Two weeks ago, I was in the mood for fish and chips. While it’s fair to say that the restaurant featured in most Saturday’s bar posts has improved their fish and chips dinner over the past year, I still prefer the meal served by a local diner.

Scooter’s is a diner. I sit at the counter and I can see the flat top grill and the deep friers in action. Food is served in plastic cups or pressed paper containers. Recently, they’ve begun placing the paper containers in a wax paper lined plastic basket—I’m not sure why.

It’s a diner, but Skooter’s has some of the best fish & chips around.

The fish and chips was as good as ever, nicely complemented by a small cup of coleslaw. When I finished eating, I took the container to the trash bin and deposited everything but the plastic basket and the silverware. I put those on the service end of the counter. The manager looked at me and smiled as he said,

“You keep that up and I’m gonna hire you.”

This post is part of Linda G. Hill’s fun weekly series One-Liner Wednesday. If you have a one-liner, and would like to join in on the fun, you can follow this link to participate and to see the one-liners from the other participants.

All five of my current books are now available in audio book form thanks to Amazon KDP’s Virtual Voice process. The voice is AI generated, but I can honestly say, it’s pretty darn good. The audio books are reasonably priced (all below $7 US) and, if you already own the Kindle version and want to add an audio version, you can do that for $1.99. There is a five-minute sample on the book page for each book. If you’re interested, click on any of the Dreamer’s Alliance book links below the image or on the link below for my latest book.

Bridge to Nowhere

69 responses to “Job Opening — 1LinerWeds”

  1. Well that’s an offer you can’t refuse Dan! I went to a Scooters years ago in Hiannis Port !
    Great photos I agree with your interpretation of the shadows 😁💜

    Liked by 1 person

    1. These guys are wonderful hosts, Willow. I enjoy food at diners. Thanks for the confirmation on the shadows.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I remember it to this day we had a warm welcome there. As to the shadows you were spot on 💜💜😄

        Liked by 1 person

  2. That is a great one-liner! Fall is definitely happening in your neighbourhood.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks Darlene – yep, my favorite season is happening.

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Love this one liner … and prove you are not a robot photo!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I’m glad you like this Val. I hate those prove you not a robot panels. They always seem to have one that could go either way.

      Liked by 1 person

  4. Ginger Salvatore Avatar
    Ginger Salvatore

    Great one-liner today! You and I are on the same page interpreting the leaf shadows!

    I cracked up at the “prove you’re not a robot” photo! But when I’m having to pick out all the sections with a car or a bike or a hydrant it’s actually not so funny!

    The Korean Dogwood is magnificent. I bet people take pictures of it as they go by your home.

    Old Glory looking grand at full staff again. I love the way the sunbeam picks up all the surrounding colors. Beautiful shot.

    Happy Wednesday Dan. Hope it’s a pleasant slide into the end of the week….a week of wonderful weather to boot! Ginger

    Sent from my iPad

    >

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I’m glad I got the leaf shadows right, Ginger. I wonder if people driving by think I’m nuts, taking a picture of the ground.

      At least in CT, the flag is back at half staff, morning the recent terrorist attacks in Israel.

      I never like those “prove your not a robot” panels. There’s always one square…

      I hope you have a nice easy slide into the weekend.

      Like

  5. Good fish and chips are a real treat. I bet you could get a job at any of the places you eat at because you are a considerate diner. :-) Those red pods are beautiful. Do the birds eat them or do they just fall to the ground? Our maples are interesting this year as they’re not as bright and some leaves are falling early. Although, the photos from up north are bright as ever. The tourism folks require I include that disclaimer. :-)

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    1. Putting the stuff in the trash bin seems like a natural thing to do. I’ve always done it, but this guy isn’t usually there. The squirrels clime into the trees and eat the dogwood seeds. Sooner or later, the seeds fall, and then either squirrels or birds eat them. We never have any to rake up. We don’t have many bright trees. It looks like some are just slowly turning brown. Perhaps a result of all the rain we had? I don’t know. I would think having the tourists drive by your area isn’t completely a bad thing.

      Liked by 1 person

  6. You’re probably one of the few people that actually takes the time to do that. Your mama raised you right…

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks John. I could hear both mom and dad saying, “Where are you going? Take your trash to the bin.”

      Liked by 1 person

  7. Beautiful fall colors. But that dogwood! I want one just for those magnificent seeds… they’re stunning.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. They are brighter than ever this year. Sorry about the lack of bunny, but I did get a nice picture this morning.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I’ll let it slide.
        This time…
        😉

        Liked by 1 person

  8. There’s no trouble for me in imagining Scooter’s having the best food – that’s why I’m always saying how much I miss having a diner around here! Most of my life I’ve enjoyed the food at diners and truck stops!
    I agree with that red leaf being the most beautiful of the autumn leaves.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Diners can’t survive without good food, GP. They got nothing else. We have red maples, but they haven’t started to turn yet. I hope they do. Some trees are just sliding into brown this year.

      Liked by 2 people

      1. Well – we can’t have a New England autumn and no colors!! Those trees have a reputation to uphold!!

        Liked by 1 person

        1. I’ll let them know people are depending on them.

          Liked by 1 person

  9. If you get the chance, try the fish and chips at A Salt and Battery in Greenwich Village. They serve fish and chips like the ones I used to eat in London. Pie and mash with green liquor was another of my favorites in London. I haven’t found that here. They do have a nice tea and Welsh rarebit at Tea and Sympathy next to A Salt and Battery. Rhubarb crumble with custard is another of my favorites.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I have to add that to my list, Sherry – thanks! There’s no recommendation better than when the locals tell you where the food is good.

      Liked by 1 person

  10. I love your captions with this set!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks Liz. That makes me smile.

      Liked by 1 person

  11. Who needs to look at the clouds–all the action is in the leaves! The interpretations are great, Dan!
    Oh, those darn ‘prove you’re not a robot’ photos. I swear sometimes I can hear the computer laughing and saying to their buddy, “Hey, come here! Look at her guesses. Whatta you think?!”

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Haha – I think you’re right about those robot tests, Lois. They are laughing at us. This is the time of year that the sidewalk is full of animal shadows. I love trying to figure them out. I really liked the witch.

      Liked by 1 person

  12. Nice word of encouragement from that manager. I normally eat hamburgers, but I have tried fish and chips. Both are pretty good.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I do these things regardless, Frank (force of habit) but it was nice to hear. The burgers at this place are good, too. Nice simple patty, not some huge thing I have to struggle to hold.

      Liked by 1 person

  13. I like the wax paper/basket under the meal’s the paper dish as it’s more diner looking rather than plain and blah.
    LOL! I do the same on trivia night with our baskets, and flatware. Thankfully they haven’t threatened to hire me but, I do get an appreciative nod and smile every week. 😀

    Liked by 1 person

    1. The baskets are a nice touch. That’s funny that you do that and get those looks. It’s a simple thing, but I guess it’s not something lots of people do.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. It gets really busy on our Trivia night and it’s just the bar tenders, and cooks that serve and bus the tables so, they’re so busy filling drink orders and cooking they can’t get to our table too to clean up, and I like it clear for trivia so I pick up our baskets and stuff and then sort it at the station the pub has set up near the kitchen. It’s a win-win for us all. 😀

        Liked by 1 person

  14. The Korean dogwood is spectacular. I love your interpretations of the leaf shadows. This could be a whole new art form.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. It could be, John. I can see my doctor asking me what I see in this shadow, along with have I fallen, do I feel safe at home, and do I have memory issues – like I’d remember if I did.

      The dogwoods are very bright and heavy with seeds this year. The squirrels are munching away.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Don’t forget to draw a clock face.

        Liked by 1 person

  15. I enjoyed this very much, Dan. Even though my favorite, fish and chips, has me drooling. I might have to “invest” in a Door Dash delivery. I haven’t had restaurant fish-n-chips since I left DC.
    That Korean dogwood is truly magnificent. Now I fully get what you previously said about the berries getting too heavy for the limbs. The whole gallery is beautiful, and so is your intention/action at the diner. Big hugs.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks Teagan. Fish and Chips is something I get a craving for. I rarely have fish in a restaurant, but this is different. The dogwoods are really working hard this year. I hope the squirrels can eat their way through all of these. I think once they fall, the birds get in on the action, too. Busing my own trash at a diner is easy, and I’ve always done it.

      Liked by 1 person

  16. You completely outdid yourself with your captions this time. Some people see images in clouds, you see them in leaf shadows. Brilliant!

    We have a go-to place for Fish and Chips too… haven’t found one better. If you worked there you’d probably get free food… just saying.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Don’t give me ideas, Janis. I recently stepped on the scale at my doctor’s office. No need to worry, but if I ate here every day, there would be.

      I love these shadows. This time there seems to be a consensus that I got them right.

      Like

  17. I am not a robot. 8 Now all leaf shadows are going to look like cats, I’m just saying…

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Ha! This is the time of year that those shadows decorate the sidewalk, Pam. I’m sure to have more. Thanks for the answer on the robot test (I didn’t actually count them myself – I hate those tests).

      Liked by 1 person

  18. Not a doggone thing wrong with diner fish & chips! Wow, on the Korean Dogwood. Those pods are spectacular.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. The seed pods are heavy and bright this year. That fish and chips dinner is a regular thing with me.

      Liked by 1 person

  19. I, too, like your shadow interpretations, but my ‘not robot’ proof got a burst of laughter as I sat in the waiting room for a blood test. Eased some nervous customers.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Haha – I hope that was explained easily.

      Like

      1. No eye contact, no need.

        Like

  20. Wow, the dogwood is spectacular! I enjoyed all the fall shots that I won’t see when I look out of our windows, but as temperatures are down to the 90’s during the day and edging into the 60’s at night, I’ll take that and look at your photos. :-) There was a high-end grocery store just a few blocks from us in Naperville that had an excellent restaurant as well as a bar area with a decent amount of beer choices and if you bought a bottle of wine there, there was no corkage fee. Best of all, on Friday’s, they had the best fish and chips, the sliced, homemade chips that were fabulous. For $10, you got three pieces of fish and a large number of chips, but if you upgraded to $13 and asked to have the order split, you each got two pieces of fish but the same number of chips!! We shared many a Friday meal there with our best friends.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. That sounds delicious and it sounds like a good deal. Your temperatures still scare me, but they do seem to be getting better.

      Liked by 1 person

  21. Autumn looks good in your neck o the woods, Dan! So does that fish n chips basket. I always insist we clean up our discards at fast food places. I think it’s a product of my many years in the business in another life. 😊

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Haha – that could be, Cheryl. I blame my parents.

      Liked by 1 person

  22. I liked the one-liners Dan. Clever as to the crow to prove you’re not a robot. Your squirrel doesn’t mind the rain as there is a guaranteed peanut so why not venture out? The fish and chips look good – nothing like battered fish and chips and slaw. We used to go to a place around the corner from my grandmother’s house in Toronto with English-style fish and chips, even wrapped in newspaper … now, years later, I’d see the “ick factor” with the newspaper. :) I worked in a diner while attending college – great food, great customers, most which I knew by name, along with their favorite meals.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks Linda. I think that family feeling is part of the appeal of a diner. Most of the squirrels stay away from the rain, but some venture out.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Yes, I agree. The people I worked with were all from the Deep South, as were most of our customers – all very warm and friendly. Our furry friends are probably not venturing out in the rain as much now that it’s colder.

        Liked by 1 person

  23. I’m not surprised that you are conscientious in your diner clean up. If you do that at home, then you get bonus points! Great photos! I especially like the leaf shadows and the blue jay close up!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks JoAnna – I was taught to clean up after eating at home, and I’m sure I could hear my mom and dad reminding me, if I tried walking away from that scene. I was so glad the blue jay looked at me.

      Like

  24. I’m not surprised that you are conscientious in your diner clean up. If you do that at home, then you get bonus points! Great photos! I especially like the leaf shadows and the blue jay close up!

    Like

  25. What a perfect one-liner! Somehow diner food tastes so much better than restaurant food. Love your photos, Dan.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It’s true, Jennie. I love diners.

      Like

  26. So helpful, you just can’t stop yourself can you? 😉

    Liked by 1 person

  27. Ooo, those Korean Dogwood seedpods are beautifully bright! Gorgeous! Ask the diner guy if you get a fish and chips discount if he hires you. Might be worth it.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Haha – That would not be good for my waistline. Maybe if I cut back on the chips…

      Like

  28. I like fish and chips too. The best ones I’ve had were at Covent Garden in London. Super pictures.

    Like

  29. What a wonderful overview of fall! I am amazed at how you see the leaf silhouettes, and therein lies the way you are a storyteller and I’m not. I think that’s very interesting! The “prove you’re not a robot” made me laugh. Lines inspire you, I think! I love diners, and I’d be suspicious of that plastic basket under your order — could be they’re trying to go upscale.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Haha. I was worried about that upscale trend possibility. I hate those prove not a robot things. I love the shadows leaves make. It’s fun to imagine. I do like lines.

      Liked by 1 person

  30. Great pics Dan….thanks for sharing!!

    Liked by 1 person

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