THE GOLDEN CORRAL

THE GOLDEN CORRAL IS A FAMILY BUFFET-STYLE RESTAURANT. YOU CAN FIND JUST ABOUT ANYTHING YOU ARE HUNGRY FOR, (EXCEPT MAYBE SUSHI, SOME OF THE REDNECKS THAT FREQUENT THE PLACE WOULD COMPLAIN THAT THE FISH IS UNDERCOOKED). TONIGHT WE TOOK MY BROTHER WHO IS VISITING FROM OUT OF TOWN TO DINNER, AS HE IS HARD TO PLEASE AND I HOPED HE WOULD ENJOY HIMSELF. BEING THERE BROUGHT BACK SOME DEAR MEMORIES, AND EVEN ONE THAT STILL ANGERS ME.
ONE FALL DAY, WHILE BOBBIE JO AND I WERE OUT SHOPPING, WE DECIDED TO HAVE LUNCH. JAYBIRD WAS A SMALL BABY, WE WERE GETTING TIRED AND WE WERE HUNGRY. THE GOLDEN CORRAL WAS CLOSE BY, AND WE DECIDED TO GO THERE. WHILE WE WERE EATING AND VISITING, I HEARD A COMMOTION BEHIND US AND I TURNED TO LOOK. THERE I SAW TWO VERY ELDERLY LADIES BEING BULLIED BY THE MANAGER. I BECAME CONCERNED AND PAID MORE ATTENTION-I WAS WORRIED ABOUT THE ELDERLY LADIES. IT SEEMS THAT THEY HAD STUFFED THEIR LARGE SHOPPING BAGS WITH FOOD FROM THE BUFFET TO TAKE HOME. I AM SURE THAT THEY PROBABLY LIVED ON A PENSION, AND WAS HOPING TO SUPPLIMENT THEIR FOOD BUDGET BY "SNITCHING" SOME FOOD. THE RESTAURANT CLEARLY STATES THAT NO FOOD IS TO BE TAKEN FROM THE RESTAURANT UNLESS YOU PAY FOR TAKE OUT, AND THE MANAGER CAUGHT THESE LADIES DOING JUST THAT. HE HAD DUMPED THEIR BAGS OUT ON THE TABLE AND WAS BERATING THEM LOUDLY. HE POINTED TO THE SIGNS SAYING THAT TAKING FOOD WAS PROHIBITED, AND ASKED IF THEY COULD READ. HE TOLD THEM THAT HE OUGHT TO HAVE THEM ARRESTED. BY NOW, THESE ELDERLY LADIES WERE CRYING AND VERY FRIGHTENED, AND BOTH GOT UP AND QUICKLY LEFT THE RESTAURANT, LEAVING THEIR SHOPPING BAGS BEHIND. I HAD JUST DECIDED THAT I WAS GOING TO HAVE A WORD WITH THIS VERY RUDE MANAGER, WHEN HE TURNED IN OUR DIRECTION. GIVING US A POINTED LOOK, HE STARTED OVER TO OUR TABLE. I WONDERED WHAT HAD GOTTEN HIS ATTENTION, AND THEN I NOTICED THAT BOBBIE JO WAS NURSING JAYBIRD UNDER A BLANKET, VERY DISCRETLY. I KNEW THAT THE MANAGER WAS GOING TO SAY SOMETHING TO HER, AND I JUST EXPLODED. BEFORE HE COULD GET TO THE TABLE, I STOOD UP TO GREET HIM. HE OPENED HIS MOUTH, BUT I POKED MY FINGER IN HIS FACE AND SAID, "HOLD IT BUDDY! BEFORE YOU OPEN YOUR STUPID MOUTH ANY FURTHER, YOU GO AND CALL YOUR ATTORNEY. IF YOU EVEN THINK FOR ONE MOMENT THAT YOU ARE GOING TO SAY SOMETHING TO MY DAUGHTER FOR NURSING HER SON IN THIS RESTAURANT, YOU BETTER BACK UP. IT IS DISCRIMINATION (HECK I DONT KNOW IF IT IS OR NOT) TO MAKE A SCENE OVER A NURSING MOTHER AND I WOULD JUST LOVE TO TAKE YOU ON! SHE IS DOING NOTHING WRONG, AND IF I WERE YOU I WOULD JUST GO ON BACK IN YOUR LITTLE OFFICE AND THINK ABOUT THE LAWSUIT THAT COULD BE COMING YOUR WAY AFTER YOUR TERRORIZED THOSE LADIES!" HE SAID NOT A WORD, BUT TURNED ON HIS HEEL AND LEFT US. SOME OF THE DINERS APPLAUDED ME- BUT I WAS NOT IN THE MOOD FOR ACCLAMATIONS. I JUST WAITED FOR THAT IDIOT TO COME BACK AND CHALLENGE ME, BUT HE DIDN'T. WE FINISHED LUNCH AND LEFT, AND I WANT TO SAY THAT THAT IS THE ONLY TIME I EVER HAD A DIFFICULTY AT THE GOLDEN CORRAL. IN FACT, THEY HAVE BEEN QUITE UNDERSTANDING ON A COUPLE OF OCCSASIONS.
AFTER MARTIN'S STEP-MOM LOLA DIED, IT WAS UP TO MARTIN AND I TO TAKE CARE OF THE AFTER-FUNERAL DINNER. THERE WERE QUITE A FEW MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY THERE, AND WE WERE ACROSS TOWN. I DECIDED TO TAKE THE ALL TO THE GOLDEN CORRAL AND JUST FEED THEM THERE. WE WERE GIVEN A PARTY ROOM ALL TO OURSELVES AND TWO WONDERFUL WAITRESSES. WE HAD LOTS OF KIDS, AND IT WAS COMMOTION. ONE INCIDENT IN PARTICULAR THAT HAPPENED THAT DAY, WAS THAT MY DEAR NIECE GAIL, DECIDED TO TAKE FOOD HOME WITH HER. GAIL IS SUCH A DEAR, ALWAYS HELPING IN ANYWAY THAT SHE CAN, BUT SHE IS A BIT SLOW AND WAS NOT CONCERNED WITH SIGNS SAYING ANYTHING TO HER ABOUT TAKING FOOD HOME. IN FACT, SHE SPREAD SEVERAL NAPKINS AND CAREFULLY PLACED DIFFERENT ITEMS IN EACH ONE SO THAT THEY WOULD NOT GET MIXED UP. SHE HAD AN ENTIRE TABLE COVERED WITH NAPKINS CAREFULLY FOLDED WITH MEAT IN SOME, ROLLS IN SOME AND DESSERTS IN SOME. I HAD DECIDED THAT IF ANYONE SAID ANYTHING, I WOULD JUST PAY FOR THE FOOD- BUT THEY HAD BETTER NOT EMBARRASS HER BECAUSE OF IT. ONE OF THE WAITRESSES NOTICED GAIL'S "STASH" BUT WITH A KIND VOICE, ASKED HER IF SHE NEEDED A BAG TO CARRY EVERYTHING. GAIL SMILED BROADLY AND SAID LOUDY, "SEE AUNT JODIE, I TOLD YOU THEY DON'T CARE IF YOU TAKE FOOD HOME!" OF COURSE THE WAITRESS LOOKED RIGHT AT ME , BUT THEN SHE SMILED AND CAME OVER. "I UNDERSTAND" SHE SAID. "DON'T WORRY, IT IS OKAY THIS TIME". SHE WAS SO KIND, AND I WAS SO RELIEVED. I LEFT A BIG TIP TO THANK HER.
ANOTHER TIME RECENTLY, WHEN MARTIN AND I WERE THERE, (WE ALWAYS GO TO THE SAME LOCATION) I WAS TAKING MY TIME CHOOSING FOOD, BECAUSE I CANNOT HAVE ANYTHING WITH MEAT, MILK OR EGGS IN IT. I GET A TERRIBLE REACTION FROM SUCH ITEMS AND AM VERY CAREFUL. I WANTED SOME OF THE MUSHROOMS, SO I ASKED THE COOK IF THE MUSHROOMS HAD BEEN COOKED IN MEAT BROTH. HE TOLD ME HE WAS NOT THE MUSHROOM COOK, BUT HE WOULD ASK. HE CAME BACK AND ASSURRED ME THAT THEY WERE COOKED IN BUTTER ONLY. BY NOW, THE MANAGER, (ANOTHER ONE, NOT THE MONSTER, HE HAS BEEN GONE A LONG TIME) CAME OVER TO SEE IF EVERYTHING WAS ALRIGHT. I ASSURED HIM THAT IT WAS, AND EXPLAINED MY CONCERNS ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS. I HAD CHOSEN GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE, MUSHROOMS, MASHED POTATOES AND SOME FISH. (I CAN EAT FISH). AS I WAS GOING BACK TO THE TABLE, THE MANAGER CAME RUSHING OVER TO ME. "WAIT MAAM, LET ME SEE WHAT YOU HAVE ON YOUR PLATE" HE SAID. I TOLD HIM I WAS SURE THAT EVERYTHING WAS FINE, BUT HE INSISTED ON MAKING SURE HIMSELF. "PLEASE DON'T EAT THE GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE MA'AM, WE HAVE COOKED THE GREEN BEANS WITH BACON" HE TOLD ME. NOW, THAT COULD HAVE BEEN VERY DIFFICULT, AS SEASONING WITH BACON WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN SEVERE SPEWING FROM BOTH ENDS FOR ME. WITHOUT HIS WARNING, I WOULD HAVE EATEN THE GREEN BEANS AND BEEN VERY SICK. I WAS SO IMPRESSED THAT HE WOULD TAKE THE TIME TO WARN ME, AND TOLD HIM SO. HE TOLD ME THAT I HAD BEEN SO COURTEOUS WHEN ASKING ABOUT THE FOOD, AND HE FELT THAT I WAS SINCERE IN MY CONCERNS. HE DIDN'T WANT ME TO BE SICK, AND I TOLD HIM THAT I WAS VERY GRATEFUL. MOST PEOPLE WOULD NOT HAVE GONE TO THE TROUBLE THAT HE DID, BUT AS I SAID, I HAVE ONLY HAD ONE BAD EXPERIENCE AT THE GOLDEN CORRAL.
I ENJOYED THE TIME THERE TONIGHT. I FEEL COMFORTABLE FOR MANY REASONS, BUT MAINLY THAT I CAN HAVE CHOICES THAT I AM SAFE WITH. I WOULD LOVE TO ATTACK THE STEAKS, CHOMP THE PORKCHOPS, GOBBLE THE CHICKEN, BUT I CANNOT. I CAN ENJOY THE FISH DISHES, THE VEGETABLES THAT ARE SAFE FOR ME AND THE FABULOUS SALAD ITEMS. I HAVE TO BE GOOD AND NOT HOG THE DESSERTS, AND I MANAGE TO MOST OF THE TIME. WHEN THE MANAGER SEES ME, HE WINKS AND POINTEDLY LOOKS AT MY PLATE. THAT MAKES ME FEEL SO GOOD, THAT HE CARES. MY BROTHER ATE LIKE A PIG, AND ENJOYED HIMSELF, AS I HOPED HE WOULD. IT WAS GOOD TO SEE HIM, AND WE HAVE YET ANOTHER MEMORY. I LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT VISIT TO THE GOLDEN CORRAL, NOT TOO SOON THOUGH (I AM TRYING TO SAVE MONEY AND STICK TO MY BUDGET). WHEN I DO GO, I WILL REMEMBER THE OTHER TIMES I HAVE BEEN AND THE MEMORIES I HAVE MADE. TILL TOMORROW, LOVE, NANASEE