Sharon's "Mexcellent" Adventure

Is it too awfully boastful for me to say that I'm tickled with the title of this blog entry? Quit rolling your eyes and bear with me -- and NO, it WON'T be the last time you're asked to do that.

Some friends and I enjoyed a delightful lunch last week at a nearby Mexican restaurant. That's not the "Mexcellent" part, though. There's more.

Let's just say that this 40-something stay-at-home-frazzled-mom-who's-a-little-past-her-prime left the restaurant with more than a just belly full of burrito. I left with a boost in self-esteem. (I started to say "ego", but we all know that would be plain WRONG)

It would seem that I caught the eye of one of the restaurant waiters. Yes, ME! Stop laughing.

As he helped deliver our meals to the table, my admirer said "eees hot", regarding the plate. (he's so protective!) I responded with "MUY CALIENTE!" He was understandably dazzled by my fluency.

So we took the conversation a little further in his native tongue, with my sharing: "mi zapatos son muy aprieten" -- the only dialog I remember from high school. Which translated, means "my shoes, they squeeze me much."

A personal statement, to be sure. Maybe I was inadvertantly sending the wrong vibe. Because my shoes, were NOT, in fact squeezing me. Perhaps I led him on....

Well, as I was waiting for my friends to finish their "business" in the ladies' room (see how delicate I am?), this waiter started chatting me up with his most charming phrases of broken English. He had the looks of a MOVIE STAR .... this one:

I thought he was just making polite conversation until he asked me outright if I was married. WHAT?!

Pedro was lukewarm, if not hot, for the chubby white girl. Now don't worry -- I did the right thing and told him I was married, even if it cost me a lifetime's worth of free queso.

Because I have values that way.

But it's nice to know that I can still turn a head every now and then, even if he may just looking for a green card.