there's a wait at Dennys?

.

Today was a short day as far as retail goes. 9-5, open at 10, an hour lunch, short and sweet. First Saturday of every month Jeff brings doughnuts and kolaches for us. Everyone meets in the backroom, fill our plates and talk before our meeting. This morning I tell him about the snake, he is pissed, then when he finds out it was Page's girlfriend, he was even more mad. I think a little at me, but I never saw the snake, I was working LOL. OK, so lunch rolls around and I am not that hungry because of the chocolate glazed I had had earlier.

I want soup, I decide to go to Dennys. I couldn't get over all the cars in the parking lot. The only time I ever see Dennys that busy is at 2:30 am after all the clubs close. Kim, party of one please. Wait. Five minutes and I am called. Before I went back to work I would have never gone to lunch by myself, now it's no big deal. I am seated, there are 3 tables around me. A family to my right. The grandma orders a large glass of tomato juice with picante sauce. I decide she wants a bloody Mary, but since Denny's has no bar, this will have to do. She has a raspy voice, I imagine her in front of a slot machine drinking bloody marys and smoking.

Behind them, caddy corner to me is a son and father. It is the first weekend of the month and I am sure this is his weekend. He spends half the time on his cell phone. The boy has a Yao Ming jersey on and a broken arm. One name has signed it, John G. Finally as I am about to leave, the father starts to talk to him, don't think of coming to live with me as a punishment. I want to go deeper, I want to curl up and listen to them. I want to ask please tell me because I am making up my own stories here.

The table behind father and son has two tables. Super cute blonde brother and sister, chocolate milk shakes in fountain glasses. They have matching shirts with airbrushed names on them. Mom and grandma and baby sister are at the next. The topic was Madagascar. The super cute blonde big sister can touch her nose with her tongue. Super cute blonde big brother says you can not lick your elbows, and tries just in case. Little dark haired sister with the adorable freckles can *almost* do it.

Uber waitress Mary. I order a bowl of vegetable soup, an order of french fries with ranch dressing (Dennys has by far the best restaurant ranch dressing, it taste homemade like hidden valley with mayo and milk), and a Dr. Pepper. She gives me a funny look, I see her thinking, that's an interesting lunch. Soup first? Yes please. The place is packed, uber waitress Mary is going as fast as she can, everyone is waiting, but no one is mad. No one is doing the were is my waitress neck strain. Because everyone was busy talking about Madagascar, on the cell phone or trying to lick their elbows. Mary is making sure everyone is taken care of.

I go to the bathroom and pass one of those feed me a dollar and I might give you a stuffed animal machines. There is a 30 something couple playing, trying to get them.

My soup comes, it's very good. My fries dipped in what could be homemade ranch dressing is awesome. She refills my Dr Pepper without even having to ask. Uber waitress Mary who is working the crowded lunch shift at Dennys. 20% for sure. The slot machine grandma comes back from the bathroom with the little one at the table. She has a stuffed animal in her hand. Mom asks, "where did you get that!?!" Grandma says "a couple gave it to her, they were playing the machine" The check comes, it's 3.99. I say, "That's it?" "Yes" she replies with a smile, not angry, not I'm not making any money on this table, just the friendly 'isn't that awesome, you got a great lunch for 3.99' yes.

I go to the checkout, there is a group of 10 or so in front holding up the checkout line. It seems these brain surgeons did not ask for separate checks and are having the poor register lady go through line by line adding up the grand slams and pancakes. He is straining his head over to look at the register screen. People, don't do this. I promise the retail monster are not hiding anything or sending out messages about you in that little register monitor. He looks at the rest of us in line like "yeah, I'm making sure I don't get charged for an extra .99 side of toast" He is probably a schmuck in real life and left his waitress a dollar.

Dennys manager offers to take my check and run my credit card at the back register since mr. no separate checks was taking so long. "I know you need to get back to work" He brings my check, 3.99. 20% would have been .78. No way that would work for uber Mary working the lunch shift at Dennys. My lunch tab totaled 6.99. Uber Mary deserved it, probably more.