brian recaptures his youth

yesterday we drove to roseville so brian could introduce me to sonic burger, a drive-in he "discovered" while in college in texas and oklahoma. what he really wanted to introduce me to was whataburger and rib crib, but neither of those are in california, so he had to settle for sonic.

brian often criticizes california for being insular and self-important, and i don't think he's always wrong in that. though i've lived here my entire life and love it, i know my state has it's fair share of cultural awareness issues. because i've never lived anywhere else, i sometimes am [unjustly] accused by my husband of not understanding what the rest of the country is like. generally this happens when we discuss food and restaurants. brian feels there is no decent fast food in california and "settles" for jack in the box. i adore in-n-out. he says the only reason i like in-n-out is because it's a california thing and i don't know any better fast food like "they" have in the rest of the country.

saturday i was craving in-n-out, so we went to burger king first so brian's mouth would be full while we were in the drive-thru at in-n-out and i wouldn't have to listen to him whine about the bad taste of california people. but apparently he had never actually had a double-double (animal style, oh yummm)? because he wanted a bite of mine to see how it was. and here he was moaning and groaning about it the whole time and he had never tasted such heaven? he said it wasn't too bad, for a basic burger (what was he expecting? confetti and mushrooms?), but i think he secretly loved it and just didn't want to let on. i think he would have eaten the whole thing if i hadn't fussed at him. score one point for me.

yesterday we drove 25 miles to the second-closest sonic burger to our house - the closest was in woodland, 23 miles away. i wanted to go there but he said no, it's easier to go to roseville. whatever. we printed out directions and off we went so i could experience my first drive-in. he couldn't take me to whataburger for their amazing ketchup but at least he could take me for a damn good burger served in my car by a girl on roller skates, just like old times. he could be bitter about california's dearth of fine fast food establishments but by golly at least he got to take his wife to a sonic.

i spotted it first, right next to a gas station. we turned in and lo - the sonic was in the gas station. i kid you not. brian just about shot himself on the spot. we went in and ordered and sat at a small table inside the gas station for lunch. brian moaned and groaned about being bitter and this is what the world is coming to and HIS WIFE JUST LAUGHS, SHE CANNOT STOP LAUGHING AT HIS MISERY, WHY ME GOD. i think i laughed for about five minutes straight, he was so bitter and hysterical.

some days i want to fill up the bathtub and hold his head underwater, because he is such a MAN and doesn't listen and doesn't do things right (read: my way) and isn't like me, and i get so frustrated that marriage is such work - and then we have an afternoon like yesterday, and i am so thankful that he is such a man and not like me.

because, me? i would have looked at the street view on google maps to know what i was looking for and known we were going to a gas station and opted to go to the one in woodland instead, the one he pooh-poohed, because that one is actually a drive-in like it is supposed to be. at least, it looks like it on google maps.

and the burger? not bad, but not nearly as good as in-in-out.