Get Your Chick On!

Today my husband left for Louisville. This trip is part pleasure and part work.  He went to spend time with his family and to do some work while he's there.

The day didn't start off too well for him though. Yesterday's events collided with today's. My son left for school upset and soon after that episode my husband kissed me good-bye and he began his journey.  

 In an effort to console his soul he tried to find a Chick-Fil-A.  He loves to have a Chick-Fil-A chicken biscuit about once a week.  He decided to search for one after he had been driving about a half an hour.  Good luck.  There might be a Starbucks on most corners  but in North GA and TN  the  Chick-Fil-A's are few and far between.  He tried though.  A chicken biscuit from Chick-Fil-A along with their award winning coffee, at least in my husband's opinion, would restore his attitude and strengthen his resolve.  He knew he would be able to make it if he just found a Chick-Fil-A before it was too late. The breakfast clock was ticking.

Driving north on interstate 75, he began looking for the billboards and state signs to direct him to the nearest location.  This did not prove to be helpful.  He consulted the GPS but claimed that it didn't even have Chick-Fil-A in the data bank.  I was shocked! Come to find out later he was spelling Chick without the second C.  No Chick-Fil-A?  

Before he called me for some much needed compassion, he put a call into his  office.  He didn't want to call me unless he had to.  You'll understand why in a moment.  He spoke to several members of his staff asking them to track down a Chick-Fil-A.  This assignment was time sensitive, breakfast in the world of fast food is generally over at 10:30. My guess is this was a conference call in order speaker to make an efficient use of his time.  Also. the more people he had on the assignment the better chance  that he could find the location he was in desperate need of.   I'm sure when he first called he did not let on to what his actual intent was.  He probably claimed he was  "just checking in" to see what was going on in his absence.  Then towards the end of the conversation he most likely did a usual segue of "Oh, by the way" which is when he gets to the heart of the matter. This time the heart of the matter was finding a Chick-Fil-A and now.    They came up with 2 locations. He envisioned himself pulling through the drive-thru.  

The first location said it was in a remote part of TN.  He was determined to find it but without the GPS.  He forgot to get an address but was told it was right off of the interstate at a particular exit.  He finally arrived at the exit, with his mouth watering, he made a left turn and "What? No Chick?"  Then he went the other direction but it was all for naught  because there wasn't any sign of a Chick.  

He was devastated but still pressed on.  He had 20 minutes until breakfast was no longer.  He really wasn't in the mood for a chicken sandwich, which is what Chick-Fil-A serves at lunchtime.   He got back on the interstate and drove 3 exits north to his next presumed destination.  Just as he was getting ready to go down the exit ramp he looked down at the clock in disbelief.   I think at that time I actually heard him yell, "NOOOOO!"  The clock in the car read 10:55.  Breakfast ends at 10:30.   I guess it didn't occur to him to verify the time on his phone.  He should have.

Here is the best part. I didn't have the heart to remind him that in TN, that part anyway,  they are an hour behind us.  By the time he called me to give me the low down it was 10:30.  It wouldn't have done any good to tell him anyway.  He just would have been more upset.  Oh well!   I told him that next time he would have to plan his trip around Chick-Fil-A locations and their hours of operation.  

Maybe before he heads back on Monday he can stop at the Chick in Louisville :0)

An Update:  It's the next day and my husband is in Louisville heading in to work at the branch in downtown Louisville.  He sends me this text:

                  Husband:    Hey, did you say there was a Chick close to the mall?

                  Me:          Y, it's a free-standing one

                  Husband:    Headed that way now-  YEAH!  :)

                  Husband:    Nooooo, they open @ 6:30 here-AAAAAA (it's 5:35)

                  Me:          I'm sorry :0(    (Not really)

             (TIME IS NOW 6:27)

                  Me:          It's almost 6:30 now. Maybe I'll go get a biscuit.

                  Husband:    Haha!!  Don't worry- I am here waiting.  I will not be    denied my Chick!   I am on a mission!

                  Me:           Wow! that's some motivation.

                  Husband:   Got my chick on!

                    

The Nerve of Some People

I decided to go to Starbucks today to sit and write.  My local Starbucks had people coming and going.  Actually, I've never seen a Starbucks that wasn't busy.  I ordered my non-fat, no whip gingerbread latte, excited that it was still available.  Being a seasonal drink sometimes they pull the plug before I'm ready.  


I am a coffee snob.  Few things in life am I particular about.  Coffee is one of them.  If I can't have good coffee then I would rather not have any coffee.  I'm not a big coffee drinker.  One or two cups of coffee in the morning are all I need. 


Eventhough I am a coffee snob I don't think I'm pretentious.  As a matter of fact I usually order a tall coffee with a little ice.  I said a little ice.  Not enough to make it cold.  Just a couple of cubes to cool it off. I guess I could order my coffee at a certain temperature.  Yes, people actually do this.  The nerve of some people.  Seriously!  


This afternoon, while sitting and drinking my not to hot coffee, I was trying to come up with ideas for my blog.  Then my ADD kicked in and I heard everything going on around me.  Conversations were being carried out between the baristas, between baristas and customers as well as customers with each other.  I picked up on one between the drive-thru barista and the customer placing their order in the drive-thru.  It went something like this.

Barista:   "Hi.  Welcome to Starbucks.  What can I start for you?"

Customer:  "I would like a Jenny?"

Barista:  "I'm sorry.  I didn't understand your order.  Could you please repeat it?"

Customer:  "I would like a Jenny, please?"

Barista:  "I'm sorry.  We do not have a Jenny on the menu."

Customer:  "Could I speak to your supervisor?"

REALLY??  That's right.  At least at this particular Starbucks, you can rename a beverage.  Yes, you can have a drink named after you.  I've been researching this to see if this display of entitlement is common.  I'll get back to you if I find anything.  

There's Nothing Like "The Chick"

I was running behind schedule and I didn't make it to the grocery that day. What to have for dinner ? Let's see, I can get creative. We have tuna, peanut butter and cheese. There's always plenty of cheese in the Campbell household. Tuna needs to be mixed with other things that we don't have because I didn't make it to the store. I was contemplating the mystery dinner when my daughter walks in from school.

She declares it's "Chick-Fil-A Night" for her school. Do you all have those fundraisers in elementary school? We do. It seems every other week there is "Knox Night @ ________" fill in the blank with your choice of pizza, hamburger or chicken place. It does give parents more of an opportunity to get out there and support their child's school but I also feel guilty that we don't go to everyone they have. I also know that goes hand in hand with being a mom. We feel bad most of the time about alot of things that are out of our control. Anyway, she makes her announcement and in the same breath says her usual,"but I know we can't go. We never go." I decided to skip the lecture on the use of always and never and instead answered, " We can go." She continued trying to defend her position not hearing what I just told her.  After a second or to it sank in and she broke into a smile and said, "Okay, let's go!"  We hoped in the car and away we went.

After a brief consideration of which Chick-Fil-A we needed to go to, yes we have more than 1 within 2 miles, we decided to risk it. I'm thinking pretty soon Chick-Fil-A will be like Starbucks, one on every corner. We'll go to the closest one. Bingo, that one was it.  I really didn't mind going to "The Chick", as we like to call it, because the food is decent, it is fast and most importantly the employees are nice. They are so nice that it's scary. I have yet to encounter an even remotely rude Chick-Fil-A employee.  I placed our order, and then heard the ever familiar "It's my pleasure!" When was the last time you heard that in a drive-thru? We pulled up to the window and, after money exchanged hands, we were given our food, a smile and a "Thank you".  I love Chick-Fil-A! I grabbed the bags of food and the drink. We  pulled away making our way to the traffic light.

 It's kind of a pain in the rear getting out of this location of "The Chick" because you can only turn right and 99.9% of the time I need to turn left.  To make it easier I go to the traffic light.  I'm sitting at the light, waiting for it to turn green as I'm handing food back to my daughter.  She is starving. It's not like I never feed her, she is just always hungry.  This is one instance the use of always is permissible.

As I'm handing food back to her I look around for her Coke and guess what? Her Coke wasn't given to me. Now how many times has that happened to you in the drive-thru?  It's happened to me more times than I would like to recall.  Usually it's when I'm on a trip, headed down the highway.  Those times it really stinks.  It would be a hassle to go back but I would. My daughter piped up,"It's okay mom. I can have a coke at home." I asked if she was sure and she said she was.

I thanked her for taking one for the team and about that time she yelled "Look!"  I turned my head toward the driver's side window and at the same time saw someone knocking. It was the Chick-Fil-A employee that helped us in drive-thru. I couldn't believe it. He said,"I'm sorry mam. I forgot to give you your other drink." I could hardly contain myself. He had run, with my daughter's Coke in tow, about the length of a soccer field and did it before the light changed to green! It was awesome. Now that's customer service!!

It's Expired!!!

Okay, I know that sometimes I am totally guilty of not throwing things out when I should, food that is. Actually I don't throw out the other stuff  but donate it. Anyway,  I do sometimes forget to go through the pantry and the fridge to make certain things haven't passed their prime. Occasionally there is the furry fruit or  green cheese.  One thing is for certain, I will check a prepackaged item's expiration date,  that's just one aspect of my quirkiness.


I've always been the one to check the expiration dates on items I, or my kids, may potentially eat.  I'm not going to eat something that has gone too far beyond that date in bold.  My thoughts are they, the manufacturers, put a date on the product for a reason.  Sometimes it's because it would simply taste a little better before that date and other times the date means don't consume it for other reasons.  I don't know, maybe it could turn rancid or turn into other things.


   My husband, on the other hand, was apparently born in the 30's.  He swears that date is stamped on the product to speed up your purchases.  It's a conspiracy.   The date to him means nothing regarding whether a product is good or bad. 


 What originally set me on my path to "eating more cautiously," as I like to call it,  began many years ago.  My parents had the same attitude my husband does.  Growing up, I use to think it was completely disgusting to find a food item that had expired the previous year.  Since then the years have started piling up and so have the expired products.  


Just recently my retired parents went away on a much longed for trip.  They would be gone an extended amount of time.  I don't live nearby but my brother does.  He happens to feel the same way I do about expiration dates.  Over the holidays, when I'm back in town, we make a game out of finding the oldest prepackaged food.  We usually hit pay dirt at least twice during the week. 


Today he  stopped by mom and dad's place to check on a few things while they were gone.  They needed him to make doubly sure that nothing was left in the fridge, or other places, that could go bad or had already turned that corner. Amazing isn't it? While he was helping out he thought he'd play a solo game of "It's Expired!" He began poking around and  not too long after that I received a text with pictures.  Following is what he came up with 

Pesto from 2006

BUT the winner is-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Peppermint Extract from...... drum roll please.......
1966 !!!

I almost peed my pants from laughing so hard.  My parents would have just said,"Oh Pam," as in "Good grief. What is the big deal?" Really,  I guess it's not a big deal as long as I don't have to eat it:)