Our Second Anniversary

Two years ago today MyAdoringPublic and I were promoted at our jobs. This year we invited Beauregard Van Horne to join us, as he was instrumental in aiding and abetting our joint careers. He upped the ante by offering to take US out to celebrate.

And what ensued will go down as one of the very best afternoons of my whole life.

We arrived at Pier W at 11:30 am. BVH was already at the bar, looking suave and handsome in a lovely blue shirt and red tie. He looked, dare I say it, very SENATORIAL.

The Pier has recently been renovated, and it is suspended out over the water beside a gorgeous, craggy cliff. The restaurant has wrap-around floor-to-ceiling windows, allowing endless views of the lake and downtown Cleveland. It was gorgeous and elegant.

BVH and I feasted on filet mignon ina red wine sauce, braised spinach and hearth-roasted Yukon Gold potaotoes, while MAP chose the scallops, which were served with Yukon Gold mashed potatoes sculpted into the form of a swan. To accompany our meal, BVH ordered up two bottles of Veuve Clicquot champagne.

Following this extravagance, we segue to the bar for cocktails - martinis for BVH and Booker’s bourbon for me. MAP was the designated driver and opted for coffee. I have never drank that much in my life, but it sure was good, and we thought we were very, very funny by this time. While we were at the bar, in a great moment of serendipity, NewGuy, one of our co-workers, comes into the restaurant with his daughter - turns out it is his birthday. We swore him to secrecy, in the hopes that tales of his inebriated managers won’t get back to the gang…

We finally dragged ourselves out, byt his time late in the afternoon, and walked out onto the pier itself and drank in the breeze and view, and it was a lovely afternoon to reconnect, reaffirm bonds and to appreciate all of the hours we have spent together.

MAP drove me back to her place to get my car, and I saw a Dunkin’ Donuts, and made her drive thru for a super-sized coffee if I had any hopes of operating a motor vehicle. And since we were there and all, we had to get a couple of sugar donuts. So very wrong after our exquisite meal, yet so very right.

And since I was in the neighborhood and all, I stopped by DJ V’s office to say “Hi” and to frighten her that I was actually out driving in this condition.

After work, DJ V came down (I had sobered up by then) and we ordered up a pizza and attempted to watch a movie. I quickly lost interest in the movie, and then a well-timed thunderstorm added a lovely ambiance...