Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk

Last night Nick and I went on a little date. We enjoyed a lovely dinner at the Bombay House, one of our favorite Indian restaurants. Their Tikka Masala (my favorite Indian dish) is a bit different (using much less cream), but simply delightful and we sampled some tasty papadums. Afterwards, we drove up to Park City to see Rufus Wainwright live in concert.

Rufus is nothing less than spectacular performing live. It was a small, intimate venue and we had amazingly close fourth-row seats. His flawless, smooth-as-silk voice resonated beautifully and, as always, he exuded passion. He played almost all of my favorites, including 'April Fool' and 'California'.

Rufus is one of those artists who can weave a story with his music and there is nothing I love more than a well-told story. His distinctive lyrics and melodies are sometimes playful, sometimes somber and often the stuff of diaries, and still they are always stirring. When I need some music to make me smile, Rufus is at the top of my list.

I really enjoyed sharing this with Nick. It had been a while since we'd had a proper date and it was a little slice of serenity to sit together in the dark and be serenaded.

When we left the venue it had been snowing and we had to brush our car off before driving away, something I had thought was well done with for the year. Nonetheless, the light dusting of snow on the cars and trees, which sparkled under the street lights, sort of added a bit of magic to the evening. It was simply lovely.