Ode to Pace's Dairy Ann

Since I was in Jr. High we've been going to this little old 50's restaurant called Pace's Dairy Ann in Bountiful. We went after my cousin's wedding a few weeks back and we really enjoyed our fresh lime slushes, greasy salty fries, perfect fry sauce, and, mostly, the atmosphere. It's strange how the restaurant gives me a feeling of continuity not only within my own life but with my dad who also grew up in the Bountiful area and even with each person that comes in...it's a great place. I was glad it was one of the last Belnap family outings with Katie and also that Xiao Yu got to go there before she and Patrick return to China in a month. A month! Too soon.
The only major mishap we had at Pace's was that Miranda was ordering a grape slush with my mom from the girl at the counter. She was quiet for a few seconds which is usually a precursor to some highly interesting thought finding its way out of her mouth. She leaned in close to the cute little 16ish girl behind the counter and said, pointing of course, "Are those zits?"
The girl didn't hear her but don't worry, she repeated herself a few times.
LUCKILY they were freckles but my mom had to go through an explanation on freckles right there in front of the girl and whoever else was at or around the counter at the time. OH embarrassing.
Later we stopped by my great-grandparents' old house in Bountiful since we were in the area, and these adorable older people who knew my great-grandparents and their kids and grandkids, including dad, came over to the van and my dad introduced them to everyone. The old man was SO nice and had a few wrinkles so Miranda was just...hesitant. Hesitant is a good word. But then she warmed up a bit as they were talking with us and she said, to the old man, loudly, "You have chicken in your mouth."
I was worried that maybe he had some sort of problem, disfiguration or some other thing going on with his mouth so I shushed her and he asked, "What did she say?" But somebody asked him a question right then or something because he left to the front of the van. WHEW. But she kept saying it quietly. I've tried to teach her to make observations about people quietly to me instead of frankly to the person so we don't have incidents like when she told a sister missionary from Africa at Temple Square that she had a chocolate face. I've heard many a quiet observation since then that I was very, VERY glad she did not speak aloud.
Anyway, I saw the old man checking his teeth as I observed from inside the tinted windows of the van. So he must have heard her.
As we drove away I started in: "Miranda! We don't...." I tried to think of how to phrase my instructions so they'd matter or make sense in any way. So many weird rules that I thought we'd never need or keep went through my mind. "Never mind," I said, and, as an aside, "It's not worth it."
My dad joked, "I'm glad you've realized that so soon, Sharon." And then we told him what she'd said to the old man about the chicken and that we had no idea why she said that. Dad said, "Oh, he DID have chicken in his mouth. He had just come out from eating."
Well, okay. I mean, I guess you can't blame her for that, really. People usually don't chew chicken as they introduce themselves to her.
But back to Pace's Dairy Ann. You should go there, if you haven't. Those of you who have, isn't it a great place? Are there other places we should go to like Pace's Dairy Ann? By the way, Fernando is still in our family, he was just at Scout Camp. I didn't even save him one fry. Sorry honey.