Hansel and Gretel

When we were courting, Drew once related a story to me about his being a half-starved airman home on leave visiting his parents and their taking him to Taco Bell for lunch. Of course having learned to wolf a meal down in basic training, he finished his order in record time and proceeded to throw the wrappers away. Upon his return to the table, his parents had disapproving looks on their faces at the mess of lettuce and cheese he'd left in his wake, and reportedly, to Drew's chagrin, his father even shook his head, saying, "I thought we taught you better than this." I often think of that story as a good example of my FIL's half jesting, half serious demeanor and because I sometimes find that not much has changed since then, except now there are the crumbs of three others to sweep up after. In fact, I was joking with Drew after lunch one Saturday that the remains of that particular meal had encircled the entire table except in the slot that I occupied.