The month of September can occasionally deal out a robustly warm to hot day. The sort of day that keeps many folks inside, in air conditioned comfort. That was what normal folks did. I was cut from a more abnormal piece of cloth, and so decided to head out to see a few sights at a local Park, while enjoying a burger and fries.
I.
A half hour before the noon hour found me in a rather short line at a McDonald's drive through just off the main drag in a town called Forsyth, MO. Since it was a Tuesday and many guys and gals were working or in school, thus I didn't have very long to wait and quickly arrived at a little order box that you have to talk into to get any food. A barely discernible and squeaky voice greeted me.
"Welcome to McDonald's, can I take your order?" For my part, I was fumbling in my pockets for my wallet and some loose change. Inevitably, a few coins got loose and fell down into an area between the seats... never to be seen again.
"Uh, yeah. I'd like a Quarter Pounder and a medium fry." I spoke this out in a reasonably loud and clear voice, while hanging half out of my car window. (Order takers seemed to us customers making the effort to be uncomfortable. That thought could have been just in my head, though).
"Would you like something to drink with that?" Came the tinny and garbled counter response. (You could tell that the order taker was a bit bored and had done this routine something like a million times).
'Nope. That's all. I brought my own with me." I could swear I heard a muffled swear word, and then a small electronic window, right across from me, lit up with my order description and the total. As usual I blinked twice when I saw the amount. (Not long ago, the cost would have been well under a buck. Those days were long gone, as it was the 21st Century).
'Please pull around to the pay window", I was instructed, and then was dismissed in favor of the next vehicle behind me. I grabbed the wheel with one hand while holding some bills and change in the other. (Each and every time I'd done this, I reflected that it all seemed a very awkward way to do a transaction. It was well into the 21st Century for chrissakes)! In a minute or two, I had pulled up to the pay window and dutifully handed over a small ransom of hard earned cash. Receipt now in hand, I then proceeded to the next and final window where I would be rewarded with what I hoped was my actual order. (Not a few times, I had driven away with someone else's order of chicken and gumbo rice or whatever). That was always an instant McBummer, each and every time.
Looking quickly into the bag, after it had been handed to me, I caught a glimpse of what
looked to be the correct stuff and casually tossed it into the seat next to me. With my repast now safely ensconced in my Jeep, I then drove a relatively short distance down a Park that was situated next to the Bull Shoals Lake. It was a quarter to noon and the fabulously clear day was warming up fast!
II.
I arrived at the Empire Park and was happy to see only a few other people out and about. Lots of water and windless days most always elevated my mood. I pulled into a parking spot and then walk over to a picnic table that was next to the water. There were just a couple of houseboats plying the calm waters and I think food always tastes a little bit better in surrounding like I was in. Apparently, so did a bunch of flies who had also developed a taste for fast food. They attacked my burger with even more gusto than me and were a constant threat. Somehow, I muddled through the meal and at the end the score was me 1, flies 0.
