These days there are a couple of places I avoid going if I have both girls in tow simply to avoid unnecessary stress. The first is my local credit union, which so values face-to-face communication with its members, that it has deliberately chosen not to install a drive-thru at any of its twelve locations. Therefore, I only make deposits there approximately four times a year.
The other destination that I presently try to avoid is the entire genre of restaurants that do not offer drive-thru service. I would argue that one of the most overlooked opportunities in this fine city might be the offering of a drive-thru pizza place. This is mainly because one of our family’s favorite solutions for an in-a-pinch meal is a take-and-bake pizza from a popular national chain (with no drive-thru) whose name rhymes with Hoppa Durfee’s.
Convenience aside, yesterday I bravely decided to get over myself and my fear of public displays of drama and ventured on out to the aforementioned chain to pick up a pizza as a group of three. Clearly, I did not consider that 5:30 PM is a very popular time to pick up take-and-bake dinners and that there might be an extended wait even for those who so prudently called ahead (which, as an aside, seems to have no bearing on the order in which the pizzas are assembled). After serving our time on the waiting bench (as well as under and behind the bench), we finally had our unbaked meal in hand, and were ready for the real challenge of getting ourselves and our dinner safely back to the car. Well, some things simply aren’t meant to be.
Seeing as how both Toddler 1 and Toddler 2 are what we call “darters” (meaning they will dart away from the nearest adult with dangerous curiosity, impressive speed, and no warning), I prefer to always have both of their hands in mine when walking in or near a parking lot. Toddler 2, however, was in no mood for my hand-holding yesterday and managed to wiggle herself free and dart about 30 yards ahead of me on the sidewalk very near moving cars during parking lot rush hour. In my panic, I had no choice but to hand the pizza off to Toddler 1, who had already assured me she could handle it, and chase after Toddler 2 to return her to safety. Naturally, this happened:
There it sat. Our entire dinner lying upside down on the hot pavement. Who knows? Maybe if I had left it there long enough it would have cooked itself. All I can say is kudos to Hoppa Durfee’s for double saran-wrapping their pizzas.
So, here are my take-away lessons from yesterday’s outing: 1. I should cook more meals at home, 2. If not doing number 1, I should pick up our wholesome dinners while T1 and T2 are at MDO and preschool (obviously), and 3. Hoppa Durfee’s and all other such fast-food-type places should have a drive-thru.
Really, I think lots of businesses would benefit from the drive-thru option. How about groceries? That would be wonderful. What about libraries and bookstores? Fabulous. And, why not take it to a new level and offer this convenience for apparel shopping, too? Imagine pulling up to your favorite store and ordering an outfit:
Salesperson: “Hi, welcome to Orange Democracy. How can I help you?”
Me: “Umm… Yes, I’d like a pair of boot-cut jeans in a size such-and-such with a fitted tee and a ruffle cardigan.”
Salesperson: “Certainly. Would you like to upsize your order with some shoes and a side of accessories?”
… Now, that would really simplify things.
Oh, only in America could we be so spoiled by convenience. It’s unnecessary and undeserved. It’s bordering on ridiculous.
But, sometimes it’s just fun to dream about all the feats I might attempt from the accessibility of the drive-thru lane with my little brood safely secured in their car-seats. Happy weekend! 🙂
Ha! That is like those kid leashes… No one appreciates their value until you have a brood of darters of your own. I can't tell you how often I almost succumbed to the idea of those monkey backpack/child leashes, which pre-children I had thought to be a sure sign of parental laziness incarnate. Little did I know!
Oh, yes, I'll admit that we have the monkey backpack and have used it on many occasions. Using it with T2, though, is challenging. The second she spots something she wants to see or touch, she makes a beeline for it and I wind up chasing behind her, "leash" in hand…
I too have had issues at this lovely pizza chain. Sometimes our family craves it, but there is no way that I am taking a three year old in to wait on prep and then juggling her and the pizza to the car. There are many times I have been thankful for the double wrap. I have discovered that down the road we do have a pizza chain that has a drive thru! It kind of rhymes with missa mutt and is on merchants. BTW….I loved reading your blogs today. They made me laugh and cry! kris10
Kris10: I'm so glad you could relate. I had no idea about the Missa Mutt option! I'll have to add that to our drive-thru dinner rotations 🙂