In Eckleburg's Eyes - 12/11/2008

I spent Wednesday with JTH and ALK.

I met the couple for lunch at Wishbone's Famous Fingers & Wings. I had already eaten but enjoyed their company. The trio of elderly women ordering in front of them were evidently confused by the ordering process which left JTH and ALK with too much time. They began wrestling in the restaurant. (Read: Playfully) Despite weighing next to nothing, ALK held her own.

The restaurant was decorated for the holidays with festive songs playing in the background. When “Jingle Bells” played, we all admitted that none of us truly know how much fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh, hey! Does anyone know where we can find one?

On Wednesday night, JTH and I had planned on watching The Dark Knight with my Dad. Yes, I would have watched it for the second night in a row. Dad is typically relegated to watching films my mother selects and it would have been nice for him to see an action picture. Unfortunately, Clyde Hylton, a longtime church member, passed away and requested Dad as a pallbearer. The funeral was held on Wednesday night, so we postponed our movie night.

After working at the church, JTH met me at my house. He had just come from playing Joseph in the nativity. Our pastor’s wife SMF asked him, “Is there anything that you won’t do?” It was a valid question that remains unanswered.

JTH and I decided to eat and watch another film, saving The Dark Knight for Dad. We headed to Applebees. En route, JTH confessed that he had to go and when you have to go, you have to go. So he asked that we stop by MoFoS to use their nonexistent restroom. (They have no public restroom and I cannot publicly admit that it exists.) I could not believe that we were going to the store for that reason.

In MoFoS news, earlier in the day, we learned that CTH “surrendered his keys”. Whether or not he was fired or just realized that he would not be scheduled again remains unclear.

Afterwards, we drove the short distance to Applebees and when we arrived we were hit with what could best be described as an ambush. Evidently, Wednesday night is kid’s night at Applebees. Entertainment is provided and children are privy to meals for only $1.99. A unicycling, balloon animal making clown named Wacko was performing for the kids on this rainy night.

Wacko’s presence in and of itself would not have been so bad. Shortly after we arrived we sat in AFH’s section. One of our other favorite servers, Amy, was there with her two children and asked that we sit with them. Emma recently turned five and Aiden will be two on January 6th. They are beautiful children who look just like their mother. They also were the most unruly kids ever! I spent the entire night with balloon animals being pounded at my head while Emma made the barking noise of the dog the balloon was shaped after. The children have also yet to develop a concept for personal space which made eating an interesting process. This may have been our shortest visit ever to Applebees.

My favorite part of the night came when Emma acknowledged how many people named Megan worked at the restaurant. I asked her who her favorite was. Her reply? Megan.

Afterwards, we picked up ALK and headed to my house to watch Holiday Inn on DVD. After watching White Christmas over the weekend, a friend of ALK's had recommended this film, another Bing Crosby-Irving Berlin holiday collaboration. This movie was made in 1942, twelve years before White Christmas. ALK’s friend insisted we watch the color version. This made JTH like it far better than White Christmas though he still hated the film. The song “White Christmas” is featured more prominently in this movie than the film of the same name.

The movie tells the story of a show business star who creates a holiday retreat center. He performs only on fifteen holidays a year. At each holiday, there is a calendar graphic indicating the passage of time. On Thanksgiving, the date alternated. JTH speculated that years were passing but ALK corrected him informing that there was a movement to change the date of the holiday. She then added,“You know how I know that? Because my Uncle Jim is nuts!” Evidently her uncle forced her family to answer Thanksgiving trivia questions before eating this year.

Finally, on Wednesday my family learned that my cousin HANW’s baby, due in May, will be a girl. I am excited though I could not help but feel for my uncle. He has four daughters, a wife, and all female dogs (dare I say “bitches”?). He will now be further surrounded by women.