Waffle House

When was the last time you went to Waffle House? My last time was about 7 or 8 years ago at about 3:00 in the morning. No, I had not been out doing anything I shouldn't have. I had gone with my daughter and one of my friends to the Galleria at 1:00 in the morning for a special sale they were having at Thanksgiving that year. I think it was called Shop Around the Clock or something like that. The highlight of the entire trip was eating at Waffle House afterward. Sad but true. Not that I didn't enjoy a million people packed into a very small space. Or a very old Davy Jones from the Monkees singing "Cheer Up Sleepy Jean" - in person. But I realized at that moment there was nothing in that building that could ever again entice me to leave my bed and my home in the middle of the night and venture out among all those crazy people. Why, I ask you, was I the only one in there who had any sense? Those people were insane.

Our shopping strategy was simple: my friend stood outside and hung over the balcony trying to breathe, my daughter darted all over the store bringing me things to look at, and I got in line to check out as soon as we walked into the store. Insanity. Thank goodness I came to my senses and never went on another adventure like that again.

Anyway, last night after church, I enticed another friend of mine to visit the local Waffle House. Don't know why but I did and SHE AGREED! (Who's the crazy one?) It wasn't very crowded when we got there but the few people inside all stopped to watch us walk across the parking lot and into the building. I'm not sure but I think my friend's zipper may have been undone. She's been doing that a lot lately. We had already walked past a man outside who was pacing from one end of the building to the other talking on one of those earpiece phones so he looked like he was talking to himself. The one's inside were no better. We sat down and had immediate service. After the waitress fixed our drinks and brought them to us, she stood beside our table - and waited. (What else should a waitress do?) She waited while we looked at the menu. We hurried and ordered thinking she would leave and we could talk but she kept standing beside our table. She called out one order to the guy in the back and then after what seemed like five minutes she called out the other order. It was just very strange that she kept standing there beside us.

We got our food quickly and then were able to watch behind the scences as the waitress fixed herself a waffle only to drop it on the floor when it was done. To her credit she did throw it away. By the way, never look behind the scenes at a Waffle House. It's not that pleasant. I'm not even sure I saw a health department rating. The food was good though. We got up to leave when a church van full of teenagers came in to eat. How sad that your church's youth outing is going to Waffle House. Give those kids some money for a retreat or a mission trip or something!

After being chatted up at the register by the parking lot guy, who we found out was a bounty hunter, we left. I can't speak for my friend but I've had my dose of Waffle House to last me another 8 years or so. And if I keep treating my friends like this, I'm going to have to find new ones!