Sunday, November 22nd, 2020

The burger joint is empty when I come in. No customers are waiting. No burgers are in progress. One worker stands at the register. Another is in the back prepping things. A third is hanging out on the patio. I step up to the counter. I haven’t seen this cashier before. He starts to take my name. He stops. “You know what? Have you earned a free meal from us yet?” I haven’t. “Ok, this one’s on us. Congratulations.” Thanks. “Let’s see, you’re ordering the cheeseburger, with no sauce and fries without salt?” No, I want the usual mushroom burger and sweet potato fries. His face falls. I’m guessing he had thought I was someone else. He recovers quickly. “OK!” It’s too late for him to rescind the free offer. He finishes typing in the order and wanders over to the grill. He pulls a breaded mushroom burger from a plastic container and slaps it down to cook. “Vegan bun?” OK. He takes a bun from another container and puts it on the moving grate of the toaster. He pours some fresh fries into a basket and lowers it into the cooker. Looking back, he sees that the bun is ready. He takes it out of the toaster, looks at it, and shakes his head. Something’s wrong. He tosses it in the trash and puts another bun on the grate. A few minutes later, everything’s ready. He puts it all together, piling the burger, sauce, and vegetables on the bun and deftly juggling the fries into a box. “Something to drink?” I had been thinking of getting a milkshake, but that might take too much advantage of the free offer. I get a diet cola. He puts it all in a bag and hands it to me over the counter. “Here you are. Congratulations. Bon appetit.” I go back outside and put on my headphones. On the pedestrian street, I see my first two snails of the season. They only come out after the rain. I say the blessing for occasional events. Their presence is an official announcement: Winter is here.