Saturday, May 1, 2010

IHOP: A TRIBUTE


Placement, coffee and a certain amount of anonymity are my standard for a good writing spot.

It didn't, not really.  IHOP, or for those unenlightened, the International House of Pancakes, has not changed my life on a macro-level.  But the place sure cheered me up today.  Let me just begin by saying that a San Antonio IHOP on a Saturday morning is no easy place to enter.  Usually, there are people lined up outside the doors, along the always-too-small waiting area and clustered throughout the middle, making it difficult to approach the hostess and provide one's name.  But, if one is willing to persevere, to push and shove her way to that small wooden shrine that holds future diners last names, she will be rewarded with a managable "Ten minutes or less" wait.  Let me tell you, if you're a party of two, it will be less than ten minutes!
Once seated in a two person booth, coffee comes quickly, and sometimes it's waiting on the table (what joy!) and although there is rarely enough sugar and cream on the table, a simple request quickly remedies this.

I always order the quick two egg breakfast.  Over-medium eggs and wheat toast, hashbrowns and lots of ketchup.  And what's more?  It arrives quickly.  I have to caution you, the waitstaff is not always polite.  But it doesn't matter.  It's breakfast food, fast, and it's good.  They even serve flavored coffee now.  And what is it, I don't know, I really, really don't know, about IHOP that assures I will come up with a new story or essay idea with each visit? 

IHOP, whatever your mystery, I applaud you your magical capabiities for me on any given Saturday morning, no matter how moody and tired I am upon arrival.  Keep it up.  I'll keep coming.  I shudder to think what would happen if you ever closed, and I had to go to Starbucks again...




[ Musical Chairs just got it's 50th review on Amazon!!!]

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