Celebrating 36 Years of Adventures

We celebrated our anniversary a few days before the end of the year. While we didn't cruise the Mediterranean or lounge in a lanai in Lahaina we did have a rather memorable evening.

Thanks to the generosity of our children, we treated ourselves to a fabulous dinner at Chef's Table in Orem. How can an evening that starts with baked French Onion Soup au Gratin, Maryland-style Crab Cakes, Parma Pork Tenderloin with Corn and Porcini Mushroom Risotto and divine Mousse au Chocolat go badly? Dinner was fabulous, with a beautiful view overlooking the dazzling city lights.

Then, we got to the car. Which wouldn't start. At all. Nothing.
Click. Click. click.

Paul went back inside and the manager was happy to come help us. With jumper cables and a battery charger thingy they worked and worked and still --- nothing. Not a spark. After thirty minutes of jiggling, attaching, reattaching, surmising and trying we still were dead in the middle of the parking lot.

I glanced up to see a man in a white coat, striding across the parking lot.

Chef Troy (right), co-owner and chef, came to see what he could do to help. Wait! Who's running the kitchen? What about the next order of Prosciutto-stuffed Chicken to go out? What about the hungry couple on Table 3 with the crying baby?

But Chef Troy pulled out his trusty large pocket knife and began scratching at the battery cables. I couldn't believe it. It made me laugh to see the chef out there, but he seemed as comfortable under the hood as he would in the kitchen.

Finally, everyone agreed that we were beyond help (many have thought that before) and we resorted to calling John's Towing in American Fork. Some people go for carriage rides after dinner. We took a tow truck. Kudos to our driver (whose monogramed shirt I couldn't read). He loaded our car and then we climbed into the cab with him for a ride to our front door. (I've never been in a tow truck like the one below but it is an interesting vantage point, right out in front.)
I got a new starter for my anniversary present. Ah, so sweet. Just what I always --wanted-needed. But never really knew. Some anniversaries are just magical.