Family Life

A wonderful opportunity presented itself today: a friend offered to babysit so we could go out to dinner. We rarely eat out, and we’re kid-free even less often. Needless to say, we jumped at the opportunity. Debbie already knew where she wanted to go, which led me to question whether she has this mental list of unlikely scenarios, ready to pull out a plan, fully-formed, at a moment’s notice.

We fed the boys and got them ready for bed, the babysitter showed up (much to the kids’ excitement), and we went out. Right into a blizzard. It had been snowing all day, so the snow was getting deep on our driveway and on the street. I guess the snow plows were doing their job, but if it snows hard enough you can’t tell. Or maybe they were waiting for the snow to stop.

It was slow going on the roads, skidding to a gradual halt at stop signs, sliding around corners, trying to figure out where the lanes were, when you couldn’t see the lane markers, the median, or the sides of the road. On the positive side, there wasn’t a lot of traffic. Most people had more sense than us and stayed home.

We ate at a lovely buffet restaurant with a vast array of yummy food. The place was deserted. We were among the few foolish enough to brave the weather. It was relaxing. It was fun. The boys were in bed for the night. It was cold outside. We were in no hurry to leave. Eventually we stirred from our comfy table and adjourned to a nearby bookstore, where we browsed until closing time. Oh the freedom of a kidless existence! We enjoyed a companionable evening, Debbie and I. Happy Valentine’s Day!

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