Day 187: The veterans dinner

It'w Veterans Day and my sister and I joined my mom and dad at the VFW hall for dinner.

We walked in, my mom and dad went their separate ways to socialize leaving my sister and I to find a table.

We headed for what we thought was a back table, which ended up being a front table. When we sat down I saw a rather inconspicuous styrofoam cup filled with water, so I moved it and we sat down.

At that point I noticed people starting to look at us funny, as if we didn't belong. Ok so I know I'm not a veteran but its not like we walked in off the street for a free meal. I know people here, I'm with people here.

A little later an older woman told us we had taken her and her husbands seats. They sit there all the time, we were in 'their seats' and the cup was the place marker. We apologized profusely and quickly moved to a different table.

The place was pretty full, then we spotted an empty table at the back next to the food table and we happened to know the older gentleman sitting there. He and my dad have been friends for a long time, so we asked if we could sit with him.

He agreed and we started chatting. He was drinking bourbon while the rest of us were stuck with coffee, water or tea.

I like this guy. He's pretty funny. He spends part of his year in the nursing home, but he certainly doesn't buy into their rhetoric.

He just kept saying 'when your in the nursing home, you do what the nursing home tells you to do' followed up by a quick comment about not liking medication… bourbon is his medication… then a little more about doing what the nursing home tells you to do.

I got the impression he didn't take direction very well, which I liked. I like strong bullheaded people. Perhaps because I'm a taurus, not to mention irish and german theres really no way for me to escape being stubborn and thick headed.

Which I pretty much told the old guy. I said I come from a long line of thick headed people and pointed to my dad. The old guy just laughed, and laughed. He thought that was one of the funniest things of the night.

Before too long it was time to eat and low and behold they told us our table was the first to go because we were closest, oh and because we were sitting with the oldest guy in the room at the ripe old age of 98. He also just happens to be the oldest veteran in the county.

Ok great we can't win! First we're evicted from our seats then we try to find one far far away, and we end up being some of the first in line on veterans day in a room full of veterans! Now we look like total schmucks…. but there was nothing we could do about it.

Before too long some woman said to my sister, 'Ethel May is the next oldest here, she should have gone second!' My sister quickly replied with 'yes, she should have'.

Then I heard someone say 'did Bob get to go through the line first?' In my mind all I could think was 'oh no of course he didn't, the 2 younger vagrant girls who walked in off the street for a free meal knocked the 98 year old veteran out of the way so that they could get to the food first.' YES!! He go to eat first!

Sometimes this town drives me crazy. I'm very glad I've got a good filter because I would be in a LOT of trouble if I didn't bite my tongue half the time.

After dinner was over, we were in a small group talking before heading out the door and someone farted, but everyone ignored it as if it didn't happen. It was like I was in an episode of the twilight zone... what the heck was happening?? It was absolutely crazy!

Then I started to think about it and getting older, and maybe I'm over-thinking this whole 40 thing. I can't wait to get old!

You can bitch at people and speak your mind no matter how ridiculous the statements, and you can pass gas in public without anyone even blinking an eye, not to mention smuggle in booze into dinner... what's not to like?!