More Adventures in Fine Dining

I took my mother grocery shopping last night...at the Golden Corral. I actually thought I was taking her out to eat. Monday's Shrimp Night, you know. I wondered why she lined her pocketbook with a 30 gallon lawn and leaf bag before she left home. I soon found out. She'd take a bite or two of an item and proclaim it too tough to eat. Next thing you know, she's wrapping the "too tough" item in a napkin and dropping it into her purse.
I bet she took home ten dollars worth of napkins, not to mention the food...everything from steak to baked potato, to rolls, to an assortment of delightful desserts. Rather than being embarrassed, I was just thankful she didn't go from table to table scraping the remains of the meals into her purse. I'm just waiting for the day she asks a stranger, "Are you going to eat that?"
My mother does know how to squeeze a dime. We had a dollar off coupon, so each buffet was $8.39. The total bill (for 3) came to $26.11. As I'm paying the bill, my mother asks the cashier in a very demanding tone, "How did that come to $26.11."
I try to hush her up, but she becomes even more irate.
"No," she says, "I would like to know how that came to $26.11." She would have pulled her calculator out, but evidently she had left that at home so the leftovers wouldn't mess it up.
"They saw us for easy marks," I tell her, "and decided to make us pay sales tax." That seems to satisfy her.
My mother has many good qualities, but she's never been a pure joy to take to a restaurant. I think she gets her pure joy in finding something not to like. I don't really think it's a bad attitude as much as an outright resentment at having to pay restaurant prices. Her attitude is "How dare McDonald's charge me a dollar for a hamburger. I could have made it at home for a lot less." I'm sure on many occasions the waitstaff had wished she had fixed something at home.
Actually, she's not so bad at Golden Corral. As I've said before GC is the mecca of restaurants...lots of food for a relatively good price. Even my mother is okay with the price. It's just that blasted sales tax she resents.
But, I think since she brought home enough food to make several meals, she's probably feeling pretty good today. I hope this doesn't sound like an ungrateful son criticizing his elderly mother. Actually, my mother is okay, once you get to know her. In fact, if you don't know her, stop by. Maybe she'll even share a bowl of left over soft serve ice cream