If you were hungry you'd eat that.


Probably one  of my favorite quotes  from any member of  my family,
this one is from my grandpa, a  man who had worked in any number of
bars and  restaurants, owned a restaurant  of his own, and  most of
that side of the family had all worked some sort of foodservice job
(or three, or ten) over the years. He loaned my parents some of the
money they  needed when they opened  up a pizza and  icecream place
when I was in middle school.

It's pretty deeply ingrained, food  and serving it Along with that.
implied 'you shouldn't turn your nose up at that'                 .



They can't help  themselves in evaluating the staff  and service in
any bar  or restaurant they  gather in. Not (too)  obnoxiously mind
you,  it's just  something  they  do in  the  back  of their  minds
subconsciously like jockeys looking at a horse. Sizing things up at
the subconscious level. At the same time, food is important to them
and they really  do appreciate good service, they know  how much it
takes  to do  it right  and even  how hard  it is  to keep  a place
serving good food well and actually making money at it.


One other  great line from my  family comes from my  Aunt Jude, who
when we  got together at  the restaurant  Grandpa used to  own once
upon a time,  after his funeral, remarked that  our family actually
knows how to behave in public - we just don't like to.


If those two lines don't tell you  what you need to know about that
side  of my  family,  well...  you're just  not  going  to get  it,
explanations are useless.



I remember spending  whole days with Grandpa and my  cousins in his
gigantic Cadillac  driving around  to his  various bars  where he'd
have a beer or  two at each and catch up  with everyone. I remember
my sister and  I sometimes hanging out  with Dad at a  bar as kids,
eating potato  chips and  playing pinball  machines and  such. That
might sound pretty odd to a lot of people, most people, now or even
back then, but  bars were just places people went  to socialize and
have a  good time. They socialized.  Dimly lit, with a  jukebox and
lighted signs for several brands of  beer, most served some food as
well on the side too, other just had potato chips and pretzels.






                                             NO CARRIER