My roommate Christine and I had every intention two weeks ago to go to Ikea and buy a coffee table. And perhaps a floor lamp for my bedroom. This one, maybe?
We headed out down Georgia Avenue with the best of intentions, chatting away, when all of a sudden, Christine slammed on the brakes as the car in front of us skidded to a stop. We kept rolling and tapped the car's bumper.
Luckily, there was no damage to either car. The only problem was that Christine's brakes weren't working right. That's a big problem.
So the Ikea trip was off. I said we should get some dinner while we waited for the tow truck driver to arrive. It was a desolate-looking stretch of road, but then, like a beacon, we saw a little diner down the block. I looked through the window, and it seemed crowded, with people eating at every table. Strangely enough, I saw a clown sitting at one of the tables in the window.
I explained our situation to the waitress and asked her if an hour was enough time to eat in the dining room.
"Well, we're pretty busy tonight, on account of the clown," she said.
I guess Bubbles the clown is a big draw. While Bubbles whipped up balloon animals for the kids, Christine and I ate take-out cheesesteaks in the vestibule of the restaurant. The waitresses were nice enough to let us do that. Maybe I was a little loopy from the stress of this, but can I tell you that this was the best cheesesteak I've had? And I've been to Philly! Woodside Delicatessen, Silver Spring. Try it! I'd go back. The decor was quaint too.
The tow truck driver showed up right on time. The two of us slid into the front seat with the driver after he hooked up Christine's car. We tried to make conversation. But the conversation veered in a direction I personally wish it hadn't gone, when he started talking about how he broke up with his girlfriend recently.
"She thought every female customer I had wanted to jump my bones," he said. Polite laughter from us.
"Of course, I do date my customers sometimes," he said.
This wasn't going to be one of those times.
Then he continued that he liked to buy his lady friends cologne and fancy lingerie, not the trashy kind, mind you, real nice lingerie. Real nice. I was trying so hard not to burst out laughing. I don't think he would've liked that response.
So we got the car situation straightened out and when we got out of the pickup truck, he gave us his phone number and said don't hesitate to call him if the car breaks down again, or even if we just want to talk.
