Cheryl and I got home from Memphis last night around six o'clock and although our overnight anniversary trip did not go exactly as planned, we made memories .. or perhaps 'flashbacks' is a better term.
Let's start at the beginning.
I have been craving thai food for the past week or two and (after quite a bit of investigation) found the name of a restaurant in Memphis I wanted to try.
Sunday was our 29th anniversary and Cheryl and I both had Monday off, so I started making plans for an overnight trip to "The River City" that would include a visit to that particular restaurant.
Since Bhan Thai was downtown, I "pricelined" (only the absolute best for my bride of twenty nine years) a three and a half star hotel in that area and the Marriott-Downtown Memphis accepted my offer.
Things were falling into place nicely and I was feeling good about everything.
Several months before I had to make a trip to Collierville and discovered The Avenue, a very nice open-air shopping mall. I immediately thought Cheryl would like it (translated: there was an Ann Taylor LOFT) and decided at that time to plan a visit some Saturday.
Then it occurred to me .. why not incorporate this into our little overnighter?
Things were really shaping up, now.
I checked online and found the thai place was closed on Mondays. No problem. We would be in church on Sunday morning (even though it was my anniversary, I am very dedicated and didn't want to miss .. plus, trying to find a replacement on Labor Day weekend is next to impossible), drive to the mall to shop all afternoon, eat a late evening thai meal and then check in to our beautiful three and a half star downtown hotel .. where we would "sleep in" (check out was not until noon) on Monday, eat lunch with friends from Memphis, do a little more shopping at another mall, and head home to Humboldt.
Sounds perfect, right?
Right.
For starters.. Cheryl brought her overnight bag .. but left her clothes hanging on the closet door (it's a good thing we were going to the mall), so she had to buy something to wear for Monday.
Next, we both like (need) to have a fan running at night in order to sleep (it helps drown out the snoring and gasping I make .. I really must do that sleep study) and I was in charge of putting said fan in the car.
Oops .. we had to buy another.
According to the hours posted on their website, Bhan Thai stayed open until 9:30 PM on Sunday. When we arrived at 8 o'clock there wasn't a soul in sight. They were obviously closed for the holiday weekend.
I was slightly disappointed (okay, I cried like a little girl) but we went with plan B (or was it C or D by then?) and stopped by The Rendezvous which was delicious .. fifteen years ago .. not so much this time (maybe they were having an off night like me .. my dry ribs were much dryer than usual .. Cheryl's were good, though).
We finally arrived at our "quiet getaway" hotel .. where the National Baptist Convention was underway. Great. A bunch of Baptists. I rarely get to be around them.
Since neither the elevator nor escalator leading out of the parking garage to the hotel was in operation, we climbed the escalator (I suppose you could technically call them .. stairs) with our bags and checked in for the night.
The room was nice and had a great view of the city. However, this was little consolation to a guy who was more than just a little frustrated (I tried to act calm but the eye twitching was a dead giveaway). To add insult to injury, the fan we bought was "new and improved .. 25% more quiet."
A gnat passing gas could have made more wind noise.
Monday was a new day and I was determined to get my "thai fix" (if at first you don't succeed .. thai, thai again). Jeff and Susan, our friends from Memphis, agreed to meet us at Bangkok Alley on Germantown Road at 11:45 for lunch. Of course, as fate would have it .. Job had better luck .. they were closed (I thought Labor Day was an American holiday??).
I finally decided to give up on my thai idea (thaidea??) and go with one of our favorite restaurants during our Memphis days .. Bol A Pasta.
They went out of business a few months ago.
Next year is our thirtieth anniversary and I'm thinking - cruise.
It will be hurricane season, you know.
"He frustrates the devices of the crafty, So that their hands cannot carry out their plans." - Job 5:12
2 comments:
Oh my, how frustrating! I hope you two still had a wonderful time. Where did you end up eating lunch on Monday?
Lunch was good. Shrimp Portofino at Macaroni Grill. At least I was with my "honey."
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