"They F**K You in the Drive Thru."

Do you remember those old Lethal Weapon movies? In one, I remember a scene where the detectives, played by Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, have Joe Pesci's character in the back seat and they take him through the drive through for something to eat.

The restaurant got the order wrong and Joe's character is very verbal about it. "They fuck you in the drive thru," he said repeatedly. And it's true. You pick up your order, drive away and after, when it's too late, find there was a mistake and you didn't get what you ordered.

I've been through the drive thru at Tim Horton's twice this week and both times the order was wrong.

I order a medium black tea, two sweeteners, bag out...as I like a weaker tea. That's not a complicated order, but they can't seem to get it right.

Last week I got a large tea, bags in. I ask them to remove the tea bags because the water is really, really hot, and it's awkward to do in the car. This week they got the right size, but no sweeteners and again, bag in.

I didn't realize they forgot the sweetener until I was on the highway and my first thought was Lethal Weapon's "They fuck you in the drive thru."

I don't care what job you do, whatever it might be, I think it's worth doing well. And when you work in a service or hospitality industry it pays to be pleasant. I'm tired of staff looking so put out because they have to remove the tea bag that wouldn't be there in the first place, had they got the order right to begin with. And I love how they check the order board, as if I'm asking for something really ridiculous. If it didn't say bag out, would they refuse to do that one little chore for me?

Who knows, I still believe in service with a smile, but it's been missing of late.

Sunset after the Rain

Every Thursday my grandson plays lacrosse, and every Thursday for the last 5 weeks, we've had to make the trip home in a torrential rain. The kind of rain that has you nervous, at times unable to see the road.

After the last game the rain let up as we were nearing home and I was able to get a few shots of an incredibly beautiful sky. Had to share.

In the Garden

My garden has been a family effort this year. My son did all the weeding, turned up the soil and planted my new plants, plus he took me shopping for the baskets. My daughter and her husband laid down the mulch and put up the fairy lights. Or, to be truthful, My son-in-law put up the fairy lights, all 72 feet of them, attached with zip ties to the trio of trellises.

I went out that night to see how it looked and was disappointed to find the lights didn't work. I wondered if there was a problem with the lights, and wasn't looking forward to taking them down to return. Then I had a thought, did I turn the solar battery on? No, I didn't. Glad I thought of that before I undid all that hard work.

I don't have the right kind of camera that can take pictures in the night, without flooding the area with the flash. But, let me tell you, it looks great. Just enough soft light to be pretty without being overwhelming.

This wall is in shade most of the time because of the large overhang, so it's perfect for hosta. I have two black stands to hold some pots and add some color.

It all looks very nice, a great effort by all. I hope the mulch keeps the weeds down and I need to get some Irish Spring soap for the hosta, as it apparently keeps the bugs away. Now it's time to just enjoy, and enjoy I will after those long winter months.

Foolish, Foolish, Foolish

When I stepped out the door this morning I thought it was cool, so I put on a light hoodie, then topped it with my jean jacket. May daughter arrived to pick me up and when I walked out it was too hot so I hurried back inside to change.

If you knew my daughter, God bless her soul, she is not the most patient of people and can have her day jam packed and on a schedule. I was part of the morning schedule.

I hurried to change, and quickly threw on the top I'd worn to lunch yesterday and had yet to hang up. So with the tank and the shirt I was ready to go.

We drove to Canadian Tire to spend my Mother's Day gift certificate on mulch for my garden and a few more plants. As I was about to step out of the car I noticed I had my shirt on inside out. I started to laugh and, literally, could not stop. It was one of those 'laugh so hard I thought I'd pee my pants' kind of things.

Luckily, I had the tank top underneath, and as we were on the outer edge of the parking lot, took off my shirt, reversed it and finished dressing, laughing the whole time.

Now, I'm wearing a T shirt, as the layers were still too warm, I have my flowers planted, the mulch spread and my fairy lights attached to the trellis. My son had previously weeded and dug up the garden, and took me shopping for the flower baskets, adding a gift of Clemantis.

My garden is a thing of beauty, and a combined effort completed by my children for their old Mom.

90 Years Young

My friend and neighbor celebrated her 90th birthday yesterday. She is, (I hate this description but it does fit), spry and very active.

She can walk a great distance, and does since she gave up driving. She also plays euchre at least three times a week and participates in a diner's club and the meals at the church. We all know how tedious it can be to cook for one. Leftovers last far too long.

I was having coffee with her yesterday when she had a delivery of flowers from her sister, and could see the cards on display on the table. But I had to wonder where any one of her four children were, given their ages and retired status. They may not live in town, and okay, one does live in Quebec and is dealing with the floods, but if it were me, I'd be hurt by their absence.

I couldn't stand the thought of her eating Sunday's leftovers for her birthday dinner, so suggested we go out. She did have a check from the one daughter. I told her the restaurant was her choice.

We go out to Swiss Chalet occasionally, but I knew where she'd want to go, but wouldn't ask...the Chinese buffet in the neighboring town. It's only about fifteen Km away, but I doesn't like to impose. When I suggested Chinese, her face lit up and I knew it was the right choice.

We took the long route and checked out the beach and the river, and saw the water lapping over the dock, the beaches underwater. These little tours are fun, as it gives her a view of town not seen from the bus.

We had a nice meal, and later in the week I'll take her for her free sundae at Dairy Queen.

Situations like this make me very thankful for my family. My children live nearby, and though I don't see them daily, I know they are there for me. My brother lives in the city, so it's a good drive to visit, and we used to do a half way meet and greet. When I wasn't up to the drive, he came to me, same as he did when I needed a drive to an out of town doctor's appointment.

I may never reach my 90th birthday, but I know if I did, there'd be one hell of a celebration. I just hope I gave my neighbor a bit of that feeling, because 90 is a milestone, and should be acknowledged.

Ice Cream Cones

"I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream"

I know you can have ice cream all year round, but ice cream in a cone is a warm weather treat.

I've been a fan of Dairy Queen cones since early childhood. The family, including the dog, would often go to Dairy Queen. We would sit outside at the picnic table and eat our dipped cones,. The dog got a baby cone of his own, but his was plain because, you know, chocolate is bad for dogs.

I like the cones you get at the corner store after the grandkids sporting events. They also have picnic tables because cones in the warm weather are a messy thing, best not eaten in the car.

It was a strange thing, sharing ice cream cones with the grandchildren. I realized this is not a natural talent, but a skill that must be taught. You have to show these youngsters how to keep licking, to turn the cone, to stay ahead of the drips.

 It's a skill I've acquired over the years and with much practice.

French Fry Trucks

French fries are not a seasonal thing by any means, but french fries from a roadside truck certainly are. It is a personal rite of spring that I start the season with a brown bag of french fries. Nothing tastes better.

It's already May and I haven't welcomed spring yet, so I need to get out and around, and find a truck.

The trucks used to offer fries and a variety of drinks, but so many have added to their menus to where you can get a meal instead of just a snack.

For years our favorite spot was at a four corners north of town. It was only open on the weekends, situated to catch all the cottage crowd, coming and going.

I often went alone, but of late find that the grandchildren are ready and willing to celebrate spring, summer, and into fall with me. Sitting in the sun, enjoying hot french fries smothered in brown vinegar and Cajun salt (ketchup for the kids)...tasty, so tasty.