Can Danny eat over?

Tonite we had dinner the old fashioned way, well probably not 'old fashioned' in a real sense, but it is to me. We made dinner and instead of loading our plates buffet style and trekking into the living room to watch "Lost", we took the bowls and passed them around and served ourselves. So perhaps it wasn't completely 'old fashioned' because we would have eaten at the kitchen table, which I haven't done since I lived at home with my parents. Ever since I've lived on my own, my dinners have always been at the coffee table in front of the TV. This is nothing new, once in a great while my mom would set up the TV Trays if there was a special event, or a big time movie on, and we would eat in the living room. But most of the time we ate at the kitchen table, and we had our specific seats at the table. When I would stay with my cousins, it was the same way, we sat at the table and there was the entree, like roast or whatever, and side dishes like string beans, mashed potatoes, etc...
At our house, I can remember the main things we always had....round steak, beans, cooked spinach, that was because my dad loved round steak, which has never been my favorite, but that was his, so that's what we always had....We had other things of course, corn on the cob, potatoes come to mind...Once in awhile we would go get these chicken boxes from 'The Burger Bar' a nearby drive-in type of place that was the most delicious chicken I ever tasted...they were these pink boxes that has three pieces of chicken, fries, and a bowl of chili...it was wonderful, way better and not as greasy as KFC. I remember dipping the fries into the chili instead of the ketchup (catsup?)
When we first moved into the house on Doma Drive in San Jose, I started to make buddies with the kids around there that summer of 1964...a while later, my best buddy was Danny Pinone "The Other Danny" we called him...one day he came over and brought a note from his mom, it was an invitation from his mom for me to have dinner with them the next night. My mom wrote a note to her, thanking her, and gave it to the Other Danny...it was all so formal then!
So the next night, my parents made sure I was dressed up, hair combed...and my mom went on and on, "Remember, you are to be on your BEST behavior, ALWAYS say please and thank you, never reach, ASK for them to pass it to you..." It was like going on a job interview!...
So I rode my bike over there at 5:30, and there was the other Danny out front, playing catch with his older brother Eddie and his little brother David, still in their play clothes. We went into their garage, since dinner wouldn't be ready yet, we played ping pong. Then his dad opened the door (from the kitchen) He was large man, with a 'big' magnamous personality "Heyy! look at THIS guy! you going to the prom or something?" he said to me, we all laughed, but I instantly felt 'overdressed' and a bit self-conscious...
We all sat at the table, I remained quiet, which is part of my nature, but I also observed......I observed how traditional this family was. The dad obviously ruled the roost, and the mom ruled the kitchen, she had everything under control and made sure everyone washed up. The dad said, "Eddie, you start, pass this over to Danny and his friend Danny, ha!..." I think we had roast chicken and mashed potatoes, but I remember it was very good. It was traditional that way, where dishes were passed around and you take your helping. I observed their kitchen, the portrait of John F. Kennedy, the ceramic tile that said "Bless this house, oh Lord we pray, make it safe both night and day"...I also observed the dynamics of the family, they were very nice people, they talked about the events of each one's day. This is one thing I have never experienced, that is, growing up in a large family, with brothers and sisters. Anyway, little David said, "Danny's looking at everything everyone does..." everyone laughed, but it was true! the Observer was being observed!
So I rode home, and my mom had me write a thank you note. Later on we had the Other Danny over for dinner...I wonder what he thought about the round steak...I know he liked the Coke, "we don't get to have this at home!" So I realized back then, when you go eat over someone's house, you always experience something new, which is usually a treat.