Date Night

Last night, my friend Naomi and I held a "get to know you" dinner for our single friends Don and Anne. You may remember me discussing my reticence about this, but we did it anyway.

To report, the evening seemed to go fine - everyone got along, the food was excellent...

I was to bring dessert... Since Naomi and her husband like poker, I thought it would be funny to make cookie poker chips... I was kind of in a rush, so my poker chips weren't very uniform. I was trying hard not to have to roll out dough and do cut outs... I hate cutouts. I thought I'd be clever and make dough-logs and slice my way into cookie poker chip heaven... But the slices weren't even. The truth of the matter is - I'm pretty crappy with knives. I am fairly certain that I couldn't cut an attractive looking carrot stick with a table saw... So the poker chip cookies looked kind of... non circular... All because of my laziness and unwillingness to sit in my kitchen for an entire evening.

I went to my favorite bakery and got a pumpkin roll instead.

Anne, on the other hand, made appetizers that could have been featured in Martha Stewart Living. Anne rocks.

By the time Don arrived, we were all happy to sit down and eat. (We ordered Chinese. It's like an instant dinner party - I heartily recommend it) We discussed The Patriot Act - and how it's funny that after September 11th, the main thing the Federal Government did was to federalize the airport baggage handling - Na's husband noted that the problems we had with homeland security were largely the I.N.S. - and letting people into the country that shouldn't be here... about letting the wrong people remain in the country without proper Visa's (note: issuing a visa to a known dead terrorist) - and not the baggage handlers. Not to get off on a tangent.

When we were through discussing politics, we talked about our holiday plans - how Naomi and her husband bought gifts for orphaned kids at a local shelter... About celebrating with multiple friends - about Chaunukah and Christmas... Then, we were forced to play poker.

David hates cards. He was trying very hard to put a positive spin on poker, but deep down, he hates it - and as hard as I tried to get out of it, we were swept into the library to play poker with non-edible poker chips. Dave bet himself out of the game early.... And when I tried to do the same, I'd win the hand. I had an Ace and a Three. I watched the hand through the river and had nothing... Na's husband (BTW, his name is also David, so to avoid confusion, I'm not using his name... I'm not being secretive!) kept betting high. I knew he was bluffing. My pride would not let me out of this... Sure enough, he had a Queen and a three... So I took the pot, and the game was prolonged...

Dave persevered. Next time, though, he probably won't go over there, unless we're eating, playing music, and watching "So I Married An Ax Murderer," which is one of the funniest things on celluloid.

Anne invited Dave, Don and me to her house next Thursday. Will it be a budding romance - or a royal flush? Place your bets, and stay tuned.