Valentines Day, Tucson style........

Alan, Jeff, Dawn, Bunny, DonJuan, Ada May, John, Steve, Lena & Harriet
Dinner and a movie……certainly an American tradition for couples dating on Valentines Day. Multiply that by five, and we have a party going on. And in the Southwest, the movie is Crazy Heart; a story about a washed up country singer, called Bad Blake, who lives up to his name by giving into booze, a lot of bad habits, and spending his evenings with a different filly in a different country town every night while on the road performing his has-been country tunes. A talented songwriter in his younger days, but content to ride out the rest of his life with the dwindling rewards of a previous time. And then he meets a special girl with a young son. A girl that gives him a reason to get himself clean. And so……. Ada’s thinking “happily ever after” scenario here. But, not so fast. With out giving away the “rest of the story”, it’s not the ending that everyone in the theater is hoping for, but at least no one dies and his life does get better, if not better than ever…… And as my friend AJ sings, “In the real world, the guy don’t always get the girl”, and Bad doesn’t either. All their lives move on as they should. And......just maybe an Academy Award to show for it.......
On to dinner…….at the Claim Jumper.

When you step inside a Claim Jumper restaurant you will discover an environment that is warm and comfortable. The interiors of the restaurants feature huge Douglas Fir logs, natural rock, corrugated and pressed tin, natural and finished woods and large fireplaces. Rich fabrics, authentic log chairs, moving fan systems and colorful Tiffany lamps are used to decorate the lobbies, dining rooms and saloons. And while they tend to call themselves a Saloon, it’s a most upscale one for sure. Not pricy, but certainly a comfortable gathering place that’s not afraid of large parties. From choice steaks, fresh fish, rotisserie chicken, baby back pork ribs, fresh baked pot pies, specialty salads, wood-fired pizzas, pasta, sandwiches, burgers and more, I think our table had a good cross section of their menu. Ooos and ahh’s and wondering forks were sampling everything, and everyone’s plate was fair game. Also noted for their baked goods and desserts, we spent a lot of time on the dessert menu and watching what was being served all around us. A 10” slice of chocolate cake, a éclair the size of a football, and so many more decadent selections, most of us decided seeing was enough and that we would come back just for dessert another time. Our server was Michal and he was patient, attentive and even helped out with the photography. He certainly added to the great success of the evening and is a natural at his profession. A five "heart" evening for sure!