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Road Trip Story...sometime in the 80's. Waffle House, Football Fans, and Yankees.
Three of us Comics were doing a six week tour of the South. Five states, 25 small towns. It was Football Season, and the SEC Fans take that seriously.
We were driving from Biloxi up to Huntsville , Alabama. When we passed Tuscaloosa we got hungry. So we decided to pull into a Waffle House, in the middle of nowhere. It was packed.
I mean really packed. With Auburn Fans on one side of the restaurant, and Bama Fans on the other side. We just stopped as everyone turned to look at us. You could feel the tension in the room.
Behind the counter was a long, lanky, tall cook. He had his apron and hat on. With a strange look on his face, he said out loud:
"Please tell me you are Yankees."
Well, we all were! Two from Ohio, one from Michigan. So the "Big Ten" trolling came quickly from both sides.
"You guys in the Big Ten are slow. Just big piles of meat."
"There is a reason you Big Ten folks don't play in the SEC...the Water Boys down here run a 4.6 forty...the Big Ten has one guy who can do that, and he is a Coach."
You get the drift, they were heckling us mercilessly. But they weren't yelling at each other anymore.
So the one Comic, it turns out, used to be the Drum Major for a College up at a small College in Michigan. So he got the Auburn guys to sing their "Fight Song." Then he did the same with the Crimson Tide bunch. We were the judges. It was a tie, so he got them both to sing at the same time, and let's see who is loudest.
Again...a tie.
And the heckles started up again:
"Typical Big Ten slowpokes. Going for the Tie, and not the win!"
And then, just like that, they all had to leave. Turns out, the Game was that day in Tuscaloosa and they were headed down to it.
We high fived them all as they left, with parting comments about the Big Ten.
Once they were out, the Cook told us our food was on the House.
"Why?"
"Because before you three came in that door, I thought they were going to riot and destroy my place. I was never so happy to see Yankees in my life. "
Then he pointed at the guy who had been a Drum Major.
"I don't know how you got them to sing like that, but anytime you are here, foods free."
And we went on up the Road.
Three of us Comics were doing a six week tour of the South. Five states, 25 small towns. It was Football Season, and the SEC Fans take that seriously.
We were driving from Biloxi up to Huntsville , Alabama. When we passed Tuscaloosa we got hungry. So we decided to pull into a Waffle House, in the middle of nowhere. It was packed.
I mean really packed. With Auburn Fans on one side of the restaurant, and Bama Fans on the other side. We just stopped as everyone turned to look at us. You could feel the tension in the room.
Behind the counter was a long, lanky, tall cook. He had his apron and hat on. With a strange look on his face, he said out loud:
"Please tell me you are Yankees."
Well, we all were! Two from Ohio, one from Michigan. So the "Big Ten" trolling came quickly from both sides.
"You guys in the Big Ten are slow. Just big piles of meat."
"There is a reason you Big Ten folks don't play in the SEC...the Water Boys down here run a 4.6 forty...the Big Ten has one guy who can do that, and he is a Coach."
You get the drift, they were heckling us mercilessly. But they weren't yelling at each other anymore.
So the one Comic, it turns out, used to be the Drum Major for a College up at a small College in Michigan. So he got the Auburn guys to sing their "Fight Song." Then he did the same with the Crimson Tide bunch. We were the judges. It was a tie, so he got them both to sing at the same time, and let's see who is loudest.
Again...a tie.
And the heckles started up again:
"Typical Big Ten slowpokes. Going for the Tie, and not the win!"
And then, just like that, they all had to leave. Turns out, the Game was that day in Tuscaloosa and they were headed down to it.
We high fived them all as they left, with parting comments about the Big Ten.
Once they were out, the Cook told us our food was on the House.
"Why?"
"Because before you three came in that door, I thought they were going to riot and destroy my place. I was never so happy to see Yankees in my life. "
Then he pointed at the guy who had been a Drum Major.
"I don't know how you got them to sing like that, but anytime you are here, foods free."
And we went on up the Road.
Waffle House
Road Trips
College Football
Humor
Food/Chow
Posted 26 d ago
Responses: 3
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I was in Birmingham, Alabama for a month doing a pediatric anesthesia rotation at the children’s hospital in ‘82 when the Alabama vs Auburn game was still played in the Iron Bowl in Birmingham. To date I have never seen so many beautiful women dressed in designer jeans and high heels during that weekend. It was a sight to behold.
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SGT Kevin Hughes
Oh yeah, there is a reason they call them: "Southern Belle's" and the Iron Bowl has some legendary games in it. And man...those jeans. LOL
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SGT Kevin Hughes
by the Way, Major, I can't thank you enough for learning how to work with pediatrics. That must have been heart wrenching. I worked for a couple of years as an Orderly at a Hospital...and all the folks in the Pediatrics Ward had to be professional, yet bond with the kids. And they all did it marvelously. I couldn't have done it. Proud of you.
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Maj Robert Thornton
Peds was never my favorite in anesthesia SGT Kevin Hughes. But I did have some tricks up my sleeve.
I used different rubber noses. Fox, pig, and a few others to take their mind off what was going on.
I also had some matchbox cars and trucks for the kids to play with prior to being anesthetized.
And for those that just decided to scream, 3 breaths of my anesthetic of choice and they were out.
I used different rubber noses. Fox, pig, and a few others to take their mind off what was going on.
I also had some matchbox cars and trucks for the kids to play with prior to being anesthetized.
And for those that just decided to scream, 3 breaths of my anesthetic of choice and they were out.
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SGT Kevin Hughes
Maj Robert Thornton - I am glad you figured out a way to take their minds off of stuff. My experience was that in the whole hospital, the one place you could be 100% sure the patient was truly sick, was in Pediatrics. Lots of pretenders in the open wards...but never in Pediatrics. That is what I meant about you guys being both professional and caring...a touch combo to pull off, especially with children.
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We got caught in one of those between Texas and Texas A & M...I thought it was going to be a bloodbath...lots of name calling and threats but eventually, it settled down.
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SGT Kevin Hughes
Yeah, thank God for that kid that got them to sing their Fight Songs! I think one thing that helped is they hadn't been drinking...yet. LOL
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I remember in no particular order how or why but we ended up at Waffle House while working 24 hour shifts as a Paramedic in the 70-90’s and have good memories.
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