3-9-12 Friday (Mini Golf Brought To You By Jesus)

How I Spent My Winter Vacation by Garret

OK, so more like how I spent my long weekend.  Jim and I had taken Friday off for a trip to Asheville.  We had several Groupon’s, Living Social, Restaurant.com, and what ever else’s that were soon to expire.  We found it to be a perfect reason for a getaway. 

Friday: We packed up the last of what could not be packed up from Thursday and then headed to Mimi’s for breakfast and mimosas.  Mmmmmm.  We then returned to the house to pickup Dasher and hit the road to Asheville. 

We checked into the Asheville Downtown Inn & Suites.  It’s not a great hotel but it is located in the heart of downtown.  It offered continental breakfast and free WiFi.  It’s within walking distance of our favorite shops and restaurants.  The price was right too!  While waiting for our room to be ready, Jim, Dasher and I waited in the lobby and entertained ourselves with our phones.  Some lady was complaining that one of the elevators was ugly and that they really should provide a night light in her room for safety.  So many time in the middle of the night she made a wrong turn to find the bathroom.  A wrong turn?  Lady, the rooms aren’t that big.  Leave the bathroom light on with the door cracked.  Bring your own night light.  Hell, we pack clothes pins to clip the drapes together, we bring pliers in case we need to “fix” the shower head and bring an extension cord just in case.  She can always stay her ass at home or stop admitting that you’re a dumbass and can’t learn from your mistakes the first night.  There.

We got into the room and quickly rearranged it.  They had a microwave/mini fridge combo stored under the coat rack.  Ummmmm, how can my clothes possibly hang?  We relocated the table and 2 chairs to be over by the window as a seating area and “internet café”.   The mini fridge got moved to the other side of a wall.  We also added glitter and sequins to the lamp shades as well as a delightful area rug with rich colors and textures to tie it all together.  You decide what’s not true.  I wish I had taken before/after photos.  Now the room is so messy I’m embarrassed.  There simply isn’t enough horizontal spaces to put crap on. 

Redeeming a Living Social certificate, we ate lunch at Cucina24.  What an awesome place.  The menu changes daily so I took a photo of the section we ordered from.  Read the interesting descriptions of the 2 dishes we ordered and split.  The server said that the pizza was gorgeous.  She was right.  The colors and textures (less glitter and sequins) did make it a pretty dish.  The restaurant itself had so much character and a great ambiance.  Maybe their website shows some photos?

Who knew squash and brussel sprouts could taste so good on a pizza?

After lunch we returned to the hotel to walk Dasher, retrieve our next certificate and grab the car.  Off to Fun Depot we went.  We rode Go-Karts and played video games.  We played air hockey.  We played mini golf.  I noticed each hole had bible scripture stuff.  Gag.  Friend and Asheville resident, April, commented on Facebook not to forget to play biblical golf.  That totally summed it up. 

Jim and I also played a lot of games that gave us redemption type tickets that could be redeemed for the usual cheap candy, prizes and other useless crap.  Instead of tickets, the points were awarded to a card we used throughout the Fun Depot.  With 300 points in combined “winnings” we really weren’t interested in any of the rewards so we gave it to a mom with 2 kids.  She thanked us profusely as if we were feeding her family for a year or something.  Maybe there’s some background story to it?

We retuned to the hotel, got settled in a little more (created more messes), and got ready to go out for dinner.  Yes, with another certificate.  This time for a Restaurant.com certificate to Vincenzo's Ristorante & Bistro.  Just like Cucina24, this place also rocked it in the décor and ambiance department.  We ate in the piano bar downstairs.  Jim and I had fun playing Name That Tune when the next song played.  I was torn between the Cannelloni and the Chicken Marsala dish. They were good.  The server helped me decide by choosing the later.  Jim asked for the tortellini dish with an Alfredo sauce.  It too was yummy.  Their bread and “herb infused olive oil with fresh parmesan cheese” dipping oil all sucked.  I think they missed the mark on that.  The bread was dry and flavorless while it appeared someone had forgotten to infuse the oil with the aforementioned herbs. 

Several blocks away, we waddled to Twisted Crepe for dessert with a Groupon.  Weight Watchers?  What’s that?  I had the Reese’s Cup Crepe and Jim had The Beckett Crepe.  Yum yum.

That ended our night and let me tell you, we were wiped.