One of the most interesting bits of the trip was the stop at the Waffle House in Loxley for a burger on the way home. We sat in one of the booths near the griddle.

A young man, probably a high school kid, was training as the prep cook, and it didn't look easy.

The cooks don't use tickets. They depend on coded calls from the waitresses, and they can be complicated. As it says on the menu, there are hundreds of ways to have the hash browns, since they can be topped with any combination of cheese, chili, onions, etc. and each ingredient is called with a verb -- "covered", "smothered", "dashed", etc. (Not verb. What is that part of speech? Adverb?) You can order any number of eggs in all familiar ways. Toast can be white, wheat or Texas. Burgers can be single, double, with cheese, or bacon. On and on.

The kid was responsible for setting up the plates, preparing toast and waffles, and adding garnishes. At the time of day we were there a middle-aged waitress was patiently working with him. It was going to be a long day for both of them.

I worked as a waitress in my younger days and have a lot of respect for both waitresses and kitchen staffs. Even with experience I would have been intimidated in the boy's place.