Skip to content

CARITA GARDINER

What to Read When You're Avoiding School Work

Menu
  • Home
  • About
  • Writing
  • “Why”…Wednesdays
  • GrammarLove
  • Contact/Subscribe
Menu

48. Why I’m a Chipotle Convert

Posted on December 4, 2019November 17, 2019 by caritagardiner
top of our Chipotle box

I've been coaching water polo here at Hotchkiss for a lot of years. When we have late away games that would cause us to miss the regular Dining Hall's dinner hours, the Athletic Department gives me ten dollars per player and coach to buy dinner. (For a long time, the amount was nine dollars, which caused logistical problems of carrying wads of singles, but this year, we're up to ten, a change that makes me grateful.)

I'm not a big fan of the idea of getting home late on any given Wednesday or Saturday night, so the plan of handing each boy his cash and waiting in line at a fast-food place while he decides on his order and waits to get it makes me cringe. To avoid this scenario, which would make our return take even longer, I've found pizza places near each other school's pool and placed orders in advance, had pizza delivered to our busses, and had the boys (and me) eat en route home.

This year, the boys revolted. They asked if we could please order Chipotle instead. I've spent years thinking I didn't like Chipotle, but I adulted up enough to recognize that the food after the game isn't about me.

I went on the Chipotle website and discovered that I could order a box of burritos to have ready for pick up. For ten dollars, each boy would get his own burrito and then a bag of chips and sides of guacamole, salsa, and sour cream to share with a friend. This deal seems made for my situation, so I asked the boys which of the fillings they wanted, and I placed our first order.

I have to admit, I was wrong. The sofritos (vegetarian option) burrito was delicious, as were the chips. The pickup didn't take us much longer than the pizza delivery because I had ordered everything in advance.

What's your go-to fast food option? And how do you make it faster when you're with a group? I'm open to more suggestions.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

WHAT I DO

I serve as a class dean and teach English to high schoolers at a boarding school in Connecticut. I’ve earned a Bachelor of Arts (Amherst College), an Education Master in Learning and Teaching (Harvard University Graduate School of Education), a Master of Arts in English (Bread Loaf School of English), and most recently a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing with a certificate in the online teaching of writing (Southern New Hampshire University).

As a writer, I hope to capture the complexity and joy of life in the New England boarding school world. On this site, I share what I know about trying to write fiction while deaning, teaching English, coaching, and doing the other tasks associated with helping to raise over six hundred other people’s children.

WHAT I CAN DO FOR YOU

Teach                    Tutor

Revise                   Edit

Entertain             Enlighten

Follow Me

  • Instagram
  • Facebook

Contact Me

  • cgardine@hotchkiss.org

Read my recent “Why” Wednesday Blog Posts

  • NetGalley Review of Sunny Side Up
  • 337. Why Not Fit In
  • 336. Why SFAH
  • NetGalley Review of The Ripple Effect
  • NetGalley Review of Far and Away
© 2025 CARITA GARDINER | Powered by Minimalist Blog WordPress Theme