out to dinner

On Moving Saturday after we had finished with the move and all of our help (Dylan and Susan, Norm, Andy, Mom, Shannon and Tom and Fiona and Devon, and Aileen, though of course Fiona and Devon did more supervising than carrying of heavy items) had left to go home, we decided to go out to eat, because although the kitchen was in order thanks to my efforts earlier in the week, we were too pooped to cook. So we went to the nearby Chinese buffet. We were sitting there quietly minding our business eating our fill of fattening but yummy foods, when one of the women who works there walked up and started fawning over Gavin. She was "goochie-goo"ing his cheeks and ooo-ing and awww-ing at him. Then she held out her arms to indicate she wanted to hold him. Well, all right, I thought, what could it hurt? I'm right here. So I handed him to her and she fawned some more. Then she looked back at the other women employees by the buffet tables and motioned to me something I didn't quite get (she apparently doesn't speak much English because she didn't actually say anything) and then zipped over to the women, and they all goo-gahed at him in obvious delight. My maternal alarm kicked in. I turned and watched them, every muscle tensed and ready for pursuit should they try to disappear with him. I don't know what I thought they might do, as they were only 10 feet away and it was clearly harmless the way they were loving all over him. But still you never know. The only reason I didn't follow the woman was because Jason was over at the buffet within easy reach should anything happen. He and I kept exchanging bemused, wary looks the whole time. At last, the woman brought him back and thanked me and left. It was a funny experience looking back, but I think next time I will say no thanks when someone wants to hold him, no matter how harmless they look. That was far too unnerving.