Sunday, September 28, 2008

KFC, Fast Stop and Some Other Stuff

One of the reasons I chose Friday for our family to say good-bye to Peanut was because we had plans to go to Worlds of Fun on Saturday. Sadness can only linger for so long at an amusement park. So, on Friday, we shed lots of tears, read a great book called Dog Heaven, and buried our old friend next to our other dear old friend, Brandy.




I should probably clarify at this point that Brandy was our beloved dog and Peanut's partner in crime for many years, not Brandi, my BFF from Wichita. When Brandy and I used to work together at Koch Industries in Wichita, I would come in and tell stories about "Brandy" and people who didn't know I had a dog with that name would get a funny look on their face, which would remind me that I needed to clarify I was talking about a canine and not my co-worker!


Brandi (the friend) with Kadyn & Kamden



Brandy (the dog) with Jacob. She looked a lot like Peanut.



So, back to my story. On Saturday, we woke up, put our sadness behind us and prepared for a great day at Worlds of Fun. My Mom's company provides discounted tickets for their employees once a year. It just so happens that they do it during the "Halloween Haunt", which is very cool and if you live in or near Kansas City, I highly recommend that you immediately make plans to take your family. I'll be posting highlights of it later.



We decided to make a quick fast food run on the way to save some money and time. We graciously allowed Adam to decide for all of us that we would go to KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken). Not my favorite place, but whatever, let's just eat and get there already.

I should tell you that my last few experiences at KFC have been anything but fulfilling. Two years ago, on the 4th of July, I waited for almost an hour to get a couple buckets of chicken and the last time I went, they were out of original recipe drumsticks AND macaroni & cheese, which are pretty much the only reasons for going there in the first place. This trip to KFC proved to be no exception to the general "KFC sucks" rule.

We placed our order with a clerk who told us they didn't have Dr. Pepper, despite the fact that the menu listed Dr. Pepper (note, he didn't say they were out of it, he said they didn't have it), next the clerk told us to slow down because we were ordering too fast (we weren't), next came a verrrrry long wait for our food and lastly, we had to ask for napkins and one of our drinks because they forgot to give them to us. Whatever... let's just get there already.

While my family waited in the drive-thru line, I decided to jump out and run next door to the Fast Stop convenience market (not the one pictured below). I need to tell you that my boys are currently obsessed with convenience markets and all the cool stuff they have to offer so it was no surprise that Jacob wanted to go with me. Since he was sitting in the middle and Grandma would have to get out, not to mention that we were sitting in a drive-thru line, I told him no. This disappointed Jacob because as he said, he "just wanted to see it". He is so easily entertained. I love that about him.



I returned to the truck to find my family STILL WAITING in the drive-thru line. I proceeded to joke with Jacob by telling him that it had been the coolest convenience market I had ever seen. He was bummed until I told him I was kidding. I then told my family about the man who entered Fast Stop while I was there and asked, "What's that smell?". The clerk asked what it smelled like, to which he replied, "a bad perm". Hmmm, I didn't know bad perms had a distinctive smell, but apparently they do.

So, after I relayed the bad perm story, sucked down half my Dr. Pepper (purchased at Fast Stop) and we finally got our food, we hit the road again, munching on our hard-earned KFC. A few minutes later, we pass this billboard on the side of the road.

Oh yeah, we were definitely cracking up now. How do you explain THAT while your kids are chowing away on their chicken? And, trust me, they wanted to know what were we laughing at. I mean, if Pam says it, there must be some truth, right? Live scalding, painful debeaking and crippled chickens aside, I'm pretty sure we are done with KFC. My boys will just have to suffer with Mac & Cheese made from a box and fried chicken from the grocery store deli counter.

6 comments:

jellybean78 said...

The KFC's out here aren't quite as bad, but the McDonald's are! Our order NEVER comes out right! Although I did go to a KFC/A&W combo store, and they were out of root beer. I want to know how an A&W root beer store can be out of root beer!?

Hope you all had a great time at World's of Fun!

Tina Schiefer said...

I love this story! Gotta love the fast-food industry.

We both seem to be on the fast food rant lately.

So, here's another one for you...

In our smallish, tourist town, we have 2 Taco Bells. One is inexpensive and NOT a franchise the other franchised one costs more.

95% of the time we eat at the non-franchised one. However, the other day we were on the other side of town. When I ordered a "soft" taco with a "hard" shell (which I ALWAYS do!) the cashier looked at me like I was from another planet! She left her register post to go ask the manager, and I heard the manager say, "no, it's TOO difficult!"

TOO DIFFICULT? Wow!

Now, where's the Dr. Pepper that
IS on the menu???? I think Taco Bell, KFC, and Pizza Hut are owned by the same parent company.

Tina

Brandi said...

I am cracking up and trust me, I needed it today! Remember your last visit to Wichita and just before going to the zoo we went to Taco Bell, KFC and McDonalds drive through. One of your boys wanted something from a gas station too but we were just running out of time probably due to the time we spent in KFC drive through. I think everyone was finished with their food before our order came out at KFC. Oh, and by the way, thanks for clarifing the Brandi/Brandy :-)

Casey said...

I ONLY go there for their ClowSlaw and biscuits OH!!! and RootBeer Floats! YUMMY!!!

Anonymous said...

And I thought our KFC was the only crummy one in the chain! Ours is a KFC and A&W Rootbeer combo. Once, the were out of chicken--ALL chicken--and since it was only about 7:00, and they stay open until 11:00, that was going to be one long evening for them! Then, another time I stopped by, and they were completely out of rootbeer! I've also encountered 1 hr. waits, and I think their staff is completely daft, because they can never figure out the ordering, either! I complained to the corporate office (when they ran out of chicken), and they sent some freebie coupons (but, since I don't like going there, two years later, we still have the coupons!) And the sad thing, is that we'be been to this KFC maybe 5 times, and every time it's there is always a problem! Argh!!!

Unknown said...

Aim - I'm sitting here chuckling in remembrance. You forgot probably the best part, that Adam after insisting on KFC chicken didn't touch the chicken - maybe he learned to read more than we think and read Pam's comments on the billboard? Anyway, a good time was had by all and Grandma got the best meal - biscuit with honey!