Passing the open air restaurant around the corner from here. A stout woman in her 60s, plump-cheeked, healthy, good-natured, talking to the teenage hostess at her sidewalk desk. Behind the stout woman is a line of strollers and baby carriages pushed by men and women in their 30s. Couple of the carriages have two babies. The stout woman asks the hostess, "Do you serve drinks here?"
Hostess: Oh yes!
Woman: Drinks. Real drinks. Beer, wine, cocktails?
Hostess: We sure do! We have a bar! (As if this is one of the few restaurants in town that has one of those exotic features.)
Woman: So we can get drinks?
Hostess: Oh no problem!
One of the dads pushing a carriage: I'm good with that!
One of the moms pushing a double-stroller: Maybe we should skip the chowder and right for the Margaritas!
A pair of elderly preppie women passing by stop, turn, and stare. Looks of shock and disapproval on their faces.
First preppie woman: Does she have two babies in that stroller?
Second preppie woman: You know, I believe she does!
First preppie woman (shaking her head. Now she's seen everything): Amazing. (They start walking away.) Just amazing.
Hi Lance! Maybe all that drinking's responsible for all those babies!
Once again, I'm jealous. I love having a cocktail in the middle of the day during vacation.
Poor me.
Posted by: blue girl | Monday, July 11, 2005 at 04:44 PM
The two older women should recognize that one drink per child is a necessity.
Posted by: Linkmeister | Monday, July 11, 2005 at 04:53 PM
Damn, I wasn't aware you could poison a fetus with alcohol outside the womb.
Posted by: Amanda Marcotte | Monday, July 11, 2005 at 05:40 PM
Being that I'm an old prepster (and Cape Cod summer resident myself) I'm going to go out on a limb here...I will bet anything you like that if we could positively ID those women they weren't "preppies" but yuppies, middle-class-moms, or what-have-you dressed up in their summer-at-the-Cape LLBean togs.
Having been raised by and around Preps of all ages, they INVENTED drinking because of children. Dear, if the sun *might* be over the yardarm somewhere we want a cocktail.
And, in memory of summers past, I'll have a lime rickey please!
(hey, I'm in Texas, anything sounds good that has shore-side associations)
Posted by: Prof BBT | Monday, July 11, 2005 at 08:46 PM
I know and love that open air place, but it always seems to be closing by the time I have the opportunity to slip over there. It's a kind of misty Brigadoon in my memory because it's been so elusive.
But I heartily agree with Linkmeister that when on vacation, one drink per child chased around all day is about the right ratio.
Posted by: mrs. norman maine | Tuesday, July 12, 2005 at 10:10 AM
But... but... drinking is inherently evil. There's no difference between enjoying a half of beer once in a while and drinking to the point of unconsciousness every single night, and you wouldn't want someone with children to be passed-out-drunk, would you? Would you?
Posted by: Nick Kiddle | Monday, July 18, 2005 at 05:01 PM