Eating Out

September 25, 2007

One day last week Joe and I tried Primo’s, a new restaurant in Yukon. An Italian place. Although the service wasn’t that great, the food was quite good. We had the complimentary bread with olive oil & balsamic vinegar with our pre-dinner drinks. I couldn’t resist ordering the bruschetta for an appetizer. It’s one of my favorite dishes no matter where I go. We both ordered prime rib for our entrees, which came with mashed potatoes – red potatoes, smashed up. They weren’t creamy as with milk and butter, but were dry as if they’d been steamed then simply taken out of the pot, mashed up, and put on a plate – the way I like them. I mixed some of my horseradish sauce in them, and they were quite tasty.

Joe is so spoiling me. He says that’s his job! Isn’t that what a boyfriend’s supposed to do, he once asked? I said I didn’t know. I haven’t had many boyfriends who are worth much. I’ve always craved attention – lots of it. I’ve always needed lots of deep affection, but never got it. From my parents, friends, even from my first husband. I think my deep need for attention and validation was a big reason I had such a difficult time with relationships. But Joe gives me what I need. It’s nice to have a boyfriend treat me once in a while, instead of me doing everything and paying for everything by myself.

It’s also nice to be able to eat at nice places and actually enjoy the menu. Growing up, we “ate out” at the Waffle House and the local Truck Stop. At home, my mother fixed the same foods over and over, out of necessity. She didn't get much chance to try new recipes. My father liked only particular foods and she had to fix what he liked. That was just the way it was.

Still, we got to enjoy eating out at the convention we attended with our church each year. But even then I remember having to always stick with the basics, the plainer and less-expensive foods because we “couldn’t afford” the good stuff. You know, the better, tastier, snazzier menu items. There were always so many things on the menu I wanted to order, but I had to keep my expenditures within a budget. Now, with Joe spoiling me so much, it’s hard NOT to eat what I want when I can. And it’s showing.