Perfect Dinner

Sometimes going out to dinner can be a wonderful thing. Tonight was just that type of evening. We didn't leave until 8:15 due to some packing delays, and found a parking spot on the street in Kendall Square. An added benefit of arriving on the late side was the wait time for a table had dwindled to less than 15 minutes.

We were seated at a booth in the upper level, overlooking the lower tables, with warm lighting. Lauren ordered her 'usual' of cajun wood-grilled salmon, and I ordered my 'usual' of three appetizers: fish chowder, Rhode Island calamari, and a green salad. Leslie ordered a clam chowder and the Shrimp Trio.

It was all cooked perfectly, and arrived in the correct order. We chatted about this and that, first days of school, being 16, why boys of 18 shouldn't grow beards, cars, boyfriends, you name it. No meltdowns, no hurt feelings, just a family getting ready to send its only child off to school. Truly lovely.

Home again, and Leslie packed the car in under 15 minutes. He states that in the morning it will only take him 10 minutes to tie the under-the-bed tubs to the roof rack, and we are off. We have a 7:30 am departure planned. Might early by our standards, but we want to beat the chaos on campus. Wish us well!