random thoughts – Day 2,363 (Thursday) – lunch out

It was a “Ladies who Lunch” day with Mom and Sis. Well, except for the part where the phrase refers to “well-off, non-working women who meet during the week for upscale daytime meals.” None of us are “well-off.” My sister still works. And instead of an “upscale” restaurant with fine dining and wait staff, we were at a downtown pizza joint where we had to order at the counter and seat ourselves. But is was daytime and lunchtime and we can dream.

The company was good. An extra in the scene was questionable. While driving to our destination, I saw a guy with his tee shirt hiked up over his belly as he stood in the middle of the sidewalk and buckled his belt on his shorts, which appeared to be unzipped at the fly. Of course, I shrieked “ewww” and told Mom and Sis what I had seen.

We parked the car on the main street downtown. That was a challenge, as the open spot on the street was next to a parking meter, lamppost, and giant planter filled with flowers. When in the designated spot, the front passenger door could be opened a little, and the back passenger door couldn’t be opened at all without smashing into the impediments, meaning, Mom couldn’t exit the car safely. Sis backed up to clear the sidewalk décor, Mom and I got out and began exploring the parking meter, and Sis parked.

Lunch out.

As we headed to the preselected pizza place, for which we had reviewed a menu at Mom’s, Mr. Open Fly walked around the corner. His shirt hem was now covering his belly, the fastened belt buckle peeked out from the hem of the shirt, and the fly on his shorts was still open. Mr. Open Fly puffed on a cigarette as he strode down the street with his duffle bag. We walked slowly trying to not breathe in the cloud of smoke trailing behind him. He went into the coin and card shop a couple doors beyond the pizza place and we ducked into said pizza place.

The total for two steak and cheese subs, two bottles of Coke, and a bag of chips ($39) felt pricey, so that part fit the “ladies who lunch” vibe. We couldn’t read the crowded menu high on the wall behind the counter but we knew we wanted steak and cheese. At the table we wondered about the age of the menu with the $12 sub price. The receipt wasn’t itemized, so we may never solve the mystery of what any of it cost. I don’t eat out much and today was another reminder why.

After ordering, we had our choice of tables, being the only diners in the shop. A couple customers came in to pick up orders.  A delivery guy headed out with an order. Two delivery guys with dollies loaded with bags of flour and other ingredients rumbled across the wood floor and shook the table and our chairs. It reminded us of being on the old wooden roller coaster at Whalom Park. A plastic pallet of sub rolls sat on the floor on the other side of the room.

The surrounding spectacle was more interesting than the food. The subs were just okay. We each had half of a sub with one half left over. The cheese was a couple slices of cold American cheese slapped onto the sub roll instead of melted over the barely adequate amount of meat. Market Basket steak and cheese has a lot more for less, but the closest MB is 30 minutes away. We may try the pizza at today’s place someday, but I don’t see us rushing back for more steak and cheese.