Dining out

Dining out at our Elks Lodge, with a mix of karaoke to top it off, made for a fun night. Neither Tim nor I sang, but we definitely enjoyed judging each performer as they went up. Apparently, I’m a much tougher critic, every single one of my ratings was at least two points lower than Tim’s. There were even a few singers so bad that I almost threw my hat in the ring! Karaoke is always fun to watch, and even more fun to participate in, but the mood and the crowd have to be just right.

Dinner was good. Every Friday they serve fish, baked or fried, along with chowder, stuffies, and clam cakes. Still, after a fantastic dinner out a couple of nights ago, when I treated my mom to dinner at the Mariner Grille, the Elks was a far cry from that experience. But every spot has its place. At the Mariner, I enjoyed the lazy man’s lobster dinner, a giant lobster stuffed with scallops, shrimp, and lobster meat, served with a side bowl of hot butter. Delectable! The Elks couldn't compete with that, but was pretty darn good as well, and I was super hungry so no complaints here. 

Tim typically tries to make me feel bad about having good taste, suggesting I learn to enjoy the “working man’s” lobster instead of my lazy man’s version. He’s quite the jokester. Nice try, Tim, but I wasn’t going to feel badly for even a minute about enjoying each and every bite. Maybe that’s why he suggested dinner at our Elks Lodge, where he knew the prices would be cheap and we could eat and drink our hearts out without the tab coming close to what we’d pay anywhere else.

As we sat there enjoying the entertainment and greeting friends as they walked in, I couldn’t help but notice how many people seemed to be in need of dental work… yikes! I suppose I’d slipped into that judgy role with all the karaoke scoring, and it carried over to the pearly whites, or, in this case, the lack thereof. Then again, after both Tim and I needed dental implants this year, oddly within two months of each other, at a combined cost just north of $16,000 for two teeth (not even kidding), I have a bit more appreciation for those toothless smiles.

Tim loves to remind me every time we dine out that when we retire, we’ll have to curb our dining habits. He keeps pushing for Applebee’s. So, it looks like we won’t be retiring anytime soon, I love my lobster far too much!

In the end, whether it’s a casual night at the Elks or an indulgent dinner out, it’s really about  the company,  the stories we bring home with us... and maybe even a laugh or two. 

“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” ~ Virginia Woolf