lunch at Denny's (m)

I find this part of Florida we are in totally depressing.  Lots of trailer homes or luxury homes that have been foreclosed.  The signs along the road--huge billboards--advertise personal injury lawyers, vasectomies, adult "toy" stores, or plastic surgery.  There are a few restaurant establishments, all showing pictures of steaks or burgers.  One even said, "Life is Short, have Seconds!"  I feel like I'm in Appalachia.

Sam's game ends at 2 p.m.  My husband announces (to me) that we can stop for lunch.  Whoopee.  Lunch in Hicksville.  The best-looking option is a Denny's situated in a shiny silver trailer.  We go inside and it's totally retro....Coca-Cola signs, formica, green neon lighting.  If it were in a major metropolitan area, this place would be totally cool.  Here, I suspect, it's authentic and back in style again.

The waitress comes over.  "What would you like to drink?"  I ask for an unsweetened ice tea.  "We don't have that."  "Wait a minute.  I just saw something about fresh-brewed ice tea on the menu," I say.  "Yes, but we add Minute Maid lemonade to that and then a fruit syrup."  Jack Nicholson in Five Easy Pieces.  I know how to handle this.

"I'll have the Denny's Blueberry Ice tea...hold the lemonade and hold the blueberry syrup."

"Okay," she says.  No trace of irony.  I still am not convinced she understood what happened.

The egg white omelet is okay.  My husband has the pancakes.  Torture. 

On the way back to the highway, we see a sign for a Russell Stover Factory Outlet.  I go inside to get a gift for my mother.  Overwhelming.  All the candy is less than half price.  Every sku they make is in there.  One section catches my eye.  It is rows of blue and yellow packaging.  Weight Watchers candies!  One point bags of chocolate mints, chocolate coconut candies or double chocolate mousse candies.  I didn't know Russell Stover made the candy for WW.  I buy a couple of bags and get out of there.  I'll get my mother something at the Florida airport.