In my 15+ years working in the fast food business, I can ensure you I've seen some crazy things at the drive up window. I can only imagine what the girl at Sonic was thinking this morning when a car with three people laughing hysterically pulled up to her window at 7:30 in the morning.
You see, what had happened was...I rode in to work with Gina and Ryan on my way to breakfast with Brigid. They stopped at Sonic for breakfast, and for some reason wouldn't get me the new Red Velvet Cake Blast for a starter, something about too much sugar?? Anyway as we waited in line, Ryan pulled out some crisp clean ones to pay the bill (WG? friends can feel my pain) and G saw my reaction. That led to Ryan saying," He can use his own money." To which I replied, " I haven't even seen my wallet in like two years (slight exaggeration there for melodramatic effect)." Ryan "well, what do YOU need a wallet for, you can't even pull up your own pants! and I'm pretty sure that's a qualification for having a wallet." BAHAHAHA, that started the laughter...then "Let's see, what do you keep in a wallet? Business cards, you don't have a job so no wallet. Driver's license, you don't drive so no wallet. Money, well no job, no money, no wallet. Condoms, oh hell, I don't even want to think about that." It was at this point that the three crazy people reached the window, laughing uncontrollably with red faces and tears running down the cheeks. The cashier just smiled politely; I'd like to thing we made her day, at least we didn't just grunt "coffee" at her.
For the record, I can pull up my own pants...sometimes, most of the way. ALS takes away some of my most basic functions and it's not fun to have to ask for help with things like getting up from the couch, buttoning a shirt or even getting my pants on correctly. I miss the ability to chop seasonings for dinner, to pick up my granddaughter and hold her while she feeds the horses, or even to take the trash can out front, but I still have my ability to maintain that "quirky" sense of humor and to laugh at myself. If it's true that "Laughter really is the best medicine", I think I may have overdosed this morning. Thanks Ryan and Gina for not treating me any differently than before this disease entered our lives, ALS still sucks but I choose to laugh in the face of the monster.