It is Saturday and our group the Rose City T-girls are getting together for dinner at Henry’s Tavern in downtown Portland. It is a wonderful way to spend an evening and can have friendly conversation so I was really looking forward to it as I have not gotten

out much the last few months. Our reservation was 7:15 but I knew Peggy and Cassandra were planning on being there by 6:30 so that was my goal also. I started getting ready about 4:30. I also had some new lipstick I was looking to try. I have tried the Mauve before and it seems to work really well but tonight I wanted to try the red. The Mauve stayed on really well just a slight wear on the inside of the lip, the one thing I don’t like about this lipstick is it does take a while to dry but it stays on really well, even olive oil and soap didn’t take it off. I had to use baby oil. But tonight, was the red. I was done with my makeup and getting dressed by 5:45 and I noticed my neighbors across the street were all out in the street playing basketball with their 3 kids and some friends. I am not sure if they know about me yet. By the time I was dressed and ready to leave it was just the husband and his friend standing by the street talking. It was time to leave so pulled out of the garage and left not really looking at them.

I got downtown just before 6 and I knew it would be pure luck to find parking on the street so I just went to the parking garage as it is only a block away. I was almost to Henry’s when Cassandra and Peggy came around the corner, Peggy got out while Cassandra went to park so we walked in together. It was great to see Peggy again, I have really enjoy talking with her and by the way she had beautiful long red nails tonight. We went into the bar and got a couple tables as we waited for Cassandra and others to show up.

Laura and Max were the first to arrive followed by Kate, Melissa and her wife, Karen, Kearren, and Julie. It was great to see all of them and have a nice group for dinner. We had about 45 minutes to talk as we waited for our table which was nice. Our table was finally ready and we all walked through the crowd to our table. I sat between Peggy and Julie and Max & Laura were right across from me. It was about 7:30 when Cassi showed up so we had 12 in all.

Now I had to decide on dinner and I narrowed it down to a steak or their mac & cheese with chicken both of which are wonderful. With no way to decide I did the only thing I could. I checked out the dessert menu to see if I would be having dessert, of course I knew the answer before I looked. With my dessert picked out I went with the mac and cheese as I figured that wouldn’t be as much to eat.

Now we sat around and talked for a while as we waited for our food. Some of the conversation was on our Cruise next year which we are looking forward to and as 7 of us here tonight are already booked it seemed like a good topic. We also talked about our dinner and Harvey’s Comedy club which has opened again. We always went to Harvey’s the first Saturday of the month for years and it was fun, when they closed in early summer we started doing a nice dinner on that night and we have dinners scheduled through the first of the year so I think in February we will look at it and I think we will try to get Harvey’s back in the rotation. I think we are liking going to places other than just bars, now there is nothing wrong with going to a bar but our group has gone to bars for almost 10 years at least once or twice a week and early on that was really the only place we would go several times a week. I think we are enjoying expanding our world plus I think it is good to go places where we can interact with more people. One reason I am really looking forward to our Cruise. Our dinner in November I will not be able to make but I am looking forward to our December dinner, we are doing a dinner cruise on the Portland Spirit. This is something I have always wanted to do and I am going to get to do it as Susan. Cassandra got us a group rate so it really is not that bad. $70 per person includes dinner, non-alcohol drinks, 2 ½ hour cruise and tip. We have 14 signed up now, we need 15 to get that rate but I think we can get one more as we have two months. Cassandra does have to put up a $500 nonrefundable deposit so hopefully everyone shows up.

Our group is really active and we have done some really fun things over the years. If you are in Portland (or come here on a regular basis check out our group and join, you will be glad you did but even if you don’t join you can always join us when we go out just contact us. Now we did get some good pictures tonight. This is how my makeup turned out tonight.

The food was wonderful as always yes our group has come here several times over the years and always had a great time and been treated wonderful. After dinner it was time for dessert and I ordered the Mud Pie brownie Sunday, well a half of one. Peggy said she would have a bight or two so I figured a half would be big enough. Wow it was huge, two big pieces of Brownie in a big pile of ice cream. Even with Peggy having a few bites I couldn’t finish it all. Julie got the same and shared hers with Melissa and her wife. A tip if you come here which you should, share a dessert, the half is enough for two. Peggy and Cassandra were the first to leave as they had to get up early tomorrow which I totally understand. Karen also left it was good to see her but I wish I could have talked with her more.

The rest of us stayed a little later talking and yes Peggy and Cassandra are doing a Halloween party again this year, they have such great parties and Peggy puts so much work into decorating for it. I am going but not sure what I will do for a costume. I have been so busy with other things in my life that Susan couldn’t get out and now I am not sure I have time to find a costume. I may just recycle one of my old costumes or just maybe go without a costume this year. Will have to see. Here are some of the years past 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2009. We are all looking forward to it.

Okay I also have to post a picture of Julie and me as she said I could. I never post pictures of other people without their permission, I think that is just a good rule and I respect their choices just as I would want them to respect mine. I am not even sure when we left but I am guessing it was after 10. I got to the parking garage and there was a young lady there who was lost, you see this parking garage is huge and covers several blocks underground. She asked me if I knew where the entrance was by whole food and I really don’t know down town very well but I showed her the pay station where you can push a button and talk with someone in hopes they could help her. That is always a fear I have of going someplace and then not remembering where I parked.

 I got home and washed my makeup off well at least everything but the lipstick as that did not come off and looked just as good as when I put it on accept on the inner parts of my lips. In the morning I got up and had breakfast and then used some baby oil to take it off well almost. Seems the red sticks a little better especially on the lip line and just outside the lip line. I was a little worried now as I had used 2 cotton balls soaked with baby oil and it still looked like I had lip liner on. My next step was a shower and I used a washcloth with a lot of soap and muscle power, yes I exfoliated my lips to the max but I got it all off. My lips are the softest they have ever been. I will say this lipstick stays on really well.

Thanks for reading