In our infinite search for a new place to call home, Michael and I went to Annapolis. It's only 15 mins. away, and, what's more...It's an actual town.
Not like odenton which is more like...
Well, it's not a town by my definition of what makes a town. It's literally some apartments, a cvs, a superfresh and a mcdonalds that sometimes runs out of french fries and all the time is overly crowded.
Here is the one redeeming quality of the Odenton Mcdonald's, for future reference...
Michael and I walked there the other night. We wanted an ice cream, and seeing as how Rita's is kinda pricey, we crossed the street to McDonald's one dollar sundae.
Now, while you may be tempted to think that the redeeming quality is the Buck Sundae, wrong. I mean, sure it's a sundae, it's tasty. it's worth a buck....but no, that isn't the substory in my blog...
The real redeeming quality there is one employee. yes. Only one. It's not like he is working the drive thru at warp speed, because none of them at that locale do. And it's not like he's overly friendly and so hap-hap-happy to take your order, because, no one there loves to see you smile. In fact, none of the employees behind the counter, where all the magic happens, looks like they are lovin' it. This employee doesn't even work in that area.
His name is Gustavo.
He's the mopper.
he mops up messes when the hoodies spill their drinks and yell "Clean up on aisle 4!" and laugh. (As though Mcdonald's has aisle...but those idiots probably don't even know what an aisle is. The kids who live around here are not only idiots, They are white trash, and they aren't even white)
Here is why Gustavo is my favorite.
There was an elderly man in McDonalds. He had alzheimers. He was so happy to be out in public. He was waving to everyone. Saying they were his friends. Mike and I waved to him. He beamed. The lady with him (Maybe his daughter) seemed apologetic, but there was no reason to apologize to me or Mike. We'd gladly be that man's friend. We were honored.
Gustavo sees him waving.
He puts his mop down.
He goes over to the gentleman, and he does something that made me want to cry.
Gustavo hugged him.
In that moment, I think Gustavo became one of my heros. It was just so touching, so beautiful, and just one of those moments that make you want to be a better person.
But anyways, back to our apartment hunting...
In Annapolis we pull into a an apartment complex, took a tour, fell in love with the apartment.
Cheerily we said "We'll take it!"
Turns out what we were taking was a place on their waiting list.
We took the application, to be waiting. We have to apply to wait.
I furrowed my brow.
In a tone of dramatic doom & gloom told Mike we were doomed to stay in "Butthole Cove."
It just came out of my pouty mouth. It wasn't like that is what I normally call our complex. It just happened.
He laughed and said "I love you. I love you for calling it butthole cove."
We returned to the aforementioned cove. Pulling in, we were talking about how craptacular our apartment complex is, and how we just want away from it, but well, if we have to stay, maybe we can at least move apartments. To an upper level, so as to lower the noise of the walkers byers. And heck maybe it won't be that bad.
And as we are walking into our building back to our craptacular apartment...there it is.
A 12 year old boy with his hand, down the front of his pants.
walking casually.
Like nothing to it.
Like his hand was just in his pocket, not right on top of his tiddlywinks. I looked at mike. I looked at the boy. I looked back at mike.
Mike was shaking his head, as he said "That. That is why we need to move."
I said "WHO DOES THAT? He's old enough to know better! What kinda parent does this kid have?"
Later that night, at Arundel Mills Mall, I saw exactly what kind of parent kids like that have.
Picture it...we are walking past the Cinnabon....
There are benches in the middle of the mall, like normal, and on the bench a mother has her infant son on her lap.
Diaper off
Legs in the air.
Doody all over his...area.
Just talking to her friend while wiping infant butt in front of Cinnabon. CINNABON.
It's not like it was a mile to a bathroom with a Happy Huffalump Changer station.
I stammered to Michael...
"I just saw a baby boy's....whatever...."
He said "HUH?"
I said "Right on the bench..the mom was changing him."
He said "Did you SAY something to her?"
I said "You were just with me, I didn't say anything to her."
He said "You should've! We should've called security! that's so unsanitary."
Which leads to this question....would security kick you out of the mall for showing your baby's everything and the kitchen sink in the middle of the hullabaloo of the mall?
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