Hubster was out of the country on business this past week, so I packed up the boys and headed out on a three hour road trip to visit their grandparents. Coming home Friday proved to be more adventure than I had bargained for.
Right from the start, traffic was horribly slow. Way earlier than I expected the usual snail paced Toronto on a Friday afternoon traffic to start. You just know it’s going to be a long drive when your ‘time of arrival’ on your GPS keeps getting later and later. sigh. We were doomed.
Already at the 4 hour mark in the car and not even close to home I decided to make a stop at a McDonald’s we were driving by. The boys had been excellent and I thought a treat would be nice, plus I was seriously close to drifting off to sleep. I needed out of the vehicle.
With our large lab on board, the drive thru was the only option and the line up already snaked around the building. When we finally got our order, I headed for the back of the parking lot to the dried up patch of grass. I tied the pup up to the only thing I could find and got her a bowl of water. Lined the boys up on the curb with a happy meal each and here came the onslaught of complaints. Somehow my order of 3 grilled cheese happy meals translated to 3 cheeseburger happy meals and my kids refuse to eat.
* McD’s Pet Peeve #1 – Incorrect orders from the drive thru. Not much you can do about it as you drive away.
“Just take these back to the lady” Big Brother protests. Um yeah…. that sounds convenient now that I finally have 3 kids and a large dog seated outside the van and the drive thru line is even longer and it’s so damn hot and humid that I am already sweating through my shirt and I haven’t looked in my own take out bag yet. grrrr…..
Another traveler comes by with their dog to visit ours, who gets overly excited by any encounter of another four legged creature and she ends up jumping up and down in dog poo! ewwww….. there are not enough strong words for this. We still have to get back in the van.
I’m hot, angry at the dog and annoyed with the kids, even though it’s not their fault, but I still go on a Mommy Rant on how much these meals cost and no one is getting the happy meal toy unless they attempt to eat, blah, blah, blah…..
I had ordered my middle guy a pop (um, cola? soda? for my southern friends) as a special treat because he was a bit jealous his brother got one the day before. He barely drinks half and touches none of his food.
Even more annoyed. Let’s go. Forget this.
I pile the stinky dog and hungry boys back into the sweaty van and as I am strapping Middle Man in, he begins to puke!
Holy crap! Where did this come from?
* McD’s Pet Peeve #12 – No napkins in the take out bag. not one.
I do my best clean up and thrust a happy meal box in his lap in case there’s more and hit the road. We need to get home. Now.
My little treat for the boys turns out to be a complete disaster. I warn nobody to talk to me as we down the road in a hot stuffy van that smells like a mix of McDonald’s food, dog poop and vomit…… not a word.
Read Tales from a McDonald’s Play Place Here.
Sounds like a good time!
Oh gosh, what a nightmare! Poop AND throw up on one car ride, talk about bad luck.
if it wasn’t for bad luck…… I think they made that saying for us! lol
Oh dear….not sure what else to say other than I’m so sorry…..
Wow… now that’s a bad day for sure. I hear you on the orders. We do grills and it’s wrong so many times. at least you’re good from now on. If things come in threes I’d say wrong order, dog poop and pukey kids with no napkins mean you’ve fulfilled yours. Next trip’s a piece of cake! 🙂
lol positive thinking! I like it!
Ugh! I hate it when the drive through messes up our order 🙁
it’s the worst right? you’re pretty much stuck with what you get! grrrrr….
Oh, no! 🙁 Yikes! It’s rough when road trips go amiss. You handled it well though 🙂 Far better than I would have! xoxoxo
I can’t even imagine you getting mad, ever! you’re too sweet!
Wow! Talk about bad luck! I agree, you handled it better than I would have. I would have lost it on anyone and everyone! LOL Better luck on your next trip! xo
Oh my gosh this is funny (I’m laughing with you not at you… well maybe at the stinky dog a little). I’ve had episodes like this and have actually caught myself growling at people who try to talk to me afterwards, lol. I don’t go to McDonald’s often but when I do I sit at the drive through window and check the order… while they are getting me ‘extra’ napkins. What is with the no napkins thing anyways with these chains? Has anyone at headquarters ever watched a child eat one of their cheeseburgers? I’m surprised they don’t give out complimentary wet naps… sheesh! My hat goes off to you because I think I would’ve marched back in there, asked for some napkins and wiped the vomit down right in the restaurant.
clearly the people working those drive thru windows don’t have kids. If I worked there and someone ordered a happy meal I would give them the whole carton of napkins!
I recall the days of small ones and fast food and I think the kids would vomit at least once (our car ride was more of a 6-8 hr to grannies and one was in diapers)
nowadays they drive themselves LOL and I avoid long drives (I too get sick)
wow 6-8 hours is rough to vist the grannies!
yep, we were at the manitoba/sk border and she was more in central sk, but we stayed for a week or more so it was worth it LOL
these days the longest I drive it to the city and back (20 m in LOL) ..I laughed when I worked in the city , as it would take me less time to drive to the city to get to work then people who lived in the city
I actually got quite a chuckle out of your series of unfortunate events. I remember taking my 3 boys on roadtrips to the grandparents and your story brings back fond memories and just think one day a very long time from now you will laugh at this outing and remember it with fondness.( well maybe not the poo part). Happy Sunday to all!!
it’s true, I actually had a good laugh about it recalling the event to my husband now that he is home. who would have thought so much trouble would have come out of that? lol
Oh my, the joy of being a family!
You had a bad time. I feel for you.
I never ever got a napkin in my drive through order. That made me stop using the drive through and go in to order and get my own napkins – tons of them! Then I had my baby and that meant the end of McDonalds for me. So I guess It’s all for better. Thanks to them not giving me napkins I eliminated the biggest source of junk food in my diet and my child has no idea what McD (or any fast food for that matter) is.
love it! lol
We have those trips all the time since we travel 6 hours, as well to visit the grandparents. I feel for you- truly I do!
Oh NO! My pet peeves too!! I can hear you on so many kids in the car, LOL been there too many times myself!
Oh my lands… what a horrible day you were having. So glad you made it home.
Nothing went right with that stop. How awful for you and especially being alone. Glad you got home – you must of been so happy to see your street.
Oh my. I would be just as livid as you. I’ve had many an experience like this. You just want to have some “fun” with your kids and it all goes to… well you know.
Doesn’t it suck when a good idea turns so very bad? I’m with you on your pet peeves by the way.
totally, it was supposed to be a fun treat! it was hell! lol
I don’t even know what to tell you other than that I sympathize with everything you’ve said. The number of times they’ve messed up my drive thru order is ridiculous! The funny thing is that every now and then, they screw up you change and give you too much, but I always feel the need to go back and give it back, lol. Stupid conscience!
oh no – that’s quite the trip
Murphy’s law… lol, experienced it many times
what a trip, sorry for what you went through