867-5309

I eat lunch here a lot: http://karines.wordpress.com/

The owner Maggie takes orders while her daughter Karine cooks.

I always order the same thing. I'm like that with every restaurant I visit. I find something on the menu I really like and that's the only thing I order from then until the end of time.

So this is the exchange that happens between me and Maggie every time I go there. (And let me just say again that I go there a  lot.)

Maggie: Hello baby! What can I get for you?

Me: Grilled cheese and fries.

Maggie: Regular fries or garlic fries?

Me: Regular fries.

Maggie: For here or to go?

Me: To go.

Maggie: Okay baby. And your name...Jenny right?

Me: Paprika.

Maggie: Oh yes, Paprika!  Oh one day baby I will get it right!

I find it really fascinating that she wants to call me Jenny because as a child, I had always wanted my name to be either Jenny or Jennifer.

My best friend as a child was Jenny Birmingham. She had long blonde hair, blue eyes and a cute little nose that turned up at the end. To me, she was the prettiest girl in the world.  I wanted to be just like her. Being a dark, ethnic kid, I was astounded that she picked me as her BFF.

In my 6 year old brain, if my name had been Jenny, I would have ended up with blonde hair, blue eyes and the perfect nose.

I often wonder what happened to Jenny and her perfect nose.