Dinner Time

Every Friday, assuming I have some money, I stop at the McDonald's drive through to get Sam a "Happy Meal". It's the same order every week: A Chicken Nugget Happy Meal for a boy with a Dr. Pepper to drink, two apple pies and a cup of water.

I don't know what was going on there today but it was taking forever just to get up to the point of ordering. Plus, there was the added enjoyment of listing to the Drive-up Woman blasting everyone's order through the speaker.

I'm three cars back and I can hear the order blaring through the speakers and echoing off the fence that separates the parking lot from the houses behind. I'm thinking that the people that live behind this place must be on their phones complaining to the Corporate Offices by now.

As I get closer, the woman if front of me is trying to order a "Frappuccino". Apparently this normally comes with whipped cream and a "drizzle" on top. She wanted it "her way" (wrong place) and wanted neither topping.

Car Lady: "I'll have a frappuccino, but no..."
Drive Up Woman cuts in, blaring, "YOU WANT A DRIZZLE ON THAT?"
"No, I don't want a drizz..."
"DO YOU WANT WHIPPED CREAM?"
"No, I Just want ..."
"THE DRIZZLE GOES ON THE WHIPPED CREAM."
 " *mumble*...  I don't want the drizzle and I don't want the whipped cream!", Car Lady manages to say.
"WILL THAT BE ALL?"
"Yes...Hello?"

*silence*

*silence*

*silence*

"PLEASE PULL AROUND!"

This jolts me out of the stupor I was falling into. I pull up to the speaker to order and wait
and wait...and wait...

"CAN I HELP YOU?"
"Yes", I say, "I'll have a Chicken Nugget Happy Meal for a boy with a..."
"FOUR PIECE OR SIX PIECE?"
"Four piece. And I'll have a Dr. Pepp..."
"YOU WANT FRIES WITH THAT?"
"Fries? With a Happy Meal? Yes. And to drink, I'll have a..."
"WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DRINK?"
"I'll have a Dr. Pepper. And two apple..."
"IS THAT ALL?"
"No! I'll alsohavetwoapplepiesandacupofwater!"

*silence*

*silence*

*silence*

"PLEASE PULL AROUND!"

I inch around the corner. I can see the woman in the window in front of me taking the orders and while her lips move, her voice is blaring through the speaker that is now behind me. The poor woman in the car behind me is attempting to order a Chicken Nugget Happy Meal for her little girl. She's having the same amount of luck that I did.

I pull up to her window to pay. I debate about telling her that her microphone is too loud but decide it's not worth it.

Some guy's arm reaches out of the other window that's in front of me and hands the first woman her order. Its her frappuccino. With whipped cream. And a "drizzle".

There's some discussion and his hand slowly starts to pull it back in. She waves her hand at him. His arm inches back and forth a few times, his other hand waving as if to say "We'll replace it". She apparently will have none of that. He hands it back to her and she drives away.

I pull up and wait for my order. There's hardly anyone inside but it's taking forever. I hear Drive-up Woman's voice still blaring from the speaker behind me in the distance. Finally, the window beside me slides open and the guy begins handing me my order. I check inside the box to make sure that I don't have a burger instead of nuggets. Nuggets, fries and a toy. Seems to be all there.

I'm handed the two drinks and bag with apple pies and begin to leave. The woman and little girl in the car behind me pull up to the window. I pull away and head home.

When I get home I set Sam's stuff on the table and he proceeds to unpack the food. Nuggets, fries, cup of water, apple pies... "Hey", he says. "I got a girl's toy!"

I hope that little girl in the car behind me likes Bakugan figures because Sam loves the little stuffed animal that he got.