Androgynous Fran...

In honor of my best pal Judi's upcoming Birthday, I give you "Androgynous Fran."

Back in the summer of 1986 Judi and I both worked in Lake George, NY at a 24 hr diner called Bagel's to Burgers. We both used to work a dinner shift elsewhere in the village, but would finish up around 10pm and kick back a few rum runners before showing up at the diner to serve up some hot tasty kamakazi omelets to the late night crowd. (There are many funny stories that go along with this venture.. but I'm sticking to my story of Fran today. ) Fran was the dishwasher that worked the graveyard shift. She had red hair and glasses and was somewhat reminesent of an oompa loompa. She was always disgruntled rushing and splashing about the kitchen...one night the cook walked off ( Gary) because he couldn't take it anymore. Judi and I initially freaked but then we regrouped and put our wonder twin power activators in high gear in form of cook and waitress. I was going to replace the cook and she was going to serve and cash out the dining room. I remember trying to find pancake batter and after searching high and low Fran rustled out of a corner and said it was under the sink. It struck me strange that food would be stored under the sink I mean isn't that where you keep cleaning agents and poisons? I did end up finding the batter under the sink and I remember it wasn't forming a fluffy pancake but rather running all over the grill burning and smoking up the dining room. Sadly I realized I had poured "hollandaise sauce" all over the grill which of course ended up burning and blackening the grill so bad that we had to put all grilled items to a halt! Inevitably the night was a horror and all that was left was Judi, Fran and myself and toast orders only. I remember the day shift showing up around 6am ( Carol the B-och!) and complaing that ketchups were done. Anyway, I thought it would be fun to send Judi a funny diner photo in her birthday card this year so I googled something to the effect of " weird diner photos" and somehow found this photo of a random guy in a diner outfit. I can't wait to get a call from her this week becuase I know she will be laughing her ass off!