It's very kid friendly. On any given night the place is crawling with whacked out, over stimulated kids playing video games, running around like they've just been released from solitary confinement or (literally) rolling around on the floor. Its the kind of place people without children avoid like the plague and the only place where parents of small children can go without feeling like lepers. We love it there.
Being the day before Christmas eve, the place was packed, so I took Jack over to the driving video game while John got in line to pay.
There was an elderly man in front of John who ordered the all-you-can-eat salad/fried food bar. It costs $4.32. He only had $3.32. He was frantically rummaging around in his pockets, in all the folds of his wallet, etc. as the woman behind the counter yelled "Its FOUR DOLLARS Sir! You only gave me THREE DOLLARS".
It was apparent that he either forgot to bring the right amount, or simply didn't have it. John put a dollar down on the counter. The man pushed it away and continued his futile search.
Defeated, he finally looked up and said, "I don't have enough money."
The cashier said "You do! There's a dollar right there!", pointing to John's dollar.
"That's someone else's dollar, that's not mine!" he said pointing to John.
John said, "Sir, its for you. Happy Holidays."
He paused, looked at the dollar and then to John. "Thank you, that's very kind of you. 'Tis the season I guess."
"Sure. Merry Christmas."
"You sir, are a gentleman and a scholar."
John laughed and then gave the cashier the money.
After a day of running around like a crazy person, of snipping at my child, of trying - in my typical haphazard way - to find last minute gifts, bows, tape, cards, etc., of running to get the packages shipped, of bitching and grouching over what I have since renamed: "Spendmas. The Worst Holiday of the Year", it was exactly what I needed to see: someone doing something nice just because.
It hasn't necessarily changed my view on Spendmas, but it certainly improved my mood and made me like John a whole lot more.
That, in and of itself, is a great gift.
