Residency food

I just packed my lunch: yogurt, two apples, grapes and pretzels. This Best Western motel has a refrigerator, but I'm about to check out, so I've put my lunch into an insulated bag. I'll eat with the kids at McKinley Elementary today. Yesterday I sat with the kindergarten and first grade and then went out to get a salad at Party Girls to eat in the staff room.

I've tried out some of the restaurants here in Iola. El Charro had an excellent chile relleno (try dinner number 5) and very tasty salsa. I didn't have the buffet at China Palace, opting instead for Governor's Chicken. Spicy, garlicky, yum. The Hunan chicken wasn't as interesting. I also had a fine burger at King's Sandwich Shop. The King in question is Elvis, I believe. In these past few weeks when I've had trouble deciding what to eat, I've had a sandwich from Subway.

I was disappointed that I couldn't trek over to Yates Center to have lunch at Frannie's. Apparently Frannie fell and isn't serving for a while. That's the place where you pay a dollar for lunch and iced tea. You get what's being served. Pie is also a dollar and there's a larger choice, whatever Frannie made that morning. The last time I was there I had gooseberry. Lunch that day was a slice of ham, baked potatoes, green beans and one slice of white bread. Customers put their own money in the till, including the tax. I hope Frannie is up and about soon.

I'm leaving out the most important meal of the day, aren't I? The coffee at motels is usually so horrible I don't even set foot in the breakfast room. I confess, I go down the street to McDonald's. The coffee is strong and they have real cream for it. I usually order the sausage egg McMuffin, no cheese.

McDonald's in small towns has taken over the place of the diner (or maybe it's in addition to the diner). There's always a table or two of older folks having coffee in the mornings, reading the one or two copies of the paper, checking in on each other.

Just looked at my watch. Time for breakfast.