Italian food

I know I've said that Italian is my least favorite ethnic food (okay, second to American). That's mostly based on how boring it can be sometimes: overdone pasta, boring sauce, too much meat.

Last night, we went to Palio for dinner to celebrate with/congratulate a former coworker on their move to a new job. And the food was really good. I had cheese tortelloni with a spicy red sauce, and enjoyed it thoroughly. The crispy-crusted appetizer pizzas were also flavorful.

Since it was with co-workers, it could have been much worse. It was actually fun. We went for ice cream afterwards, on my insistence. I had a taste for Ann Arbor Mud again. I convinced several others to go with me, and we even sat and chatted like regular people instead of co-workers.

Fortunately, I ran before I got there. (: Only 3.8 miles, since I was going to be late to dinner. I really didn't have time for a bike ride afterwards, considering we finally left the restaurant at 7:45pm.

It sure gets dark early nowdays. To much time to eat!

So that's two days in a row that I had a full stomach after eating. I gotta cut that out! But couple it with getting 6.5 hours' sleep last night, and I am more than ready for tonight's workout!

Television

As many of you know, I love to watch hockey. I love to watch the Red Wings, but have been known to watch other teams, especially the Leafs, during the winter.

But I don't have "television." I haven't had cable in over a year. I stopped watching it when the Red Wings exited the playoffs in 2004. The only thing I've ever cared about other than hockey was The West Wing, and ... I survived on tapes from Catherine. My neighbors all watch it. I can get it somehow, or do without.

But it's hockey season again. And there's going to be NHL hockey this year. So, I'm considering using a goodly portion of my annual raise to pay for cable, for the next 6 months, so I can watch the Red Wings. (There is a special, and I'll take advantage of it, but still...)

Is this crazy? Should I be saving the money for more important things, things like gasoline and savings?