The One with the Cheapest Date Ever

I'm still full from yesterday's linner.

(Linner=lunch & dinner.)

I guess my birthday has not yet passed.

Which I'm totally ok with.

We decided to check movie showings at the Dollar Theater.

(Dollar Theater=best invention ever.)

Julie & Julia was showing!

I was SO excited!

I have been waiting to see this show since I saw the previews in June.

Our local theater wasn't showing it when it came out in August.

(And besides that, I would never pay $7.50 per person for a movie.)

The Dollar Theater was only showing it for a few more days and we (well I) didn't want to miss out!

We ate a late pancake breakfast and hit the road at noon.

When we arrived at the Theater we learned that shows before 6pm are just $1 instead of the $1.75 for "non-Matinées" (which you still can't beat.)

BUT it gets better.

Matinées on Monday and Tuesday are only 50 cents!

Can you believe that?!

The Dollar Theater just made it's way onto my "top five favorite things" list.

I loved the movie.

Well, actually I didn't really think of it as a movie.

I felt it was more like a depiction of my life.

Not even kidding.

Julie Powell and her husband (and even Julia and Paul) are so much like Kevin and I are.

Julie and her emotional breakdowns.

Her husband there to support her and push her to do something great.

He believed in her.

(Minus the one scene when he walks out for a night.

I hated that scene.

I cried.

And I begged Kevin to promise he would never leave me.

He did.

I kept crying for a while.)

But seriously, a great show.

Heartwarming.

Funny.

Hysterical at times.

Endearing.

I loved it!

And I loved it even more because it cost us $1.00 TOTAL!

After the movie we drove to a nearby Red Robin.

To cash in my gourmet birthday burger coupon.

We had decided to split the burger (because we assumed it would be huge).

And order a side or appetizer to share.

Well, we got way more than we bargained for.

I didn't think my burger came with anything on the side.

But I really wanted to have some of the bottomless steak fries I've heard so much about.

I consider myself a french fry aficionado.

Not necessarily a good thing.

But the truth nonetheless.

Our waitress said, "No! the steak fries come with your birthday burger!"

And she said we could share everything.

Awesome!

We decided on the Bleu Ribbon Burger.

"A juicy burger basted with a tangy steak sauce and topped with crumbled Bleu cheese.

Served with onion straws, lettuce, tomatoes and zesty Chipotle mayo on an onion bun."

Oh. my. word.

And then get this.

The waitress recommended that we make it a double.

Adding a second patty was $1 extra.

But she went on to say since it's my birthday burger it would all be taken off the bill.

What?!

Done.

We were splitting a double burger.

Thus getting a whole burger after all.

I still could only eat about half of mine.

It was a.mazing.

We ordered the chili cheese nachos.

Because appetizers were half off.

And because otherwise we wouldn't be spending any money.

Which seemed like way to big of a cheapskate.

These were the best nachos I think I've ever had.

We were both nearly full after the appetizers.

But then the burgers and fries came.

And I already told you about the burger.

mmm.

The fries were possibly even better!

Kevin raved about them.

And he's not a fry guy.

But these were perfectly crisp.

Perfectly seasoned.

After we plowed through all that food, we were both groaning.

I haven't eaten that much food in I don't know how long.

It was definitely a case of gorging ourselves.

I wasn't too proud of that.

I could have eaten 3-4 of those big steak fries and been more than fine.

I ate way more than that.

I probably could have stopped after 2-3 bites of the burger.

But I didn't.

And just as we were asking for the check the waitress proceeds to announce that the birthday girl gets a birthday ice cream sundae!

WHAT?!!!

I totally would have stopped eating way sooner had I known ice cream was involved.

I got a hot fudge sundae which was delicious.

Don't worry, we split it.

And luckily it wasn't that big.

Our bill came.

It totaled $4.23.

And that's only because we got the appetizer.

Neither of us has ever seen someone reel in so much free food for their birthday.

Red Robin is THE restaurant to go to for your birthday.

(It's pretty pricey otherwise.)

I spent the rest of the evening on the floor.

With a stomach ache like none other.

And a horrendous migraine that had been developing since 1pm.

Lame.

But I'll try to focus on the the positive.

And I plan on spending the next year signing up for every birthday club I can find.

And don't worry.

I'll let you know about my finds. :)