Mother's Day at 212

How do Krystal and Mother's Day relate, you wonder? Well....let me tell you. It all began on my first Mother's Day away from home. It was my freshman year at the University of Alabama and I had a date for the Saturday before Mother's Day. So I called my mom and told her I couldn't make it in but happy Mother's Day anyway. Well let me tell you -- all hell broke loose! My mom was an extremely emotional woman and the thought of one of her children embarrassing her in front of her sisters (who would most certainly have each of their children in attendance at MomP's) was something she wasn't about to let happen -- without a fight.

So I told her I'd be there someway, somehow. Nevermind, she said. If you don't care enough about me then just forget it, she said. Now. Keep in mind that this was back in the day. Back when freshmen couldn't have a car on campus. (Can you even believe it now?!) So I was pretty much sh*t out of luck. But, as luck would have it, one of my friends from high school was in a similar situation. And she was familiar with the Greyhound bus schedule. So we decided to sneak out of the dorm after our dates and after signing back in for the night. Yes. We actually had to sign in and out when leaving the dorm at night. (Almost beyond belief, huh?)

Our plan ran smooth as silk. Thinking back I can't believe we got away with it so easily. All we did was to go to the ground floor common area (after the dorm was closed and -- supposedly -- locked up for the night) and open one of those huge floor to ceiling windows in an out-of-the-way room and just climb out. Yep. No alarm system or anything like that. Ah, those were the days. Then we walked to University Blvd and waited on the Greyhound. Got on the bus and rode it to B'ham. I still remember how the bus smelled, but....moving on....

I don't remember exactly how it happend but we ended up at the Krystal just around the corner from the Alabama Theater. I think the picture above (borrowed from B'ham Rewound) is the exact one. I remember sitting in front of those huge windows people watching as I wolfed down those yummy little square burgers as a child. I wonder if it's still there?

Anywho....Mother's Day was just dawning and we were waiting at the Krystal for my dad to pick us up. My poor father. It wasn't until years later that I understood why he was pale with fear as he made record time across town to pick us up. He never fussed at me though. I think he felt sorry for me because he knew what I was in for from my mom.

And, yes. My mother gave me the silent treatment for most of the day. I returned the same treatment to her. I mean. My thinking was: come on now. I rode a frickin' Greyhound bus to make my way to her for the day and she was still pissed?

I don't remember but I imagine the day ended with us making up. And, then, my poor father had to drive me back to Tuscaloosa. Bless him. Not a word did he say to me in aggravation or anger. I'm thinking that Mother's Day was really hard on my dad.