Day 4: Double Date Night!

What an eventful Saturday night we had, with so many firsts!

We did date night with the Bakers, friends I've known since high school. Although we've hung out with Ryan and Lauren on several occasions, Cole and I have never been on a double date with them. We chose the new restaurant NIXS in South Windsor to start our night.

The troublemakers

Ryan and Lauren arrived a few minutes before us and ordered little neck clams from the raw bar (which was the first time I'd ever had these). The one I had was delicious, I even asked Cole to prepare another one for me (which he ate). We exchanged fun stories about family, home renovations, and summer plans. We enjoyed some drinks and pretty great food. Since the Bakers were able to find a babysitter for the kids, we decided to continue our double date at Revolutions, a nearby adult bowling alley which was another first. That's when I figured out I had a clam allergy...

Flashback time: A few years ago, Cole and I went to a fancy farm-to-table restaurant down by the Connecticut shoreline. I indulged in their Quahog Chowder, which I shared with Cole, and a steak. On the drive home, I began to feel sick, forcing Cole to pull over on the side of the highway. I continued to feel sick the rest of the night, but Cole was fine. We thought I might've caught a bug, because I was fine the next morning. For my birthday last year, Cole took me to another fancy restaurant where we went all out.  We requested the Chef's Tasting Menu and let him choose our food. The meal featured an amazing "pearled" clam chowder among other unique creations; we both enjoyed an identical menu. Yet, when we arrived home from dinner, I began to feel sick. I spent my birthday night on the bathroom floor with a warm blanket and Nurse Mini, our dog. Again, Cole was fine.

Once was an oddity, twice we missed a connection, now three times and we've officially established a pattern. Not a great first time to make that connection, but now we know.

Revolutions was a blast despite this.  While my stomach got the best of me three times, I still bowled a 91 (missing my goal by nine pins), and did my happy dance during my strikes and spares. Cole bowled a whopping 135, garnering the highest score of the night.

We are grateful for the wonderful time we spent with our amazing friends and for all the firsts that they helped us experience!