The first Wednesday of each month I go out with a gang of guys for dinner, a film, and I like to think fellowship. It’s called Don Pedro, for some reason. It’s a lovely time especially for someone like me who rarely gets out. This month’s event got moved back a week and then–in the afternoon of the day we were going to do this–it was canceled.

I sent an email to everyone in the group saying that I was still going to go out–Don Pedro or no Don Pedro. You see, I had ridden my Vespa to work for this purpose. The whole scooter thing is a much longer story. In a nutshell: I tend to bail out of my commitment to riding my bike to work every day–finding an excuse for not putting in the exercise and recently recommitted myself to never ride my scooter (or take the bus) to work unless I absolutely had to.

Anyway, for some stupid reason, I pointed that out in my email to the group in general and the organizer, Chip, specifically. It was one of those moments I am infamous for–speaking (writing) when silence would be a much better option. Also, this email might have come across a little whiny because Chip, the guy who does most of the footwork for the group (picking out the restaurant and movie options, and counting the votes, etc.) might have felt that he had let me and maybe others down. Looking back at my email it did come across kind of bitchy, but that may only be the way I re-read my email vis a vie Chip’s apologetic reply.

So I saw Kong: Skull Island and since it was only me and there is no need to look for group seating at a restaurant, I chose the neighboring In-N-Out Burger. I thought about milking the whole “whiny” thing by asking people in the restaurant and later in the theater to take pix of me alone, weeping in my fries and then in my popcorn, but didn’t want to go through the hassle. As for eating out alone and watching films alone, it’s entirely possible that I have seen more movies in theaters alone than I have with friends/family. Also, I have eaten many meals alone in restaurants since I could drive and had disposable income. So while the absence of the guys may be a disappointment, it is by no means depressing I’m used to doing this kind of stuff in my gang of one.

This obviously isn’t one of those Burger Scoot reviews I used to do at this blog, but I will say the Double-Double with cheese and onions was good, though as corporate/franchise burgers go, I prefer Smashburger and Krush Burger’s offerings. (I still haven’t gone to The Habit Burger Grill. I’m now making that a priority!) The fries were not as good as I remember them. While they were definitely fresh–I could see the spuds being prepped using that can-crusher style potato cutter–they are a little soggy. The milkshake is good as In-N-Out Burger’s usually are. To be honest, I rarely go to In-N-Out Burger–it’s too far away. Almost every time I have been to one it has been while on the road. Coincidentally though, the first time I visited this particular store I ran into Chip–the unofficial Don Pedro Chairman of the Board–and his family.

Kong: Skull Island was the title suggested by Chip. Considering this movie’s viewing options here in Sacramento were dwindling fast I chose that one, despite it was a pain to get to with my scooter. (I ride surface roads only.) This iteration is a blast and is, without a doubt, the best remake of King Kong. I won’t go any further about the film.

Much like Kong, I have always been a loner and am always a little surprised when someone finds this out and says something like, “Really? I don’t think I could do that.” If it’s a woman, I completely understand, but men often have the same reaction, but then I have been a loner for so long that even after 25-plus years of marriage I can still do this when I can get away with it. I missed the guys, but aside from regretting the Double-Double, (a single and the shake with no fries would have been enough), I enjoyed the evening with my own gang of three: me, myself, and I.