Sunday, April 27, 2014

Buying Love

Have you ever paid for love?  I think that is what I was doing last night but not consciously.  Really.  I invited my daughter out with her husband for dinner in honor of her 39th birthday.  There is no way I am celebrating her 40th!  I said I would pay for the babysitter and dinner.  (Did you know babysitters get $17.00 an hour where she lives?)  I told her to pick the restaurant (the more expensive was already booked, thank goodness) and she wanted very much to try some new one that had just opened in March on the Harbor in Georgetown in Washington, D.C.  We invited my son and his wife to join us in this birthday celebration of their sister/sister-in-law.

The pre-dinner special cocktails were grand - mine was Stella Credente (rum and lime juice).  The appetizers were marvelous and exotic - mine was blue runner jack sashimi with fried sea beans. The salads we did not try to save room for entrees.  The entrees were small and sophisticated - mine was a half order of smoked potato gnocchi followed by olive poached halibut.  All were delicious and different.  The desserts were good and even some were great.

This restaurant sits on Washington Harbor and as a good omen, the heavy rain stopped and the sun broke out just as we got there!  We stayed for about an hour and a half and did not leave until dark.  We laughed, told jokes on each other, shared memories of recent trips, bragged and complained about the grandchildren, and in general, had a MAHVELOUS evening.

Kennedy Center in the background.

I could look around the spacious dining room and the main crowd did not even start showing up until 8:00 P.M.  The customers were so high-end that even hubby, who has not a clue about fashion, mentioned to son-in-law, "Did you see those guys in the power suits at that long table?"  (My daughter wore dress jeans, so you realize nothing is formal anymore.)

The Chef's wife who is the "Director of Customer Relations," stopped by to see if we enjoyed our meal, which we most certainly did, and joked with us and talked about her Italian husband.  They also own another high end restaurant in the city.


I sprung for the 6 dinners, drinks and asked S.I.L and son to pick up the tip. Perhaps, most of you would find the amount of the bill a jaw-dropping shocking amount, as did I,  and a few others of you would be pretty passive about such figures if you are in a higher income bracket, but I really wanted to treat them all and I cannot take money with me into the next life.  I do not think I have ever spent this much money for a night out!  And the wine was not $100 a bottle! Young folks as my daughter who take clients to dinner, do not think twice about spending money like this on a dinner, but we are on a fixed income and not that cavalier on a monthly basis.

Maybe I was buying love, but I felt I was throwing a party!  You can't take it with you and there is always the chance that someone will take it away from us in future years the way this world is going.  Anyway, if you are ever in town, get someone to take you there and pick up the tab!

20 comments:

  1. What a wonderful mom... I bet your daughter won't be forgetting this birthday! And the food sounds fabulous.

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  2. So funny! My sister from DC had a similar experience here in Seattle when she hosted a restaurant dinner for my daughter,ison in law me. She chose a fabulous Tom Douglas venue and we had a wonderful time. Of course the "kids" are urban sophisticates used to going out, and well able to pay for anything they want. And, to be fair, my sister is well heeled and pretty sophisticated herself. But I know she was shocked by the bill!! Money can't buy me love...but a great and lavish memory with those you love best? Priceless! And this is how I look at it: the splurges I make now come off the far end of my old age plan, not the quality of life in the present and near future. If I outlive my retirement plan, I will be very old and I won't care that my last $800 was actually spent in 2014.

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  3. And thanks so much for your words of support on my pageI treasure you as one of the four loyal readers who check in even when I don't write regularly.

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  4. I'm glad you had such a great time. People say you can't take your money with you but I say you can---if you spend a fortune on dental work.

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  5. Sounds like a great celebration. Good you've got pictures of the smiles. Its hard for me not to give to my kids when I can.

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  6. Love the Family photo... I'm sure spending all of that money was worth it to EVERYONE --including you. Like you said, you can't take it with you.. AND--you don't get that opportunity very often (probably a thank goodness goes here)... ha

    Looks wonderful!!!!! I'd do the same thing.
    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  7. I'd love to know the name of the restaurant so we can go there!

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  8. It sounds like a wonderful night, and i also wish that i could take people to high end places like this and not think about it.

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  9. One thing I remember about trips to Washington, D.C., is that the restaurants were always good. I took my children and grandchildren out for dinner last week. THis is something my parents did for us and I think of it as carrying on a family tradition.

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  10. I think that's a great way to spend money. Looks like a great memory building and bonding time

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  11. Looking at those smiles it lookslike the money sure bought a lot of happiness. The money you paid for that dinner probably would have bought me that little puppy.

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  12. Hey I figure maybe you saved money here. Had you waited and sprung for the 40th celebration - God only knows how much that one will cost.

    LOL! You had a great time. You have a beautiful family - you win.

    What is that commercial...
    this...dollar amount
    that...dollar amount
    having a wonderful time with your family - priceless!

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  13. I was so naive as a teenager that I used to slip a $20 out of my mother's wallet and think she wouldn't miss it. Then that was like taking a 100 dollar bill today. When I treat my children and grandchildren to dinner out they don't think a thing about the cost. Parents will always be made of money even when we are on fixed incomes. When will the children treat us to dinner?

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  14. You have such a handsome family :)
    and the baby sitting fee - horrible. In my small southern area - $10 the going price..

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  15. You are way out of my league.

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  16. Anonymous8:27 AM

    I think I'm going to take up babysitting as a profession!

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  17. smiles. hard to believe how fast time moves and they grow up...mine will be there in a blink....smiles...i dont think you were buying love as much as expressing it...

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  18. Happy Birthday to your beautiful daughter!
    What a beautiful and happy family, Tabor!
    Sounds you all had a lovely time. :)

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  19. I think this is wonderful - and kids are never too old to make wonderful family memories. Good for you, Tabor - I can't imagine you'll ever regret it!

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  20. You're right... it's all relative. Some people can plop down 5 or 6 hundred... or a grand, on a small group dinner without blinking. My husband and I might do it once a year (NOT a grand!) and the occasion has to be very special as yours was.

    I loved the pictures of your attractive family.

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