Truck stops that have their own restaurants are interesting places to eat.
I'm not referring to those which have Subway, Burger King, Denny's or other chains, like two north of town
(Pilot and Flying J, same owners) but rather like TA, which offers a choice of a sit-town meal with a menu and waiters, or a delicious buffet, and the waiters come round to refill your drinks.
I've always wanted to try a truck stop restaurant, and finally one year ago I got to.
It was for my birthday (during spring break, of course :-) ) and Mrs. Webber asked me where I'd like to eat. I had seen a billboard advertising Pilot and Flying J on the road going to my house, so I thought, "why not"?
"Let's go to the Flying J," I said, or maybe something like that. Who'd remember after one year?
Mrs. Webber was surprised at my answer.
"Why?" she asked (or I think she asked that). She could have also said, "you're crazy," or something, but who'd want to remember that?
"Why not?" I replied (or I think I may have said that).
So we chose a day, I don't remember which one, and went.
Was it ever full of, well, shall we say, colorful characters.
There was a man and woman eating at one booth. There were a couple of men eating at a table nearby. They were yelling back and forth, but not in an angry way, but rather like you and I would have a conversation, speaking quietly.
Every so often a waitress would come by and check on them, and she'd be pulled into the conversation by questions from one of the two men or from the man or woman. She'd likewise respond in a loud manner.
Finally they all got up and left (thank god!) and we ate in relative peace. More noisy people were coming in when we were leaving.
In the convenience store part of the truck stop were more noisy, loud-speaking people. Nobody was angry. I thought those who drove trucks or those who associated with truck drivers were just crazy or something.
Actually, what I came to realize soon after was the difficulties and hardships of truckers, having to spend their working day driving, and often spending the night inside their vehicles. Of course they don't see their families every night like others who work at non-driving jobs.
So, they use their sense of humor, laughing and joking at things to help relieve boredom and perhaps
loneliness of being away from loved ones. It's possible, also, that these people may encounter each other at other truck stops or other places they go, so it helps to be on good terms with everybody.
Recently, we've gone twice in the past two weeks. Two weeks ago we took our granddaughter, who enjoyed eating a pancake, egg, bacon, and drinking from a giant glass of apple juice. Lexi felt she was grown up going to the buffet with grandma and the truck drivers to get food. She also liked looking at a woman who had tattoos up and down her arms. She thought that was cool because for some reason I've never found out Lexi had a temporary one on her face.
"I have a tattoo, just like that lady," she proudly told me.
Last weekend we took our grandson. He wasn't as enthusiastic as Lexi, but he ate some egg and pancake, a piece of sausage, and played with the little cream for coffee things and packets of jelly.
We may go again in a few weeks or months, who knows? It's always an interesting experience eating at the truck stop.