The Grill

Silver Lake is a teeny tiny town in south-east Wisconsin, population: somewhere around 1,000 people, two gas stations, two restaurants, two antique shops and a big lake sitting to one side. You might say, "1,000 people? That's not very teeny tiny!" But really, most of the population resides in the back woods on another side of the lake somewhere. I've never seen the proof that they exist.

The thing about being a kid living in a little town like that is that there's ABSOLUTELY nothing to do. You play in the backyard with your friends, and you walk to school in the morning, walk home in the afternoon, and walk back to school to hang out at the playground. On friday night... you go out to eat at one of the restaurants in town.

Our family's preference for dining was The Grill: A one room diner with five parking spaces, yellow and red boomerang patterned table-tops, bluish tattered vynil seat covers, a hat stand near the door that sqeaked so loud you braced yourself by covering your ears every time it looked like someone was coming in. 

My mother worked at the Grill, and our family was more than decently acquainted with the owner and the waiters/waitresses. My half-brother's aunt worked there for a while as well. I remember there was one exceptional looking waiter who worked there and I used to flirt with him all the time in my own awkward, ten-year-old way. One time we went there and sat it our normal booth. I was really tired from a full day of something and I leaned over against my mother and fell asleep. When I came-to I noticed my mother's side had suddenly gotten very stiff and I looked up and saw that waiter sitting there. I nearly died of embarrassment, but it was funyy anyway.

My favorite thing to eat at The Grill? Chocolate Chip Micky Mouse pancakes. How lame, now that I think back, but wow, those were the best pancakes in the entire world (no offense, Dad)!

And how is this connected to N*sync? Because this song came out and was played averywhere about that time. I remember sitting in the booth once when it came on and I made my very first Artist Link when I realized I'd heard the same song done by Alabama. That, plus I still think it's one of the most beautifully written love songs to come out in the last fifteen years.