Last week Matt and I celebrated the 6th anniversary of our first date. It’s a little tradition we have to remember November 8, although year to year we haven’t been very consistent in what exactly we do – sometimes one or both of us comes up with a gift, or we make a nice dinner at home or we go on a fabulous date. This year we talked about going to the restaurant where our first date took place, but the more we thought about it…. the more we both really wanted sushi, lol. Also it turns out that restaurant is now closed. RIP Sierra Grill. Thanks for a good dinner back in 2006 <3
Now, there is some fuss about whether pregnant ladies should eat sushi. The main risk comes with eating raw fish because pregnant ladies are more susceptible to food poisoning, and it is possible to get parasites from uncooked fish, which isn’t good for anybody. However, there is also the perspective that sushi isn’t so bad and (as with many things in the West) the risk is blown way out of proportion but nobody wants to be liable in case something bad does happen.
Long story short, Matt and I decided we were both okay with an all-you-can-eat sushi date.
And thank goodness we did! This place we went to had so many delicious options to choose from and not just sushi – we enjoyed a plate of teriyaki chicken and the MOST tender garlic beef I’ve ever put in my mouth. Matt ordered some sashimi (side note – spell check doesn’t recognize this word and thinks maybe I mean “mishmash” bahaha), in which I did not partake, we both enjoyed different sushi rolls. Also, I discovered that dessert can come in sushi form – pictured above, the “fresh mango roll” had avocado and cucumber with some kind of sauce wrapped up in rice and seaweed, topped with slices of delicious mango and drizzled with mango pulp. It was SO good, and it took us like 20 minutes just to eat the 6 pieces that came in our order (I had 5 and Matt had 1) because we were so full, but it was worth it. Then we had real dessert of green tea ice cream, which was as always impossibly refreshing. One of the things I love about Asian restaurants is the pot of jasmine tea you get to sip on for the whole meal – it makes the whole experience that much more hospitable and makes a lot more sense to me than paying $2.75 for a glass of Sprite. But I digress. Our sixth date-aversary was really great and even aside from the fabulous food it was a wonderful time just being together.
Second milestone – yesterday I played Last Post and the Rouse on trumpet for our church’s Remembrance Day service. For the first time in my LIFE (including every time I’ve ever practised it) I played both pieces without any mistakes. I didn’t want to post about it yesterday because it struck me as a liiiittle self-centered for a Remembrance Day post just to brag on myself (okay a lot self-centered. Which is why I didn’t do it! Don’t judge!), but honestly the reason I’m so happy about it isn’t because I now think I’m extra awesome – I’m just so glad and grateful that the one time I got through was when it mattered. Playing the Last Post is like running a beep test but for your face, and you only get one shot per year to do it right. I definitely put in my time practising to do my best, but it is like receiving a gift to have actually played my best in the moment when it mattered.