The IT family has returned from spring break.  We visited my dad and stepmother in Texas, spending time in both Houston and San Antonio.  While it seemed at times like the entire vacation was being spent in a mini-van, that wasn’t really the case.  We hit Kemah, the Riverwalk in San Antonio, SeaWorld, and a whole lot of food.   We even had the classic QAP moment of walking through a crowd at Market Square celebrating fiesta with a baby stroller in tow.   Reminded me of my prior scorn of parents strolling around Bourbon Street with toddlers and infants.  “What the hell is wrong with those people?” I would say to myself.  Hmm.  What goes around, comes around, they always say.

Spending time with my dad brought a whole lot of wisdom with it.  For instance, I bring to you some classic bon mots…

“You can’t trust a Mexican restaurant unless it’s open for breakfast.”

“There’s no such thing as bad bacon.”

Or what about this classic exchange?

Dad: “I’m having a buzzard attack!”

Me: “Something on the windshield?”

Mr IT: “No, he’s talking about BLIZZARDS.  He wants to go to Dairy Queen.”

Me: “Where in the world are we going to find a DQ?”

Dad: “The next exit.  This is Texas.  Every town in Texas has a DQ.  It’s like the law or something.”

He was right.  The next exit, Flatonia TX, had a DQ.  So we stopped.  I had some horribly huge waffle bowl sundae (what was I thinking?) and the kids had small dishes of vanilla.  Mr. IT tried to order a chocolate cone, which was met with a “we don’t sell chocolate” response.  Stunned, he just stood there for a while, and eventually ordered a turtle blizzard.  Dad said that he’s never seen a Dairy Queen that sells chocolate soft serve, while Mr IT insisted he ordered it in Stamford, CT, which is the only DQ I know of near us.  This led to some spirited discussions and the desperate use of brainpower that could have been occupied elsewhere to figure out who was right.  Thanks to Sarabakescakes, via Twitter, we discovered they were both right, in a way…

11. Why are there variations in product from one store to another?

The majority of Dairy Queen restaurants throughout the United States are individually owned and operated franchises. While there are some products, like our soft serve, that you can find in every Dairy Queen location, there are other products, like chocolate soft serve and butterscotch or crunch toppings for dipped cones, that you may not find in every store. Ultimately, the decision whether or not to carry a particular product rests with the independent franchise operator of that particular store.

Well, who knew?  Thanks Sara!  It’s good to be home!

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