We typically go to see Great Grandpa on Sundays. We pick him up and head to his favorite family restaurant. It’s one of those restaurants with a huge menu serving literally everything from burgers to fajitas to spaghetti to breakfast all day. You know the kind. They always have the very best cream of chicken rice soup every Sunday.

Grandpa has been coming here for literally decades. He knew the original owner and now we see that man’s children who run the restaurant. Having gone every week for years and years we have our regular table with our regular servers. My children have grown up here. All the employees know them by name. They ask about one or the other when they stay home sick. They inquire about scouts and school and swim class or one of the many toys which accompany us each week. They never get mad when my kids are a little loud or we order something slightly off the menu to fit one of my children’s unusual dietary preferences. It’s an extension of our own kitchen on Sunday afternoons. Because of course we go to dinner at 4:30.

Aaron started a secret project to systematically work his way through the menu. He began in February of 2018. His plan was to order the first thing under each heading working his way down the menu. This way he could mix it up a little bit week-to-week rather than being stuck in salads or wraps for weeks on end. He would then circle back to the beginning to complete the cycle again. The only rule was if something was at a certain price point, Aaron would skip it and move to the next item. This was out of respect to Great Grandpa as he always insists on treating for dinner.

When Covid hit, we stopped going to the restaurant for almost a year out of an abundance of caution for everyone’s health. In February 2020, I was pregnant with Theo then had a newborn plus two other small children. It was better to be safe than sorry. Great Grandpa is no spring chicken having just turned 95th is past December. He’s in amazing health considering his age—even still living in the home he and Great Grandma raised their three daughters.

Almost exactly six years after the initial undertaking, without much fanfare, Aaron ordered his last meal to complete his not-so-little project. No one had any idea it had happened much less completed. I usually stick to my favorite 6-8 items veering from them only when a preferred special is available. Great Grandpa has a regular rotation of 4 or so favorites. My kids are creatures of habit so no variety there. It was only Aaron who had no repeats for a full six years. Well…except that one time when he made a mistake. It was a bit anticlimactic since we weren’t even sitting at our regular table or being served by our regular server.

Upon completion, Aaron told Great Grandpa who was surprised he made it through the entire menu. A few weeks later, he finally fessed up to our regular server who was AMAZED he did such a thing. She was so impressed she mentioned it to the hostess who had to come over to offer her congratulations. The hostess told the owner who stopped by to shake Aaron’s hand and offer a generous gift card as a reward for completing such a huge undertaking. I’m not sure even the owner has tried everything on the expansive menu. He mentioned the breakfast menu asking if Aaron had worked his way through that, as well.

Of course. That part was the longest. 

But the actual breakfast menu?

He presented Aaron with a very large, multipage, completely separate breakfast menu.

Damn. We didn’t even think about it. We always come at dinner. We very occasionally come at lunch. We had never been there for breakfast. Many of the items from this extremely large breakfast menu are on the lunch/dinner offerings. But not all.

So I guess he’s not done after all. I bet he’s got close to another year left with the expensive offerings. He would probably start making his way through the breakfast menu tonight. But a stomach virus has a chokehold on this house yet again. So next week it is.