Sunday morning

 . There's something about coffee on cold rainy December at my favorite little chain restaurant morning warms the heart and makes me slide into the Christmas spirit. The restaurant is a common working class joint . Probably just one or two steps above fast food giving you the illusion of class, however the tuck and roll seats are fixed to the floor and the condiments Crowding the table offers a nice cozy feel, like an escape from the overall restaurant and it's working class patrons. We usually eat at this joint every Sunday morning myself and my kids. We often say it's not the food or the place as much as it's the opportunity to spend time together for usually a couple hours on Sunday mornings. Besides myself it's usually my son and his daughter and her boyfriend when we rattle on for quite some time on different topics. We try to stay away from politics as much as we dare but sometimes the situation of what's going on in our country right now forces the issue. I worry because I'm not sure what politics the boyfriend practices I think his family is pretty conservative and we're fairly liberal. He doesn't say much during these conversations which makes me think that he is just putting up with us until the end of the breakfast and he and my granddaughter go on their way. He really eats breakfast with us usually drinks water my granddaughter really has a full meal but sometimes she'll order some kind of a sweet roll with some coffee. Often she sneaks food off her dad's plate. They all like bacon. Nobody orders the bacon but I always order a side order of crisp bacon which they all tear into and the order arrives. We try to meet on Sunday mornings as close to 8:00 a.m. as we can. I figure we can spend 2 hours visiting and then everyone goes on their way. I know I don't have a problem getting up early to attend but I know the others are sometimes pushing their comfort zones especially when they're busy on Saturday nights late. I'm always surprised that how committed they are to showing up to please the old guy. They assure me they totally enjoy the experience but sometimes I think they're just trying to make me happy which I totally appreciate. There are always hugs with me first meet up then there's always hugs when we leave. There's always a little more discussion once we get to the cars and everyone hugs again and I take off back to the apartment complex trundling down the sidewalk in my trusty power chair when the other kids get in their cars and drive away. There is actually snow this morning not heavy duty, sideways blowing drift producing white stuff but just very slight rain turning into bits and pieces of snow kind of falling to the ground kind of making everything wet with no visual effects. I would be uncomfortable if I had to go any marked distance but since I just have to go half a block up to the light or if I'm lucky I can cross in the middle of the street- - traffic even at this time of day on Sunday is very limited- - cutting quite a bit of time of exposure to the elements before I get to the sidewalk leading to my apartment dry and warm and cozy for the rest of a snowy Sunday morning...