Blast From The Past

Today, I had a doctor's appointment in Walnut Creek. It took Normy and I about an hour to get there (and about 2 to get home....timing is everything!)

We left early enough to have an early lunch at Emil Villa's Hick'ry Pit. We ordered Ribs, Fried Prawns and pie at 10am. The breakfasts looked wonderful. I have to go back for a 9:30am appointment on Thursday. May have to have some of those hashbrowns...

ANYWAY.

My family moved to Walnut Creek when I was 2. We moved away when I was 7. Normy's family moved to Livermore when he was 10. We are 8.5 years apart in age. Livermore and Walnut Creek are neighboring towns for you non-California types.

We have often wondered if we stood in the checkout line at the Walnut Creek Gemco next to each other. And then we get all nostalgic about Gemco.

We made our waitress laugh when we said the last time we were there was before the Earthquake World Series.

And we got to thinking about when I was 2, 3, 4 and was going to Emil Villa's and he was 10, 11, 12 and going to Emil Villa's. It is possible that we sat in adjacent booths with our families. Never giving the other a moment of thought. How strange is that?

And we looked around the restaurant and noted how it really hasn't changed since we were going with our parents.

Today, like then, there were young couples with young children. Today, like then, there were very elderly people coming in, being greeted by name, for their breakfast. Today, like then, there were older couples who were meeting adult children for breakfast or just finished a round of golf.

When my parents took me to my favorite restaurant, Emil Villa's, they were younger than I am now. Now, they would be those meeting their adult children for breakfast. We were the middle aged couple who were able to get out for a meal without children.

In the midst of that musing, a little boy, about 3, walked past us with his dad. I hope one of these days, he will be sitting in a booth at Emil Villa's saying "wow, this place hasn't changed since I was a boy coming here with my dad! I remember being totally facinated with those big ol' air vents that look like flying saucers and that you always got a pickle and you knew what pie was available from the display case up front."

And from the number of people that were constantly coming in, I would venture to say that Emil Villa's will still be serving Hick'ry smoked ribs in 40 years.

Which brings me to my advice of the day. Don't pass up the opportunity to say hello to someone when you can. Back on the day of the Loma Prieta earthquake I did NOT go up and say hello to Dr. Johnson...my pediatrician. He wasn't there today. He died shortly after the earthquake. Not in it or because of it. Just because it was his time.... Thinking about that made me sad in the midst of the joy of ribs and pie.

And the doctor's appointment went fine. However, the pain killers are not letting me sleep (they can go either way for me, no rhyme orreason why I go with sleepiness or sleeplessness....just the luck of the draw) and thus the reason for the late night post.