Mary and I planned the day, and hopefully it will be a little slower. This morning is the gym, and then we take Dianne to the post-Op checkout at UCI.
So, into the jaws of death we go, fearing not the terrible torture brought upon ourselves at the “fitness center”. I managed a little over six miles this morning! We did the floor exercises, which, by the way, take two trainers to get us up and vertical again!
I do not know how fast I was going because the needle on the speedometer flew off and hit the wall!
After doing a bank fly-by and a post office visit, we went home to clean the house so the house cleaners can come today! Just before noon, we departed for Dianne’s home to pick her up and go to the UCI campus to get her post-op check! The doctor was happy with the results, so we needed to celebrate!
After the visit, we went to Rodrigo’s Mexican Restaurant in Tustin. It is the same chain as the one in Orange, but it was close to Dianne’s home, so we tried it out.
It was 3:00 p,m and the place was empty! Just like we like it!
At exactly 3:00 pm, Mary and her 35-year partner in culinary adventures, Dianne, and I marched into Rodrigo’s Mexican Grill with the confidence of three explorers who had already studied the dessert menu.
The waiter smiled. “Early dinner?”
Mary nodded. “We’re just beating the rush.”
Dianne whispered, “And needing some liquid encouragement”
I ordered chile verde, a tamale, and what the menu modestly described as a GIANT Margarita. The girls ordered salads!
The word “giant” turned out to be an understatement. The glass arrived with its own zip code, complete with enough salt around the rim to keep winter roads safe.
Mary took one sip and declared, “This is practically a fruit salad.”
Dianne agreed. With excellent decision-making juice.”
Their Adios Amigos signature margarita was on the menus, so I of course ordered one. The minute I did, Pancho, my faithful sidekick, decided to try it to make sure it was not poison. Little did I know that tasting for poison required the taster to consume massive quantities of the items.
Suddenly Dianne got interested in the drink when she saw the calimari floating around.
Their laughter echoed through the restaurant as they debated whether the tamale counted as one serving or several. The chile verde disappeared faster than ice cubes in July.
When the waiter asked if I wanted another margarita, both ladies stared at the enormous glass that still looked full.
Mary applied her lips to the straw, and I could see the liquid level go down as if there was a hole in the bottom of the glass!
Mary replied, “He’s making wonderful progress. We can almost see the bottom.”
The waiter leaned over and grinned. “Ma’am… that’s the decorative green glass.”
The two burst into laughter so hard that nearby diners started laughing too, even though they had no idea why.
At 5:00 pm., Mary, Dianne, and I floated happily out the door singing “La Cucaracha ” at the top of our lungs, completely convinced that 3:00 pm was the perfect dinner hour and that every friendship should come with chile verde, a tamale, two salads, and one hilariously oversized margarita.
Slurp, burp!
By the time we were done with dinner, I had a chance to change my attire to something more befitting a fine Mexican dinner.
It was a disappearing margarita!
Here’s some fun margarita trivia:
Classic ingredients: A traditional margarita is usually made with tequila, lime juice, and orange liqueur like triple sec or Cointreau.
Salt rim tradition: The salted rim helps balance the drink’s sweet, sour, and bitter flavors.
Origin is debated: Several people claim to have invented the margarita in the 1930s or 1940s, mostly around Mexico and the southwestern U.S.
Name meaning: “Margarita” is Spanish for “daisy.” There was also an older cocktail category called a Daisy, made with spirit, citrus, and sweetener.
Frozen margaritas got famous later: The first frozen margarita machine was inspired by a soft-serve ice cream machine and helped make the drink wildly popular.
Most common tequila: Margaritas are often made with blanco/silver tequila, though reposado can add a smoother, oakier flavor.
National Margarita Day: In the U.S., it’s celebrated on February 22.
Popular variations: Strawberry, mango, spicy jalapeño, Cadillac, skinny, and mezcal margaritas are all common twists.
The “Cadillac” margarita: Usually made with premium tequila and topped with Grand Marnier.
Glassware: Margaritas are often served in the iconic wide-rimmed margarita glass, but many bartenders prefer a rocks glass for practicality.
Dianne was worried because she did not wear any makeup! Silly girl! Makeup is not allowed for a week after the eye operation; makes sense. She is still a beautiful lady with or without makeup!!!
We all three laughed and giggled a lot!
I went to work so Dianne would NOT feel out of place. Soon, Dianne became Puncho Two! We debated whether the mustache was upside down or not! The verdict is still not in!
We have heard Dianne sing before, so she was NOT allowed a second margarita.
We dropped Dianne off at home, just a few miles from us, and then told the Silver Fox to head for Casa Valencia post haste!
After arriving home, we laid down for a short nap at 4:01 pm, and we got up in the dark at 9:49 pm. I worked on the Daily Diary and then crashed again around 11:00 pm!
