Not just for only children! Info, stories and life experiences for anyone who feels like they didn't get the How-To brochure on life! Host Tracy Wallace, who has been a business owner, a successful fundraiser, a stand-up comedian, a caregiver and an animal lover, shares stories from the front lines of adulting to help others in this journey called life. She does this while finding the humor in the all situations.
You know that feeling when you’re counting on one small comfort to carry you through the day and then it falls apart the second you open the takeout container? I’m talking about the long drive, the built-up anticipation, and the “I’m starving, please let this be right” moment that turns into instant disappointment. That’s where I start today, with a trip to a beloved barbecue spot that used to be part of our routine before my husband’s health issues reshaped what normal looks like.
I walk through the whole chain of events: ordering sandwiches, choosing classic sides for a special occasion, trusting the staff because the place feels familiar, and then getting home to find a wrong order hiding inside those black plastic boxes. Double coleslaw. Cold food. The exact thing I would never pick. From there, we get into the bigger question behind a “small” mistake: why do takeout order mix-ups feel so personal when you’re tired, stretched thin, or caregiving? And does being particular about your food make you high maintenance, or does it simply mean you value your time, money, and needs?
I also unpack the practical dilemma most of us face with takeout and delivery: do you check everything at the counter and risk being annoying, or do you head home and hope for the best?
If this hit close to home, subscribe to Only Child Diaries, share this with a friend who’s been burned by takeout, and leave a rating and review so more people can find the show.
Welcome to the Only Child Diaries Podcast. I'm your host, Tracy Wallace. Have you ever felt like you didn't receive the how-to brochure on life? That you didn't get enough guidance about major life issues? So did I. You don't have to be an only child to feel this way. In my podcast, we'll explore some of the best ways to better navigate adulthood while doing so with humor and light. Welcome everyone to the Only Child Diaries Podcast.
Today, I want to talk about being let down by your favorite restaurant of all things. And I, you know, in the scope of things, this isn't a big deal, right? But it kind of is. So let me explain. This past weekend, I was out and about and I had a little free time. And I say that lightly or not lightly, but free time is not something that I necessarily have a lot of, including extra energy, right?
But I was out and there's this restaurant that before Bill had all these health issues that we like to go to, and it's a barbecue place, and it's 22 miles from our house. Okay. So it's a substantial commitment to go there. And we would often get in a car and go, or if we were out and about, maybe we had gone to physical therapy, we were a little closer. Um, we would go there for dinner, and it was a nice um respite, a nice change. It was just something we like to do. And so we haven't been there in months. Certainly, uh, it was before probably May, at least, that you know, since we've been. And so I was out and I was a little bit closer to it, and I thought I would go and pick up some takeout uh and bring it home so that we could both have it. And and generally what we do when we would go eat is we would order sandwiches and we would have half of our sandwich there, and we would bring home the rest, and we would have the other half at another time, so we would have like two meals, right? Uh, so this is what what I did. So you get two sides with the sandwiches. So he likes to have the mac and cheese and the barbecue beans. And, you know, granted, this was a special occasion, okay. Um, this is not something that he should be eating all the time, but it was just a special occasion. And he really, for the most part, he doesn't eat he doesn't eat three meals. I mean, he just doesn't. He'll have a bowl of cereal when he gets up, and then he'll have dinner, right? So, in terms of his salt intake for the day and his other levels that he needs to watch, it's probably still within range if he was careful. So I myself like to have double baked beans, barbecue beans, whatever, um, because that's just that's just me.
So I went in and it's a very kind of homey, familiar place. I went in and I ordered those two things and I waited. And, you know, they asked, um, how's your husband? Where is he? Why, you know, because they hadn't seen us for a while. Got the food. They were a little bit busy, but we're not talking about like crazy busy, right? I mean, for them, I guess you could say they were crazy busy, but uh it wasn't over the top. I mean, it was the before the dinner rush, really. Um, so I trusted them. That's what I'm gonna say. I trusted them. Okay, so got in the car, came home, um, started getting everything out, got Bill a drink, got the silverware, right? So I pulled the first box out and I opened it, and they're in black plastic boxes, so you can't see what is going on inside.
And I pulled the first one out and it was his. And I was like, okay, um, and we get turkey sandwiches too, so it's a little healthier than the beef. So we both got turkey sandwiches. Okay, so pulled that out. I thought, okay, this is his. And I went to pull the second one out, and again, supposed to be double beans, right? And half of the bottom of the box was cold. And I was instantly like, uh-oh, this isn't good. Because nothing in the nothing in my order was supposed to be cold. And so I opened it up, and they had put double coleslaw, coleslaw, which is something I never eat. Um, I didn't want it. I was disappointed. Um, I made do. I had some potato salad here. So I went in and I said, Okay, well, here's yours. And they gave me double coleslaw, and he's like, Oh, wow, well, I'll eat it. I was like, uh, okay. All right. So I gave him some of the coleslaw, and he said later, because I don't think he's ever really ordered the coleslaw. I mean, they have maybe 10 different sides, and that's just not something that he's usually ordered anyway. Um, so anyway, he said later it's not really one of the better choices for a side. Um, but he ate it. And I know this has happened to everybody who's listening, right?
You go into a place, you order something, whether or not you order something special, because sometimes I know there's another place that we would go to when we lived in North Hollywood, and I would go in and you know, you'd say, Okay, well, I want this burger, but don't put any mayonnaise on it. But can you put extra relish? I know sometimes when you when you do things special like that, you're really taxing the system. Let's face it, right? You're taxing the system. There's only so many special orders, attention to detail kind of situations that you're gonna be successful with, right? Um so you have two choices. You can just pick up the bag and go to the car and go home and pray, right? I mean, as a foodie. Am I a foodie? Do you think I'm a food? I don't know. I'm not sure I'm a foodie, but I do like my food. So I think that qualifies me. Um and you can just hope for the best. And I'm not one okay, I digress. I am not one of those kinds of people who will just eat anything and enjoy it. I'm particular about my food. I think if I'm gonna eat the food and I'm gonna use the calories, I want to make sure that it's what I want, right? And just because I just because it's takeout or delivery doesn't mean that I should just settle. Does is that what it means? No. Anyway, so you have choices. You can you can just open it up right there in the restaurant and say, look, you didn't, you put mayonnaise on this, or you gave me double coleslaw, and you can be kind of an ass, which I don't like to do. The other thing is that they packaged it really well. They they not only have these little locking containers, but they put rubber bands around them just to make sure that they don't open up in transit, which is fair. And so I could have done that, but then I, you know, then it's like I'm hungry. That's that's the other part. I'm hungry and I want to get home. And I have 20 plus miles to drive and I'm hungry. Did I say I'm hungry? Yes. Okay, I'm hungry and I just want to get home. So, okay, so then you're, you know, and then okay, so you get home and then it's wrong. And I'm not gonna drive back. Like this has happened even to uh places maybe they're four miles away. And I've learned you go back the next time and they'll say, Oh, well, did you call us? Well, no, I didn't call you. Like, what's that gonna do? Like, I have to either go back, it's just annoying. It's annoying. It's annoying when you're hungry and you're looking forward to something being what it is that you ordered. And how is it that I mean, I know I never would have said coleslaw because I would have never even thought coleslaw because I don't eat coleslaw, because the idea of coleslaw is just not attractive to me, right? So they can say, Oh, well, you said coleslaw. Well, no, I didn't say coleslaw, but so does this mean I'm picky? Yes, it it probably does, and that's fine. But how many times have I been let down by ordering something? And I get it, but it's but it's my food, right? If it's your food and you're eating it, you have the right to get it how you want it to be. That's all I'm saying. So anyway, it's fine.
We're gonna eat the second half tonight. We're gonna share the one little tiny order of beans, and I got mac and cheese from somewhere else, and uh I've got vegetables to make, so it's gonna be fine. We've got the sandwich, we've got the sauce. Um, they do give us the right sauce, so that was barbecue sauce. So that was a plus. So anyway, um I'm gonna go make dinner now and warm things up, but that's all I've got for today. Next week, we'll tackle another topic together. I hope you'll join me. If you like this episode, please follow the Only Child Diaries Podcast on Apple Podcasts or other platforms you might listen on. And consider rating Only Child Diaries and writing a review. It helps others to find us. Please share it with a friend you think might like it as well. Visit my Instagram page, Only Child Diaries, or Facebook, Only Child Diaries Podcast. Thanks for listening. I'm Tracy Wallace, and these are the Only Child Diaries.
