Skip to content
Picture of Andra Watkins

Andra Watkins

There’s Hooters

Travel with Dad is a hoot. He rides shotgun, though he offers to drive. AFTER admitting that he got lost on the way to meet us in Columbia. I am always reluctant to get behind the wheel when Dad is in the car. The combination is like a nuclear reactor. With a hairline crack. I barely geared The Tank into reverse before we had a situation.

Travel with Dad is a hoot. He rides shotgun, though he offers to drive. AFTER admitting that he got lost on the way to meet us in Columbia.

I am always reluctant to get behind the wheel when Dad is in the car. The combination is like a nuclear reactor. With a hairline crack. I barely geared The Tank into reverse before we had a situation.

Whoa, Andra! You’re gonna hit that rock there!

Dad, I see it. I SEE IT.

Okay. Well. DON’T DRIVE OFF THE SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN!!!! Golly Molly, Andra. You’re gonna kill us all.

DAD, I’M HAVING A HARD TIME SEEING OVER THE HOOD OF YOUR OLD MAN CAR. OLD! MAN! CAR!

I almost ran off the road when we were looking for a place to stop for lunch. Dad was too taken with his choice to apply his imaginary foot brake. Maybe it was the orange roof, making his mouth water with thoughts of melted cheese. Perhaps the two big OO’s in the middle of the sign gave him a hankering for a cupcake.

Or two.

Still, a girl doesn’t want to hear her father say, “There’s Hooters. Let’s go there.”

Not ever.

Follow Me!

Twitter Instagram Linkedin Vimeo

Share this post

My Latest Posts

45 Comments

  1. You should be expecting some sort of award for this, preferably in this life. My only worry is this could be my children talking about me ( except there is no chance that “Hooters” would ever be host to me) 🙂

    1. The experience is my reward, Roger. And sometime, a book deal would be nice.

  2. Many years ago when the Lovely Miss TK and I were first married, we spent a week in Myrtle Beach for some reason or another and met a couple for lunch. The four of us, being from Ohio, had no idea where to go for lunch so we started driving the strip to find something that looked good. We cruised by a number of establishments before deciding to stop at some new place that had just opened that we had never heard of. We parked the car, checked out the menu at the front door and decided to give it a try.

    Wellllll….turns out that was our first visit to a Hooters, Paul and I thought it was a lovely place, very friendly and someplace that we could stay the whole day and enjoy sports on the TVs. The Lovely Miss TK and Diane apparently had a difference of opinion and we were obliged to depart after having a wonderful lunch. Sigh….

    You GO, ROY!!

    1. Lou, honestly. YOU went to Hooters? And too the poor lovely Miss TK??? I am shocked – SHOCKED – at your behavior.

  4. The best line I ever heard was “I go to Hooter’s for the wings.”

  5. Well, Andra, I was off line myself for a few days and have now caught up. Since you are on the grand tour with Roy, I am hoping your head is much better, and stays that way, and know that your trip will be blogworthy.

    As to Hooters, I have issues with it, and I’m wondering if Hooters will have issues with Roy by the time you are through. tee hee

    1. Luckily, Penny, we convinced him to try a different restaurant. Eating at Hooters on the very first day would’ve done me in.

  6. I love Hooters! The restaurant is good too. Gives me an idea of where we should go for lunch next time. But, I have to tell you honestly, I don’t think the have grilled cheese. Or cupcakes. Well…

    I wish you would video record this road trip with your dad. I would pay good money to watch that. And watch you driving the Old Man Car. Snicker.

    1. Dad freezes up and cannot perform on video. We are trying to sneak and record things, but if he sees us, he stops talking.

  7. OMG this is just hilarious. I have visions of very large alcoholic drinks smuggled into your hotel room when you finally get a moment’s peace. However did your mother manage to get out of this trip? MTM’s really racking up the good son-in-law points here, too.

    1. MTM did try to buy a bottle of wine at the grocery last night, but they don’t sell it there in TN.

      Mom didn’t want to come on the trip, because Dad runs off and leaves her at the events. And, yes. MTM has earned all the good son-in-law points in the world.

  8. Why, oh why are you NOT making an independent movie out of this trip? A documentary of “Travels with my Dad” would rocket to the top views at Sundance!

    1. Dad would despise that whole process. He doesn’t like to be recorded. I can get away with it if he doesn’t realize I’m doing it.

  9. I love Hooters too, but I’ve never been to the restaurant. My dad wanted to go one time when we were on a drive…. he was 94… I didn’t think it was a good idea. He was the same in the car too… Dear God, please don’t let me be like that with my daughters…

    I think you should have taken your dad in for lunch… now that would have been a story.

    1. Where we are having lunch now is a story, Ted. Trust me. You can read it tomorrow.

  10. Oh, funny, Andra! Back-seat drivers always make me laugh!
    I walked passed a Hooters once in Birmingham. That makes it sound like a rare animal!

    1. I had no idea Hooters was in England, Tom. I am glad you walked past……….

  11. Okay, I hate to get behind the wheel when my mother’s in the car, but,at least,she doesn’t ask to stop at Hooters! Jeez!
    Hugs,
    Kathy

  13. So hilarious! Our fathers come from such different planets! I love your dad’s zeal and zest, Andra. Your dad in a Hooters would be youtube-worthy, I’m sure! Being in any restaurant with your father must be an experience. I adore my dad, but he is VERY reserved. I celebrate that your dad appears to love life. I wish you could catch him on video! Hahahaha! Stay safe! 🙂

    1. I have one video of him, recorded without his knowledge. He is a mess to travel with. He goes into a place and latches onto strangers and doesn’t talk to us at all.

  14. We passed a big car on the road today and Nancy and I looked at each other and shouted out, “Old Man Car!!”

    You have doomed us forever to pointing them out.

  15. This journey sounds similar to one we would take with an elderly aunt – I might blog about it later in the week.

    1. I hope you do. I’d love to know others go through such things….. 🙂

  16. Oh Andra, I’m so loving this. Thank you for taking us along…MTM’s been kind of quiet…what’s up with that? Ha. Cannot get a word in edgewise?

    1. He keeps asking Dad questions about his romantic life as a boy……..EEK.

  17. My father would absolutely do that just to scar me. But he wouldn’t get to go.

  18. You should drive with my dad. He is 74 years young. He cant be in a car without making sound effects. Evertime the brakes are applied you hear a screech. 🙂

    1. I love it……and I would probably kill my dad if did that. 🙂

      1. There’s the whole, windows, doors and latches. Everybody got their seatbelts on. Sound off- he wants everyone to say their name. LOL! Then he drives and makes sound effects the whole way.

        1. You should make a secret movie of that. There’s something hilarious about a grown man doing that while driving. 🙂 🙂

          1. My greatest fear is that my dad would end up on the Ellen show dancing in the aisles. Someone forgot to tell him he is getting old. 🙂

Comments are closed.

Copyright Andra Watkins © 2024
Site Design: AGW Knapper