back for seconds at first watch

it had been years since I had a meal/at the thomas-near-3rd-ave first watch/and last time was good so i gave them another try today

it is darker and less egalitarian now/and i was seated in the back/inferring that the host judged by sight that i was a less preferred member of the clientele

if you order coffee you get a selfserve potful at table/which is a big plus/as is the water decanter next to the glass/but both tell of a reduction of server interaction

gone are the menu items named after saints/but retained is a healthy-eating menu selection

i ordered a “tri-athlete” despite my port lines/and it was a delicious egg white omelette with wonderful dark pulpy mushrooms and onions and mystery cheese/(actually they tell you but I forgot)

coffee excellent/grindable s&p/pico de gallo/sour cream/perhaps worth the expense

more reduction of server interaction in QR code use

but it is a cleaner quicker transaction

..

i am finishing my coffee and will be gone in 5 minutes

speculating whimsically that 5 years from now/non-chaos permitting/the restaurant experience might be had/without even leaving your home

resident robotics and other virtualities prevailing

and it will be as happy or sad/as the youngsters make it/with or without me