9:30 am
We are just now getting up. At last, the weather has warmed up and my room was warm enough that I had a good nights sleep. There were no middle of the night emergencys and everyone seems to be rested. Things are moving smoothly this morning. We are going ot to breakfast so I do not need to cook. By the time everyone is dressed and loaded into the van, the cafe will be past it's morning rush and we should be able to sit in a booth.
10:15 am
I pull up to the cafe and the parking spot right in front of the door is open. This is getting better yet. Dad gets himself out of the van, and goes clear into the cafe. He is not standing at the door waiting for me to get Mom out and hold the door for him. Better yet, the coveted first booth is open and sitting on the table are three cups of steaming coffee, the usual juice, water and glass of ice. They saw us comming. The only people in the place are an older couple in the middle booth and the local old codger at the back booth. This is going to be a wonderful day! The "good" waitress is waiting on us. We place our orders for our usuals. Man this is good coffee!
Ok business is picking up the other tables start filling up. It seems that a large church group has all decided to meet at the cafe for breakfast. But it is good, all of the little kids are going to the back room so there won't be the noise of the screaming babies. Man is this good coffee.Our order is already in so we will be served before the cook gets hit with everyones order.
The older couple behind me decide to leave because it is getting so crowded. I look around and the only empty table is theirs. Our food arrives and my plate is picture perfect. The eggs are just right.(the whites all the way done and the yolks just starting to set up so there will be plenty for dipping my toast.) The cook has recognized our order and the hash browns even have a little hint of garlic. Man is this good coffee.
I am sitting there with my fork poised at my mouth thinking "this is a real Rockwell moment".
The cafe has been decorated for Christmas, everyone is happy, warm and there is Christmas music playing in the background. I even name the picture "Sunday Breakfast at the Country Dinner"
Then it happened!
In comes a couple and they head for the only available table right behind me. The table hasn't been cleaned off yet from the older couple so the lady is standing right next to me while the "slow" waitress cleans it off. Suddenly I get this wift of the most obnoxious smell. The woman is reeking with perfume. I swear, she must have used a gallon of the stuff. There went my appetite. I dropped my fork and am thinking I sure hope M&D eat fast so we can get out of here. Mom looks aat me to see why I dropped my fork and even though she usually doesn't smell things, because of her oxygen, see smells it and gives me an eye roll of understanding.
By now I am only breathing through my mouth and I think I am even tasting the stuff. "I can get through this if they will only hurry up and eat. I will just sit her e and wait for them." I tell myself as I take a drink of coffee to kill the taste.
Now all of these random thouts start russhing through my mind.
Should I say something in a loud voice about the smell? No, Mom has raised me to be nice when I am out in public. Could we move to another table? No, there are no more tables now. How about if I have Mindy add my food bill to her bill because she has ruiened my breakfast. Yeh right. I wish that the state had not passed a no smoking rule because the old codger would be smoking up a storm and that would help kill the odor.Man I wish I had a big old stinking cigar that I could light up, if the state had not passed that damn no smoking rule. It is probably a good thing they did pass the law because if someone would light up the whold place would explode from the fumes igniting. Please hurry up and eat fast, I am getting a headache.
Now Mom decides she is going to gripe about her hash browns being cold. This is SOP because she has been playing with her food for ten minutes. I think, "old woman ,why do you always order hash browns because you know they don't stay hot enough for you to eat two eggs, Toast and an extra order of bacon before you even taste the potatoes. Why cant you eat the potatoes first you know the will get cold. But I don't say anything.
Now I am thinking about what rude comments I would make if I was going to make a fuss about the stinking woman. What did you do, Take a bath in the stuff? Do you buy that crap by the gallon? Wouldn't it be easier to take a bath? Whatever perfume you are wearing must come with some sort of environmental warning label. Good God Woman, dont you realise that not everone in the place needs to smell you? How does the man with you stand the stench? I noticed you left the window down on your truck. Is that for a dog inside or are you trying to air it out? If you have a dog in there it is probably dead or passed out. And many more.
Finally M&D are finished and we can leave. Dad decides to take his walker through an isle that is too narrow and Mom has follo2wed him in. This leaves me standing right next to the old bag with the stink. I am now holding my breath and my eyes are wattering.I am thinking just get the hell out of here and fast.
Now we are at the car. I am gulping fresh air and coughing my head off. Dad has gotten into the car but left his walker out for me to fold up and put away. I load Mom, her oxygen tank and the3walker into the car and hope I can make it around the car to the drivers side and not pass out. The truck next to us belongs to that woman. The air is permiated with the same smell as the cafe. I climb in still coughing my head off. Ok now I might be able to catch my breath. I am still coughing and gasping for air when Dad anounces that he need the bathroom when we get home. Great! That means he should have gone to the bathroom at the cafe and we are now at risk of an "accident" before we can get home. I wonder if I can even drive home because I think I am now going into a full blown asthma attac. What the heck, it is only a half block down the service road, a block up the highway, one light, accross one set of tracks and around the corner. Yes, I think I can make it. My inhaler is at home and the faster I get to it the better.
We get out to he highway and there is a string of traffic that I have to wait on before I can turn. Then the light is red. We make it around the corner and are just about to cross the tracks when the train warning lights come on. Now normally the north bound trains go through town at 45 to 55 miles an hour. Not this one. It is chugging at about 5 miles per hour and it is long. At least there is fresh air now<i can roll down the window and turn up the heater and I might just be able to get home. I am thinking even if Dad messes his pants, the smell will be better than the stinking woman. Then I think, at least I can turn right and get to the fire station if I can't make it home it is only two buildings away. Then I think I have never made a plan for an emergency if I got sick. What could I do about M&D if I had to go to the hospital. Ok now I am going into panic mode.
At last the train is through town, we only need to wait for about a mile of cars comming from the other direction before we can turn on to our street. Miracle of all miracles Dad makes it to the bathroom in time. I take a couple hits off of my inhaler but it is not helping. Ok I have lorazipam for panic attacs,I take one and try to calm my self down. Breath in, breath out, think calming thoughts.
The next thing I know , its 4:OOpm and Mom is trying to wake me up to see if I am ok and will fix dinner. I have a headach from hell, a sore neck from sleeping wrong, and need to go to the bathroom. Mom is blocking my way with her walker and she won't move.
It only took me 45 minutes to cut dice up one green pepper and two onions. I am now breathing fine but feel like my brain has frozen from the drugs. The whole day is shot! Dinner was really good or I was so hungry from not eating breakfat that it seemed good. No one complained so I think I must have fixed the goulash right.
The old folks are fed and happy now so I can go in my room and gather my wits about me.The next thing I know, I have gone back to sleep and it is now 11:00pm. M&D have gone to bed and I have managed to sleep through the whole day. Now I am wide awake and its 2:31am. THANK YOU VERY MUCH STINKING LADY. SO MUCH FOR MY ROCKWELL MOMENT.

I think I would have had to ask the manager to seat them somewhere else... you said the place was crowded and the booth behind you was the last seat, but I can't help but feel that if the manager had been consulted, he could have done SOMETHING to accommodate. Barring that, I would have either had the restaurant pack up everything in to-go boxes (not a great solution for perfect eggs) or simply told the manager that I could not eat because of the situation and could not pay for the meals because of this.

This is not the first time in history that restaurant managers have heard this complaint and it is incumbent upon them to assure their patrons' dining comfort within reason.

Oh Abbb I hate that! Im sorry women (and men) when you can no longer smell the perfume you use as your signature fragrance DO NOT POUR MORE ON! your nose is dead! We can smell you just fine with those 3 little squirts you used to put on anymore get the gas mask out! Your offending people! I had a woman corner me one time while doing a flower arrangement for her cubicle was only 4'x 4' one exit and she was standing in it! UGH and my least favorite perfume of all Liz Claiborne I had to say something with my asthma (cheeks feelin tingly and hot ears tingling throat closing up feelin lightheaded
Please Ma'am could you back up I cant breath as I stand there holding the counter opening my drawer to grab for the albuterol! She looks at me as if I offended her! Now good customer service aside Im ripe and ready albuterol not only gives me a wopper of a headache it also gets me grouchy quite fast! But polite I will be please ma'am I cant breath your perfume triggers my asthma. *suck suck* (inhaler) she apologizes to me and asks is it that strong I cant smell it anymore. to this I say quite honestly Hun if it was any stronger you'd be callin me an ambulance right now. Rude or not you affect my health and ability to breath Im gonna say something her poor husband is probably suffering too (might get a lil uppity at first) but thank you he will when he finally gets his ole smeller up and runnin again!