Last night my kids wanted to have an Applebee's steak dinner, then play a round of miniature golf for our Family Home Evening (FHE) activity. But, since we had a couple Texas Roadhouse gift cards burning a hole in the pocket, we made arrangements for call-ahead seating and settled on dining at the Roadhouse instead.
When we arrived at the restaurant, we were immediately given a cozy booth. I motioned my husband to scoot in, so I could be on the end to assist my son, who was sitting in a high chair. Greg introduced himself as our server, then introduced Jacob as a recent hire and a server-in-training. We exchanged pleasantries as the young men took our drink orders and gave us time to review the menu.
Within a few moments, Jacob-in-training returned, balancing a large tray of glasses filled with soda on his left hand. While he reached across me with his right hand to set a cherry limeade in front of my husband, a lady passed by our table. As Jacob-in-training simultaneously leaned in to get out of her way, he instantly lost grip of the tray, a loud SHATTER! rang through the building, and I was instantly drenched with soda. In a wave of ice cold shock, I yelped...then busted up giggling! Everyone around me giggled. The empty tray left a long trail of sopping wet evidence from the soft, brown hair on my head, through my crotch, and down to my cherry red toenails. Shivering in sloshing pools of soda, I proclaimed, "That was the ultimate ice bucket challenge!"
Needless to say, the shards of glass that scathed my clothing and sliced my fingers paid for our entire meal. We left a generous tip on the table, alongside my daughter's hand-written napkin note (which thanked Greg and Jacob for a great evening).
If we had dined at Applebee's, as originally planned, this mis-hap may have been missed happening. And what a shame that would have been. When any element of surprise presents itself, I choose to bask in whatever experience it offers. This incident produced a lasting memory for my family, and renewed gratitude that I write with my left hand. My only hope here is that Jacob-in-training remains on the payroll to become Jacob-the-server...
