Not the Last Straw

Today is my birthday and my husband invited me out for lunch. I picked P.F. Chang’s Chinese Bistro because it’s around the corner and on the route for errands we'd be running. Never having been there before, I had no particular expectations other than being pretty sure there would be rice, vegetables, and chopsticks.

The passion fruit tea smelled really good. I brought it up to my lips and whiffed it a couple of times, almost taking a swig . . . but . . . I just couldn’t do it.

“Do you have straws?” I implored of Jana, our waitress from Maine.

“We do,” she smiled, pausing a moment before explaining, “In order to reduce the amount of plastic in the waste stream we only supply straws when customers ask for them.”

Color my face Chinese red. Didn’t I myself write on July 3 that we should watch for plastic straws and sleeves blowing around on the beach? I did. So, I’m a straw poser in some ways. I like using a straw, sipping is slower, no gulping. But I do save, wash and reuse them. Straws made of biodegradable PLA are on the market, and paper straws still exist. My straw collection tells you where I've been doing my drinking.

Another thing - - although I’m a failure with chopsticks, I always try. The chopsticks at the restaurant were not wooden disposables; they were washable and reusable so I wasn't wasting.

I enjoyed my lunch. Whatever else goes on in the kitchen at the Chinese bistro in my neighborhood I don't know, but they do seem to be responsible with straws and chopsticks. Kudos. Plus, my lemon dessert was free on my birthday. I’ve learned so much this past year.