Joe's Diner, a Blast from the Past

Lunch on this rainy, chilly  today was at Joe's Diner near Hannibel, Missouri, just off US Route 36 in Palmyra.  A smallish place.  Paved lot, fuel pumps, store, and diner.

Today was the second time the Trucker took me here.  Quite a nice place, really, although the air conditioning rendered the atmosphere decidedly frigid.  A few hard bitten truckers were about, one middle aged and quiet in t-shirt and jeans, another rail thin, tattooed and pony tailed, carrying a gallon thermos for the waitress to fill with ice and water.  

The booth behind us was occupied by a young man in jeans, cap, and a few days of beard.  A small boy of about three years was cuddled up under his arm.  They were sharing a game on the young man's phone.  How refreshing to see the two together, rather than what happens so often, an adult on the phone, leaving the child to amuse himself.  Giggles bubbled out of the boy, and a waitress passing by with a broom stopped to talk.  Apparently they were regulars.  The man's hand was devoid of a ring; was the child his son, or maybe brother?

Another couple came in, greeted the waitress with a hug, and the three sat down for a chat.

The diner's decor was totally given over to Elvis, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, pink cadillacs, Casablanca, and the Three Stooges. 

Also period advertisements for Pepsi-Cola, Dr. Pepper, cigarettes were scattered throughout.  And these:

  

 and more.  Most of every wall was covered.

A corner was devoted to plaques of verse:

Keep your words sweet, you may have to eat them.

Money talks - mine says goodbye.

And my favorite:

Our waitress was quiet and efficient, with pink hair and rather weary eyes.  The Trucker settled for a plain cheeseburger and fries.  I opted for the grilled cheese with ham, and fries.  Generally I look for a little ham with my grilled cheese, but this was a little grilled cheese with ham.  Delicious, but I could have made two sandwiches out of that ham.  

The daily special was codfish, baked beans, and mac & cheese.  The Trucker had a suspicion that the fries shared their oil with the codfish, but as the Passenger didn't seem to notice during the meal, he kept quiet til after.

Back out in the rainy mist, the Trucker plucked a long nail from the lot, just in front of the fuel pumps.  Some future customer will be spared a blown tire, delay, and repair bill because of that deed.

Down the road the big green Kenworth rolls toward Kansas, where the sun shines again and the temperature rises ten degrees in an hour.