Simple Pleasures

I forgot myself again. It's my day off and yes, I got up early this morning with a serious desire to be productive, but what for really? I mean, I work enough so why not sleep in an extra hour or so? What's the sudden rush to do something if it means getting out of these warm comforters? So I lay there, deep in thought about "thinking too much" if that makes any sense and fell back asleep because well, I could.

Later that day my older sister rang me awake for our weekly lunch date: sweet passion fruit iced tea and then some. We met this interesting waitress (curly hair, pale skin, and black-rimmed glasses) who seemed to act more like a long-lost friend than a server with her sly, sense of humor and easy-going attitude. A bright blue Band-Aid covered a newly burnt part of her right hand in-between her thumb and index finger.

"Aw, you poor thing...what happened," I asked.

We hit it off immediately. Then there was this bus boy that made one of our most favorite restaurants extra special this afternoon. He kept making it a point to come by and say, "Hi." We paid no attention at first. I mean, afterall it's only common courtesy. But after the third "Hi" we began to blush. Hmmm...

He came by again later to say more.

"You ladies working after this," he asked with a smile.

"Nah, we're off. Why," we both said pretty much at the same time.

"What do you drink," he followed turning his smile into a grin.

My sister shrugged her shoulders and combed back her luscious brown hair behind her ears. "Pina Colada, I guess," she answered.

He looked over to me. "Um...I don't drink," I said honestly.

He nodded his head and was off. My sister poked me,"You could've said you drank something."

I thought to myself what for? I really don't drink.

A little while later he came back sure enough with her Pina Colada. She smiled with delight. How sweet?! (She must've thought that out loud because it was written all over her face.)

"Do any of you like cake," he asked.

"Uh..." we said, looking at each other in disbelief. He followed by saying, "I feel bad because here I got you a drink (looking at my sister) and well there's nothing for her (he turned my way)."

"It's cool really," I began to answer.

"She likes that raspberry thingy..." my sister interrupted.

We couldn't believe it. We've been coming to this place since '97 and it's the first time ever that we were getting extra spoiled.

The simple pleasures in life: Gourmet food, cold drinks, great company and awesome customer service.

Intuition

It hits me. Always with the same energy. This sudden, gut-wrenching pain that warns me something bad is about to happen. Maybe my instincts are wearing off. Whatever the reason, it lets me know that I’ve been lied to. No matter how I try to brush it off like it’s no big deal, I know without a doubt that I’ve been deceived. The worst part is that I don’t let it go. I carry it with me like all the stress in my life. I feel like hiding underneath the covers forgetting the day as the sun comes and goes.

The lil' Van that could

Have you ever had a moment in time that you wanted to remember? There is no real significance to it, but there it is. I was in my dad’s van. The van: brown and beige with gold trim lining, velvet curtains and carpeted floors, and a mini TV right at the center where everyone would hit their head at least once as they entered. We went on several road trips in that old Mitsubishi yet it’s the trips back home that I think about the most. Everyone would fall asleep. It felt so safe, so secure, so soothing with my dad behind the wheel. No sharp turns or high speeds, just by-the-book careful driving for hours. The soft, rumble of its engine, the gentle breeze cooling the window as I press the palm of my hand against the glass. Flat desert planes for miles, mountains, and the ever-changing, colorful sky to keep me company.