Tuesday, November 3, 2009

You WILL take a toy.

I have been remiss. I'm sorry. But I have good excuses. Yesterday after church I drove out to my parents' house to visit for the afternoon. It was doubly-nice because my baby brother (38), whom I NEVER see, was there and even cooked us a wonderful dinner (lasagna, spinach salad, crusty bread, cherry pie), and my oldest brother, whom I see about as often as I see my parents, also came over and ate with us. So it was fun. But I didn't blog because I wasn't home. I could have used baby brother's laptop, but I probably would have ruined it with all my drooling over it (it's a mac). So here I am, apologizing for leaving a blank space on a Monday. I'll try not to let it happen again.

Here in Virginia, we are officially sick of rain. Since this was the weekend to put the roof on Mrs. Smith's house, of course it rained from Friday morning through Sunday. Today the sun is finally out and I am sitting at my computer being blinded in one eye by it, but enjoying it anyway because I definitely have SAD (seasonal affective disorder) when the time changes and I get depressed by too many days of gray skies. I ♥ sunshine.

And here in Virginia, we are also completely OVER the democrats. Tomorrow is election day and, contrary to what Keith Olbermann declared last year (read my son Mike's blog at Newsbusters here), we haven't gone purple. The Republicans are going to win decisively and we can finally stop being embarrassed by the people we elect.

Yesterday on the way to my parents', I stopped at McDonald's to get a cheeseburger for the road. Now that I'm older, I don't eat as much as I used to, so my days of Big Macs are long gone. I actually like a Happy Meal—it's just the right size.

So I pull up to the drive-thru speaker and tell the voice inside that I would like a cheeseburger Happy Meal, with Coke. He asks,"Is that for a boy or a girl?" They ask this because there are boy toys and girl toys.

I answer, "Oh, I don't care. I don't even want the toy."

Silence. At least 30 seconds' worth.

Finally, the voice says, "Ma'am, I have to know if it's for a boy or a girl."

Me: "I don't want the toy."

Him: "But it comes with a toy."

Me: "I'm 48 years old. I don't want the toy."

Him: "I have to give you a toy."

It's still  raining and my left arm is now soaked. I tell him it's for a boy.

Is there a law on the books that says you MUST get a toy in a McDonald's Happy Meal? I would be just as happy without one, and now there is an unloved boy's toy taking up precious space in a landfill somewhere. What would Buzz and Woody say? Should I write to the dean of McDonald's University and ask him/her to make this part of the McTraining?

Stay tuned for happy election results from the still-red state of Virginia.

Be thankful ~

Karen