Lunch After Church

I love going to lunch after church. It may just be me but it doesn't seem right to just go home and have leftovers or a sandwich after a worship celebration. However, coordinating lunch after church can be tricky. First there's the question of whether or not anyone is going to lunch. Am I going to get invited? Should I initiate? What if I initiate and we are the only ones who show up? Should I invite myself if I find out other people are going to lunch? I know...I'm awkward. Once you finally get a group together you need to figure out where to go. Sometimes someone really has a a craving for Chipotle and the decision is made, but other times, you stand around for 15 minutes advocating for where you really want to eat, trying not to offend anyone as they advocate for where they want to eat.

So...that brings me to yesterday. A group of us decided to go to lunch at SuperMex in Lakewood. I haven't been much but I remember that they do have some fantastic mexican food, hence the name super mex. There were 10 adults and 4.5 kids (including Dominic Alberico). We were told there would be a 30minute wait which, though daunting with hungry kids, seemed acceptable. About 45 minutes later (upon seeing our intended table broken up to appease an angry customer) we reluctantly decided to cut our losses and find somewhere else to eat. I will say that it was the first time I heard a hostess say into the microphone to everyone waiting in the lobby, "Our take-out window is open." Wow! We decided to take our unruly brood across the parking lot to Souplantation only to be told emphatically that we would not be able to sit together, not to mention the 30 people in line in front of us. This is also a good time to let you know that it was now about 1:30 in the afternoon and 96 degrees outside. Desperate, we ran our ragtag bunch of misfits across traffic to the haven known as Baja Fresh. We were greeted with a nearly empty, air-conditioned lobby. Not surprisingly, my food tasted exceptionally good. Was it 2.5 hours good, I don't know?

Needless to say, yesterday's adventures further proved to me that the institution known as lunch after church is indeed complicated. Nevertheless, I will continue participating in this weekly tradition. So friends, if you see me skulking around the Revolution patio after the 11:00 service, you'll know what I'm looking for.

Here is a picture of us walking from Souplantation to Baja Fresh. I especially like Esther's expression.