Soup to Nut Part 2

In Austin, 6th street is a happening street.  We went out to eat at 8:30 pm Monday night.  Most places were closed for dinner (we were in the middle of downtown), and those that were open appeared to be more bar than restaurant.  We passed a place that was packed, and it appeared to be a restaurant, so we circled back.  It was named Arro.  We went in, and there were only 3 tables available, and it is not all that small.  We got one, and found out that it's a French restaurant that has been open only 6 months.  We were in.  They serve french style, so you don't get a lot with your meal.  They have almost everything a la carte.

Sherrill, the lady I went with had the mussels and frites above, and I had steak and frites.  Both were very good.  She got the 3 course dinner, I didn't.  She had wine, I had iced tea.  With her meal, she got a squash tart, and dark chocolate mousse.  I ordered bread and butter as an appetizer  (yeah, I know, but it was only $7 for the bread and $3 for the butter) and it was fabulous.  For dessert I had an apple cake with cinnamon ice cream (ice cream on the side) with coffee.  Coffee was like $9 but enough for 2, and it comes in a french press pot.  It took almost 2 hours, and we had 2 waiters.  Really cool.  We both loved it.  My bill was $50, and hers was like $40.  We went back and worked into the night until almost 3:30 am. Ugh.

Got up the next morning, and headed to the State Court Building, did our thing all day, then drove home.  We got back about 7:30 in the evening on Tuesday.  By the way, we were placed under a gag order so we are not allowed to discuss anything that transpired.  I don't think I did... I only mentioned stuff I already knew.  Anyway,  I was pooped.  I recuperated yesterday.  Unfortunately, I broke a veneer off my tooth in the afternoon, and had to schedule a visit to the dentist for first thing this morning.

Yesterday afternoon, Angie came and took me to Central Market so I could buy some super good pizza dough and cheese for making a pizza Margarita.  On the way home, Eric called and said he had 4 tickets to Ghost, the musical.  Angie decided she didn't want to go, she'd rather stay home with Morgan.  (Both girls are home from school because of sickness.)  So, it would be Chloe, Gary, Eric and I at the musical.  It is already 4:45, so I start my pizza immediately while Gary showers.

I didn't take a picture of the pizza, but here are the directions.  Take one imported from Italy frozen Pizza Romana Pizza Bianca dough crust and spritz it with olive oil, take some ciresa taleggio cheese and sprinkle it all over the crust, then top with sliced Roma tomato slices, then lots of chopped fresh basil, and sprinkle with fresh grated Parmesan cheese, then bake for 6-8 minutes in a 450* oven.  You don't put it on a pan, just directly on one of the slide out shelves.  It is to die for!  The best I've had since our trip to France.  Even Gary thought so.  He and I both finished off one whole 12" pizza.  Course we also had a fresh herb salad with blue cheese vinaigrette for me, and raspberry vinaigrette for him, with some assorted olives.  It is a shame we had to rush, cause we were both just enjoying the meal.

Off we go to pick up Eric and Chloe.  Eric had orchestra pit tickets and a parking pass, so it was easy.  We had the first 4 seats of row O on the right center aisle.  They were superb.

The musical?  Well, I'll put it this way.  I am sooo glad I went to see it.  The special effects were amazing.  I know how they did it, but yet I still don't know how they did it.  Examples:  Someone would be in the living room, and they had previously dropped a screen (like a window screen... you could see thru it very well because the room was dim anyway), and the person in the room was walking towards the crowd and all of sudden you would see a window with window panes between them and you.  They'd sing their song, then walk back into the room and the window would disappear.  Once, the main character Sam who was a ghost, walked thru the closed front door.  THAT, I haven't figured out yet.  Also, when someone was shot, all of a sudden there were two characters on stage dressed and appearing to be the same person, only one was a corpse.  It was sooooo cool.  On the subway, the riders were suspended in mid-stride at times, and their bags floated in slow motion.  When they were doing street scenes, they'd have dancers/actors/singers on stage, but there would be another screen type curtain with images of downtown buildings lighted up, and cars etc. driving down the street behind them.  One really neat thing was when someone went to heaven (after escaping the between heaven hell state they were stuck in), bright sparkling lights would bounce off them, and then they would be pulled backwards and upwards from the stage and disappear in a blaze of white lights.  If it was hell, they'd get red lights, and be sucked into a big black hole.  Just amazing.  NO, NO ALCOHOL WAS INVOLVED.

As for the music?  The songs were so - so.  The lead singer, Molly played by Katie Postotnik, had a beautiful voice.  If she was singing in a "normal" level, I could understand the words she was singing.  But once it was a dynamic portion of the song, it sounded more of a screaming voice, and none of the 4 of us could understand any of the words to the song.  That was a real bummer.  The most popular singer/actor was Oda Mae Brown, played by a feisty black lady named Carla Stewart.  She did just as good as Whoopie, maybe better.

Our cheap tickets were $75 each, and the other two were $80 each.  Not bad, but I'm not sure I'd have to sit in the orchestra to see it again.  However, I would LOVE to go again, but it closes like in 4 days so it probably won't happen.  As we left, we saw where the fountain had created ice wings on the statue.  I snapped this picture as we passed at about 20 MPH.

We had left Stella at Angie's house while we were at the musical, so we dropped Eric and Chloe off then got Stella and came home.  We were sort of on the tired side, so we went to bed immediately.  I had to get up early to be at the dentist.  I woke up this morning and it was cold when I left the house.

 I left about 7:00am.  I arrived at about 7:20 as it was starting to snow.  I got my temporary tooth cap put on, and left about 10:30 to come home.  Here's what I got when I arrived home.

These aren't the best of pictures cause they're taken with my iphone 5, not my good Samsung.  Anyway...Gary keeps busy feeding the birds.  Notice the hummingbird feeder is still hanging outside (in winter no less) and is nothing but ice.  He also put out a heated bowl of water so they'll have fresh water to go with the bread and seeds that he's thrown all over the patio.

Sheila called me earlier and told me that she was stir crazy and was going to see American Hustle at 1:15 with me or without me.  Did I want to join her?  I said yes.  Then decided I just didn't feel good enough to go (I've been sleeping with Arthur Itis) and also had too many antibiotics this morning.  I had previously told Gary I was going with Sheila, did he want to join and he said no.  I go in and tell him I have canceled with Sheila cause I just didn't feel good enough to sit thru a movie.  He then told me he was really disappointed cause he was going to go with me.  Talk about one big pile of crap flowing from his lips.  I spoke to Sheila and she said to tell him to just meet her there if he liked.  I told him to go, but NOOOOO.... he doesn't want me to be alone.  More crap... truth is, he never planned on going, but he can use this in an argument at some future time to show how much I ruin his social life.  HA!

Honestly, we get along fine.  While I was gone, he built me a painting station in the guest bedroom closet.  Maybe that's what I 'should' be doing.  I am going to close this and for the first time in a week, I am current on logging "my so called life".  Have a good one.