Wednesday, November 22, 2006

MEMORIES (like the phone booths on my block)*

On Monday I was in Columbus. I had a scheduled meeting later in the afternoon, so I had lunch with two friends and then scheduled to have dinner with other friends in the evening (ok, some of the lunch and dinner crowd was overlapping).

To get where we were eating dinner, Dith and I traveled down High St. Going this route, we would have had to proceeded through the campus area. Just north of campus is a place where, when I was working at OSU, Morty and I would dine every now and again. Morty ate at Nancy's Home Cooking more than I did - but I never ate there without him.

Nancy's was/is small. Seating was made-up mostly of counter seats and of course, there are never any together. No matter how many you had in your party you're always one seat short. One had to be prepared to stand and wait for people to finish and leave. It's really quite a vulturish venue.

Chris is the proprietor (I'm assuming Nancy was retired or long dead) and she was friendly to all who entered. If you want a drink refill - just go behind the counter and get it yourself. I never felt enough like a regular to do this. I'd pace myself on whatever drink I got. If I remember, there were always like four things on the menu - which no one ever ordered. And when I say 'no one' - I don't mean those who were with us, I mean everyone who dined there. Everyone gets 'the special'. There was/is one special per day.

One day, Morty and I took Kris (who was working as a graduate asst in Orientation at the time) to Nancy's with us. Not only did we get to sit together, we didn't have to sit at the counter. We got a table all the way along the far wall, but still close to the counter. Everything was close to the counter though.

Mind you - this is 1993 (?). Cellphones as we know them today were non-existent. There were these things called 'mobile' phones - or telephonic devices usually mounted in one's automobile. Hang with me on this one....

We're eating and the diner phone rings. Chris answers. Since there is no speakerphone, like us, you will just have to use your imagination the other side of the conversation:

Chris: Today? Beef tips.
(pause)
Chris: No. Beef tips!
(pause)
Chris: Beef Tips!!
(pause)
Chris: NO!!! TIPS !!!!!
(hangs up phone)
Chris: Damn mobile phones!


Every single customer: uproarious laughter!!!

*title totally lifted from Medusa: Dare to be Truthful

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