Surprise Me

Never count on things to unfold the way you think they're going to on a Saturday night.

Drinks with a friend at Avalon
Wine: Fuzelo Vino verdhe, new to me, but just as refreshing as the standards
The surprise: A gift  of Raphael Saadiq"s new CD "The Way I See It" and Patrick O'Brian's book "Master and Commander." Soul and the sea chosen especially for me. Let's see how ell they suit.

Dinner with a girlfriend at Bistro Bobette
Wine: A gift of a glass of the divine Boizel Brut (so beyond my pocketbook) followed by Mas la Dame Rose.
The food: Poached calamari with roasted red peppers, red onion and chick peas in olive oil. Tastes of rabbit stew, the mixed grill (pork, beef, quail) and mussels and lamb sausage were forced down my throat.
The surprise: A favorite couple sitting down on the other side of me, adding conversation, food and comic asides to the evening. Oh, and they insisted this non-ber drinker try a most unusual beer, La Mouska, made with muscat. And taste three desserts. I only did it for the friendship.

Music at Sprout
Wine: Are you kidding?
The show: NYC's Miwa Gemini played an odd kind of lounge swing but mostly her songs told stories in her Japanese-accented voice. She was followed by the Colloquial Orchestra playing tonight as a quintet (and for a brief period, a sextet) and featuring some of RVA's most talented musicians.
The surprise: How beautifully those guys improvised an entire set with mind-blowing soundscapes while periodically grinning at each other in acknowledgement. I grinned too seeing them enjoying themselves so much.

I am not getting up early tomorrow morning.