Happiness

Happiness is bleaching your hair and dying it pink.

Happiness is the bow-tie pasta at Galaxy Cafe in South Austin.

Happiness is having your errands done in time for lunch/dinner and still have time to eat and then go to school.

Today was as good as any other. I slept in until ten. Got up, went and got my hair done. Had some great laughs and a little serious conversation with my hairstylist. I got done with that, ran the errands I've been putting off all week, and was headed for home sooner than I thought. Oh, what I'd give for a spot of some pasta, cheese, and squash. So I rang up the Galaxy Cafe.
A cute voice on the other end answered the phone, "Galaxy Cafe."
Me, "Hey. Can I place an order for pick-up?"
Her, "Sure, what would you like?"
Me, "The bow-tie pasta, please."
Her, "What kind of dressing would you like with that?"
Me, "Er, well, it isn't a salad, what I'm wanting."
Her, "It comes with a salad."
Me, "Oh yeah. Just ranch or some variety thereof is fine."
Her, "Alright, your total's (seven bucks or something, I can't remember now) and it'll be ready in about ten minutes."

Perfect. I was about ten minutes away. So I pulled up, went inside and paid for my order, left a tip, got some tea, and left. Never checked what was in the bag. Never thought to check what was in the bag.
I get home, salivating by this time, ready for the world's best pasta. I carefully removed the plastic silverware from the bag, the mini paper menu, and finally the prize. But no little box, like a side salad would go in.
I figured out why when I opened the box. It was a salad. Not just any, but one with pesto on it. It doesn't happen very often, but there are people in this world allergic to basil. I happen to be one of them. It's kind of a strange thing. I probably wouldn't fall over dead or have a seizure or something, but it isn't exactly a walk in the park, either. So I came back. At first, the girl said, "Well, that's what we have during the day that has bow-tie pasta in it." She was genuinely not trying to be a twit. She said it like she'd honestly thought by ordering "bow-tie pasta" I wanted the Pesto Pasta Salad. Although she didn't seem to be trying to be a twit, I wanted to call her a twit.
"Well. I would be fine with it, normally. I would totally eat it. If it didn't have pesto on it. I'm allergic to Basil."
She almost looked at me blankly, like she was going to, and caught herself, and if I wasn't staring at her the entire time I would have probably missed this precious moment.
"Let me get my manager for you." She says.
I went back over it with the manager. She asked what it was I was wanting, and I said, "Well, I realized after looking at the menu that you guys don't serve it until after five," and before I could say, "I just want my money back so I can just get a sandwich at school," she asked what it was. And I told her.
She put the order in. It was pretty cool, mainly, because the stuff I wanted was more expensive than what the fuck up was. And I got more tea. For free.
So, I grabbed my computer and set up shop until it was time for class. They have wi-fi. God loves wi-fi.