A Funny Thing (or two) Happened at Chick-Fil-a

A friend of mine from work absolutely loves chick-fil-a. She is obsessed with it. Whenever it is her turn to pick where we go to lunch, nine times out of ten, her choice is the Fil-a. This town is inundated with them, but she doesn't like the one that is closest to our office. (She is convinced that the employees are charging more than the other franchises and are pocketing the extra cash. But that's a story for a different day.)

Anyway, the one we frequent is sort of a hike from the office, so a trip to Chick-Fil-a is an outing of sorts. A couple of months ago, she asked if I wanted to go with her as we were leaving work. It was around 9:00pm and I was hungry, so I agreed. We go. We order. We eat. No big deal. It is closing as we are leaving and there is a young kid (probably 16 or 17) cleaning the door as we walk outside. When I am a couple of steps away he says, "Excuse me, do you know so-and-so?" I apologized and told him that I didn't. I took a few more steps towards my car, and because I have this bad habit of talking to strangers, I turned around and asked, "Why? Who is he?" His reply (oh so nonchalantly) was, "Oh. He's a friend of mine. You sort of look like his mom." I was stunned and could just barely manage to say, "Oh." (For those of you who don't know me - I am NOT old enough to have a teenage child.) Then this so-called friend from work of mine proceeds to burst out laughing and gives me grief non-stop for the next few weeks and shares this lovely tale with our fellow co-workers. I was pretty depressed about it for a while, but did I let that stop me from going back? No. Of course not.

So today I brought my lunch to work. Same friend was hungry and wanted to go to CFA. I said I would go along for the ride although I had already eaten. We go. We order. She eats. As we are eating, these two men sit down at a table a couple behind ours. I watch them sit and one of them catches my eye and looks at me strangely. I look long enough to see if I know him (I don't) and then continue my convo with work friend. She finishes and we go out to her car. As I am about to open the door I see this same guy out of the corner of my eye rushing towards us. (We are the only car on this side of the building. Friend later confesses that she thinks this guy is going to kill me.) There is then what seems like a really long period of time during which he is coming towards me but saying nothing. So I say hi. And then the weirdest thing happens. He says, (in a wonderful Caribbean accent) "Hi. I am Rob. I just wanted to let you know that you are distractingly beautiful." I manage to say, "Oh. Ok. Well, uh thanks." So then Rob asks if he gave me his number would I call him sometime. And so then, partially because I am an a-hole and not because he was unattractive (he wasn't) and partially because I was so thrown off guard by someone trying to pick me up at 3:00 in the afternoon in a fast food restaurant parking lot and partially because I find myself lately only into guys who are unavailable/not into me (I know, Slice, I need to give up on the Illini.) - yeah, well I told him no. Nicely, but still no. I told him he made my day. (For those of you who don't know me - I am NOT distractingly beautiful. Sometimes cute. Sometimes charming. Distractingly beautiful? Not so much.) And he left. And I left. And once again, friend from work laughed her ass off.

I am now convinced that there is a camera crew from some hidden camera show planted there and I am their target. That or this restaurant is part of some sort of twilight zone. Regardless, I think "distractingly beautiful" is the best line I have ever heard.

Sunshine State

So, my time here in the OC of FL may be coming close to an end. In just a few short weeks (ok, eight days, but who's counting?), I will be eligible to start applying for transfers within my company. You all know that I could be a senior member of the Orlando Haters Club, but, strangely enough, lately, I have been feeling more positive about being here. (Don't freak out. This is not my way of saying that I am going to stay here. Don't freak out. That means you, Slice.) Because I suspect that I will soon be back to my regular state of disdain for all things Orlando, I have decided to compile a list of stuff I like about being here.

The weather. (Surprise, surprise, you didn't see that one coming, did you?) A little over a week ago I left the gym a few hours before I boarded a plane to chilly DC and as I stepped out into the 70 degree evening I thought to myself, "Heaven. Pure Heaven." You know those cold sleety days that happen at least once a week between October and March up North? They don't happen here. Ever.

Driving. I like having a car. True, I miss walking most places, but I love my convertible. And I love that it is mine. And I love that it provides a place for me to sing at the top of my lungs. And I don't miss sitting next to gross/creepy/scary strangers on public transportation. (Yes, quasi, he was a fellow human being, but you said yourself that you wish he hadn't chosen to sit right next to you.)

The largest McDonald's in the world and the drunken amusement it has provided me over the past few years.

My job. I have definitely learned a lot.

Finding my way in a city where I only knew two people. And we all know how social H & J8888 are.

Being closer to my mom geographically.

Experiencing what it is like to be defined by where I went to school. I know I have covered this in previous posts, but do you know how many times I have been referred to as "my Georgetown grad" by my boss? Hoya Saxa, kids. Hoya Saxa.

Being closer to my Tampa friends. My girls (shhh...its a secret sort of friendship) and the hilarity that seems to take place whenever we go out. The Core. My Otown native (imaginary?) pal who will sacrifice part of his Superbowl Sunday to perform a mitzvah with me.

Ok, I am starting to get a little sappy and I feel like I am giving some sort of acceptance speech. I think I need to go to bed.