In case you don’t subscribe to World of DQ, Dairy Queen’s corporate magazine,that’s me and Adam in their “A Smile and A Story” column. (Click photo to enlarge — and please note that some of my answers were edited to sound a bit more, uh, earnest than I had originally responded.)
Back story: I often complain about the absence of Dairy Queens in New York City and fill that void with Dilly Bar binges whenever I leave. Adam knows that no matter what time or how unhungry I am, if we’re on the road and pass by that red-and-white sign, he has to stop. So what that it’s 9 a.m. and I just mowed a lumberjack breakfast? I need that Banana Cream Pie Blizzard inside me and I need it now.
So last year for Valentine’s Day, Adam rented a car and surprised me with a road trip to Union, NJ, where he arranged a romantic dinner at my favorite ice cream joint. He brought along a table cloth, flowers, candles, dishware, a box of wine, and together we feasted on a dinner of fried foods and ice cream. My heart fluttered, my brain froze. I was in heaven.
During our meal, some teenagers at a nearby table were taking photos of us and giggling, so I was certain they were tweeting and blogging about the lame couple celebrating the most romantic day of the year at a fast food restaurant. When one of the kids approached us and asked if they could serenade us, we said yes and waited for a butchered rendition of a cheesy love song. Instead they ran out to their car, returned with a guitar and belted out “1, 2, 3, 4” by the Plain White T’s with the most beautiful voices this side of Bieberville. It was so sweet that it actually brought tears to my eyes, but then again, I’m big, wussy crybaby and was high on lactose at the time.
The next day, I wondered if the kids had in fact tweeted/blogged about our little rendezvous, so I Googled something like “Valentine’s Day” “Dairy Queen” “New Jersey” and lo and behold, there it was. Only they didn’t make fun at all and were actually really touched themselves.
Love: it’s alive at a suburban New Jersey Dairy Queen. Happy Valentine’s Day, sweethearts.
