Happy Meal

 

1/21/25 My Happy Meal

Speaking of burgers, by an amusing coincidence, this vegetarian had another burger encounter the next day. A Canadian friend had texted me a few days prior, asking for a favor: McDonald’s was about to begin a promotion including Pokemon cards inside Happy Meals. Some of the rare, collectible cards are known to be worth five and even six digits. The promotion would be available only in the US.

A collector of the cards, the friend warned me that some past Pokemon promotions have caused competitive riots in Target and Walmart stores (in the US, of course). Now that I’ve stopped collecting vintage colored pencils, I’ve been missing the hunt for rare or unusual specimens on eBay. It would be fun, possibly even competitive! I was in!

I marked the promotion date on my calendar and geared myself up for the race. First, I had to Google for my nearest McDonald’s – a couple were nearly within walking distance. Perhaps there would be a line of crazed Pokemon card collectors out the door . . . how exciting! (Obviously, I don’t get out enough.)

Then I received another text from my friend: She had learned that the same promotion would be available in Canada after all, so I was off the hook. I was disappointed; I had been hoping to be able to share the one good thing going on in the US. Well, no matter: I decided I would go get a Happy Meal and send her the cards anyway!

First I arrived at 8 a.m. in case they ran out before lunch time, only to learn that Happy Meal service didn’t begin until 10:30 a.m. After an appointment, I couldn’t go back until 11:30 a.m. No line out the door? Plenty of parking? Had they run out already?! Inside, only two people were present; neither ordered a Happy Meal. Confirming that my Happy Meal included Pokemon cards, I beamed at the counter person. Score!

Although my triumph was somewhat anticlimactic (where was the rioting?!), I scarfed down the fries for lunch and even took a bite of the burger. Like Proust’s madeleine, that taste (my first beef in probably several decades) immediately brought me back to high school dates. Mediocre as ever but happily nostalgic.