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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Dine out to help AIDS patients

Jill Wagner Correspondent

There are some things you should know about me. My favorite gift this past Christmas was a Lego Star Wars X-wing Fighter. I am 36 years old.

Spokane has been my home for nearly five years. Within weeks of moving here for graduate school I knew I would stay well beyond the required two years for a master’s degree in creative writing.

My new favorite sport is snow-shoeing, though with spring threatening to break through any day now, I’m itching to get on my Bianchi touring bike.

The book I finished reading two nights ago is titled Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami.

On my left hand I wear a ring that reminds me daily of a cherished Monday evening in January. My girlfriend and I sat cross-legged in front of the fireplace and exchanged engagement vows. Soon we will choose a date for a ceremony, allowing the usual months and months for planning music, flowers, food and reservations for out-of-town family and friends.

Every morning since my engagement I put two feet on the ground and stumble toward the kitchen to feed my diabetic cat while thinking, “I’m not alone anymore. I have someone for whom my every action and word reflects her deep down goodness, compassion, humor, generosity and trustworthiness.”

And finally. Actually, not finally. In the weeks and months ahead you will know more of me, and hopeful I of you. But for now, you should know how fiercely I miss 24-hour taco stands.

In my native San Diego a freshly grilled tortilla packed with beans, rice, guacamole, pico de gallo and cheese could be had cheaply anytime day or night. The bulging burritos tasted especially grand between midnight and 3 a.m. It was something, I think, about the indulgence of a fourth meal in one day.

The dearth of taco stands notwithstanding, one of the loveliest things about Spokane is that folks here enjoy their time, especially meal time, at home. My culinary skills have made giants leaps in tastiness since living in the Inland Northwest.

This Thursday, however, I am going to leave the creation of a meat-free dinner to an expert chef. I’m going out on the town. A group of friends and I have made reservations at Mizuna in honor of Dining Out for Life, a national event to raise funds for local AIDS organizations.

Spokane is joining the event for the first time this year, with participating restaurants donating 20 percent of patrons’ bills to the Spokane AIDS Network (SAN). Specifically, the money will bolster SAN’s food program that provides bags of groceries for 80 to 90 people a week who are living with HIV or AIDS. The bags contain enough food for seven meals.

Restaurants joining the event on Thursday include Ankeny’s Roof Top Restaurant at the Ridpath Hotel Bennidito’s Pizza, Cavellino’s Lounge at Hotel Lusso, David’s Pizza, Fugazzi’s Restaurant at Hotel Lusso, Herbal Essence Café, Luigi’s, Mizuna Restaurant and Wine Bar, Sawtooth Grill and Suki Yaki Inn.

Visit www.diningoutforlife.org or www.spokaneaidsnetwork.org for more information.

If you happen by Mizuna, look for us. My fellow diners will include teachers, writers, social workers, wilderness leaders, students, a graphic designer, a co-worker and his wife, a lesbian couple visiting from out of town, a retiree and her husband, and my fiancée. In other words, a table of community. A table of Spokanites.