Efectivo

Trying to cheer up a single friend on Facebook, I told him, "My best Valentine's Days have been just okay while my worst were bloody awful." That's a bit unfair. All it really means is that monshu and I aren't the sort to go in for grand gestures (well, unless they're absolutely necessary), so "Valentine's Day" for us means "a nice meal somewhere". Which is something you can have any day.

I never asked for confirmation that the date on the calendar was the reason why he oh-so-casually proposed taking me out for a meal this weekend, but I don't think I need to. I didn't want to choose any place that would be crazy busy, which was a bit of a challenge because I also wanted to pick someplace new. Eventually I settled on Quesadilla La Reina Del Sur, which is just barely in the same neighbourhood as us, which means it took fifteen minutes on the bus and another ten or fifteen on foot. Very few people were out on account of our second snowstorm of the season (delivering a whopping six centimetres or so).

The restaurant itself was all but deserted when we arrived, but it was nearly 2 p.m. Eventually we were joined by two more couples, one of which we got into a nice chat with (he's a db manager; she's retired). They ordered burritos and they were enormous; I was relieved that our portions (a huarache and chiles rellenos) were merely generous. The soy "carnitas" tasted nothing at all like actual carnitas, but as long as you forgot the name they were perfectly pleasing. The soy chicken on the huarache was more successful; I tried to explain to the server that I thought it would make a great milanesa but I'm not sure she understood me. It was all tasty without being incendiary, which is key for me. We were really too full for dessert, but we managed to talk each other into sharing the tres leches. Again, this wasn't much like its namesake, but was interesting all the same--more of a spice cake than the typical vanilla version which only has notes of cinnamon. I was blown away to discover it was vegan, I'm just so used to vegan cake being gummy and dense.

The Old Man needed to hurry home, but I decided I needed a walk. Away from the Lake, the wind wasn't so bitter, but I still found myself with alarmingly stiff fingers. So I mashed out a text to itchwoot, who was staying nearby at clintswan's old place, and invited myself over. The gang was playing Rock Band and largely ignored me, though I did manage to make myself useful as a microphone stand. Then they broke up so the German could finally experience mac 'n' cheese and I was out on the street again.

monshu had shoveled once, but there was enough accumulation to justify me pulling out the broom and giving everything a good sweep. We barely felt like eating. He made some peanut noodles and I had peanut butter and apples on toast. Then I sat down to watch Cowards Bend the Knee while doing laundry and got such a sense of déjà-vu that I suspect I already watched it at some point with princeofcairo and forgot about that completely.

So, yeah, you could look at this day and characterise it as "just okay". But then I recall Valentine's Day last year--which could not be more firmly in the "bloody awful" category--and it seems nothing short of miraculous.