About five years ago I started working as a waiter in a southern family style restaurant and Motel. There was a dishwasher who had been working there for over twenty years named Donny. He would come in every night decked out in camouflage with a toy sheriff’s badge snapped to his apron. He was ever grateful to me one night when I retrieved a steak knife hidden underneath some dishes he was washing. Donny used to live above the area where they cut vegetables, colorfully known as “The Cathouse”, but when it became to old for the owner to maintain he moved to a trailer a couple miles from the restaurant. When I got promoted to the position of third shift security guard I inherited and unspoken job: to take Donny home. He was in his mid fifties and had a bad knee from walking around town, as he had no form of transportation. Despite his grizzled appearance and rough life Donny was an eternally happy person and fancied himself as a comedian. As I waited for everyone to leave the restaurant (taking home Donny was actually against the rules, as I wasn’t supposed to leave property). Donny would sit in the lobby and fire out one liners to everyone willing to listen. Stuff like “If Santa and the Easter bunny aren’t real, then God and Jesus don’t don’t a chance.” All while he gently hinted to me that he was in a hurry to get home to catch “House of Hair” his favorite radio show hosted by Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider. As I drove Donny home he would always bow his head and meow in remembrance of a cat that the previous security guard ran over on accident while taking Donny home. Donny was an avid cat lover and had a scorpion tattoo in remembrance of his own deceased cat Damien. “Nothing could symbolize him better” Donny also fancied himself as a musician and the highlight of his year was playing the bongo drums at the company Christmas party. The last year I was there the entire staff skipped the party do to the fact that the owners wouldn’t let them have alcohol. No one bothered to Donny and he arrived at the party with Bongos in hand only to find an empty room. He walked all the way back to his trailer by himself with tears running down his face. This was the only time I have heard of him having his spirits broken. I quit my job shortly after and never saw Donny. I never even had a chance to say good-bye. I realized recently that I hadn’t seen him walking up and down the street (as he used to always be found as he feet were his only form of transportation) since I had left the job. I drove by his old trailer to see if I could catch a glimpse. Donny’s door, which had previously been littered with handwritten signs such as “Jehovah’s witnesses will be shot on sight.” were gone. Immediately I get a sick feeling. He must be gone. I don’t want to speculate where he went, but it is quite possible he was fired as the old bastard that owned the restaurant had been known to fire decade long employees without notice or reason. I hope were ever Donny is that he is alright and that he has kept his smile. You are a good man Donny…Keep on Trucking. If this picture looks a little crooked it’s because my hands were shaking when I took it. Dillard, GA

Here's a lovely big set of Nine 6" Homer Laughlin restaurant china side platters, all in great condition. These hefty pieces will keep cold things cold and hot things hot right to the end of a meal. Homer Laughlin designed their quality chinaware especially for hotel and restaurant industry; they're made to last forever and weigh a ton. They're oven safe, microwave safe and dishwasher safe too. If you've never used real restaurant china before, you're in for a pleasant surprise. If it can live through the abuse of a busy roadside diner kitchen's staff day in and day out, your kids won't be able to do much to hurt it either. These good lookin' guys feature bright white glaze with a single wide stripe of rosy maroon all the way around.