A fast food story

“Are you sure you want to order two number nines Mike?,” I ask my 16 year old as I drive up to place an order at the new Taco Bell/KFC in North Haven.
“Yeah, that is what I always get,” he replies.
I’m not a big fan of fast food for health and cost reasons but offered to bring him Wednesday night because I sensed he was feeling kind of down about his play in a baseball game earlier that evening. During the ride back from Guilford he didn’t say anything about the two balls that he had gotten his glove on and missed, but his silence said a lot.
I order the two number nines and three other tacos things. He tells me again that it is his usual order and despite the sound it will only set me back around $7 or $8. I shrug and think to myself that he is going away for a week Thursday morning and I’ll be saving lots of money while he is gone.
The queasy feeling I have about the order is confirmed seconds later when the price comes up on the display screen. It reads $12.39.
“Twelve dollars,” I exclaim turning towards him.
I can tell by the uneasy look on his face that he knows he has made a mistake. I complain to him as we start driving up to the pick up window and when I turn to look at him again his face is red and he is clenching his fist. I’m sorry I complained because Michael is usually reserved and when he does get upset it is often volcanic. He starts pounding the arm rest and exclaims: “I screwed up the order just like I screwed up those two fly balls. I hate it when I don’t catch fly balls.”
I don’t deal well with outbursts and am at a loss as to what to say. I’ve also learned that nothing I say is going to make him feel any better about not playing well. I mumble something like “don’t worrying about it” and pick up the order. We don’t talk much on the short drive home.

Ten minutes after the outburst he is at the kitchen table smiling as he devours Taco Bell and talks with his mother and his brother who are eating the McDonald’s food they picked up on the way home from Danny’s baseball game.

In case you are wondering, I didn’t get anything from Taco Bell or McDonald’s, other than the extra large Pepsi that came with the second number nine. Good thing. I didn’t ask for the total of the McDonald’s order, but I suspect fast food for three set me back between $20 and $25 dollars.


A quick update on some recent blog topics:

I did get my haircut. My barber, Gerardo, does a great job, but I like my hair long.

I still have not opened two new pair of sneakers my wife bought two months ago. The rip in my current sneakers that caused me to ask for the new ones hasn’t gotten any worse so I think it will be a couple more months before I open the new ones.

I have not joined Facebook, although I have had a lot of people urge me to join since I blogged about it.