The Way To A Man's Heart...

Yesterday afternoon, Geoff called home to let me know that he needed to work a bit late, but that he'd try to be home in time for Matthew's bedtime at 8:00; but he wouldn't be home for dinner, which we usually eat at around 5:45.  Knowing that he's running out of time to finish a bunch of projects at work before his job officially comes to a close in about a month, his working late was fine by me.

A while later, Geoff called again and asked what I was making for dinner.  I told him that I was trying to copy a baked pasta dish I'd eaten a couple of weeks ago when my folks took us to Boston Pizza for dinner:  organic ground beef that I'd browned (and seasoned) with a bunch of chopped-up onions, and then mixed with whole wheat penne and seven big, juicy tomatoes that I'd diced up earlier; all poured into a dish and topped with freshly grated cheese that would be golden brown and bubbly when it came out of the oven...oh, and a side salad to go along with it.  There was silence on the other end of the phone; then my meat-loving, hungry hubbie sighed and said, "well, maybe I can try to get my work done faster and be home sometime between 6:30 and 7:00."  OK, I thought, chuckling silently.  Out loud I said, teasingly, "so it's not your wife and kid that'll draw you home, but what's for dinner!"  We both laughed.

Not that long after that call ended, we were on the phone again - a rather unusual occurrence during the day.  Geoff was hungry and said that he was really trying not to work so late after all - so he'd try to be home for 6:30.  "OK," I agreed again.  "Call me when you leave the office, so I can put the dish in the oven and get it all bubbly.  Matt and I will try to wait for you so we can all eat together."

Well, in the end, Geoff walked in the door at 6:14, and we ate only half an hour later than usual.  Hmm - guess I know now what will really keep him coming home!