Eating out.

I often sometimes eat out at a diner-type restaurant called IHOP. I thought it was possibly named after an Indian tribe - maybe first cousins of the Hopi. Or maybe it was a subliminal message about how quickly the waiters are to serve you. Anyway, all my visions of one-legged Red Indians serving me with pancakes were recently dashed when I discovered that IHOP only stands for International House Of Pancakes. As much as I like IHOP (should they see this post and want to send me some free vouchers), I do have a bone to pick with American waiters in general. The custom here is to serve you, then to return precisely three minutes later and ask you how everything is. By this time you have just stuffed a large piece of pancake in your mouth so the best you can do is to say "Mmmmmmm" and nod. Five minutes later they're back again with a "How's everything tasting today?" and as you've still got your mouth full, it's another round of the nodding, miming, smiling, Mmmmm routine. But what you really want to say is that it tastes surprisingly like fried eggs and pancakes, just like it always does. They will then return at two minutes intervals to ask you if you need anything, want more pancakes, more coffee and of course the "How's it all tasting?" action replay. When you're just half way through, they put the bill on the table but assure you that you can "Take your time". Finally, as you leave: "How was everything today?". Now I would understand if the chef wanted a bit of feedback about his cooking of a piece of "haute cuisine" but it was TWO EGGS AND A COUPLE OF PANCAKES!
The above "short stack" of pancakes are the cheesecake pancakes and clock in at 1270 calories. (Could this be a clue to the obesity problem in the USA?) And, no, I have not had any! If fact I am slightly annoyed with IHOP right now because I have just found out that they do reduced prices for "Seniors" over 55. Not once have they ever asked me how old I was, being too busy asking me how it's all tasting. Surely they could see I was over 55?