A Win in Wilde Lake

I was driving home from dropping my daughter off at a choral rehearsal and I decided to pop in to David’s Natural Market to pick up some dinner. I was hoping for some of their delicious curried chicken salad. I can’t remember the last time I went to the Wilde Lake Village Center. Maybe a year ago.

The first thing I noticed is that the long-awaited Starbucks (formerly KFC) is really and truly open. Must go back another time to check that out. Then I realized how different the visual elements are as you turn off the main road. One’s view used to go straight back across the parking lot to the tennis courts. Now Alta Wilde Lake rises up, at a bit of an angle, to fill the sky. Out of the corner of my eye it almost looked like a hospital with a centrally located Emergency Room drop off.

A second look makes it clear that it is nothing of the sort. There’s a deliberate variety in the facade, giving the impression of more of a block of related rowhouses, giving it a sort of urban neighborhood effect. Altogether, an entirely different vibe as you come in the Wilde Lake Village Center.

It turned out that there was no curried chicken salad to be had. However, I was able to find am amazingly good Greek Salad instead. As I waited in the check-out line I heard a voice behind me.

“Mrs. McCready?”

I turned around. It was my (older) daughter, picking up something to drink before her art class at Wilde Lake High School. Quite the coincidence. Not quite sure why she called me Mrs. McCready. Perhaps she wasn’t altogether sure it was me (guessing from the back) and didn’t want to look foolish calling “Mom!”if she turned out to be wrong.

At any rate, I always feel that whenever I run into someone I know when I’m out and about around town that it’s a win.