dinner with john (lyn)

When I last saw John on October 23, he jokingly ended the date by telling me he’d see me in February.  Perhaps I should have taken him more seriously. 

He picks me up around 6, and looks great.  He has a nice smile, and there’s an easy-going charm about him that’s quite attractive.  He’s also very unassuming, which I like.

I now weigh twenty pounds less than we he last saw me, and John notices immediately.  Well, actually, I greet him wearing a big black down coat.  We are walking to his car when he says, "So, let me see."  And with zero hesitation, in 20 degree weather, I unbutton my coat and shamelessly open it up.  "Wow.  You're really skinny now."  He doesn't know it, but this is how I used to look.

We had previously decided to go to Hoboken, NJ for dinner.  It’s not that New York City lacks in dining options, but we both thought it would be fun to drive out of the city.  And besides, I’ve never been to Hoboken.

We arrive about 7:00.  I’ve only eaten shrimp all day, and by 7:00, I am starving.  We decide to have a pre-dinner drink and appetizer at a nearby restaurant, since our reservation isn’t until 8:30.  I order a tossed salad and hot tea, and we sit at the bar and watch Shaun White snowboard his way to Gold. 

Dinner is at an intimate, 8-table, Italian restaurant called Augustino’s.  Because it’s so small, and because it’s so good, it’s impossible to get a reservation there.  But John knows someone, and so we get in.  The restaurant has a comfy, old-fashioned feel about it.  It’s family owned, and soon we’re made to feel like we’re part of the family too.  Big valentines in varying shades of pink and red decorate the brick walls.  The waitress tells us that they’ll be coming down soon.   Apparently holiday decorations are a big deal here.  I imagine St. Patrick’s Day is next.

Once we are seated, we are immediately served bruschetta and handed menus.  Everything looks fattening and delicious.  We start with drinks, or rather, a drink.  I order a glass of red wine.  For an appetizer (my second of the night, if you count the salad, and why wouldn’t I!), we split a lobster cocktail.  It's probably low in points, but not the scrumptious lemon-mayonnaise dip that comes with it.  For an entrée, I order veal marsala and skip the pasta side (which I really wanted) in favor of potatoes and string beans (I only eat the string beans, a minor concession).

At our weight watcher’s meeting earlier in the day, someone offered a trick for dining out.  “Discreetly cut your portion in half, and if you are reasonably full after one half, stop eating.”    I like that advice, and decide to follow it.  I’ll take home half for Alexander. 

For dessert, we order coffee, and split an icebox cake (graham crackers, filled with chocolate pudding, and covered in whipped cream).   Eating half is better than eating all, but still, probably a zillion calories.

After dinner, we stop along the waterfront and John takes some photos of the New York skyline.  It’s a clear night, but cold.  The pictures look beautiful.

We drive back to New York in less than a half hour; I’m home by 11. 

There is a lot of stress in my life, and John adds none.  He’s comfortable to be with, and for me, right now, that’s perfect.