The Risky Bisquers

I have often shared on these pages my enthusiasm for food. One of my favorite dishes is the Nittany Lion Inn's world famous lobster bisque. There is a small group of friends who get together about once a semester to enjoy a time of fellowship, good humor, and bisque. We call ourselves the Risky Bisquers. (We have often joked about having t-shirts made, in the same bright orange color as the bisque.)

I was fortunate to have such a lunch date on this day. We all - ALWAYS - order bisque. Sometimes one or more of us (*cough!* Ahem. Naming no names: "just a cup" Maggie) will have just a cup of bisque. Which isn't nearly enough bisque, in my opinion. Sometimes we add other things to our orders, like salads or quesadillas. But the best part is always the bisque.

On this day, each of us ordered a full BOWL of bisque. I thought the moment was photo-worthy. So here we are. Or here THEY are. I was the one behind the camera. Behold: the Risky Bisquers, in our native habitat! Clockwise from left: Michelle, Laurie, Terry, Maggie (tongue out, but fortunately THIS TIME AT LEAST not giving me "the finger"), and Leah.

We are all people who work together - either closely, all the time, or occasionally, depending on the situation - and we share some interests, such as accessibility and student success. So sometimes we talk shop, but we try not to let such topics dominate our lunch dates. We are also all lovers of BISQUE; it is a bond that ties us together. And we all agree on this: What happens at bisque STAYS at bisque.

Also of note: I have shared photos of the Nittany Lion Inn and its various interior spaces before. The exterior. The main dining room. Some of the additional rooms and hallways. The secret courtyard inside the Inn that it took me 30 years to discover. And of course, that glorious Nittany Lion Inn gingerbread replica that the Crittergators, Dancing Girls, Tiny Tiger, and I love to play with at Christmas time.

But I think this is the first inclusion of one of the Writing Rooms at the Inn's main dining room. I only learned in the past year or two that these smaller rooms are free to reserve for groups, as long as you will be eating there. So when I schedule lunch dates for the bisquers, now I always try to reserve a writing room where we may dine (and chat) privately. Yes, there are doors that you can close!

The most recent time I scheduled a lunch date, I called to make the reservation, and they took my name and number and some basic information, and said someone would call me back with a confirmation. Well, the confirmation arrived as a voicemail, which our system automatically transcribes, with some hilarity often ensuing.

The message that came back to me was that the "Knitting Line Inn" had called with my confirmation, that we did indeed have "Right Room #3" (Writing Room #3, it meant), and that somehow they needed to call my parents about the whole thing. You can bet I laughed long and hard over that one! But hey, my parents gave their OK, and so here we are!

I am grateful for this group of people and the good times we have together, and for the orange magnificence that is THE BISQUE. I have experienced some difficult and very sad times lately, but the moments we spend together, eating and telling stories and laughing, stand out like a shining beacon of light. Long live the Risky Bisquers!

Here is a song about happy times, and living for the day: the Grass Roots, with Live for Today. Oh yeah, and if we're having lunch, make mine bisque!  :-)