I decided to eat a late breakfast in Chinatown. I got up and prepared to be out in San Francisco. I had a pamphlet a Chinese restaurant person had given me yesterday while I was gasping for breath at the top of a steep hill. I traced my path from yesterday, but the restaurant was not there. Google Maps was enlisted, just a few blocks away. I followed the directions. Once again, GPS on the phone seemed “fishy” and I was running out of Chinatown shops and the body was telling me I had gone far enough. A nice appearing restaurant was on the corner and I went in. I decided to have an appetizer and Chinese tea. I had deviled eggs with salmon topping. I looked at the menu again and found another appetizer, French onion soup. I ordered it. The French Onion top looked fabulous, but it wasn’t. I also decided this was not a Chinese food restaurant. It did have a restroom which is a blessing!
I returned to the hotel, collapsed for a while and had my Star Bucks coffee. I decided to explore the Embacardero Center Mall again and visited the CVS store when my text arrived about my family coming to pick me up for our exciting dining experience!
Full day!
Reunited with daughter and opera star, Jamie Chamberlin Granner! We spent the evening eating and drinking (for me) 2 margueritas!
The Mom imposed rules of who buys the meal is permanently set at Mom. This rule broken with complicity and sneakiness at dinner.
Our waiter was a very talkative extrovert. I quietly told him, the bill was to go to me. He nodded in understanding. The rule was broken in a perfect ending of a Hallmark movie.
The waiter brought the bill to the table. As he handed me the bill, I handed him my card. He left. However, my card remained in my hand with the bill on top. I didn’t realize that the card was still in my hand, covered up by the bill. The rule was broken by the son. He sneakily handed his card to the waiter who took it. Daughter, Jamie, laughed after a minute had gone by and the word “bill” was spoken out loud. “What did you say about Bill,” I queried? It was Jamie smiled and with a chuckle said, You still don’t know….Nathan is paying. You still have your card.” I looked underneath the bill and there was my card. “SCREAM!” The scream could be heard as far as one table away.
The waiter came back with the signature bill. I pierced him with my eyes. (Here is the Hallmark movie ending). He said, “If this happened to me 50 times, I would have taken your son’s card every time. I think about how my mother and you took care of your child, bought him what was needed and raised him over the years. It’s an honor that your son be allowed to pay for your meal.”
End of Hallmark movie!