Holiday Memory – 2004: The quest for the New Year’s tato

So for New Year’s Eve 2003, we visited our friends up in New Hampshire. They were cool and invited us up to hang out with their kid (and another on the way!) and play poker and relax and drink champagne (well three of us – none for you preggo lady!).

We had a great night in which I seem to recall I was spectacularly triumphant at poker. We stayed up late and slept late and awoke on New Year’s Day with a fresh outlook and bright smiles.

It reminded me of college – K and I were roommates when she started dating her now husband – when we used to lounge around late in the morning, drinking coffee and talking about whatever. The "whatever" that morning was stuff that we loved but that was bad for us – namely Taco Bell.

You’ll notice again that Taco Bell figures into our holiday misadventures. I assume this was related to my telling the story of Santa and the magic taco from when I was like five. The pregnant lady was not charmed by the Santa or the five parts– all she heard was TACO. And thus we started a series of unfortunate events.

Da (her toddler son) and Ernesto (her husband) came home from a walk or something. They’d missed out on the genesis of the great Taco Hunt of 2004. When they came home with rosy cheeks and cold noses, they met a woman with a mission and her hapless friends that may have inadvertently contributed to her mania.

We started telling Da about the wonders of the Taco Bell tacos – which he promptly dubbed “tato”. So cute!

We got him really excited – not as excited as his mother – but excited. K mentioned that she knew of a Taco Bell not far away and that we could drive over there and get some tacos. The game was afoot! Deeps, Da, K and I piled into the car as Ernesto watched (perhaps with some disdain – he’s a much healthier eater) as we pulled out of the driveway. Deeps and Da sat next to each other (one with a seatbelt, the other in a car seat) in the back as we sped along the wide New Hampshire roads towards our destination.

It should be noted that by the time we got in the car, we were ravenous – and Da sat in the back quietly saying “tato”. Deeps was along for the ride – because you have to be if you’re married to me, it was in the vows.

We drove and drove. And drove and drove. K could not find the Taco Bell.

“I know it was here – I drive by it all the time,” she muttered in frustration. Da had fallen asleep in the back and Deeps was staring out the window, contemplative. I was starting to get a headache from lack of food.

“Maybe we should just go somewhere else,” I suggested as we drove by numerous open, fast food joints. “I’m sure Da is getting hungry.”

“I’m getting him a taco,” she said with determination.

Da stirred from his nap. Quietly from the back of the car, he said “tato”.

There were no tacos or tatos in Mudville that day. Turns out the Taco Bell was replaced by a Subway a few months earlier. The nearest Taco Bell was about 18 miles away. We ended up getting drive thru from Wendy’s. I don’t think Da minded, although I felt very bad about getting him all excited about tatos.

Several months later we went for another visit, this time we were starving en route. I begged Deeps to pull over so I could get a bite to eat. It just so happened that we pulled over at the exit where the nearest Taco Bell was. I couldn’t believe the luck – and I seized my opportunity.

“We are taking everyone tacos!” I cried. Deeps looked alarmed but understood – it was something I had to do.

I whipped out my cell phone and called K.

“I’m at the Taco Bell near your house – well 18 miles away – and I’m bringing you tacos. What do you want?” I asked. She was much further along in her pregnancy, and the taco lust was great. She rattled off her order and suggested a kid’s meal for Da.

“Just so you know,” she said, “this is the greatest thing ever.”

“I know,” I replied. “I know.”

Labels: holidays