. James 1:22 was repeated so much I think I have it ingrained in me. "Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."
Then it was time to lace up with the black mesh and the sleeveless t-shirt and begin a brand new volleyball season. Jim, who I've played with for two seasons, is our new captain, as Susan is captaining a new team. Kimberly, one of the sweetest women I've ever known, is a holdover too. Then I recruited Matt and we have two free agents, Eli and Erin. Matt still has the basketball mentality going and he hasn't played much volleyball in a while, but he's got the raw ability to be really good. Eli does everything well. He's not flashy, he's just reliable. And in a league like this, that goes a long way. Erin might weigh 80 pounds. She's really small and really seemed terrified that she had never played volleyball before, though she had experience playing wallyball. After missing on her first few serves, she knocked a few over and all her front court hits kept going over the net. We all need to work on our court positioning and execution, but that will come in time. Oh, we played a match! We went 2-1 in our first 3 games, including winning the last two in blowouts. Considering how new we are to each other, I feel really good about where this team could go.
Then it was a ride home and 1 hour drive to Lincolnshire and Fleming's steakhouse. I ate at the one in Baltimore and this one was awesome too. First of all, the New Orleans BBQ shrimp appetizer is out of this world. They don't come in a traditional BBQ sauce, it's more of a thin, dark gravy that's smoky, a little spicy, and very satisfying and hearty. Not to mention the toasted buttered, bread that you can dip in the gravy after you've finished the shrimp off!
I ordered a bone-in strip with a huge baked potato, and sauteed spinach. Mom ordered lamb chops and Dad had a ribeye. For his potato, Dad got the shoestring potatoes. The presentation on these things was not what I expected. They came in a huge paper cone, like you would eat cotton candy out of. They were lightly fried, really crispy, and loaded with salt, pepper, and parsley. Great stuff. But the star of the show was the hot peach cobbler for dessert. The fresh whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, and peach schnapps mixed with those hot sliced peaches and crumbling crust make for a taste of heaven.
Now, it's late on Tuesday and I should go to bed. I'll be getting up a little earlier than normal tomorrow, since who knows what the roads will be like after all the snow and wind we've had today. I hope I'm a little busier while I'm at work tomorrow than I was today. For most of the afternoon, I was trying to find something to do. And having nothing to do at work is not good.
Wednesday and Thursday will both be very long work days for me. Long as in I'll be out of the house at work for about 15-16 hours tomorrow alone. I have Friday off and I will definitely rejoice when it arrives.
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