Two Thousand and Seven

The beginning of a year does two things for me, it makes me reminisce about the previous year, and provokes thoughts of what is to come in the new year. This is a small thought sample of what’s going through the massive head of mine:


Two Thousand Seven


When it was the late 1990s I remember wondering how we were going to say the year when it was in the 2000s. As long as I could remember, we never referred to the year as “nineteen ninety eight” it would always be just “ninety eight”, like “I graduated in 98” or “I lost my virginity in 76, man what a year”. You just can’t do that in 2000s. We are now stuck with adding “two thousand” in front of everything. I miss the 90’s, but I not as much as I’ll miss the 10’s. (See what I mean? It doesn’t work.)


In the honor of the year 2007, I thought I would dedicate a top seven list to one of my favorite things to do.

Top Seven Dinners of 2007


Number Seven: Dinner at the “other” Schaaps. Sept 2007
Well Tanya, you made a top seven list. I remember having a great meal at your house where everything just worked. I mean even the goat cheese salad was kick ass. This is rare coming from a guy who normally doesn’t like salads. Wine was good, company was great. Risotto flowed like lava.


Number Six: New Year’s Eve at the Vintage Steakhouse, Calgary, Dec 31 2007
Incredible dinner, delicious company. Six of us went out for this lavishly expensive dinner for new year’s eve. I just had a remarkable time, and one to remember. Six people made for a perfect size where the conversation was as robust as the mushroom truffle soup, in an ambiance as rich as wine.


Number Five: Dinner at Gallagher’s Steakhouse, New York New York Hotel and Casino in Vegas with Jack M, Chris R and myself, Nov 2007
This one came courtesy of Chris R, and one not to forget for some time. I don’t want to break any rules about what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but man oh man, what a meal. One or two bottles of Camus and 14oz of Rib Eye.. Holy chow, sinfully overwhelming.


Number Four: Dinner at Tojo’s in Vancouver, Feb 2007
Ah Tojo’s. Sushi like you’ve never had it before. Tojo’s is like the Ruth Chris’ of sushi, painfully expensive but excruciatingly good. And, you get Tojo himself, regarded as one the best sushi chefs in the world, quick with a smile and a bow in your direction if he likes you, but even quicker with a Santoku knife hurled end over end at your cranium if you dare put his Tuna Sashimi in Soy sauce. Tojo not like you then. I know. I was warned by our server after she caught me committing this crime. “OOooo.. Tojo not like that, but it OK.. I not tell Tojo”


Number Three: Dinner at Montana’s with the Family, Oct 2007
A few months ago, after Madison’s first report card ever, we went out for dinner to Montana’s, it was Madison’s choice. For some strange reason, this was just a kick ass dinner. I say for some strange reason, due to the fact that the service industry in Calgary sucks so much lately. Well, the planets were aligned, the food was implausibly delectable, the service was faultless, the kids were very well behaved and it was just an exceptionally enjoyable experience with the family.


Number Two: Sushi Dinner at Kamei Royale, Vancouver, April 2007
This dinner was awesome. I was in Vancouver for my birthday and put together a little party. Present were My Mom and Dad, Ed and Lori, Nel and Chuck, Erica, Mom and Dad in law, and myself. The sucky part was Leona wasn’t there. The rice wine was nonstop, and everyone just had a heck of a time eating sushi and laughing. I was proud to see my In-Laws taking a chance on sushi for my birthday! What really brings this dinner to the top of my list was the feeling of fun and connectivity, we all became one of the same spirit that night.. the spirit of Sake.


Number One: Dinner on the Royal Canadian Pacific Train, Sept 2007
Due to the rules of my own blog, I can’t talk about work or work related subjects, but deliberately leaving this dinner out of a top seven list would just not be fair. Dinner on a 1st class train in the Canadian Rockies, need I say more? No, I need not, I shant not, for it was more than a mere dinner, it was a journey.



There are so many other dinners and get-togethers that have been memorable, as I write this I can think of many more than just the ones listed above. Thank you to all of you who have shared time with me in a social engagement such as a dinner. This truly is one of the greatest things we can do together, and it’s intimacy is rarely matched in other activities one can do with friends, well.. excluding Twister maybe, that can get pretty intimate I hear.
I would also like to encourage others out there that are reading this to make up their own blog, make up a top seven list, it forces you to reminisce a little, helps to chisel away a little more of that granite surrounding your soul.