Thursday, May 20, 2010

A Kids Free Meal

They were sweet.

Succulent.

Delicious.

And I got to enjoy them without a miniature hand coming at them.

I was at IHOP with my friend Amanda. Kids free. Our meal had arrived. And get this.

I WAS ABLE TO DIG RIGHT IN.

I didn’t have to cut anyone else’s food.

I didn’t have to remind someone that it was time to SIT DOWN and stop staring at the old man.

It was Heaven.

I was trying those new cheesecake pancakes. The strawberry ones. And they were amazing.

“So good,” I said to Amanda with my mouth full. Oops. Better swallow first. I don’t want to scare my friends off with my appalling manners.

I loved how I could eat everything on my plate and not have to share. Because you see, everything I order the kids suddenly want.

After we ate, we headed to the movie theater. We were going to see Letters to Juliet. I got my buttery popcorn—and then proceeded to spill most of it on the counter. I am the biggest klutz, I tell you. I constantly spill things. I think I spill my cups more than my children. Tom is used to it now. Whenever I tip something over he just goes, “I’ll get the paper towels.”

I’m sure the poor teenaged movie worker was irritated with me even though he said it was okay. But what else could he say? “SonofaBITCH lady!”

The movie was entertaining. But here’s my gripes:

Amanda Seyfried’s character says to her guy, “We should want to be together all the time.” (And that's not a spoiler, she says it in the preview..)

Um.

Here’s the thing. I don’t want to be with Tom all the time. I need to my space. I don’t get when couples flip out if they are apart for a few hours.

So I wanted to call out to Amanda (the actress, not my friend Amanda), “Actually, not true. Space is a healthy thing.”

Oh, and the word “love” was said too early. I hate in romantic comedies when the man and the woman suddenly love each other after knowing one another for a few days. Please.

This also happened in The Ugly Truth. I’m supposed to believe that these people hated each other and then boom, they love each other?

I think I’ve grown cynical with age.

All in all it was an enjoyable movie. It made me want to go to Italy. Mainly for the food though. I LOVE Italian food. I wish I had Italian family members who cooked for me all the time.

Of course I’d probably be incredibly fat.

But oh well. At least I’d have all the pasta and canolis I could eat.

50 comments:

  1. Ooh, Italian food, now I'm hungry.

    It's not too early for lunch, right?

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  2. yeesh. I hate movies where people fall in love uncomfortably soon. Seems cheesy. Congrats on your kid-free dinner, though. Mmm...did you say cheesecake pancakes???

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  3. I agree with the space thing. I have a SIL that has to constantly be with her husband. I rather shoot myself in the head.

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  4. Yeah...used to sharing my meal with the daughter...although one time I turned the tables on her and gave her my meal and I took hers...she WAS a bit confused by that...but she's decided she likes her plate much better than mine!

    Ugh hate the couples that can't be apart..its like twilight in an even creepier fashion....

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  5. I'm going to bet no one got on the floor and crawled under the table during the meal. My kids were always on the floor at the restaurant!

    Space. The Final Frontier and essential for good relationships.

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  6. Space is definitely a great thing - and so is enjoying a meal without kidlets ;)

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  7. I actually look forward to my time away from my husband. I think you're right, it's totally healthy! I've always been that way though, I love my alone time.

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  8. I don't have any children but I see all that Mothers/Father's have to give up for their kids and I think they are rock stars!

    Days out with girlfriends are always fun!! Well, given the company and/or activity. :P No really, they are. Good for you! Those pancakes sound delicious. I'll have to stay away from IHOP. :|

    I think eventually I'll see the Letters to Juliet movie... just when it's out on Netflix. It's not one I think I'd want to see in a theater... well, unless one of my girlfriends calls me and asks me to go out!

    :D

    Have a great day!!

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  9. Thanks for stopping by my blog and for the compliment.

    I tend to roll my eyes when the folks in movies fall in love after the third date, but I figure the movie is only 95 minutes, they had to get in there somewhere, LOL. And I definitely need my time, apart from my husband and work doesn't qualify.

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  10. This is why you need a king size bed! Space!

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  11. sounds a tad generic... but still looks sweet and i think i would like to see it!

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  12. My friends call me their Italian Grandmother because I am always making them eat! And no, I have no Italian blood in me...

    And I agree. Who wants to be with their love every second of the day. It is nice to miss someone... or at least much nicer than to wish they would just shut up and go away! haha.

    Otherwise did you enjoy the movie?

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  13. I am sooooooooooooooooooooooooo jealouos! You got to go to Ihop and the movies kid free!! Lucky you!

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  14. oh, I LOVE kid-free meals. Few and far between though! I haven't even heard of that movie yet- gonna have to wait for the french theaters to get with the program. But romantic comedies are about the only movies I watch..willingly.

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  15. A girls day out without the kids is one of the BEST things invented. Of course, I have not tried those pancakes yet! Glad you enjoyed it.

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  16. Oh man. Those cheesecake pancakes sound divine....I won't be trying any soon because of this post-baby diet but maybe that can be my reward for losing the weight!!!

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  17. My girlfriends think Husband is the BEST. What they don't realize is that we only work half as well as we do because we're okay with turning to each other and saying "Okay, I'm done with you for now."

    Wanting to be together ALL THE TIME is the stuff of dopamine driven crazy, not a healthy LTR.

    Hear, hear!

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  18. Strawberry cheesecake pancakes?! You make me wish we had an IHOP in Canada.

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  19. I think I'll make spaghetti for dinner. I'm craving Italian food now.

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  20. You had me at "cheesecake pancakes".

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  21. My hubs and I would probably kill each other if we were together all the time! We need space away!

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  22. Dinner without kids and a grown-up movie - lucky woman. I'm so jealous.

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  23. that sounds like a dream day to me. that's right, i aim high.

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  24. I fell in love with my husband at first sight. For real. I was 17 he was 16. That was 23 years ago. And sometimes now I want to put the pillow over his face while he's sleeping, but mostly I still love him. So I'm a sucker for those romantic comedies. We call it "lightening love" in my house.

    And I had those pancakes at IHOP last week. Oh my sweet baby jesus they were good. Glad you got some too!

    ♥Spot

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  25. By your title I totally thought I was going to read about a meal I could get for my kids for free. Not a meal without them present. Hahahaha

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  26. Ok, I totally believe the loving someone right away. Absolutely. BUT. STAYING in love someone for more than a few weeks is where the real love comes out.

    Again, young padawans: It's easy to FALL in love. It's difficult to STAY in love (especially when he forgets to take out the trash AND mow the lawn AND is too tired for bedroom activities even though you managed to SHAVE THAT NIGHT.)

    Just sayin.

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  27. Fun!

    I hope you'll stop by and enter my giveaway.

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  28. Wanting to see that one, but figures I'll have to wait until it is out on Netflix. I'm all about going to see "The A-Team" though! :)

    I would love to have just ONE little husband-free/child-free day with a girlfriend. Unfortunately, I'm a semi-hermit with baby-sitter complications which makes me pretty much uninvitable for days out, LOL.

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  29. The couple falls in love too quickly? It's all rather unbelievable? Blame Romeo and Juliet. They started it.

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  30. Oh puhleeze! I can't stand those couples who are in each other's back pocket constantly! I'm sorry it's just not healthy and to me, spells the demise of the relationship sooner or later. Cause they will get SICK of each other.

    Anyway, if you make it to NC you can come to my house and pretend we are family. Hubby is Italian and LOVES to cook - especially for people who will appreciate it (he thinks I don't apparently...)

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  31. I started my own "hey its okay" on Thursdays, and I also commented on how the "i love you's" so soon in romantic comedies. Possibly I'm cynical too...but I'd rather think I'm just realistic :)

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  32. My oldest boy is dating a wonderful Italian girl. Guess what they do? Every Sunday they have a huge family dinner at the Grandma's house to which they invite my son. Guess what that means, every Sunday he comes home with containers full of food. Italian Food = Heaven!

    As for being away from the hubby, after being married this long, it takes me a good week to finally start to miss him when he's gone.

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  33. I hate that part of romantic comedies too.. there's no way you can love someone within the same week that you hated them! It makes the movie too unrealistic and then I lose interest.

    IHOP cheesecake pancakes are amazing! I had some about a month ago... I was in Heaven and I have been itching to go back! And I'm not yet a mommy, but my kids at work are terrible about grabbing at my food. I'm like "Hello?! This is NOT yours, why are you touching it?" I had an iced coffee from Dunkin Donuts this morning and they were all in my face asking "Whats that? Why do you have it? Can I have some?" while grabbing at my coffee. If theres one thing you do NOT do, it's touch my coffee!!! It's a rule on my poster of class rules.. seriously!

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  34. I used to have a roommate who called her boyfriend around 10 times a day. And when she wasn't talking TO him, she was talking ABOUT him.

    Personally, I don't like anyone well enough to want to be with them all the time.

    In fact, that sounds like my own personal version of hell.

    Amanda Seyfriend's character was mistaken.

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  35. Sounds like you had a very nice day 'cept the spilt popcorn...

    :)

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  36. Tell us more of this magical fairytale where you don't cut food, eat it hot and see movies....

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  37. Enjoying a kid free meal, especially in a kid lovin' place like IHOP is such a deliciously guilty pleasure. I'm with you ... I adore my husband but don't want to be together 24/7. I encourage him to go golfing and have drinks with his buddies. It's a good thing!

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  38. Italian food? Strawberry cheesecake pancakes? I'm hungry!

    You're a terrific writer, you know. That tornado post you wrote is a classic!

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  39. the hubs travels quite a bit for work but...he hasn't really been anywhere since we all went to France a YEAR ago!!! i'm dyin' here! thank the good Lord above he's goin' to Russia in two weeks!

    btw...i have an award for you! stop on by and pick it up!

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  40. I agree about space. I don't think it is healthy to be together 24/7.
    What happened to the popcorn? Did you get more? At the price of popcorn, I probably would have picked it off the counter and ate it anyway.

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  41. I have had 2 kid free dinners and 2 kid free lunches all in the last week...heaven! I need to put that movie on my Netflix...I rarely go to the movies so have to put them on there so I dont forget. :)

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  42. "At least I’d have all the pasta and canolis I could eat."

    Only if it was another kids free meal, because the kids would be into it too if you took them along.

    No IHOPs here. I miss having access to a restaurant devoted solely to breakfast food.

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  43. I've grown cynical too in my old age. I almost can't make it through an entire romantic comedy anymore.

    I'm always a little lost when I can eat a meal without Toot horning in on it. lol

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  44. I agree.....everyone needs their space. Its perfectly healthy to need time away from your significant other.....and I love, love, love Italian food also, pasta and canolis...hmmm, my mouth is watering just thinking about it at 9:30 in the morning!

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  45. Yep, girlfriend time is a definite MUST.

    Isn't it funny that it doesn't even matter where the meal is without kids - what's good is that they just aren't there!

    Glad to hear you had a nice time sans kids :)

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  46. i agree with you on the saying i love you too so soon. it does seem a bit rushed. that's what filmmakers think women want in a chick flick. it's a shift from cinderella and snow white. i mean, come on. the prince dances with cinderella at a ball. they see each other for a few hours and bam! that's it. that's the only woman he wants.

    having said all that. one of my best friend's...her husband knew the moment he met her that he would marry her.

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  47. I had strawberry cheesecake ice cream over the weekend. Does that count?

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  48. I went out to lunch and saw this movie with my girlfriends too! :D And we are moving to Italy in 53 days!!!!!!! Don't hate me though, lol! You'll be able to see it all through my blog!

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  49. I went out to lunch and saw this movie with my girlfriends too! :D And we are moving to Italy in 53 days!!!!!!! Don't hate me though, lol! You'll be able to see it all through my blog!

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