Monday, March 16, 2009

chipotle buddies

i went to chipotle for lunch today and it was the smallest chipotle i'd ever been in. there were only four tables to sit at, and since i was in the middle of a work errand, i couldn't take my lunch to go. so, i hung out at this skinny bar (no seats) eating my taco until a table opened up. when one did, i jumped at it. it was a foursie, like the other three tables, so i tried to keep my stuff close to me in case anybody else needed a seat.

as i was staring out the window and listening to my ipod, a lady approached me and asked if it would be possible for "us" to sit down. i assumed she was a part of a couple as i was like 'yeah, no problem' but then she followed her question with "there's three of us."

so now i'm sitting at this table like these people are my friends. one of the guys asks how i'm doing, and the following thought goes through my head:

"please don't talk to me"

so i answer "great" with a heavy dose of sarcasm (40% unintentional). the woman responds "we're glad to hear that." i don't know if she picked up my sarcasm, but then i started feeling bad. the lady starts making jokes, and at first i offer a polite giggle, but then i realize that i'm not with them. herein lies the dilemma-- i don't want to have a conversation with these people, but i'm surrounded by them. where do i focus my attention? intently staring out the window felt super awkward, but i wasn't going to gaze into the ladies eyes or continue eavesdropping on their convo. i also had my headphones in, so that added another element of confusion to the matter.

let me tell you something else. of all the places to want to be eating alone because of the sloppy mess you'll inevitably become, chipotle is high up on the list. i've got guacamole and sour cream everywhere. i'm trying to eat quickly so i can get out of there, but not too quickly because it's so delicious i want it to last forever. i eventually finished the tacos, and instead of spooning the remainder of the guacamole in my mouth, i picked up my basket, wished them a good lunch, and hightailed it outta there.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

i hate strangers but i LOVE THOSE CHIPS.

awkward. i don't envy you. except for, you know, the chips.

Anonymous said...

mmmmm! In some country I was in, maybe Austria, they seat strangers at tables together. It was odd. I think it was Austria, because Austria is also one of those countries where you don't strike up convos with strangers. So being an American it felt really weird sitting at a table with people and completely ignoring them.

Verification word: beabing

Wow! My usual posting name actually makes sense for this post!!!