Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Facebook and Dinner

"How do I cram this on a Facebook post?"

I think one of the reasons I have a blog is because I detest Facebook. You don't get enough space to say anything intelligent, and nobody would read it anyway. My blog actually provides a way to communicate an entire thought all at once, even if I'm the only one who reads it.

I see other people's Facebook pages, and they have 1800, 2500 or even 4500 friends. Hell, I have 28, and I've ignored half of them because I couldn't care less whether they had macaroni and cheese for dinner last night or how many times they sneezed in the shower. Facebook is to the 2000's what CB Radio was to the 1970's - meaningless chatter.

In that context, I'm about to do something really amazing for me. I'm going to share what I had for dinner last night at PF Chang's. It was by far the best dinner I've ever had there, and I enjoyed it so much I can't hardly think about anything else. (I would sure love to find a guy I felt that way about.)

I'm not a big Chinese food guy. I can handle it about once a month if I'm pushed into it. Left to my own devices, I'd almost never eat it. I've been to Chang's several times, and it's always good. I get Orange Chicken or something safe. I eat about half of it and I get bored with it. I figured it had nothing to do with the restaurant and everything to do with my general apathetic approach to the type of food. (Same with the guys I've dated overall.)

My nephew is now a server at Chang's, and so I and a coworker went there last night to eat and pick on him. I told him I didn't really love the food there and asked him what I should get that I would really like. I almost offered double or nothing on the bill. If I love it, I pay twice. If it's just OK, I eat free. I'm glad I kept my mouth shut.

He brought me out some lettuce wraps that were OK and I ate them. I know everyone else on the planet rants and raves about them like they're the greatest things ever. I thought they were OK. (In all fairness, OK is quite complimentary for me where Chinese food is concerned.)

Then he brought out a big bowl of Shrimp Fried Rice and a plate of Mongolian Beef cooked with Asparagus instead of the usual onions. Man, it was good. I have never cleaned my plate at a Chinese food restaurant ever. Last night I cleaned it, licked it, wrapped my arms around it and ... well, you get the idea.

It was sooo good.

And it was even better because I never saw it coming.

Good is good all by itself. But a good surprise is even better than good. It's fantastic, awesome, wonderful, magnificent, bravo, spectacular, ...