von rings me at 5.30 and says we will go to a nice restaurant for dinner but prepare to pay through our noses. i agree and put on my good coral sweater because i think he's still got on the fancy far east shirt he was wearing earlier and what happens is that he came prepared for rain minus good shirt and as for me, my coat is still drying in front of the heater as i type. it turns out i had misunderstood his weather update on the phone.

me: *protesting* you did say it wouldn't start to rain till past eight!
von: no, i said the rain will become heavy around eight

and then we peer at menus outside four nice-looking restaurants and decide they are all too expensive and pretentious, von proclaiming "unacceptable! / cannot make it! / suspect!" at each one (erm, well and there was one we rejected because they couldn't spell prosciutto.) and so we end up at tamarind house. so much for a night on the town. but tamarind was really excellent, and surprisingly inexpensive too, only von wouldn't let me order what i think was the equivalent of otah.

me: this always happens! i will pounce on something, you will pour forth your scorn, i will say why not, you will tell me why not, i will say, fine, we won't get that, and you will then say, no no no, get it (and at your own peril,) and then i will say, but you said i shouldn't! and you would say, yes but you wanted to try it, and i refuse because it would give you the opportunity to gloat and i-told-you-so, and then i meekly get the boring thing!
von: *smug* exactly.

then we forego dessert and stride through swirling rain and wind to porter square to tags so that von can buy himself a george foreman panini grill only at the end of it i was the one who came away with a table.

me: *justifying* then i don't have to move the big table when people come to tea!
von: ...
me: oh and now that i have a rug if i have a low table i can sit on the floor and work!
von: ...
me: i'm going to get so much work done now!
von: this is how you spend your money. you are frivolous.

and it was starting to rain heavily when i staggered out of tags with my table and von decides he will not come home with me and help assemble the thing so i was forced to borrow $10 from him to take a cab home myself. and this is why i have a painful thumb and a wobbly table and plenty of experience though noon auctoritee.