As my Osteoarthritis course didn't start until 7:00 I spent the day cooking a nice supper for our anniversary dinner. We had yummy, tender chicken spiced to perfection with mashed sweet potatoes and lightly buttered asparagus. For dessert I purchased a small assortment of four different slices of cheesecake. Dinner was delicious and on time, for a change, so I didn't have to rush.

I arrived at my classroom five minutes early and managed to snag one of the few remaining chairs. I'm wondering just how early everyone else arrives. I think I might get there at 6:45 next week and knit while the room fills up. This week's lesson was on Pain Management and our instructor was a local pharmacist. It's supposed to be a two hour session with a ten minute break in the middle to accommodate those with arthritic hips and knees but last night it ran overtime by almost half an hour. This week it wasn't the dear old lady regaling us with her entire medical history but the instructor who suffers from asthma and suffer she did. Although she had taken her meds before class began she couldn't get more than four words out before she was caught up in a wave of coughing. In between the poor woman's coughing fits we learnt all about the different types of natural, off the shelf and prescription pain medications. We learnt about cortisone shots for those who's pain was past the pills and creams and the surgery your doctor may allow you to have after enduring years of inactivity and agonizing pain. I think next week's class is on nutrition.

We went to Little Bavaria, a fabulous German restaurant, for our anniversary dinner date tonight. We started with a whiskey sour for DH and an orange cooler for me. They brought a basket of fresh baked rye bread and butter for us to snack on while waiting for our bacon wrapped scallops, DH's cream of broccoli soup and my salad with blue cheese dressing. I had the Rahm Schnitzel (breaded veal with a sour cream sauce on top), spaetzle (German noodles) and red cabbage. DH had the same but his schnitzel was topped with tomatoes and onions. For dessert I ordered the Black Forest cake and DH, the apple strudel. Then we lingered over decaffeinated coffees before heading home with half our dinners tucked under our arms. I am really looking forward to tomorrow's lunch.

Opportunity knocked and my hands were tied behind my back. Sob! I had been dreaming about getting an alpaca for the back yard but then I found out they are very social animals and I would need two. As it turns out you need an acre for a pair of alpacas. Too bad because these two little fellas were being given away for free as their owner had skipped town and abandoned his alpacas, Lenny and Squiggy.


Aren't they just adorable?