I was making sausage and eggs earlier, and just as it always does, it got me to remembering my life during a simpler, happier time. I was working the North Gate and my partner was Jim Burris. Mike Landreth was escort and Lutz was patrol. Those of you that worked with me know I always made my assignment...no matter what it was....my home. At the North Gate I had brought in a griddle. We started out small...just making breakfast for those who worked close by. We made pancakes of all flavors imaginable, sausage, eggs, toast. Sometimes we had bacon or breakfast steak if it was payday. I can still see Landreth sitting at the end of the counter telling me he would crank (stir) on that pancake mix while I fried the meat. It was a ritual we went through everyday. As word got out about our breakfast, we began taking orders from Dorm Officers, Main Gate personel, Road Camp, Voc Schools, Ad. Min....and of course the Captains Office. We figured if we fed them they would be in this just as deep as we were...and they would be reluctant in shutting us down .Puss Springman would walk out to my Gate and carry back 3 or 4 breakfast for the people that worked around him. If he got there early enough he would help me cook or package the meals. We laughed and made jokes the entire time. The truckers lined up at the gate couldnt come in until the stores opened, and it wasnt long before they smelled our food and got wise. After a while they started lining up before 7am...just so they could eat with us. We never charged for our meals, but people would donate to the cause. I bought eggs off of John Frailey...dozens and dozens of eggs. He would deliver them to me daily before he went to the School. At one time we were buying 8 or 9 dozen each and every day. We would go through at least 2 big boxes of pancake mix daily. Turned into quite an operation. It was a lot work but we all enjoyed it.....close friends sharing a secret and making an insane place just a little more normal. Some of those I mentioned in this story and gone from me now. I miss them and the times we had together. I guess I just dont cook breakfast often enough anymore......
Posted on: Tue, 06 Jan 2015 23:21:18 +0000
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