January is the busiest time of year for our family, so to celebrate our tenth anniversary, Dan and I were only able to go out for dinner.  (We've got big plans for later on this year.)  Now, I say "only", but I am so blessed by our dining experience.  First, we went to Epi's--known for their Basque food and named after a cook who emigrated to America from Spain in the 20's.  Second, we were served by the woman who will be catering our meal at the IDAhope Writer's Conference.  Bridget was bubbly and attentive.  As my husband put it: "She was the best thing about the meal."  Third, the whole dinner was paid for by the IDAhope treasurer.  Thank you, Carol!

Before I go on, I have to tell you about the food.  (I'm a stay at home mom, so usually the only time I don't have to cook is when my kids have a play date at Carl's Jr.)  We started with calimari, though I don't think we would have ordered an appetizer had we known that both soup and salad came with the entree--not to mention the bread.  (That's a whole meal at Olive Garden.)  Then the main dish came.  Shrimp stuffed fish in a cream sauce--I'll be finishing it for lunch tomorrow.  Last, Dan told Bridget to surprise us with a dessert to share.  And boy did she.  Green apple bread pudding made from croissants, with fresh whipped cream and Epi's homemade caramel sauce.  Wow!  This was especially cool because Dan and I love bread pudding.

Now back to our anniversary.  :-)  In the card Dan gave me, he said that the best thing he's ever done was walk into my dorm room on my first day of college.  Ahhh, how romantic, as my five-year-old daughter would say when Dan and I kiss and she's pretending that we're Troy and Gabriella from High School Musical.  The truth is that Dan walked into my dorm room looking for my roomate who he'd dated the year before, but that just adds the needed comedy to my romance.  In response to Dan's superb line, I simply quoted Jeremy Piven from Gross Point Blank.  "Ten years!  Ten years, man!"

So, my novel is coming out next spring or summer.  I was working on it tonight, and I stuck a real life story into it.  I can't tell you what happens in the book, but in real life my Dad promised my grandmother that if she rafted down the Icicle River with him, she wouldn't get wet.  Dad let her sit up on the back of the raft, and he stayed close to the bank.  Unfortunately, that meant when he rounded a bend, an overgrown bush was able to knock her backwards and head first into the water.  I wasn't there, but all my family saw after the splash was my grandmother's feet sticking out of the water.  She got pneumonia from the incident, but she's okay now.  Hi Grandma!  Thanks for inspiring my writing tonight.  I love you. 

Since we didn't make it to Portland to spend Christmas with family, we've been continuously receiving packages of presents in the mail.  Today my son Jordan got dart tag, and I have admit that I have terrible aim with a gun, but I could sure act in a spy movie--sliding across the floor on my side, weapon ready, or ducking behind a couch just in time.  It was great fun, though the kids were rowdy for the rest of the night.  When Dan got home, he asked if the apple juice had fermented.  Just a normal night in the Meuser household.

I wrote this poem in high school.  It was published in our school newspaper over thirteen years ago.  I'd like to think that I've grown up and matured since then, but sometimes things don't change.

Sometimes

Sometimes I fit in.

Sometimes I stand out.

Sometimes I am sure.

Sometimes I have doubt.

Sometimes I am hidden.

Sometimes I take center stage.

Sometimes I roam free.

Sometimes confined to a cage.

Sometimes I can't stop laughing.

Sometimes I cry myself to sleep.

Sometiems I want to rise to the top.

Sometimes I'm afraid the road's too steep.

Somtimes I fall in love.

Sometimes I hate it all.

Sometimes I know who I am.

Sometimes I can't recall.