英语博客：Lunch at the Wild Huckleberry.

　　I called my mother the other day and arranged for us to meet up for lunch. She had been in Spain for two weeks, and had just returned. We had a lot to talk about, and I was really looking forward to seeing her. But, where would we meet up? There are quite a few restaurants in town, but we are fussy¹ individuals. If we are going to pay for food, we don't want to eat just rubbish. Fast food was 'out', meaning that it wasn't an option. We didn't feel like having sandwiches or heavy pasta either. I love asian food of all kinds, but I fancied something more like salad, so we decided² to go to the Wild Huckleberry. I arrived at noon to find that Mum was already there. She had chosen a table next to the window that overlooked⁴ the road. The inside of the restaurant is full of character. It is an Americana style house that has flowers and 'collectibles' in many places. Collectibles are similar to antiques⁵, but not old at all. In fact, they can be brand new items that are made to look old. We ordered a soup and salad combination, and chatted about her time with the family in Spain. She was still very jet-lagged, and had not adjusted to the time difference. Now that all of my children are in school, having lunch with a loved one is a treat that I can enjoy. So, we caught up with eachother's news over a clam⁶ chowder and an asian salad. It was so pleasant to look out on a quiet street, on a mild Autumn day, just relaxed with nowhere to rush to. As we were leaving, we looked around at the decor and interesting items on the shelves and in corners here and there. I came across a large wooden statue of a waiter holding a tray. It's a place where you put your tips. I couldn't leave without taking a photo. It's a typical collectible, probably not very old, but unusual and attractive it its own way, another thing that adds to the charm⁷ of the Wild Huckleberry.
Grammar notes.
Useful expressions:  to be +'out', to overlook³, a collectible, to adjust.
1. That skirt is really 'out'. She should follow fashion and get one that is up to date.
2. His bedroom window overlooks⁸ the garden; sometimes he sneaks⁹ out at night.
3. That shop doesn't sell antiques, but it does sell collectibles that are quite attractive.
4. It took me four days to adjust to the time difference after I came back from China.

1 fussy   

adj.为琐事担忧的，过分装饰的，爱挑剔的

参考例句：

• He is fussy about the way his food's cooked.他过分计较食物的烹调。
• The little girl dislikes her fussy parents.小女孩讨厌她那过分操心的父母。

2 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 overlook   

v.忽视，忽略，俯瞰，眺望，宽容，宽恕

参考例句：

• How could you overlook paying the rent?你怎么会忘了付房租？
• It was a slight overlook on my part.这是我的一个小疏忽。

4 overlooked   

v.忽视( overlook的过去式和过去分词 )；监督；俯视；（对不良现象等）不予理会

参考例句：

• He seems to have overlooked one important fact. 他好像忽略了一个重要的事实。
• This is a minor point, but it must not be overlooked. 此事虽小，然亦不可忽视。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 antiques   

n.古玩，古董，古物( antique的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The room was furnished with antiques. 房间里摆放了古董。
• a priceless collection of antiques 价值连城的古文物收藏

6 clam   

n.蛤，蛤肉

参考例句：

• Yup!I also like clam soup and sea cucumbers.对呀！我还喜欢蛤仔汤和海参。
• The barnacle and the clam are two examples of filter feeders.藤壶和蛤类是滤过觅食者的两种例子。

7 charm   

vt.使着迷，使陶醉；n.招人喜欢之处，魅力

参考例句：

• With all imperfections the short play has a real charm.尽管有不少缺欠，这出小戏仍颇具魅力。
• He could resist her charm no longer.他再也抗拒不住她的魅力。

8 overlooks   

v.忽视( overlook的第三人称单数 )；监督；俯视；（对不良现象等）不予理会

参考例句：

• The parlor overlooks the street. 这客厅可俯瞰街道。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• There are plenty of overlooks and trails. 有许多可供俯瞰之处和小径。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

9 sneaks   

abbr.sneakers (tennis shoes) 胶底运动鞋（网球鞋）v.潜行( sneak的第三人称单数 )；偷偷溜走；（儿童向成人）打小报告；告状

参考例句：

• Typhoid fever sneaks in when sanitation fails. 环境卫生搞不好，伤寒就会乘虚而入。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Honest boys scorn sneaks and liars. 诚实的人看不起狡诈和撒谎的人。 来自辞典例句