Friday night we wanted to go out for steak so we drove to Longhorn. The wait was 90 minutes - sheesh! I realize it’s Friday night/date night, but I couldn’t believe it - an hour and a half. What I find odd about the excessive wait time is that it was never like that several years ago, when Longhorn was one of only about three restaurants in Conyers that were of the ‘better than fast food’ class, and the only one besides Applebee’s which was a recognized chain. Since then, we’ve added Chili’s, O’Charley’s, On The Border, Red Lobster, Roadhouse Grill, Up The Creek, Outback Steaks and all the restaurants at the mall (2 exits up): Bugaboo Creek, Olive Garden, Applebee’s, Ruby Tuesday, Arizona’s, Buckhead Colorado Steakhouse. One would think the wait would be less everywhere, because there are more places to choose. Anyway, we didn’t want to chance a wait that long (or longer, as it frequently is when dining out) so we went to Outback. We had to wait about 35 - 40 minutes there, but after we’d been waiting 10 minutes or so, a couple of waitresses came around with individual cups each containing a handful of onion straws and some roumalade sauce, for people to snack on while they waited. I thought that was nice. The steak was excellent, too.

Saturday was pleasantly uneventful except for some security alarm adventures (grrr). Read Tim Dorsey’s new book, Cadillac Beach - just as hilarious as Serge’s previous adventures, went to Linens 'N Things for a new coat-rack - the kind you hang on the back of the door, not the free-standing piece of furniture kind. I like Linens 'N Things much better than Bed Bath & Beyond. Every time I go into B3, the merchandise seems way overpriced, which I mean in an ‘overpriced for the sake of being overpriced’ not ‘more expensive because it’s better quality’ way. I guess including ‘bought some candles and wine at World Market’ would be superfluous to those who know me...

Yesterday I went to see Cheryl’s new house. I’d seen it before, right after they put an offer on it, but not since the repainting, retiling and moving in of her things. I like it a lot better with “her stamp” upon it although I do miss the lurid green Scooby Doo room, which is now an unpretentious taupe. The kitchen has a wine theme, including wallpaper border of wine bottles. Early last month, I’d found two large matching prints, each with a wine bottle, glass and some grapes in pretty, dark walnut frames. One was of a Riesling and mostly shades of green, while the other was a Cabernet in shades of purple. I thought these would go perfectly along the long wall of her kitchen, so that’s what I bought her for Christmas; however, I’ve been worried ever since that it wasn’t a good gift - wouldn't someone prefer to select their own decor? That question was answered about 8 seconds after Cheryl unwrapped the prints, when she ran for the laser level and hung the pictures! I’m so very, very glad she liked them; I was so pleased when I found them and so worried afterward.

Kevin (Cheryl’s boyfriend) on sleeping late Christmas morning: “I asked myself, ‘What would Jesus do?’ and I figured since it was his birthday, he’d sleep in!”

As a nice treat to begin the week, Ask Miss Science has answered Finnovar's question! He's disappointed that it will take decades for him to save his allowance for enough balloons but he's most pleased that his photo has been featured. I must ask one of my more enlightened friends how to do that photos-on-flickr thing so I can do that here...I'd tried doing it a different way promoted by Blogger, "Hello" or something, but that didn't seem to work display-wise the way I wanted, so I'd abandoned that idea. Maybe I'll try again.

MONTOYA DELENDA EST!