After being cooped up in the house, a night out in Dayton was on the menu. However, this is my first winter here in Ohio. Now being a California girl, this single-digit weather does not agree with my constitution. That being said, it is not as bad as I thought it would be. It has been a while since I had been out and about. When I found out Picwas having mac-n-cheese pop up at Toxic Brew Company, it was the perfect reason to brave the elements.
Upon arriving at Toxic Brew, it was pretty crowded for a cold weeknight. My friend and I promptly jumped in line to get our mac-n-cheese. It was a cool little set up where they add the sauce and condiments of your choice to the macaroni. Pictured above is the buffalo mac and cheese with bacon and ranch dressing that I ordered. For the most part, it was pretty tasty. Unfortunately, it was a bit cold. I think they were cold holding the pasta, thinking the cheese sauce would be hot enough to warm them up. It just wasn’t enough heat.
After we finished our pasta, we hung out for a bit, until it was a bit too crowded for my anxiety. Little did I know that was just the start of my panic.
A Night Out in Dayton Takes a Turn
My friend had been ill recently and wasn’t able to drive. Not having much to do, I donated my time to help her get around. Once this night, I was on my way to pull the car around to pick up when I noticed I didn’t have the keys. Frantically, I was rushing back to the bar to see if my friend had the keys. She did not. A search around the area we were seated was launched. After that failed, I asked the staff if they had seen them.
I decided to check the car to see if I had possibly locked them in the car. There was no such luck, a man asked me what was wrong, and I told him I lost my keys. Lucky for me, someone had found them and placed them on the pay for parking kiosk.
Being happy and relieved didn’t completely counteract the feeling of wanting to pass out. As a result of this adventure, my heart rate had increased. Regardless of the temperature outside, my forehead was covered with sweat. Closing my eyes, I paused in my tracks and took 4 deep, slow breaths. It was only after those calming breaths I was able to relax enough to drive home. Thank goodness for coping skills!
