But we found ourselves alone at home, as Darling Hubby was moonlighting as security at a local concert venue.
So Tigger and I took the opportunity to visit a new Chines buffet in our area.
Tigger and I have "Chinese Buffet" down to a science. Because I had my big purse (usually I wear a cross-body bag so I am totally hands free, but tonite I didn't take it) one of us had to stay at the table with it. We are pro's at maximizing our trips to the buffet so that the other has to spend as little as possible alone at the table. We cruise the buffet area, taking in all that is prepared. Then we go back for the specific items that we want, usually in one trip. Anything that is deemed worthy warramts a second visit.
It had once been a popuar local steakhouse that went belly-up when the economy tanked. It featured a rustic decor with steer skulls and tin stars and a variety of stuffed critters, perched upon a faux tin-roof facade that ran along the outside edges of the seating area. They mad the transition from steakhouse to Chinese buffet quite nicely, leaving the tin-roof awning in place.
Usually we are seated in the back, but the hostess seated us right up front under this awning.
The section was full with families seated both behind Tigger to the front of the restaurant and behind me toward the back. I did not notice the family seated in the booth behind Tigger when we sat down but I do not know how I did not. For the record, it was a man, a woman (who I lager realized was a double amputee) and two children, approximately 6 and 10.
I went to the buffet first and quickly returned with my plates and Tigger did as well. We were settling in for a nice dinner, when we first noticed the dinner conversation of our neighbors. The six year old piped up and told everyone at the table how extremely careful he was getting his plate back the table.
In his best OUTSIDE voice.
Tigger looked up from his soup, raising his eyebrows at me as if to say "Wow Mom, do you believe that?"
His mother exclaimed to EVERYONE IN THE RESTAURANT how proud she was of him.
My mouth hung open in response and disbelief. Dinners around us chuckled.
The woman began discussing her doctor's visit, VERY LOUDLY. I heard all about how her feet were "off" but the doctor could adjust them. And that she was walking very well but he asked if she was running yet and she had said no, and that he had said, "Well you will be."
This had to be a trick of the acoustics, a unpleasant side-effect of sitting under the tin awning, ampligfying the sound. The dinner behind me sighed loudly. "Good Lord, can she hear herself?" he muttered.
The six year old gave a play-by-play of why he could not eat the vegatables that his mother had made him put on his plate ("BECAUSE THEY MAKE ME FART MAMA, YOU KNOW THAT")
causing the dinners across from us, seat on the opposite edge of our section to giggle. Okay, maybe it wasn't just the awning. Tigger nearly choked.
I got up to got back for a second helping of salmon and stuff shimp.
(to be continued...)
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