A Three Decade Celebration

It was the folks 30th Anniversary celebration over the weekend. We bought them some Beleek china including an elongated candle dish and 2 identical candle holders. I have to say that kind of thing doesn't do anything for me. Who wants an ornamental figure of a shephard playing a flute being followed by a flock of sheep? Not me. It must just happen when you reach a certain age and get to thinking about crap to fill your house with because you've forgotten about that good china set you've been hoarding in the back of the cupboard for years. And why do they call it "good"? Sure it'll fetch a pretty price for some other idiot to put in their cupboard for another decade before finding another sucker or passing it on to their children. It's all the same gold rimmed cyan ink inside with cerated edges which was perhaps fashionable before 1957 and they invented taste. I'm sure all parents have it and when is it ever used? Even if the Queen came around for high tea, it will have been hidden away for so long you'll forget it's there and serve her a big mug with a picture of a cow on the side. She'd probably prefer that anyway. I bet the Royal Family just passes their old crockery onto visiting dignaries and they pass it on to other Royal Families and by the time it gets around again there's a new King or Queen on the throne and it's their duty to keep passing it around because no-one wants it or remembers it belonged to their parents.

Anywho, we had dinner at Reno's on Bedford Street. We were made to wait in a seating area between a couple having dinner and the front door which kept being left open by 30-something blonde airheads giggling about make-up and shiny things. At one point the gentleman having dinner got so annoyed, he jumped up and kicked the door closed before returning fuming to his table to be consoled by his other half. I'm sure he left a decent tip.

What was the meal like you ask? Well, Lou and I ordered the lamb and my parents both ordered the steak. I was too far away to see what my aunt and uncle ordered but there wasn't any complaints from them. The steak looked gorgeous and my own lamb dish hit the spot. Keith however, being a vegetarian, ordered the Butternut Squash dish which arrived looking like an emptied can of rice mixed in with segments of mandarin orange. Strangely it tasted equally as bad. Ergo, if you're vegetarian, Reno's is not for you. The accompanying music provided by a piano player was good background noise which pleased both young and old. The price is also in the medium-high range with not much to choose from. The choice is also limited to a dish from fish, white meat, red meat, 2 vegetarian options and that's all folks. My verdict: There's plenty more restaurants in Belfast and I doubt I'll be back again soon. Vegetarians, avoid!

Afterwards we headed back to our flat for coffee and more wine. The conversation revolved around people we didn't know who are now dying, dead or have something you don't want to have. I myself was extremely tired and nearly nodded off at one point. After they left shortly after 11pm, we hit the hay and fell asleep as soon as our eyelids closed. Goodnight sweetheart.