noodles, anyone?

Last night, the Bohlenders entered a new phase. Kelsey and I went to dinner and left Jackson in charge of his two little brothers. It worked beautifully. This gives a certain measure of self-contained status - have babysitter, can travel. It was nearly as exciting as a few summers ago when Jackson first mowed the yard by himself (I still get teary eyed when I think about that....).

After connecting with friends, we went to dinner at The Blue Koi. I'd never been there before, but my wife enthusiastically described it as "Asian Hip." I had no clue what she meant by that, but after visiting the place, I get it. Killer artwork, classy but unpretentious furniture and a friendly staff. I could have looked at the art for an hour, but we had noodles to eat.

Our dining partners ordered enough appetizers to feed a troop of boy scouts, 'cept we didn't. We just ate'm, and they were good. Then they recommended the Pot Roast Soup...and raised the suggestion that we split it. Split it? Split soup? Are you kidding?

We did. Oh my goodness did we. Even split into two portions, the soup came in bowls large enough that one could have submerged a softball completely below the surface. Of course, that would affect the taste of the soup in a major way, but it could be done - I'm just giving you a clue about the size of the bowls. It was a tasty menagerie of noodles, spinich, and 2 lb chunks of pot roast.

Later we wandered down here for tea (which I skipped, going straight for the espresso) and talk of the future and all it might hold. We did one of those "who would have known a year ago..." conversations that always makes me look forward a year in wonder.

As adults, I think we're entirely underWondered. It's healthy to lay back in the grass on a summer night and stare up at the Milky Way until it feels like you're falling up through space...only to remember that, on the cosmic scale, you really are falling up through space. I loved this conversation - I've had two of them in the last few days. I'm also binge-reading Daniel again, which consistently precipitates movement in my heart. These are exciting times.

After a while, we headed back home to find Jackson had the little guys rocked out asleep.

That, friends, is a good night. Very good food, very good company and a tinge of destiny-talk thrown in. To me, that part was even better than the noodles.