THEY DIDN'T REMEMBER ME AT HOOTERS!

First let me get the food out of the way! I had some good stuff over the past week, including "Fried Pickles" at Hooters. However, their wings leave a little to be desired, and what I desired while eating them was some "Wild Wings"! Next time, if there is a next time, I'll order plain wings with the sauce on the side. I'm not sure how I got back to Hooters, but someone wanted to go and I obliged.

So years back I banned myself from Hooters over an incident that still rubs me raw. I mean, I may be old, but I got money too!

We sit down in Hooters, the Knights and I, any finally a young girl (notice there was no "lady" included in the description), with midriff bulges all around, comes over to a table of the 4 or 5 of us and takes a our drink order. We would probably have eaten there had this gal put just a little effort into fulfilling our needs. A smile would have gained her an extra five bucks!

See turns and walks to the bar and turns in our drink order and then returns to the table of young'uns we had previously broken her away from, and picked back up on the conversation she was having with them. I noticed that the beers are opened and placed on the bar, but she pays no attention. We sit and wait, thinking about how warm our beers are becoming and then watch her laughing and having a ball.

Finally, after about 15 minutes, Ron gets up and goes to the bar and picks up the beers and brings them to the table. No one seemed to care or notice, so we drank them down. The cool beers do nothing to cool the fire burning inside us. The incident only proved that the waitress knew nothing about old men and their generous tips! Had she played us, she would have been rewarded generously, but the longer we sat there and waited for a return visit the more we fumed while staring holes in the back of her head.

It may not have been so bad had the routine not repeated itself a second time.

She finally returns, not even noticing or remembering that she hadn't brought the beers to the table. "Would you guys like to order?"

"No," I said, "just give us a check for the beers."

"You guys gonna leave me?"

"Yes, we're going somewhere with better service," I said calmly.

"Wha...you mean I haven't given you good service?"

I couldn't hold it in any longer. "Hell no, you've been over there stuck up those young dude's butts since we arrived!"

"I brought your beer..."

"Bullshit, we went and got them ourselves! Now give me a check," I said firmly without taking me eyes off her's.

A manager was sent to the table and he started to jump us for being rude when I broke in and explained how things went down. He backed off...I threw money on the table, minus a tip, and we left. Had she just given us some courtesy she would probably have made fifteen to twenty bucks from us.

This last week was the first time I had been back in 3 or 4 years, and little had changed except we did receive better service, and they had added Fat Tire and fried pickles to the menu! I still don't like the wings sauce!

WINGS, CREAM HORNS, AND BASEBALL CAPS

Judy and I did a little shopping today after my dentist visit. I bought a warm looking black twill shirt-jacket and a pull-over, both half-price at Kohl’s. Judy also found some jeans that were also on sale and a little Christmas nightlight for Katie Bug.

Afterwards, we stopped at Wild Wings and ate a late lunch, and the leftovers turned out to be our evening meal.

Of course, we had to have dessert, so we stopped at Harriman’s new Pattycake Pastries, and bought a couple of “cream horns”! Supposedly, these babies are made from the very same recipe used when Merri Mac Bakery was open years ago in the same location. After eating them…later by the fireplace, they are as I remember! Good things are starting to happen in Harriman, and this is one of them. Please patronize Mike Borman’s shop frequently. We need to keep our money invested in our community. (More about the new bakery on the Princess Blog soon.)

Anyway, because of the buying spree, we decided to make room in our closets by bagging up some things for the “Clothes Closet”. Someone needing a couple of warm coats this year is going to be wearing some good ones! We filled two garbage bags, and made more than enough room for the new stuff!

I dumped in half my old collection of baseball caps, most hardly ever worn, so someone might like those. Anyway, I pulled a bunch of old hat/lapel pins off the hats before putting them in the bag. I made this montage of the pins, so you can enjoy them. You can probably deduct from them a lot of who and what I am. I really hated to put them way in a drawer, but I just don’t wear hats much anymore unless it’s below 32.

Some of you will probably enjoy this photo, ‘cause back in August and September of ’06 I posted two “cleaning out my drawers” posts that some of you got a kick out of…CLICK HERE OR HERE to go back in time!

All the time I was pinning them to the cushion I used as a holder and background, Judy sat there watching adorningly, talking to Tracy on the phone, and feeling all good inside from the wings and cream horn she had just eaten! Look at her…she’s beautiful and very happy!

A WINGS RUN WITH THE BOYS!

My son called me Monday and invited me out to Wild Wings with him and his two college buddies from Middle (Doug) and West (Justin…wearing cap) Tennessee. It seems Doug, especially; always insist Corey’s “old man” come along.

We have all spent time on the golf course and in a mountain cabin for a “boy’s weekend” several times before, and for some reason they seem to get a kick out of me!

They don’t realize how honored I am being with them and hearing them talk about the good times they’ve shared over the years – most of which I will not share with you publicly! I love those guys!

Anyway, Wild Wings served up much better wings this time, and the Yuengling Doug and I shared (an iced 6-pack bucket) was extremely cold and delicious. Those were actually the first beers I’ve had in several weeks. Corey was relieved to see me having a beer again. We’ve been there twice before and I drank tea with him, and he was afraid I was sick or something!

Anyhow, we left a pile of “carnage” and had great fun playing with our “nerdy” equipment; flashing cameras and camera phones, and talking or texting to other parts of the country.

There’s nothing quite like a “boys night out!”

MY SATURDAY DATE

Katie Bug drove me to Wild Wings Saturday for a little birthday celebration for the old man!

I have to admit, I was a little nervous as I got into her Granny’s car with her at the wheel, but by the time we hit Hwy. 61 and headed northeast toward Knoxville, I was already at ease.

Katie is an “excellent driver, definitely an excellent driver”, to quote the Rainman!

I noticed, however, that she was breaking and slowing down too much when coming to curves. In East Tennessee, you have to learn to drive curvy roads or spend too much time going anywhere. I decided to hold my lesson for the return trip.

At Wild Wings we ordered a luscious 25-piece platter, with 5 varieties, and chowed down. She loves her wings and ate until she was about to pop. She even kept her cellphone off!

The evening before Katie had given me a great lesson on texting with my new cellphone. If you remember, my old one was ruined by falling into the creek!

I have watched her stand around flying through the keys and could not understand how anyone could type words that fast on a tiny little keypad. I did not know you could set you phone to word recognition and it practically knows what you are typing before you complete a full word.

Look at her standing there, all pretty and everything, kind’a like me, programming my phone while sending a text message to some “horny” little boy on hers! I don’t worry about all those boys that text her…she’s a “player” and has them all eating out of her hand, and choosing not to settle for a single steady! She likes them all, but luckily she gets so tired and bored of them quickly and moves on. If you ask her what happened to one of them she answers, “He got on my nerves!”

Anyway, back to the driving and wing story!

We talked a lot about boys, life, and other things on her mind, and then left.

I had two Yuengling drafts and it was good to have her as my DD!

On the way back home we took Hwy. 95 to Hwy. 327 and on to Hwy. 61. The first two are very curvy state roads that have always been a favorite drive of mine. Back when I had my Mustangs I drove these roads never touching my breaks, using the four of five speed transmissions to gear down going into the curves, and then accelerating down the straights. So much fun, especially when I could feel a slight drift in the rear and then the torque straightening it out and pushing me on down the road!

“Left the throttle right here, let it roll into the curve low and slow, now ‘gap it’ (a term we used in the ‘60s when engine timing depended on a point gap) here and come out of the curve fast and high!”

After two curves she got the essence of what I was trying to explain and from then on she was actually having fun and looking forward to the next curve. With a little practice, she will be as good as the ol’ man!

It made me miss not having a straight shift. I would still love to go through the gears on some back road, and feel the power under me! Ah, those were the days!

Thanks Katie Bug for the “most excellent” birthday!

SATURDAY WITH COREY AND LILY

My son, Corey and I did the “manly man” thing today making the rounds at Best Buy, Circuit City, and Thompson Cameras, but since he could not find a fix for his printer or camera, he decided to do some serious drinking.

We moved on the Wild Wings Café, off Campbell Station Road, and I ordered my usual Sierra Nevada, chips and queso dip for each of us (if I don’t, I don’t get any), and Corey ordered the hard stuff – un-sweet tea!

We had fun looking around and especially outside where they had set up a huge “funeral tent” for Saturday’s big University of Tennessee vs. University of California, Number 15 against Number 12! With most of the games, being “mismatched” this game promises to be the game of the weekend! (Well, guess not…the funeral tent seems fitting now!)

The tent will enclose a temporary bar and a huge TV! I will probably spend a lot of my college football evening’s right there this season.

We then ordered wings and, MAN, did they ever set me on fire today! I like’m hot and that is exactly what I got…I had to take alternate sips of beer and water to cool the old lips down!

The best part came later when Corey called an invited us over to watch the game. Getting to see him, his wife, and our granddaughter is way more important than any old “tent party!” (It was a great time…the baby was really feeling her oats and showed off for us…got to love on her some and sneak in a few cheek smooches! And Corey, well he is hilarious to be with during a UT game…goes crazy calling and running plays!)

Saturday was a great time…and Sunday…it’s on to the Dragons vs. the Knights game in Sweetwater! Long weekends still mean a lot to me, even though I don’t work anymore - they just mean more party time now! See ya!

WILD WINGS CAFÉ – KNOXVILLE, TENNESSE

My wife and I stopped by the newly opened Wild Wings Café located at Campbell Station Road in Knoxville Monday afternoon. I had just gotten the bad news about my shoulder, previously posted, and so hot wings and beer was in order!

There are so many ways you can order wings there (31 in fact) that it’s gets down right confusing! We ordered 25, five each with different marinates, and they were wonderful. We remember all the names except the fifth one, but our favorites were the Tennessee Fireball – 4 peppers hot (appropriately named for the state of location), Cheddar Jalapeño – 2 peppers hot, and a Glazed Honey with a kick!

Yes, we ate every last one!

This is my wife saying her prayer before eating…really, she is the hardest person I’ve ever photographed. Her eyes are like greased lightning and shut before the flash reaches her…every time, or so it seems!

BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN

Ron and I took in Bailey’s Sports Grille again Tuesday. I had my first good round of Killian and Bass in ages (it seems) along with some “hot honey” chicken wings.

Afterwards, we enjoyed our first Macanudo (he had the Maduro and me the Gold Label) in an even longer spell. Man, was it ever good to be back in the saddle.

I have now slept in my own bed twice since the operation…still a bit of a hassle, but at least I’m laying flat out for a change! And, I have another two weeks of the brace before physical therapy begins. That can't be fun either!

Oh yeah, here is a shot of ol’ Mushy all cleaned up…even tied the tie myself! What do you think…clean up pretty good for an old man, huh?