February 20, 2026
It’s been a hot minute since my wife and I went out for “Friday night date night.” Two weeks ago, the opening ceremony for the 2026 Winter Olympics was being televised, and we didn’t want to miss that. Then last week, the men’s free skate was on, and well… “the quad god” was competing. I’d have gotten a massive eye roll if I suggested we skip that. But tonight, there were no events compelling us to stay home.
So, we went to New Ulm. Woo-hoo… how romantic. Hahaha!
Truthfully, we’re creatures of habit; our date nights aren’t usually all that out of the ordinary. After being married for over 33 years, we’ve kinda become a couple of fuddy-duddies, and tonight was no different. With our work finished, and the dogs fed and watered, we grabbed a freezer bag and hopped in the car. Our Sorento knows us all too well. The smart AI tech immediately brings up the map: destination Plaza Garibaldi. We’re that predictable.
As we most often do, we grabbed a bite at our favorite South-of-the-border restaurant, followed by a trip to Walmart, and then headed home. And along the way, we did as we often do, stopping halfway for dessert—gotta have that “emergency Dairy Queen,” don’t ya know. Through all of this, I’m just thankful that my wife and I can spend a few hours together without work, without the dogs, and just hang.
Truly, I’m thankful for the nice car we have that gets us from here to there. I’m thankful for the restaurant, the staff, and the meal. I’m thankful for a super-store like Walmart that has everything we need and more; and I’m thankful for the DQ along the way that hit that sweet spot and topped off the night.
But more than that, tonight, I’m thankful I didn’t fall on my tush. Plaza’s parking lot was as slick as a skating rink after the wintry mess that hit us two days back. While I would have been more thankful had they sanded and salted, I was just grateful neither my wife nor I fell and injured our bodies (or our pride).
Thank you, Lord, for helping these two old farts stay on our feet, shuffling like ducks across the icy slick!