Joining the nut-jobs

I am not a super tidy person, but I am not messy. And when I am eating, I like for it to be somewhat clean. Especially when I am out eating -- I don't want to see other people's junk, I don't even really like to watch other people eat.

So, imagine my disgust/confusion/total lack of understanding for the conditions of the Colton's Steak House here in Poplar Bluff, MO where I am attending a track meet.

What was bothering me?

Deez nuts!!!

Sorry, I had to throw that in. But, really, it was nuts that were bugging me at the steak house.

There were nut shells all over the floor -- ALL over the floor -- from the entry way, to the restrooms and everywhere in between. So many nutshells that when I walked to meet our crew, I almost slipped five times; when I sat at the table, the chair legs constantly were slipping.

At first it was really disgusting to me. Basically just sitting in people's used, discarded, possibly spit-filled shells. I began wondering when the last time they swept the floor must have been. I figured it is probably a once monthly chore.

Then the extreme hunger started to confuse my mind even more. I wanted to join in. I took some empty nut shells from the container at the center of the table, held them in my hand for a moment, and then eagerly, gingerly threw them onto the floor behind me. Kind of refreshing. It was like everything I am against. It is like everything my mother told me not to do.

The fine, warm bread rolls came, and I was transformed to my happy place -- good bread tends to do that for me.

Once the fullness from five rolls set in, my inner Merry Maid also set in. I looked behind me onto the floor and was again disgusted and confused by it all.

This feeling remains with me still. I just can't understand how/why they would want their establishment to look that way.

Despite my disgust with it all, I ate more than I could comfortably fit in my stomach, I left a good tip, and made sure that on the way out I dropped a few more peanut shells on the floor for good measure and waddled very carefully out to the door.