Sunday, August 24, 2008

Yeah, It Was My Birthday!

El Hubbo wanted to start my birthday off right. He looked at me gently and asked, "What can I make you for breakfast?" He was thinking ham and eggs, perhaps some sun-ripened melon. I was thinking pure sugar, lard, and a deep-fat fryer. Being the consummate Yankee, he was dubious. Funny, for a guy who was raised on tasteless boiled things, he's pretty quick to turn his nose up at traditional cultural tasties, at least until the New York Times tells him that it's okay not to.

But it was MY birthday and I felt the freedom to insist. After living in a culturally barren place for several years and not even having a whiff of a decent doughnut, I was ready for the real thing: the piping hot and melt-in-your-mouth goodness of Krispy Kreme. He'd never had the experience of feeling your heart leap when the sign "hot doughnuts now" glowed bright red. He was thinking that I was dragging him to just any old doughnut shack, and he was somewhat less than enthusiastic.

I lured him by the promise of a beautiful motorcycle ride to the shop. And I'm sure it was a wonderful ride here in lovely East Tennessee on a lovely summer's morning. Purple mountain majesties and all that; I just don't remember any of it. I was focused on my mission: doughnuts.

I do remember one part, as we were stopped at a red light. I'd pulled up beside my beloved and he was gesticulating wildly. Pointing in the general direction of a Shoney's restaurant, I heard him say something to the effect of "mmmp...phhffr...breakfast buffet...kerrrzzzkt!" I couldn't understand all of it, but it was being said passionately.

Being a mental health professional, I value the use of empathy as a tool, even when the patient can't make himself understood. It means a lot to a confused person just when someone attempts to care. So, I put on a puzzled face. "You had a wet fart?" I yelled, " 's okay. They'll have a bathroom at the Krispy Kreme." As I rolled on the throttle at the green, I could see him pounding his handlebars in frustration.

We rolled up to the object of my desire and as we dismounted I could tell by the set of El Hubbo's shoulders that he was resigned to his fate. He was determined, for my sake, to tolerate a dirty old doughtnut shop with a layer of grease on top of his coffee and probably a smelly bum or two demanding dollars.

What joy to see his face light up with a child's wonder when he espied the clear Plexiglass that separated the sparkling clean dining area from the magical doughnut factory! There, one could watch as the doughy treats floated through a rivered vat of fry oil, to be flipped by mechanical means to golden done-ness on the opposite side, then deposited on a conveyor that brought them under a drizzling waterfall of glaze, made a curving loop and up an incline. Much to his surprise, I had brought him to the Southern version of Willy Wonka's factory, in the flesh and before his eyes! Smiling, I went to the counter, leaving him with his helmet in his hand, nose pressed to the Plexiglass in slack-jawed awe.













I ordered up a bunch of the golden glazed delights and even sprang for coffee. We happily sat down and munched away.

"Now," I asked, "Are you sure you don't want to just leave these here and go back to Shoney's?"

Despite his mouthful of doughnut, he managed to curl a lip in disdain. "Are you kidding? Only the worst idiot would pass up this cultural delight for a chain restaurant. " Under his breath, I heard him utter, "I wonder if the New York Times has heard of this place?"


As you wander through this life,
Whatever be your goal,
Keep your eye upon the donut
And not upon the hole!

--Ogden Nash

4 comments:

DC said...

Jill,

I wonderful read!! Happy Birthday to you! May all your roads be curvy.

Dave Case
PA

Jack Riepe said...

Dear Jill:

It takes real skill to incorporate one of life's daily occurrences into something of a story line. The doughnut ride was a brilliant concept. The pictures of doughnuts being born was sheer genius. But the best part was where you shot Howard a sympathetic look and asked if he had experienced a "wet fart."

This tells the gentle reader something about Howard, and it gives us a clue of what passes for conversation, over the sounds of engines running, in Tennessee. Personally, I was touched. And then I laughed... Really hard. And you know what happened? Yup! You guessed it! I had a doughnut.

Fondest regards,
Jack Riepe
Twisted Roads

Anonymous said...

Shure, Freida could boil a brisket like none other, but that didn't mean all the cultural delicacies were tasteless. I still crave a good noodle kugle.

I must admit that for many years I thought that "tongue" was just a silly name for a kind of cold cut that only coincidentally sounded like a body part.

I was extolling the joys of Krispy Kreme and the glaze waterfall to that boy a dozen years ago, when we discovered their outlet in Toledo. Did he listen? No......

Joan Marie said...

O.M.G. That is HILARIOUS!

And...
Happy Birfday!
Happy Birfday!
Happy Birfday to Yas!

Oh oh oh, thank you so much for the massive giggles! :D :D :D