Cruise, Take 1

Well, first, of course, I have to say I had the most delicious Valentine's Day. I came home to an apartment full of candles and roses and the music from our wedding playing on our stereo - and, honestly, I coudln't have felt more loved. It's been a real hard couple of weeks; a lot of work, very little sleep, and not much quality time with my husband. The fact he still went through so much trouble - well, it meant the world.

I made him dinner, trying to find the perfect combo if items. We had beer and honey risotto, spinach souffle with roasted red pepper sauce, and . . .drumroll, please . . . steaks. Ribeye steaks with bacon molasses butter to be exact. Steaks from the Meat King himself and they make Sam so happy with their yummy goodness I could have made canned green beans and Kraft mac-n-cheese and it would have still been labeled best meal ever.

And we own such delicacies, of course, because my cousin Kathy in all her overwhelming generosity actually came to the airport as we were flying out a few weeks ago and hand delivered them. Steaks. Big bags of them. To the AIRPORT.

Nothing could have probably made Sam more ecstatic.

In fact, listening to Sam wax poetic about these piles of meat in our freezer these past couple days was enough for ME to eat steak last night. And I have not eaten a steak for a solid fifteen years at least.

And it was good.

Though I would have gladly traded it for Kathy and Fred's company, hands down.

Kathy and Fred picked us up from the airport when we flew into Houston for the cruise a month ago. Kathy was ever-patient as I tried to figure our schedule and when we might be able to see them. She even called Dave (best-man-of-all-time) and arranged it all so HE could meet us for dinner, too.

And the five of us had a FABOO time.



Ahhh, Texas. Where you cannot go ANYwhere without seeing the flag, the state, some delineation thereof. Wow. And I thought New Yorkers loved their home obsessively . . .



This is us. See us so happy? Cause we are with the best company EVER and are having a fabulous time. Have I mentioned? The fabulous time? It was such a great start to vacation . . .



This is me and the oysters. Hadn't tried them, said I would. They looked gross. But I liked them. Lots. Go figure.



Sam and I and Kathy and Fred. We're already trying to figure when and how we'll make the next trip to go see them. And have already begun a list of ways to lure them here . . . I'm so lucky to have such awesome family.



And, well, of course, Dave is family, too. And just as awesome.