Merry Christmas?

Rick's favorite Mexican restaurant is Los Palmos, just up the road from us. The food is authentic, and the owners, waiters, and anyone else who works in the establishment speak Spanish, with only a smidgen of English words in their vocabulary. Thus, ordering can often be a challenge. Many has been the time that the wrong item was brought out because of the language barrier (Rick once received a Coors Beer after ordering a Diet Coke). Rick has dutifully tried to learn Spanish words (particularly those related to food) in order to improve his dining experience there. He orders "agua" instead of "water." He orders "dobles frijoles" instead of "double beans." He's been quite proud of his language accomplishments so far.

Last week, however, Rick came home with a "to go" order and asked me, "How do you say 'Good Night' in Spanish?" I replied, "Buonas noches."

"Rats!" Rick said. "When I left Los Palmos, I turned around and confidently and loudly yelled "Feliz Navidad!"