Aletha’s 19th B-Day Dinner

So my youngest daughter Aletha turns 19 today. Happy Birthday Aletha! Yeah, I know. It’s also the anniversary for that tragic event that took place in New York City just 6 years ago. I remember that day clearly. There was a birthday celebration planned for Aletha that week for her 13th B-day, but it got canceled due to 9/11. I felt bad for her, but it just didn’t seem right to celebrate anything after so many innocent lives were taken so tragically. But that’s behind us now. It’s time to celebrate life.

We typically go out to dinner for the girls’ b-day, particularly once they got a little older, so I told Aletha to pick a place and we would go. She was having a hard time deciding between the Rainforest Café and the Magic Time Machine. She finally settled on Magic Time Machine so off we went. Amanda was away at college, so sadly she wasn’t able to attend, but we didn’t let that stop us from having some fun.

I had never been there before, so Aletha filled me on what to expect. It basically a themed restaurant where all the waiters and waitresses dress up as movie stars or fictional characters, much like the restaurant John Travolta and Uma Thurman attended in the movie Pulp Fiction.

It’s a Monday night, so when we got there it was a little dead, but that turned out to be pretty good thing as it gave us a lot of photo opportunities with the “celebrities”. The first celeb look-a-like we run into is Joe Dirt. I love that movie, and the guy playing Joe Dirt had the part nailed down pretty good, complete with Joe Dirt accent and “Dang!” lingo.

Me and Joe Dirt, Dang!

As we are seated we’re informed that Alice in Wonderland would be our waitress for the evening. At first I was a little disappointed, hoping for maybe Napoleon Dynamite or Jessica Simpson, but as it turns out Alice was the best one there. And, as an added unexpected bonus, I knew her!

Amanda, Micky (Alice), Kayla & me in Ireland this year.

At first I just couldn’t place her. I spent the better part of the evening trying to figure out where I knew her from. Finally I said, “Hey I know you!” She had the cutest little comeback. In her perfect little Alice voice she says, “Of course you know me silly! I’m Alice in Wonderland!” That got a chuckle out of me.

Aletha and I with our waitress Alice in Wonderland (Micky).

Turns out she’s a friend of Amanda’s from college (Micky). In fact we had spent some time together back in March when we all went to Ireland. She didn’t recognize me at first either, mostly because I’ve lost 25lbs since the last time she saw me. She was so cute, and did a fantastic job playing Alice, staying in character the whole time.

Well it was time to order food and drinks, Aletha and I were starving, so Alice suggested we get the “Magic Potion” drink. So Aletha ordered the Red potion and I the Blue. For food we started out with Stuffed Mushrooms (yum, yum, yum), then Aletha got the Herb Chicken and I ordered the Blackened Catfish.

Hot Fudge Sunday, Yum!

Usually in themed restaurants like this the food is an afterthought, so I wasn’t expecting much, but surprisingly the portions were very large and quite tasty. We particularly enjoyed the warm bread and honey butter they served with our main course. For desert, Aletha ordered the Fudge Sunday. Chocolate! Now we’re talking my language! She let me have a bite, and it was super yummy as expected.

I had to get a picture with Wonder Woman for my friend Mary. She's a huge fan!

To wrap up the evening Aletha had her portrait rendered by a cartoon artist that was in the lobby area. The atmosphere was cozy and the “actors” did a good job playing their parts. I particularly enjoyed it when they would escort people to the bathroom, making off-handed comments along the way. Joe Dirt and Jack Sparrow were keen at that. Over all it was a fun experience, and we shall have to return someday in our own costumes!

More pictures here.


~Michael