I am nothing but a cheap date......

unless I order the really good stuff........

It's a good time to be so cheap.
Now that we are empty nesters.
It makes it much more reasonable for us to make last minute dates to hook up at our favorite places whenever our schedules allow....even on a weeknight....for no reason at all...

There's one place that we would always go to for special occasions---a little Italian restaurant that is convenient to the major arteries that Carmen and I both travel (in completely opposite directions) for our jobs.
We always saved this place for celebration dinners or special nights out.
We love everything about it--from the atmosphere to the wait staff to the bar crowd.
Everything on the menu--from the antipasti to the zucchini--is excellent.
And, I always felt that this place made the best gin and tonics in a 100 mile radius.
We always ordered appetizers, soup, a main meal and sometimes even dessert...in addition to maybe a bottle of wine and a few before and after dinner drinks.
So, as you can imagine, it was all a little pricey for just a regular meal or for a quick bite....

Now, all that has changed....

Carmen can text me on any random weekday and ask "Dinner?"....knowing that it won't set us back a week's worth of groceries.....
It will only set us back a little in time and gas to meet up....
We've went from having a dinner that cost close to $150.00 to one that cost $40.00.

My Lapband has made a night out less about the food and more about the experience....

More money left over for shoes.....