Dearest Rachel –
If it hadn’t been for the fact that it was so undiplomatic, I would’ve been pleased that Daniel actually knew what it was he wanted, and said so. He’s usually so indifferent to options offered to him, that this is actually worth telling you about. And in the end, it wound up being me who was the undiplomatic one, so that rather let him off the hook.
I probably need to explain this weekend a little better.
Let’s start with the fact that this was the third weekend in a row that saw me working in the booth, and as a result, I was making something of a half-hearted effort to fast yet again. I say half-hearted because, after having breakfast? brunch? two hours earlier than I ordinarily would, by the time I returned home from the Saturday night service, I was already what you would refer to as being ‘a little bit peckish.’ Still, rather than pick up a restaurant meal from the fast food joint I’d been assigned to by the boys (which would be particularly bad, since their offerings were essentially some generously fried chicken; tender and juicy, but the worst thing for someone watching what they ate), I put together a slice of bread with a layer of peanut butter and a few slices of sharp cheddar, so I wasn’t all bad.
It was still a cheat, though.
Regardless, yesterday morning still went smoothly. No mistakes to speak of (which is unusual, really; there will always be a moment where I switch slides perceptibly too soon or too late, but I didn’t notice anything like that this time around) and nothing more to eat until well past noon – although that shouldn’t be hard when you have to make an effort to get food. So by mid-morning, I was already thinking about what we (and that might very well include Logan, if he wanted) would eat when I got home, so that I could tell Daniel about it and prepare him.
In fact, he was already pretty much on the same wavelength as I was, since a suggestion was brought up the other day – to check out the Tijuanese place that I think showed up after your departure in the old 7-11 (so, yeah; another place you’ll never get to see). I forget when and why the initial plan was tabled, but when I mentioned it to him again after the first service, he seemed quite enthusiastic about the idea. Still, little more was – or needed to be – said about it, and we both went about our individual business from there.
Some time during my third shift, I got a text from him. It would seem that Logan had woken up and gone out of the house – unusual for him on a Sunday, as he tends to either sleep in or stay in his room until after noon, unless he’s off to see his family that day. This time, rather than going on a family outing, he was out shopping, as one does. The specifics, however, were what prompted Daniel to notify me about it; it would seem that he was going out to fetch ground meat and other ingredients to make what he referred to as a “meatloaf burger,” a variation on the typical summertime grill staple, because he was already well aware of Daniel’s distaste for the standard burger.
A little background to this, if you’ll indulge me; I’m not entirely sure why, but Logan has been having this hankering to grill things for the last few months. Someone reading this over your shoulder, particularly if they happen to be male, might point out that this happens to our side of the species when they reach a certain age; a primal urge to slap some raw meat directly on a fire for a bit, and call it dinner.
I would dispute this claim to masculine atavism, since neither I nor Daniel ever really succumbed to its siren call. Sure, I’ll broil (or even air fry!) a sausage and put it in a bun multiple times during any given summer, but firing up a grill? Between the fuel (whether charcoal or propane, and I’m not touching that holy war) and the cleanup, I’ve no interest in doing that. But it seems that Logan has been bitten by the bug, for whatever reason, to the point of asking for one from his folks for his thirtieth birthday a little more than a month ago. And while I certainly understand his wanting to put his new gift through its paces, I can’t relate to wanting it in the first place.
Of course, part of that may be due to the chilly reception most grilled offerings would receive. Neither you nor Daniel were particular fans of broiled hunks of sliced cow (although both of you were perfectly happy to indulge in the local Brazilian steakhouse now and again; maybe as much for the salad bar as the meat?), and for whatever reason, Daniel has been less and less enamored with hamburger over time, with his last one coming from the In-N-Out in San Antonio (which he deemed “okay” – high praise from him, but not so much that he’d be seeking it out any time in the near future). Logan doesn’t seem to have figured this out about him – and granted, I have never understood the ‘why,’ but I’m at least willing to accept and work around it as a general rule – or maybe he thinks he can convert him to carnivorism.
Needless to say, between having what he thought were plans and not fancying this particular idea in the first place, it wouldn’t surprise you that Daniel’s messages to me made it clear that he was less than thrilled. He was willing to abide Logan’s plan for the sake of household harmony, but there were a few written “sigh”s in his texts. I reminded him that the Mexican place would still be there in a day or two – he even came up with the idea of taking Kris there the next time she comes to clean the place – but his disappointment was evident.
However, upon arriving home, I noticed the boys were watching their usual anime. Given my typical Sunday mealtime experience, I expected Logan to be grilling already, and Daniel to be stewing, but no. So I retreated to the bedroom for an hour or so, before my appetite got the better of me, and I started looking through the pantry for something to tide me over. It hadn’t been my best one, but I needed to break my fast.
The boys noticed, “What are you doing?”
“Well, if you guys aren’t doing anything, I’m going to need to tide myself over; I haven’t had anything to eat all day. Unless you’re willing to set that stuff aside and join me in going out…”
To be sure, they insisted on finishing the episode they were watching – which was fine, but that just got me to engage in something of my own, requiring me to be pulled away from my screen – but since Logan hadn’t started anything with the grill, it was an easy matter to transfer the meat to the freezer and head out the door, at which point, Daniel got what he wanted without having to make a scene. Although, now that I look into that freezer, I still have that flank steak I need to turn into a tweak of that bear stew recipe at some point in the near future…
And speaking of the near future, this didn’t dissuade Logan – especially since he’d already bought the meat. He’ll be making those burgers on Friday, perhaps in lieu of fixing an elaborate breakfast for himself and Daniel that he’s made into something of a weekly ritual. Hopefully, Daniel will be willing to try – and maybe even enjoy – them. We’ll have to see. At least, he got what he wanted yesterday, though.
