2019-05 || motivation, incentives, rewards

As a mid week motivator, C and C took me to Joe Fortes for my belated birthday celebration! I was hesitant to go out, because, again, it was the middle of the week and I was pooped from work and wedding planning and just... life stuff. They convinced me pretty easily though, because Joe Fortes is one of my favourite places for fresh raw oysters. The ambiance and the service is always on point. They also have some of the best happy hour options, but we were here for Dine Out 2019.

I've visited during dinner hours as well, but this was for their Dine Out menu, which is an event I'm not too enthusiastic about in general. The food either is either sub par or insufficient. In this case, there was plenty of food and the quality was just average. From the Dine Out options, here is the chowder (very hearty and chock full of potatoes, with maybe a few scraps of clams):

At the top of the photo, you'll see a few of the raw oysters that we also ordered as appetizers. We had the Saw Mill Bay and the Joe's Gold. Note to self - the smaller oysters taste better, just because they're a better fit for my mouht. 

I didn't take a photo of the mains, which for me, was the prawn and clam linguine. It was quite a basic plate of noodles with a fair amount of clams and shrimps. To their credit, the seafood portions were done just right. The noodles were a bit too overcooked. C and C both ordered the steak, which was topped with chimichurri sauce. Really though, why is Joe Fortes, a restaurant specializing in seafood, including red meats on their Dine Out, instead of another seafood dish to wow their customers? (Funny thing is, C ordered salmon at the Victor the next day...)

Finally, here's the creme brulee, which all 3 of us chose. I was stuffed full of pasta by this point, and could only savor a few spoonfuls: 

It just was not the smoothest creme brulee I've ever had, or maybe I was too full to even enjoy dessert. (Is that possible?)

Overall, Joe Fortes is still near the top of my list of restaurants in Vancouver. Just stay away during Dine Out... 

The rest of this weekend was cold, but beautiful: 

What motivates us to brave the cold, to go outside into the "unknown" (ie, Downtown Eastside), to search for rewards, like loud music and social experiences? Sure, most of us have to go out for work to buy food and pay bills and survive, but where did I find the energy to wait for the bus in the snow, to get downtown for a concert, and then wait after the concert ended outside in the cold to get home?

I guess I paid $80 for the tickets, so it would've been a waste.

Clearly, food is a strong motivator for me, and eating with friends and family is even stronger.

Now, on to the topic of incentives as a motivator... Do I feel incentivized to work harder yet?