Irregularities Are Allowed For Regulars

I really can't thank Farmer H enough for bringing me cake and fried chicken home from his class reunion. I'm getting at least four blog posts out of it!

You might recall that Farmer H and I decided to eat the fried chicken for our Sunday supper. Being a giver, a generous soul, always looking for ways to please my man (STOP THAT!)...I asked Farmer H if he would like me to bring him some mashed potatoes and gravy from the Gas Station Chicken Store when I picked up my 44 oz Diet Coke. He loves their mashed potatoes and gravy. I, myself, do not. I don't like the brown gravy. I've tried it without, but I'm not crazy about mashed potatoes.

Anyhoo...we decided that I'd get a large, which is about the size of a pint of ice cream, whereas the small is the size of a mini ice cream cup, the large's price being only about a dollar more for three times the potatoes.

It was going on 2:00 when I bellied up to the chicken counter to order my mashed potatoes. The little Asian Guy Clerk was doing chicken duty, and the Stern Old Lady was running the register. They see me in there every day. I know their actual names, but I won't blow their cover here.

While I was getting my magical elixir at the soda fountain, a lady customer asked Stern Old Lady for a roll of quarters.

"I don't have any."

I could tell by her voice that what she really meant was: "I have a roll of quarters, but I'm not giving them to you." I don't blame her. The Gas Station Chicken Store is not a bank! I'm sure Lady Owner has a policy about not giving away change, especially on a Sunday afternoon when banks are closed. That lady was probably going over to the laundromat by Save A Lot. She might have already asked THEM for quarters, too. She didn't even buy anything before she left. Anyhoo...back to me on my tater quest.

"Hi. I'd like a large mashed potato with gravy, please."

"You know what? We're out."

"NO!"

"Yeah."

"I told my husband I'd bring him some. He brought home some fried chicken from his class reunion last night, and I said I'd get him mashed potatoes and gravy to go with it."

"Well..."

"Anything you can scrape up would be fine!"

Here's the thing. The Gas Station Chicken Store sends the cook home at 2:00 on Sundays. The rest of the evening, the clerk on duty walks over to the chicken counter and takes orders if needed, and sells what's left. So maybe he really WAS out of mashed potatoes. Or maybe Lady Owner won't let them sell mashed potatoes without chicken on Sunday. Who knows?

Anyhoo...my clerk buddy came back with mashed potatoes and gravy for me! "All I had was a small."

"Thanks! That's great!"

It pays to be a regular. It pays in MASHED POTATOES AND GRAVY!