Yesterday we had an inch of snow and the temperature didn’t get about 35 (however, this was limited to this area, as it was in the upper 40s at Parkersburg). Today the temperature got up to the low 60s and was sunny.

Hurrah for layers!

We all went out to lunch today, which is a good thing, because my grandmother doesn’t really like to go out that much, but my house is so small, she doesn’t get enough walking around here, even when she walks back and forth through the house. Of course since she’s out at least once a week for doctor appointments, I suppose she’s getting her exercise there.

But back to lunch. We went her new favorite restaurant, Cheddar’s, which she likes because the food is very good and very inexpensive. (Three of us ate lunch and shared a dessert for $25.) But as it is Sunday, it was incredibly busy (And there’s something I don’t get either. How come all these “Christians” who think that homosexuality is EVIL because the bible says so, have no problem ignoring the command to keep the sabbath holy by forcing minimum wage workers to work long shifts on Sunday and be away from their families? There’s a long rant for another time.) so we had to wait half an hour for a table, which I was expecting (having worked food service for years myself. [Are you still with me here? Not to many parenthetical asides for you? Good.]) What was interesting to notice which customers paid attention to others in the waiting area.

By the time I had parked the car, my grandmother was seated on one of the benches and Michael was standing in front of her chatting. After a brief moment, the mother and daughter who were sitting beside her got up so Michael and I could have their seats. I protested, but they left, so we sat. As we waited, I paid attention to who sat and who stood, and who offered their seats to others.

After one white haired couple put their name on the list, they turned around and there were no seats, so they stood in the middle of the lobby, right in front of us and two college students (a young couple). After a minute, when the college students didn’t get up to offer their seats, I got up and offered them my seat (and Michael’s seat).

It just leads me to wonder, what people are thinking (or not) as they wait. When we’ve got (without my grandmother) to restaurants where there is a long wait, I inevitably give up my seat for older customers or pregnant women (especially the ones who like they’re about 10 months pregnant and about to fall over). Now don’t get me wrong, I absolutely don’t mind doing this, but as there are other able bodied men and women in the lobby, I wonder why no one else ever offers their seat to someone else? Is this common elsewhere or just here? Or do I spent more time people watching and am just more likely to notice older couples and pregnant women who need to get off their feet?