When Did Taco Tuesday Get So Complicated?

(My family of five is eating dinner at my mother’s favorite Mexican restaurant, which has a very limited menu. The standard dinner is served family-style, so while it technically comes with two enchiladas, two small tacos, and so on, they actually just give each person an empty plate and bring out the right number of items on large serving plates. The fajitas are not served family-style.)

Mom: “I usually get the standard dinner, but I think I want to get the fajitas this time. But they’re so big! Does anyone want to split that with me?”

Brother: “Yeah, sure, I’ll do that, but that’s a little small… I’ll take half the fajitas but also order two extra tacos.”

Mom: “Oh, that’s a good idea; I love the tacos here! I’ll do that, too.”

(Everyone else is getting the standard dinner. When the server arrives to take our orders, though, and Mom tries to explain what she wants…)

Mom: “I’m splitting the beef fajitas with him, but we want two tacos, too, so that’s–” *looks around the table* “–ten tacos!”

Server: *confused* “Sorry, you want to split the fajita plate and… what?”

Mom: “We need ten tacos so there’s two for everyone, but the regular dinner comes with two already so we don’t want to add anything to that. We just need two more for two people–”

Brother: “Mom. MOM!”

(She finally stops talking, and my brother gives the server a steady look.)

Brother: “We’re splitting a fajita plate. And we want four extra tacos on the side.”

Server: “Ohh! Okay, no problem.” *leaves*

(Mom scowls at my brother.)

Mom: “I was explaining it!”