After Christmas Conversations on the Square, Part 1

 

The following is an excerpt of a conversation, Part 1, with mainly my 25-year-old daughter Lauren on Monday, December 28, 2015, as we walked, shopped and dined in downtown McKinney, Texas − or as I like to call it, The Square. The day was cold and blustery. The week before and through Christmas, we’d had unseasonably warm temperatures ranging in the mid to high 70’s. The day after Christmas (Saturday), a strong cold front blew through, which spawned several devastating tornadoes in the North Central Texas area. By Monday, the temps had plummeted to highs only in the mid 30’s. With a day off from her work, Lauren and I decided to spend the day doing what we like to do best, shop and dine.

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Conversations I had at the restaurant with Lauren and our waiter, Chad (not his real name):

Chad:

Hi, my name is Chad and I’ll be serving you today. Can I offer you tea, coffee?

Lauren:

We’ll have two chai tea lattes, please.

Chad:

Large, medium or small?

Lauren (looking at me):

Medium?

Mona:

Sounds good to me.

Chad:

Coming right up. Do you ladies already know what you’d like to eat?

Lauren:

Uhm …

Mona:

Yes. Yes I do. I would like the BLTA.

Lauren: 

Wait! Stop! I’m not ready yet!

Chad:

That’s fine, I’ll come back.

Lauren:

Would you mind? Sorry. It won’t take me very long. Thanks so much.

Mona:

Well, when you come back, I’ll still want the BLTA.

Chad:

Right.

Chad (five-ish minutes later):

So, have we made a decision, yet?

Lauren:

Ack. Sorry. I’ve been talking. I’m so sorry.

Chad:

That’s fine.

Lauren:

No. Wait. Here, I’ve got it! I want the Grown up Grilled Cheese with a cup of tomato soup.

Chad:

Excellent! It’s a great day for that. And you? (Chad’s now looking at me.)

Mona: 

Still the BLTA.

Chad:

And what side would you like with that?

Mona: 

Crap. I have to pick a side? What are my choices, again?

Chad:

They’re on the back of the menu.

Mona:

Okay. Uhm … how about−

Lauren:

Potato chips. Just go with the potato chips, Mom.

Mona: 

Apparently, I’ll have the potato chips.

Lauren:

Excellent choice.

Chad:

Okay. I’ll get this right out for you.

As we’re eating:

Chad:

I hate to interrupt. I just wanted to check on you. How is everything?

Mona: 

It was delicious, but I need a To Go box, please.

(I’ve already eaten half of my BLTA sandwich, which I had little bit of trouble eating because everything kept falling out – bacon, tomato, avocado(I think the lettuce stayed put) − which then caused Lauren to just shake her head at me and comment, “God, Mom, I can’t believe you’re having so much trouble eating a sandwich. IT’S. A. SANDWICH. THEY ARE LIKE THE EASIEST THINGS IN THE WORLD TO EAT! But as she was saying this, one of my avocado slices decided to escape, again, in the most ungraceful display of sliced avocado rebellion I’ve ever encountered. It plopped to my plate. Talk about perfect timing! I looked at the avocado and then looked at Lauren and started laughing. Lauren said, “I don’t believe you.” I’m not sure if her remark meant that Lauren thinks I’m an idiot or if she was just irritated because the avocado slice proved her wrong about a sandwich being the easiest thing in the world to eat, but … whatever. Since then, I’ve discovered that flatbread pizza topped with all of the things you’d put into a sandwich is much easier to eat than a sandwich.) 

Chad: 

And would you also like a To Go box or anything else? Dessert, maybe? (He’s now talking to Lauren.)

Lauren:

No, I’m good right now. I’m still working on this. You might check back later about dessert, though. (She says this while dipping her grilled cheese into her tomato soup and taking another bite of it.)

Chad:

That is one of the best ways to eat that.

Lauren:

That is the only way to eat this! And it’s delicious!

Chad:

Well, I can think of one other way−

Lauren:

Not for me. This is it and it’s so good!

Chad:

You know, when I first saw you, I knew right away that you’d order the Grown up Grilled Cheese.

Lauren: 

Really? Hey! Is it because I send out a Grown up Grilled Cheese vibe? Does everyone in this restaurant look at me and sense this about me?

Mona: 

Yes, Lauren. That’s it exactly. You send out a vibe to all that you’re a grown-up-grilled-cheese-kind-of-person. And that’s because you look and act like a kid in a grown up’s body trying to be a grown up but who just can’t seem to quite pull it off. It’s the nine-year-old boy inside of you coming through.

Chad: 

Don’t worry (he says to Lauren.) I’m the same way.

Mona: 

So you have a nine-year-old boy living inside of you, too?

Chad:

Well … I don’t know about a nine-year-old … but, yeah, I’m still a kid inside.

Mona:

Amazing. You won’t believe this, but I sensed that about you as well. So, y’all are like two peas in a pod. Great. So, what do the two of you think about adult coloring books?

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