We are
cruising to eat at every restaurant on State Street in Orem.
Election day 2012. John and I went to vote we thought fairly
early, right after dropping Phil at school about 7:20. We faced a long line. We walked past zillions of people lining the
walls of the elementary school, then turned the corner and still more people
lining the walls down the next hall. I
could finally see the end, but by then had lost John. Turns out he was still back up around the
corner treating the line like a reception line and shaking hands and greeting
all the people he recognized and even many who he did not recognize. We waited in line, reading and chatting with
those around us. We smiled at the
elementary school children as they wound their way through the adult lined
halls of their school on their way to class. About 45 minutes later, John
remembered he had a upgrade to do for work. He hustled home to get the process
started remotely and told me to save his place in line. We exchanged a few
texts as I edged closer to the door to the lunch room. Eventually I let people go in front of me at
that door so I could hold his place in line, but stay up front. There I was
able to read all the voting instruction posters. It wasn’t long before my
fellow linemates had voted and gone. Now
I’d been there about an hour and 15 minutes.
You may wonder what all this has to do with eating on State
Street. Well each minute took me one minute closer to lunch.
I stood by the door continuing to tell people to go ahead of
me. Pretty soon some people started
asking me questions as I must have looked official at my post at the door to
the entry of the lunchroom. Most were
aware you needed to bring driver’s license or other id. One older woman approached me and asked if
her two alternate id’s (a bill and social security card) was adequate. I motioned over the real official, who by now
I had talked with a few times. Early on
he had walked the line and kindly offered mint candies. At first the official told the woman that the
social security card was not adequate because no picture. She was devastated, especially after the long
wait etc. This was my chance to shine
and I showed the official on the poster where it said SS card was okay. Unfortunately she still had an issue because
the bill wasn’t a utility bill, but the official took her up to another table, I
think she got to vote.
Finally, half hour later John came. We voted, then went home to check on process
and little later went to Wienerschnitzel.
Can’t even remember the last time I’ve been there. Likely decades
ago. Kind of cool to be old enough to
say I haven’t done that for decades. John
and I ate there a few times as newlyweds. I am certain it was called “der Weinerschnitzel”
back then. We liked the chili cheese dogs.
That became a regular meal (cook at home type). Our children liked to eat these. At the State Street Weinerschnitzel, I enjoyed
looking at the historical pictures on the walls of old and original DW. What was even more amazing to me was how busy
they were at 11:30 am on a Tuesday. This was truly an historical day in more
than one way. 2012 election and I went back
to Weinerschnitzel.
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