Tad and I had an unexpected date night yesterday when it ended up that all three of our children were with friends. That happens, you better believe we’re going to carpe momentum!

So, off we go to one of our favorite restaurants. They had several featured wines listed, and since we were eating Italian, how could I not try one? It’s summer, the sound of a “light-bodied Riesling with hints of peach and apricot” sounded refreshing. So I ordered a glass.

Graham the waiter said, “Ma’am, may I see your ID?” I looked him dead in the eye and said, “You’re joking, right?” He was as serious as a heart attack (might I add, he was not a 20-something twit, he was a 30-something who was NOT wearing coke-bottle-thick glasses). I whined, “But my purse is in the car…I’M 43 YEARS OLD!” I then look around the restaurant to see who put him up to this. I’m thinking someone’s just messing with me, getting a good laugh at my expense.

Graham’s not giving, so Tad, being the gentleman that he is, whips out his wallet and gives him his driver’s license. Tad’s getting just as big a kick out of this, thinking “yeah, right…me? a 43-year-old guy with a 20-year-old girl………!” Ick, it could be his DAUGHTER!

ANYWAYS……in vino veritas! Waiter-boy is my new best friend and if it was up to me, he woulda gotten a BIG tip. I hope Tad “did him right” just for blowin’ so much air up my skirt!

Ah, but our GREAT night didn’t end there.

Tad wanted to look for a golf shirt, so we headed over to our [Favorite Department Store] at the mall. Quite by accident, we entered through the baby section…instead of baby stuff, it was overflowing with “home goods”, I guess because they were getting rid of the wretched excess. Well, a bin of decorative pillows caught my eye (his, too….he’s got some metro in him 😉 ), and there was a sign that said “50% off the lowest price” (some of my favorite shopping words to hear). I found one we really liked, and it was marked down to $17.99…that means it was nine bucks. I mean, the REST of the pillows were $70 and up (ridiculous), and this one was originally that much. How could I walk away from the perfect compliment to our sofa? For $9, I couldn’t! Then, we saw a sign that said “All size featherbeds $20″…Rachel’s been asking for one since Christmas before last, she’s the patient type. Had to get her one, original price on that, $120. We also got a set of 310 thread count, Egyption cotton, wonderfully soft king sheets to replace the ones I didn’t wanna give up that have gotten rather ragged, also about 20% of the regular price.

I LOVE BARGAINS!!!! And although Tad WILL NOT bargain shop, he couldn’t walk away from this stuff either. He DID find a golf shirt…it was no bargain. Enough said there.

But my cause for smiling didn’t end THERE…

He had gotten some shirts at an Eddie Bauer when he was in Washington. The salesperson forgot to remove the security tag, so we took it to EB here. Uh, oh. Fall stuff is already coming in (gimme a break) so they’re moving out existing inventory. Marked half off, an additional 30% off that. I have a hard time finding pants to fit (if they fit my behind, they’re too big in the waist :/), and they had some cute jeans & capris, so while Tad was having the security tag removed, I was trying on. Eventually, Tad and my-new-friend-Alvin-the-salesman kept bringing stuff back to me to try on. I was flying through shirts & shorts & capris & pants & you name it as fast as I could! Waaahoooooo, it was fun.

Really, for a rabid bargain shopper who honestly hates to shop otherwise, I was having a blast :)! It ALL fit!!! And dirt cheap for decent stuff. WHO COULD WALK AWAY FROM A $70 PAIR OF JEANS THAT NOW COST 10 BUCKS??? Not me! I WAS SAVING MY HUSBAND ALL KINDS OF MONEY. Can you feel the adrenaline rush I had? It’s all coming back and I’m getting light headed just thinkin’ about it, lol. Of course, I was convinced it was a conspiracy by Eddie Bauer to leave on the security tag so the buyer would come back and shop again. If so, “sucker” is stamped across our face.

My cause for smiling didn’t stop THERE, either ;).

But I DO think this is a good place to stop my post 😀

p.s. Oh, yeah, although I DO NOT ENCOURAGE others to partake of the vino, I do feel sorry for any sbc couple where the wife will never have the RUSH of being carded, long after her “carding” days are over. When that kinda thing happens, it’s good for everybody :). Man…lots of smiling on this blog.