I watched my cousin graduate on Friday. I remember my graduation by the rules, a stadium full of people, and the jitters. My last name is Lawson, so I was about half way through. I guess I never realized how boring graduations are! Shane’s was much shorter than mine… it only lasted about an hour and a half whereas mine lasted about two and a half hours. I had many more people in my graduating class than he did. His was also at a church, and they prayed. It was very different from what I had thought it would be.
I realized this weekend that simply watching TV doesn’t please me like it used to. I used to be able to spend countless hours watching whatever was on television that sounded interesting. I’ve grown so used to just watching YouTube shows and movies and TV series on the networks’ websites that just watching TV itself isn’t as fun anymore. In fact, it’s very boring.
Due to the food allergy testing this coming week, I tried to eat as allergy-free as I could.
After Shane’s graduation, we went to Tino’s Restaurant. The place is located in Sunnyvale, and it serves Mexican food. However, I do not recommend it. It’s horrible to people with allergies! I told her I can’t have onions, tomatoes or peppers, and she said, “Okay.”
My plate was brought out with two tacos that had onions, tomatoes and peppers. Her excuse was that “it’s cooked like that” and that they couldn’t cook it without those things, so I ordered something else. This should have been mentioned to me before the order was completed. If I was just a picky eater, then I would think I sound quite ridiculous. However, I’m a picky eater with food allergies and acid reflux. When I can’t have something, then that should mean something. …and why is it “cooked like that”?! Did I just eat freezer shit from a restaurant? I could have went to a fast food place for that or just bought the stuff from the store.
Although I mention Bri a lot on my blogs, Shane and I grew up together. Shane and Bri are the closest cousins I have to my age; they’re the ones I spent the majority of my time with. I love Shane like he’s a brother, and sometimes I’ve even felt like he was my older brother. Thus, I’m really, truly proud of him. He worked hard.
It’s been four years since I graduated.
The life I have now isn’t what I expected to have. That’s a great example of how “the perfect time” plan talk is really pointless. Seize life’s precious moments and fight for what’s right. Shit happens, and you have to stop whatever you had planned in order to work on that shit. In the process, you’ll probably have many epiphanies that may change your life forever. That’s something you can’t learn from a lecture. Life’s a bumpy ride; like the game, it has many twists and turns.
This week is going to be a long week. I mean, I’m assuming it will be. I’m getting tested for food allergies specifically, and I’m going to be there for four hours from Monday (today) to Wednesday. I suppose the good think is that I’ll receive results right away.
Ugh, I miss Todd already. 🙁
If you loved this post, please share or buy me a pretzel:
Comments on this post
Jessica
Congrats to your cousin! I had to attend my brother’s graduation and was bored too. My sister actually brought her books to study haha.
What happened at the restaurant is really unacceptable. I just hate when waiters/waitresses don’t think or understand, but make it seem like they do. Especially when she responded with an “okay.” I worked in a restaurant and I know for a fact I would be chewed out for something like that. Oh wow, I JUST saw a PSA on TV about children with food allergies and bullying. I hope you weren’t bullied because of your food allergies @.@ It sounds like you have enough to deal with when you have people like the waitress who don’t pay attention …
And yea, I didn’t expect my life to be where it is at this point in time and shit does happen, but we all have to keep on going. I’ve had so many epiphanies within the last two years, and but I realized that we all have to work hard for our ideal life.
Sage
I hate ceremonies … Hate them! I try and get out of as many as I can. I can’t concentrate long enough to sit there and actually take it all in.
Good luck with your allergy testing … 🙂
Cat
Congrats to your cousin on graduating!
I don’t watch TV as much anymore either. Well, not live TV at least. I still record shows, and I’m subscribed to a couple streaming services. I don’t leave the TV on anymore and just watch whatever is on though. I guess I’m bored of it too.
Wow, I’m surprised your server didn’t take food allergies seriously. I normally see servers check with the kitchen if they’re not sure, or at least get back to you if they can’t accommodate something. Just bringing it out to you with a poor excuse is pretty bad.
I don’t believe there’s really a “perfect time” for things. Like you said, stuff happens and you have to adapt. I hope your week is going well!
Diane
My graduation was so boring. My last name is Nguyen, so it took forever for my name to be called. While everyone was sitting down in their seats, everyone realized that we didn’t have enough chairs, which is really stupid since the committee/organizers should’ve known how many people were graduating. Everyone started applauding when they finally brought out more chairs.
It’s complete bullshit, the way those people treated your order. They basically could’ve ended up hurting you. Besides, the customer pays for the food. They should’ve listened to you when you said you couldn’t have those ingredients.
April
Did you all leave a tip? The waitress just didn’t realize how dangerous food allergies could be probably she’s just plain lazy. Of course tacos could be cooked w/o onions, it just wouldn’t taste right for people without allergies. Oh well. They just lose another customer. I wish the food allergy test would do well and hopefully it wouldn’t take that long.
And I’m on the same boat. I never expected my life would be like this, 6 years after I graduated. But moments like these help us grow and understand how the world goes.
Liz
@April, The food allergy test takes a set amount of time, so… 3 days.
The tip was included. By law, you have to tip who serves you if there are more than a certain amount of people. We were in a reserved room, and the gratuitous fee (tip) was included on the bill.
Jess
Graduations in Australia always seemed like less of a deal than any other country, our ceremony was just an “assembly” I guess. Luckily we miss out on the boring things!
I hope the food testing thing works out!
Richard
That’s the same with my sister! She’s allergic to peanuts, and when she ordered a cookie dough ice cream once at a restaurant the waitress said that peanuts weren’t in ANY of the deserts… And what happens?! One giant peanut in the ice cream. Such disrespect, you should definitely complain to the management.
Hiro
I honestly think that you should write a letter to the management. Allergies are serious business, and that waitress was just trying to cover her butt by saying it’s “not possible.” Because bullshit, of course it’s possible. Sure, it might not have as much flavors, but clearly other places don’t have tacos with those things included.
I tell my waiters that I would like x without x y z all the time, and if that’s possible. They would either say, “Sure thing!” Or, “I’ll check with the kitchen and get back to me. And they do, to tell me whether it’s possible or not. That’s what the waitress should have done.
She wouldn’t dare do that to someone with a peanut allergy, because people know how dangerous it is. How is your case any different? You should explain how bad it is for your health to have things that you are allergic to, and how you just wanted to celebrate it like every one else, with good food.
Thankfully, the things you are allergic to could be seen in this case, but imagine if they were certain ingredients that’s incorporated into the dish! Someone could get very very sick, and “Couldn’t do it” because she was lazy wouldn’t have been an excuse!
Congratulations to your cousin!
Jenny
Graduations everywhere!!! Congratulations to your cousin! Exciting times for him… 🙂 Commemoration, is basically my graduation. Long, but not that boring, thank goodness. It’s a great day. Oh and I’m just finishing the UK equivalent of high school, secondary school- I’m in 12th grade. I am going to university this September. My school’s a boarding school, so about half of the students live on campus and half travel in everyday (as normal). The US and UK systems are very different.
I am someone who can and will literally eat everything, so I’ve never had a problem with restaurant food before. But some restaurants can be very bull-headed about tailoring their menu. Which is annoying.