1 1/2 Hours, 4 degrees temperature outside, $35 and 38.6 miles, including a toll road....

...that is how much effort it takes to get my sweetie a thoughtful Valentine dinner from his beloved Taco Bueno!

You see, when we found out we were moving back to the Mid-West, one of the things I researched was which of our most missed restaurants were in Topeka. There were certain places that we considered staples for our eating out pleasure. To our delight, the www.tacobueno.com list let us know that there was 1 Taco Bueno in Topeka. Well, 1 is all we need!!!

However, once we got here, we had trouble locating this 1 elusive Taco Bueno restaurant. We asked our real estate agent, who said, "Do you mean Taco Tico?" Umm....thanks, but heck NO!!!

She had never even heard of it and said, "I don't think we have one of those here." (and this is a woman who knows her way around the city!!)


















Well, thank God she was mistaken. After consulting the website again, there was a Taco Bueno listed in Topeka, KS.

But it was listed as 7.92 miles away from our house.

Now, I know this doesn't seem too far. (afterall, for the past 3 years I've been driving over 5 miles just to get to a ghetto Wal-Mart!!!

But, since arriving here in KS, I don't have to drive further than 2 1/2 miles to get anywhere good! So, I'm already spoiled. Basically, it was clear to me, that going to the Taco Bueno had to be timed just right and that's when I decided I would go get it for Ike for Valentines Day.


So, I set out in the freezing cold with 4 kids and a map on my mission.


I have no idea how to go anywhere off the main drag in Topeka. (I had called the Bueno and asked where they were located only to be told by a 16 year old boy...."on the Turnpike." When I asked which road that was....."I don't know" was his response. Darn teenager!)


Since I knew it was toward Kansas City, I set out on my way. I drove and drove and drove. When I got to about 9 miles away from my house, I started to worry. After all, the Taco Bueno website says it's 7.92 miles. But, I kept on going.....I'm on a mission.


I reached the turnpike, so I figured I might be going the right way. And I continued to drive....searching my purse for change to pay the toll.


Finally, I saw it. The sign on the side of the turnpike, listing FOOD at the next exit and the glorious Symbol for TACO BUENO!


All total it was 19.3 miles....ONE way! Slightly more than the 7.92 miles promised by their website!!!! (I think I might have to drop them an unhappy email about that one.)


Turns out, Ike was busy with problems and personnel issues at the station, so he was running late anyway and he arrived at home about 4 minutes after we did.














When Ike saw what I had he said, "Oh yeah, baby, I've waited for this for SO LONG!"
(yeah, sometimes he can be a tad dramatic like me!)


We all pigged out and we LOVED every minute of it.

I had so much food, we had plenty to stick in the fridge for us to re-heat and eat for lunch tomorrow.

I guess this is what you do for LOVE!!!

Even Miss Thang loved it! She scarfed down the taco kids meal we got her. And she learned how good cinnamon chips can be.

All in all, it was a Very BUENO Valentine's Day!!!

Here's hopin' your Valentines Day was as "BUENO" as ours was!

(note: Taco Bueno.....literally means, Good Taco.)