Our Valentine’s dinner started off with roses being delivered. Nice.

We placed the salmon in the oven for baking. It was already seasoned and marinated. Nice.

Then our neighbor called to rib us about something — and he ended up coming over to eat our steak and salmon.

Not nice.

So it wasn’t exactly the romantic spaghetti scene from Lady and the Tramp I had hoped it would be. But, really, with the kids in the other room watching Space Buddies on DVD, was it ever going on the list of most romantic dinners of all-time?

No. 

And after 11 years of marriage, we’ve come to expect the unexpected. I truly can’t remember the last meal we’ve had in our house where we weren’t interrupted.

It’s just usually done by someone under the age of 10.

All kidding aside, our neighbor brought laughter and frivolity to our dinner, along with his 6-year-old daughter who promptly went to watch the DVD in the other room. And we couldn’t have been more pleased to have them.

Here’s what we enjoyed . . .

A little garlic rice pilaf amazingly complemented this juicy Top Sirloin. 

And those salmon filets?

They were moist and tender — and very flavorful. What a treat to have surf AND turf!

We topped off our meal with a wonderful Lemon Charlotte Royale cake that had raspberry swirls in it. It was just right for Valentine’s Day. Who could ask for anything more?

And although it may seem like we had a very mature-sounding Valentine’s Day, don’t let us fool you. Our biggest topic of conversation was whether to Tivo “Bromance” on the living room TV or the bedroom TV.

Decisions, decisions.