Tight Spot

My husband hates to shop. Hates it. But loves the thrill of going out on Black Friday and the day after Christmas. Yesterday was no different. We braved the traffic, packed parking garages, and insane lines. Sure, the outing was fun in and of itself. But the parking garage truly made our entire trip. We drove around for 30 minutes, attempting to find a spot. When it became apparent that our efforts were useless, we decided to park in the garage--just like everyone else. As we drove onto the second level, the car in front of us lucked out--a spot right near the door. Then is happened, as she was pulling into her spot, she hit the car to her right. Not just tapped it, but HIT it. Hard. She realized we saw her and looked as if she was going to leave the scene of the crime. Miguel could never let that happen. Like a little boy who loves to tattle, Miguel encouraged me to flag down the security officer who was driving around the garage. He happened to turn the corner right as we were parking. I shuffled out of the car and waved my hands frantically. I ratted out the young driver, and have to admit, it was exciting. She was caught. Apprehended. Fined. Jailed....ok, ok, I have no clue what the outcome was. Though we wanted to stay and watch, we knew it was in our best interest to leave like nothing had happened.

The remainder of our trip was uneventful, though I did manage to use all of my gift cards in one day! Now that's what I call exciting! Here's to a new year, free from parking garage accidents, enraged young drivers, and empowered mall security officers.

"The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire..."

have you ever just wanted to scream, "I TOLD YOU SO!"?! This morning was one of those days. I pulled into work, right on time. Not only did I see the small parking lot full of cars, but I arrived to my boss running around like a chicken with her head cut off (Ok, I hate using such phrases, but this is for real!). Then the sirens started down the street. Apparently, our school building was on fire! Hence the running around like a mad woman. We were told to sit in our cars as three fire engines pulled into the parking lot. After an hour and a half of waiting (still in our cars), we were sent home!!! WOOOHOOOO!!!! No work today. What a nice break. Ok, so it wasn't a nice reason to have off, like snow, but at least it was a reason to not work.

The "I told you so" comes from a conversation the day before. I had jokingly commented that I knew our building was going to burn down. There was an oil leak, which smelled up the entire building all day long. This morning, our oil leak turned into a fire. Scary. I honestly didn't want the building to burn, I just wanted a day off. =)

Another Restaurant Review

Saturday night was an adventure. From start to finish. It was girl's night out. Emily Connell, Emily Sleeman, Kristin Schaub and I headed downtown Fells to spend time together fellowshipping (and eating, of course!). We arrived downtown and found a parking spot more easily than expected. We began walking towards the restaurant, when one of us (ME) was unsure of our directions. SO, we asked a kind, but not so bright, shop owner where we should be headed. She sent us in the opposite direction. Away we walked. As the shops, pubs, and restaurant began to fade, we realized we were headed in the WRONG direction. So we called the restaurant and they sent us back in our original direction. Success. We were led up a flight of stair, into a gorgeous old building on Thames Street. Kali's Court and Mezze, to be exact. (Check out the City Paper review.)

There are two restaurant linked together--Kali's Court and Mezze. We accidentally entered through the wrong entrance, but were taken through to Mezze. It was quite confusing, but worth the race through the maze. It seemed that Kali's court was a more upscale restaurant, while Mezze was a more relaxed, "fun" place to eat. However, we ate upstairs in a beautiful, comfortable, dimly lit room with a total of seven tables. The perfect atmosphere for fellowship and fun. I would be sure to ask for a table in the upstairs room if you ever plan to eat at Mezze--if you want a more romantic, quiet atmosphere.

Mezze is famed for its Tapas (small plate) style, Mediterranean food. We each ordered two different entrees, well, Emily and I each ordered three. As they brought out the plates, we shared the amazingly prepared and displayed items. "There is no other way I'd rather share germs," said Emily Sleeman. And it was true. We all sampled the various foods, having seconds of some and passing on others.

The group consensus was that the salmon was incredible, the spinach fritters were divine (don't listen to Kris' opinions!), and the tuna was succulent, though raw--a warning for those who have a weak stomach. We also sampled baked mussels, braised lamb, quail (definitely the most nicely presented item), shrimp raki, portabella mushrooms, baked eggplant (not a favorite even though I love eggplant), and chicken kabobs (for those less adventurous...ahem...Kris). The menu was extensive, and there are many more items that I would love to sample on my next outing to Mezze!