I have to travel for work next week. Actually, I'm flying during the Super Bowl, but my care registers very low regarding this fact. Good plays and commercials, I'll be able to find on the internets later. Anyway, because I travel for work fairly frequently, Remy and I have started a tradition of going on a date someplace nice the week before I leave. Before my last trip, it was a sumptuous evening at Monterey Bay on Mt. Washington. We dressed up fancy, had a table directly in front of one of the windows framing a lovely view of downtown Pittsburgh, and ate all kinds of goodness. This evening, we went to Soba, a nice Asian restaurant in walking distance of our place. I had fried rice for dinner, and their chocolate maki for dessert, which had a very cool presentation. It looked just like a sushi roll, and was served on a sushi plate:

Sushi -> hazelnut mousse rolled in a chocolate crepe, with crushed pistachio on top to mimic the cucumber garnish
Pickled ginger -> shaved cantaloupe
Dab of wasabi -> pistachio mousse
Soy sauce -> chocolate sauce

Remy had a chocolate/green tea lava cake, and we shared some ten year-old port. Good times. Then we came home and watched Remy's favorite western, High Plains Drifter, which I hadn't seen before. Great movie.

In sad news, Remy's mom had to put down her Siamese, Mitten, whose health had been declining for months now. She was almost seventeen years old, so she lived a good long life, but she was practically a third child to Remy's mom. Mom's understandably upset, and we're sniffly about it too. Mitten was a sweet, cuddly girl, she will be missed. We're glad she's not suffering anymore, though.

Rochester and Sephie are getting extra spoilage in coming days...