Eating Out on Mother's Day

Mother's Day climaxed with son Vincent

(10) giving his mother earrings and

necklace. His Mother, ever-gracious,

modest and vastly appreciative of every

boon conferred by life, accepted

Vincent's largesse as if the gifts arrived

from Tiffany's. Later, at the hall mirror,

she tried them on while co-operating

while I took photos. These I'll just have

to put up later to adorn my post. Elsa

doesn't need makeup: that was supplied

at birth. I tell her that and she most

naturally smiles showing her perfect

teeth and oh so healthy-looking pink

gums.

 

The family had brunch at TV Cafe, a

bistro we've frequented as a family for

at least ten years. It's a 24hr Mexican

restaurant in the industrial section of

LA Southeast of Downtown. On Alemeda

that runs past it trolley tracks are still

planted in the roadway from the days

when all of the city featured electric

trolley travel. I found the restaurant

many years ago when in a panic about

running out of gas I got off the freeway

to fill my tank. I've been filling my 'tank'

there ever since. It's a humorous place.

There's a huge copy of a painting of the

inside of the Vatican done by Raphael.

But instead of historical characters in

the 'group' portait there are Rock Stars

and other luminaries. The original

painting was featured in a TV news

story today! about the imminent opening

of the Da Vinci Code.

 

We return to the restaurant quite

frequently because management and

staff are always so exceptionally

welcoming. The locale sure is strange

however. Across the street is a branch

of a men's club (?) spoken of by Howard

Stern when he was on FM radio. He

always called it SCORES, but I think it's

actually called SCORE.

 

Just the other day I had a forgotten

roll of Tri-X film developed, film that

was exposed in 1995. One of the photos

was taken at TV Cafe; there's Vincent

as an infant in the arms of the waitress.

There's my two daughters and a son 

from a previous marriage, with the

youngest daughter, now at Wellesley,

and my present wife smiling her always

beatific smile that is so enrapturing of

everyone she meets.

 

The fun we've had at slightly

disreputable TV Cafe reminds me,

when I think about that odd

phenomenon, of the observation 18th

century intellectual Sam Johnson

offered: "Nothing is more hopeless

than a scheme of merriment." I

wouldn't normally have chosen TV Cafe;

it chose me. Ha ha ha. It's a fitting

addition to mention that it was Dr.

Johnson who invented the word

"TIPS" = "To Insure Prompt Service."

Yes, I've tipped over the years, but

everyone has had fun, everyone. This

Mother's Day will be a day to remember.

Barry

P.S. "Disreputable" might sound unmerited,

but let me tell you that at night there is an

armed guard. We've seen unrepaired bullet

holes in the huge glass windows.  Lol!

Often luck is better than "schemes."