Luncheon, Phones and Great Music

We went out to lunch yesterday; a slightly fancier one than usual, to celebrate our anniversary.** After telling myself twice to take the camera, I left it in the kitchen at home, so there are no photos of the scrumptious crab and shrimp cakes with crusty potatoes or the eggplant parmesan with spaghettini. And of course, no photos of the Caesar salad or the Caramel Creme Brulee either. Bummer. It was excellent and the service was good. The maitre d' placed us in what she said was the coolest booth in the place (in temperature, not socially) and we appreciated that, since outdoors, it was 91*. I recommend Brio and although I've only been to the one in Raleigh, I know they are scattered all over the country. They are worth a try, wherever you find one.
** Thanks for all the nice wishes for our anniversary!

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I posted about switching from a land-line phone to a cell phone yesterday. It was all mr. kenju's idea (you can go back one day and read the post). Since his stroke, he often has trouble with short-term memory loss. I was on my cell phone with my son this morning, and he wanted to speak to his dad, so I walked down the hall to the bedroom. Mr. kenju said, "If you'd plug that phone back in, you wouldn't have to walk down the hall to find me." I quickly reminded him that the phone plug was for the old AT&T land line, and I couldn't "plug anything in" since that line is now disconnected. It struck me as really funny that he would say that, and I laughed so long and hard that my stomach muscles fairly screamed with pain. I haven't laughed like that in a long, long time. Then he asked "What about the phone in the kitchen?" and I lost it again; laughing another 3-4 minutes. Of course, I could tell him about the phones until I am blue in the face, and he still might not remember. I think the only solution is to buy another cell phone (using the same number) and put it in his room so that he can answer that line if need be. I don't think he really thought it through when he was complaining about having to pay for that line, and had he done so, he might have decided we should keep it anyway. C'est la vie!

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Several people sent me this link in email and all music lovers should go there without fail. It is a performance of the song "Africa" by Perpetuum Jazzile, an a cappella choir from Slovenia. It starts very low, so don't turn the sound up too loudly or you'll get blown away when their volume returns.

Be-Switched!! +

For a year or so, mr. kenju has complained about having to pay the bill for my A*&T land line telephone, the one we've had for 27 years with the same number. He has a land line too, through the cable company, and it is hooked to the service for our computer and televisions. We also have cell phones.

I had to agree that it was an unnecessary expense, but since I still have my business (even though I am almost retired), I just couldn't get rid of that number, since everyone who has ever known me either personally or through my business has it. When cell phone companies started announcing that you could get rid of your land line, but keep the same old home phone number by transferring it to your cell phone, it seemed tailor-made for us.

Our daughter was leery; thinking that we wouldn't have enough minutes - we'd run over - and it would cost a fortune. So when we went to make the change, we upped the number of minutes we share and had the old home number transferred to my cell phone.

So far, it's been fine. I put away all the old land line phones in the house - all seven of them. Every time I pass by a table or wall where a phone used to be, I momentarily wonder where it is - and then I remember......lol.

But there is a definite downside. I have to keep the phone with me at all times (daughter's orders) and if the clothing I'm wearing that day does not have pockets, it can be a chore to make sure it is within reach. I've taken to choosing items with pockets and eschewing those without. Since there are not many things in my closet I can wear now, it's getting to be a problem! Do they make arm bands with cell phone pockets?

I have a phone holster, but it isn't always convenient to have the phone strapped to my waist. And then there's another situation developing; this morning my phone rang and it was mr. kenju, who was upstairs. He said he'd found a way to overcome the problem of no intercom system in this house - by calling me. I had to remind him that every call used our minutes, unless he uses his cell phone to call me. Since his cell phone is usually on the bathroom counter being charged, I don't hold out much hope for that. I guess we will eventually work out all the kinks. Have you made the switch?


P.S. Today is our 45th anniversary. It is hard to believe that we have been married that long and that in just 5 short years, we will reach our golden anniversary. It has been quite a life; some bad and mostly good and I wouldn't trade it for anything - especially mr. kenju, our three children and their children. They make life worth living.