Tonight I went to Victorville First Assembly of God for their prayer service to celebrate the National Day of Prayer. I made it through the first 45 minutes before I received a call that I needed to respond to an assault of a child case. It was the first time I’ve had an outreach on a child. Although my exposure to child molestation goes all the way back to when I started with the county in 1980, somehow when the person on the other end of the phone told me how old the victim was I still gasped.

I finished up the call and had this gut feeling that if I headed home I would just have another call and have to turn around and drive back down. So I went looking for a restaurant that would be open later than most and found an Applebee’s in the new shopping center just off of the 210. It’s the second time in a week I’ve been to an Applebee’s and I’ve decided that after Johnny Carino’s it is my least favorite sit-down, chain restaurant.

I finished dinner and decided that as a rape crisis counselor I should have better sense than to wander around Fontana at 11 p.m. I tried to think of a friend I could call who wouldn’t be upset hearing my voice at that time of night just because I was bored. I think next time I sign on to be a rape crisis counselor I’m going to do so in Los Angeles where at least there is something to do at 11 p.m.

I decided to find a Starbucks or McDonalds so that I could have wi-fi access. Here I sit at McDonalds staring at the sign for their new “southern style” chicken sandwich. It is a piece of fried chicken, pickles, and a plain cheap bun like the type on their original hamburgers. Yum, yum. It’s making me nauseous. Pickle slices and chicken. What is it about those southerners? This ranks right up there with banana, peanut butter and mayo sandwiches. Or better yet, grits!

So someone tell me, What the heck do y’all do in Fontana at midnight? I did see the Vince Laster write-in signs. And this Mickey D’s is just the happening place! Oh, and would someone explain to Fontana’s engineers about synchronization of lights? They all turned green at the exact same moment for as far as the eye could see. Of course sitting all that time at the stoplights did allow me a nice view of the new library. Looks like the old theatre is really coming along nicely too.

I’m going to give up and go home and try to take my mind off of that little child. I don’t know how anyone can harm something so cute. Maybe I’ll have quiet time for the rest of the night. I can only hope.