Les Miserables

Have I ever mentioned how amazing my husband is?! Recently, Jeff and I have discussed why date nights are so important to me. We both immensely enjoy these nights together, but sometimes, as of late, we have gotten stuck in a routine of "dinner and a movie" (so to speak) instead of tapping into the other fun activities that are out there. It seemed to become more of an item on a checklist (date done - check!) than the continued courtship it's meant to be. Jeff has always kept his promise to take me out at least once a week, yet as I explained to him the importance of having time with him  - not as his business partner or co-parent - the dates have taken on a different meaning. That's not to say that there won't be dinner/movie dates in the future or that I expect elaborate adventures each week, but it helps to put the meaning behind the activity. It also helps us to put aside those business or family discussions for another time and simply focus on each other. After all, as long as we are making things work, everything else will fall into place. Well tonight Jeff planned a perfect date night. He discovered that the Hale Center Theater in Salt Lake City was putting on a production of Les Mis. However, when he went to get tickets, they were sold out. Undeterred, Jeff called the box office and was able to buy two tickets that were just given up by a previous caller! What luck!! On top of it all, they were GREAT seats! Prior to going to the show, Jeff found an Ethiopian restaurant near by. I have been raving about Ethiopian food for quite some time, but there didn't seem to be any restaurants in Utah County. Since, we were going to be in Salt Lake, Jeff figured this would be a good time to try it out. He was a little nervous, but pleasantly surprised once he tasted it. I don't know what it is about it. I just love the seasonings they use and it's fun to eat with injera (a crepe like tortilla with a sour dough taste) instead of normal utensils. My favorite is yesimir wot - pureed lentils with berber spices.

After we ate, we headed to Hale Center Theater. I have seen Les Mis twice before (Jeff has never seen it in a play production, but he loves the music) - once in London and once in Tempe. I was a little worried about being disappointed by a community theater's rendition, but I was totally and completely in awe of the performance! The performers were quite talented and the props were amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed the production. I loved the intimate feel due to the small theater setting. I would even venture to say that it was just as good as the big Broadway-esque productions I've seen. It was the perfect date night...especially because I had the perfect date.