Postponing Valentines

I realize that Valentine's Day is more than a month gone, but things were a little crazy for us during that time. Right, I know, tell us something we don't know already! Being as how restaurants everywhere in North America are overflowing on this special day we waited until the 15th to do anything. We got a last-minute babysitter that I drove out to Airdrie to get and gave her the house rules and instructions on the way back to Calgary. She's one of my youth group kids so I konw her pretty well. And if you were wondering if we would leave a kid with a heart condition with a teenager, the answer is a resounding "No". We have yet to figure out how to explain to a high school babysitter how to take Judah's heart rate and give him medication. I guess the kid is stuck with Faith for awhile.

We went with Faith's parents and Brian & Joy (with our two infants) to Japanese Village. Is the commercial saying "Awe-some" or "Ah-so"? We debated about what it is for awhile.I haven't seen the commercials for years and I remember how cheesy they were, and yet how cool the place looked. I'd never been there. We were very excited. Unfortunately we didn't ask an incredible Japanese Canadian we know what to order. Where's a good Yuiya Inaba when you need him?

Well, let's just say we ordered every type of meat we could. It was awesome! The hosts were cooking in front of us and making wise cracks throughout. "Green butter from green cow" "We bring special for you Salmon all a way from BC" "Steak from Superstore" "Vegetables from Safeway" and stuff like that that. Definitely cheesy. The guy even took out a bottle of Teriyaki Sauce and squirted it at Faith who dodged it - it was a fake bottle with a balloon or something in it that jumped out. The guy was making fancy cuts with his knives, frying things all over the grill, flipping things onto people's plates, and juggling some weird wooden things. He only threw his knife around a few times. With his adept skills, we were grateful it was only a few times.

It was fun. I'd recommend it. And Faith's parents paid. No going Dutch here even if we'd tried! On top of that, THEY bought flowers for the girls. I feel like I was upstaged a little. I guess that I'll have to do something pretty cool for our anniversary, right honey? When is that again? (JUST KIDDING: June 19, 1999).

- Mark