My husband who had AZ had a brain scan and the result was part of his brain had atrophied. It could never get better, that part of his brain was dead. Nothing helps Alzheimer patients. The meds they give them are all experimental, never been proven to help.

I've been to ones in two different cities. I agree about the SF comment -- you really have to read the fine print carefully -- the version in the City has been less than thrilling. I just think the economy is just too good that they don't expend a lot of effort unless they are already struggling. On the other hand, I've had some great meals during "Wine and Dine" -- fixed three course menus (usually $25 to $35) with optional wine pairings. Some were great values, and gave the chance for the chef to show off creativity or fo us to try a new place. We always check the menus and then select multiple restaurants to try, and invite different sets of friends to join us. They really are an attempt to take a slow period of time (say post holidays, in January, when people are dieting) and drum up business that will result in return business later in the year. I think that is why the servers like it, as their tip income goes up in a slow time.

DH and I are in our mid-50s and have shared tables both at home and while we're travelling. In crowded cafes either we've asked if we could have the spare seats at someone already seated's table, or we've invited people who are obviously looking for a seat to make use of our spare seats. We've even changed our seats around to make room for others. We don't necessarily start up a conversation with the other people beyond a few remarks, but it wouldn't occur to us to refuse to share if the place was crowded. On a similar note, we were in a tiny indie cinema with three long (about 10 or 12 seats) row of seats across the space. Being so small, and the movie quite popular, it was pretty well full, in fact there were only two seats left, one at either end of the row DH and I were sitting in (I was next to one of the empty seats). In walked a couple, obviously nonplussed at the potential seating disaster. So I called to the rest of the people in the row, "Could everyone please move down one seat so these people can sit down?" Everyone seemed ready to do just that until the lady sitting at the opposite end announced she couldn't move down one because the seat next to her was (for some reason) higher than the others (by about 4") and if she sat in it her feet wouldn't touch the floor. So I said "Well then, everybody move up one, I'll sit in the wretched seat and DH can sit next to me and that will leave two seats at this end for these people." So we all moved, I got the high seat which, even though I have short legs, wasn't really that bad- I certainly didn't notice it. But the lady who didn't want to move would not shut up about it! All through the movie, she kept muttering to her friend things along the lines of "Well, I couldn't move, my feet just wouldn't have touched the floor!" etc. I felt like saying, for Pete's sake, give it a rest already! Problem solved! Everyone happy! (well, except her, I guess).

Both of us retired. We have a chuckle every time we decide to get a quick late lunch or early supper out as in "does that place fall within our five mile rule?" That would basically mean 1. is the choice within a five mile (+/-) radius as the crow flies from our driveway? 2. how many over crowded and pokey school zones are we going to have to traverse at that time of day? 3. if it's rush hour then we don't want to be anywhere near the freeway (there are three close by) 4. is the food 'there' just barely better than slowly starving to death or is it something we actually look forward to? We actually have a relatively large choice of restaurants but relatively small choice of types of food within a reasonable distance from our house... the typical chain restaurants with the same menu at any given location within that chain, at least three different bar-b-que spots or more if you count the small ones in locations you'd never find unless you were probably lost and wandering around aimlessly while trying to find your way back to the main road, three or four Mexican sit down type restaurants (two of which are owned by the same person), several sandwich type places all of which are chain owned, more fried chicken places than I care to count, a few pizza chains most of which are take out only, hamburger joints, and so on. Most if not all have pretty decent food even if not necessarily imaginative choices. My eating out problem mainly stems from the absence of more home style or "diner" type restaurants where the choices, both main dish and sides, aren't limited to mainly one type of fare be that Italian, Mexican, oriental buffet, fried catfish and so on. Although I've eaten at them off and on for years, I was never a huge cafeteria fan but at least you had multiple choices of what to choose from on any given visit and if you wanted to eat all meat, all vegetables, all desserts, or simply have a cup of coffee or glass of iced tea and a cookie, it was ok. Not the greatest cuisine but at least you had/have multiple choices. My other issue is that while I go out to eat a meal, my wife eats very little per meal and so is not usually interested in going somewhere that she can't get a kid's plate or something small. To that end, one price eat all you want type buffets are typically a last choice for us unless someone else has decided the location. She willingly goes with me just about anywhere but overall, a small bowl of salad or a cup of soup and a cracker would probably suffice. So... we go out to eat regularly but typically, it's not worth putting a sticky note on the frig door to say "we need to go "HERE" again!!!!!!".