No Recovery

Sigh. Well, I guess Spielberg got impatient and went off this week and named his own movie: "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull." Had waited for you, the voters, it would've been "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Fridge." Now you tell me-- which one sounds more swashbuckling? Let me tell you, at times those daring to go into my fridge find (unpleasant) adventures. Oh, well, we can all hum with contentment over the newest poll.

Back to that matter about the "no recovery" moment I mentioned a couple of posts ago. Do you ever get braver when you're around your friends?

Twenty-four hour donut shops and college students are often a perfect match. Like I mentioned already, it was late one weeknight years ago when a few friends and I decided to make our way to Jack and Jill Donuts at North First and Willis in Abilene, Texas. Well, actually some of us had kidnapped a few others and we needed a place to take them and feel triumphant, but that's another story.

We bought our superbrain goodies and settled onto stools looking out of the big plate glass windows, very much like the donut shop pictured in my September 9th post. Another great feature to donut shops is when they have a drive-through window, like this one did. As we laughed and had a good time, the line of several cars for the drive-through never died down--not surprising in a town with three universities.

I should mention that by this time David and I had been dating for almost a year. I should also mention that David thinks donuts are the fifth food group. So for a guy who's a night owl, this donut shop was heaven. It was no surprise when, through the glare of the parking lot lights, I saw him pull up to the end of the drive-through line in his white '87 Mercury Lynx. He had yet to spot me, though. So my friends and I kept on having a good time while I waited patiently, plot already hatched in my head.

When the time was right - David's car was only one away from the drive-through window - I used the famous last words of many redneck guys while horsing around with friends: "Hey, y'all, watch this!" My friends put down their donuts and looked as I slipped out the front door and around the side to the cars in line. I prepared to impress my buddies and have fun in the process; they had the perfect vantage point from inside the shop. As I moved I could see out of the corner of my eye that David's car window was rolled down-- also perfect, I thought to myself. I went to the end of the line of cars and dropped down with military-like stealth. Still crouching, I quickly made my way up the line until I was right below David's driver-side window. I grinned while glancing back into the shop; my friends watched expectantly. ....Then I made my move, springing into David's view, inches away from his face.

You probably guessed it. I don't know whose surprised eyes were bigger, mine or the stranger's staring back at me from inside what had to be the only other white '87 Mercury Lynx in Abilene. In my shock I managed to utter something brilliant like, "Oops, sorry--wrong person." Apparently he was too shocked himself to offer much reply. Tail tucked between my legs, I retreated back into the shop. Even before I opened the front door I could feel the sonic wave of my friends' laughter as they rolled on the floor, gasping for air. I could feel a smile come across my face, too.

Now, after I've opened up, doesn't that make you want to share one of your "no recovery" moments?