Done Ham and Michael Moloney

Vivian and I had a terrific weekend together that started on Friday night with dinner at the 801 Chophouse. We'd been planning on eating there for some time, particularly since one of our Jitterbug Friends, Brian Langbehn, just happens to be the head chef. Vivian ordered the filet mignon, and I got a rib-eye so tender that I was able to cut it with a fork. We tossed on some wild mushrooms and lobster mashed potatoes on the side, along with some soufflé for dessert. Naturally, we let the waitstaff know that we were friends of the chef so he could come out for an embarrassing photo with us at the booth.

After dinner, we got to head down the street to see Jeff Dunham and his cast of characters perform at the Qwest Center. The place was absolutely packed with tens of thousands of people crammed in with us at the main arena. The Guitar Guy was the opening act, and he got to perform a couple amusing songs, one of which involved accidentally walking into a couple gay bars in Omaha (both of which I was familiar with for reasons I can't explain). Then Jeff and his friends Walter, Achmed (the dead terrorist), and Peanut made us laugh for another hour or two, which was terrific. We even got to meet a few new characters, such as Achmed's son (who was only half-dead), and smaller hand-puppets versions of both Peanut and Jeff Dunham himself. It was a great show, though next time I'll try to get a little closer to the stage.

On Saturday, Vivian and I met up with a bunch of her co-workers to gorge on Sushi at Wasabi out on West Maple. I'd gone to Body Pump earlier that morning to work up something of an appetite ahead of time, and I'm glad I did.

Afterward, we met up with our mutual friends Phil and Jen for an afternoon at the Home Show at the Qwest center. We met several people who might be able to help us with some home improvements, and also sat through a lengthy cookware presentation that lost interest long before the would-be salesman/chef got to the hard sell. The highlight, however, was getting to meet Michael Moloney, the interior designer for the show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. He had a brief Q&A about the show and stuck around for autographs and pictures afterward, which was fun.

We had dinner with Phil and Jen afterward at Zum Biergarten in Bellevue, a delightful German restaurant owned and operated by an authentic German who emigrated to Omaha. Vivian and I found room to share a Tour of Germany plate, which consisted of a brat, schnitzel, sauerkraut, and lots of other things. Zehr gut! I washed it down with a bottle of Spaten Dunkel and then had some Jagermeister back at Phil and Jen's before saying, "Gaten Nacht."

Jeff Dunham photo courtesy of This Guy.