Birds of a Feather

I have been called a creature of habit. I like things just so. I have favorite dishes at restaurants, favorite drinks, favorite tables, favorite servers. I alphabetize things, color coordinate my closets, organize my shirts by sleeve length, my pants by hem length. I’ve been called anal retentive, I prefer neat. Or perhaps orderly.

I’m here to tell you that I come by these things completely honestly.

Yesterday was my Al’s birthday. So we went to dinner at the Red Robin. I didn’t even ask where we were going – just called when we were a few minutes from the restaurant to give my parents time to arrive. Why? Because we have gone to the same restaurant for Al’s birthday since he discovered it some 13 or 14 years ago. Because he’s also a creature of habit.

Once there we will order a round of drinks. For Al? A Mai Tai if he’s drinking, Dr. Pepper if he’s not. The same every year. Onion rings. And for dinner? One of two choices… A Bonsai Burger, hamburger, cheddar cheese, pineapple, teriyaki sauce. Or the Teriyaki Chicken Sandwich with Swiss cheese, pineapple, teriyaki sauce… Yep. Big decisions y’all.

And for desert – mud pie. But this year they changed their recipe! Gone was the chocolate-y coffee ice cream concoction we’d shared for so many years and in its place was something I can only assume was meant to be more kid friendly. Chocolate and peanut butter. I don’t think they realized what a tail spin they were going to cause!

So that’s my Al y’all. A little sneak peek in to the nuttiness that is my family. So while he may not be my biological father… You can see that man has certainly left his mark! Do y’all wonder maybe a teensy bit less why I’m crazy now?