A Couple Of Joes, 13,458 Calories, And Thanks To Applebee’s And Famous Dave’s

First, my thanks for all of your comments on Tuesday’s Face Me blog tour. Wow! The most comments ever on a single blog post. I was honored to be a part of the group.

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Tuesday, incidentally, I calculated how many calories I could consume for free before having to visit the emergency room. I guessed about 13,458 based on the number of hours in the day, and the wide range of establishments honoring veterans with a complimentary meal. In what turned out to be a lark, I scored lunch at Applebee’s and dinner at Famous Dave’s.

My motto for the day...

My motto for the day…

My wife, who is also a veteran (and the love of my life) was gracious enough to accompany me on this quest. Both of us served during an era when only losers enlisted in the military. Well, that’s how we were treated in some places. There were no free meals on veteran’s day back in 1984. The treatment of the military ranged from “I need your unit commander’s name and phone number before you can write a check here,” to “Honey, if you’re from the base you don’t need a deposit on the furniture. You’re good for it.”

Yes, in California, near Fort Ord, it was pretty bad. In San Angelo, Texas, near Goodfellow AFB, it was great. But the general feeling in the states was that you didn’t amount to much if you enlisted. The fact that the average person enlisting was above average in educational attainment and pretty much free of any criminal past didn’t phase the detractors. I’m glad that has changed.

Tuesday we felt honored everywhere we went. Applebee’s was a sea of unit ball caps, veteran’s jackets, sweatshirts, and faces. You can spot them most places if you know what you’re looking for: it’s in the eyes and the way they hold themselves. It was like sitting down to lunch with my family.

I have gone to a different Applebee’s every year to celebrate. Each time I have been welcomed as an honored guest, shown the utmost of courtesy, and celebrated with a delicious meal. The burger I ate Tuesday was fantastic! Top-shelf stuff, not some pan of crud from the mess halls. My wife and I laughed about the response if the meal was like a mess hall. We agreed that everyone would have been laughing and joking: after all, we at that stuff for a lot of years between us that day.

The wait staff – well, they were amazing. Attitudes, food, and decor (flags, a table for the Missing In Action and POW) were all 10 out of 10.

I even ran into a guy named Joe. I met Joe doing Toys For Tots and he’s now retired from the Marine Corps. He was having lunch at the next table with his Grandfather. His grandfather is a WWII Navy Veteran who served in the Marine Corps during the Korean War. I was tickled to have a chance to get my photo with him, a guy named Joe, and my wife. She’s the one with the long hair. guysnamedjoeresized

That’s a picture of brothers and sisters. Some genetic material matched, some didn’t. But under the skin we’d all take it to the extreme for the others. That’s what it’s all about for us: the bond.

After a very brief interlude at a bookstore, I jokingly asked my wife if she was ready for dinner. Mind you, it’s only 2 hours since we left Applebee’s. Affirmative was the response. I laughed: it was time for brisket and I knew it would be a winner.

On to Famous Dave’s. We got to the register to order and found out we were about 20 minutes too late for the Veteran’s Day special. Ah, we’ll eat anyway, I love barbecue. The manager looked at the two of us all decked out in our sweatshirts and ball caps with logos of the military and smiled, “I’ll still do it. Thanks for serving.”

She didn’t have to do that. She could have toed the line and refused the deal. But that’s not how Famous Dave’s rolls. Dave Anderson is an honorable guy, and even if he’s no longer found behind the counter, his spirit seems to attach to the joint. That’s a good thing.

Again, just like Applebee’s, Famous Dave’s had choices for us. I went with the brisket and my wife had the ribs. Delicious brisketfamousdavesribs

I had to start a new paragraph. The food was good enough to rate it’s own. Well prepared, tasty, and photogenic, the meal was a complete winner. And a nice way to honor us. The next table over had a Boatswain’s mate and a Corpsman enjoying their late lunch. It was cool to shout out, “Hey, Boats, Doc, have a great day!” as they left. Again, it’s a Navy thing, but those honorifics speak to our youth and what we all did before we became one of the grey-haired vets sitting around the table.

Yes, I am a vet with white hair. Young for it, but proud of it. And proud to have places like Famous Dave’s and Applebee’s that show such class on a day that is very special to me. I’ll be back. I am several times each year. I spend my money where I’m welcomed. Both establishments did a great job of that on Tuesday.

My thanks to everyone who contributed to a great day for me and my wife.

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Comments

A Couple Of Joes, 13,458 Calories, And Thanks To Applebee’s And Famous Dave’s — 2 Comments

  1. I take offense at the comment you stated in your blog, “Both of us served during an era when only losers enlisted in the military.” On the contrary! God bless America.

    • I left out the sarcasm tag, Jerry. I merely meant that we were portrayed that way. The finest people I know were on active duty with me. It was the same mentality that led that nitwit John Kerry to opine that if you don’t do well in school you’ll wind up in Iraq.

      No intent of anyone being hurt, just trying to point out what a stupid statement that was at the time.