Martini Paris

So yesterday (ever notice how often I start a blog entry with "so yesterday..." I have a tendency to live in the past of late), was the Admin lunch I mentioned in an earlier post (maybe yesterday's) whereby the upper echelon from work take the serfs out for lunch at a fancy restaurant and we get to eat, drink and revel. Seriously, everyone in the group is great and it was extremely fun. Especially the part where I had NO CHILDREN with me for FIVE HOURS.

I dropped off both the young 'uns at daycare with nary the bat of a carefully mascara'ed eyelash. I WORE MAKEUP and PERFUME and felt LIKE A QUEEN or a RUNAWAY! I was confident leaving the boy because he happily accepts bottles of formula and his older sister would be there to torment him in case he felt homesick.

Laura's husband picked me up and took me to their place and then she and I walked to the restaurant, Circolo, in Yaletown. Circolo's website doesn't do it justice and is in need of some updating, because it was lovely and classy. I felt like a kid in a candy store. There was wine offered immediately, but I declined because I wanted to make sure I did things right. There was an abundance of San Pellegrino and the waiters hid in the shadows of the room like wraiths just waiting for you to take a sip so they could scurry (or float) over and top up your glass. I mentioned that I had to choose the right alcoholic beverage because when I mix, I get bad headaches. The waiter suggested a "Martini Paris" and my interest was piqued right away. For anyone that knows me, all you have to do to get me to taste, buy, love anything is add the word(s) "Paris", "France", "French", "Provence" or any word in the French language to it. The waiter told us what was in it: Vodka, Chambord, and pineapple juice. Chambord is black raspberry liqueur. I accepted with a slight giddiness that I get when I am about to experience something decadent and French. Laura also thought this sounded delightful and ordered one. I drank three to her half of one. The best thing was the little San Pellegrino elves that kept slipping us the sparkling water, so that one remained fully hydrated and therefore did not feel the effects of the alcohol right away. They are NOT DUMB, I tellya.

The lunch ended up being a set menu, which was fabulous because no time was wasted peering at menus and agonizing over what to eat and plenty of time was spent visiting with all the people. Photos were taken, jokes were made and all were jolly. The food started to arrive; baskets of delicious bread and giant plates of appetizers containing prosciutto, salami, cheese, olives, beans, mushrooms, etc. Then each person was served a plate of three different pastas (penne with spicy sausage and a red sauce, tortellini in a cream sauce and spaghetti in a pesto sauce; notice: red, green and white?) and three large plates of the same pasta were brought out in case you wanted more. One of the guys and I were grooving majorly on the tortellini that was served. I ate until I almost bust a gut.

But, as I mentioned in a previous post, once I have a drink in me I lose brain cells rapidly and sure enough I moved onto the red wine. I added a creme brulee (what else?) for dessert and was having a merry time. As soon as I got home I realized I had WAY overdone it and was hung over by 9:00 pm. I remedied that with some Tylenol, Advil and bed. I felt fine this morning.

It was a much needed and much deserved break! And it was oh so short! And the boy? He was completely fine. I am going to have to start taking him over to daycare a bit more in the New Year. Yes I am.