Lunch at CiCi's or "Why some people should not have children"

Today the boy picked me up from work to have lunch at CiCi's. As everyone who's ever been to CiCi's knows, it's always packed with children. Single moms bring their kids there. Families have reunions there. Many times, there are tables with only children occupying them and I've never figured that one out either. I must miss the moment when the embarrassed mother claims her spawn. I call them spawn because the Children of CiCi's are always loud and obnoxious.

So today was no different. At one point, we were observing a guy driving a VW Beetle in the parking lot. The sister in law comments that guys don't belong in some cars and this extends to a conversation about women who drive large SUVs. Fittingly, a woman pulls into the parking lot in an Excursion, with a befuddled expression on her face. Or maybe she's just a mouth-breather. I don't know. Anyway. She fits the profile of the Woman Who Should Not Drive An SUV. She gets out and pulls her skin-tight shirt out of her rolls of fat and proceeds to let her kids jump out of the car while she goes back in for something. I find this practice annoying because it speaks of a larger issue: disinterest in one's own children's safety. (Check out the grammar there! I don't even want to read back over that and see if I can fix it.) Anyway. After she brings her hellions in the restaurant, we get a further treat. The boy goes to refill our drinks and while doing so, this woman and her kids come up to get their drinks. He gets his ice and moves over a little to allow them to do the same. What happens? One of the kids shoves his glass in where the boy was about to obtain a nice cool fizzy beverage. Rather than smack her progeny and teach 'em some manners, she gives the 'uh.. sorry' that actually means "I'm stupid and I should be shot".

Where is all this leading, you ask? Well, I'll tell you.

While we're eating, the boy points out a huge banner at the other end of the dining area that notifies everyone that CiCi's is moving across the street soon. Interesting. They've outgrown their dining room so it makes sense. 2 hours later, the boy and I drive by the same area after I get off work and I look to see what space in the other shopping center CiCi's will be moving into.

The empty one. Next to Planned Parenthood. As if to say "If you'd come here first, you wouldn't HAVE to eat next door."