Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Where Did Baby Pea Come From?

Yesterday when Chicken Mama hacked into my blog (cheeky little devil), she signed her name as "Baby Pea" which makes sense since I'm Mama Pea and her dad is referred to on my blog as Papa Pea.

But she was known as "Baby P" at a point in time many years ago . . . long before any of us could have dreamed about such a thing as blogging or the Internet, for that matter.

We purchased a restaurant shortly before Chicken Mama graduated from high school. She worked there on and off all through her college years. It was actually great training for a young, very attractive girl to learn how to interact with and handle all kinds of people. She waited tables most of the time, and we felt it was a good environment for her to hone her skills of communication and remain calm under sometimes stressful circumstances.

Ours is a tourist town and often we would get groups of people in the restaurant either heading out on or returning from camping and canoeing trips. It wasn't unusual to have large tables of people with ravenous appetites frequenting our place.

One night we were extremely busy with a waiting line out the door. Chicken Mama had a table of 10 or 12 guys who were fairly loud and happy, drinking beer and laughing while trying to decide what to order. They were having a rousing good time flirting with their attractive waitress (basically giving her a good-natured but hard time) while asking all kinds of questions about items on the menu. She had orders waiting to be delivered to other tables, tables to contact and menus to hand out, drinks to pour and a gazillion other things to do, but remained calm, friendly and courteous to this big table.

On the restaurant's menu were some house specialty pizzas. One of them was called the "Mama P Special." I, being the chief cook, was dubbed Mama P.

The guys asked about this pizza called "Mama P's" and wanted to know if Chicken Mama was Mama P. She replied with a deadpan face, "No, but I am Baby P," which, of course, they interpreted as "baby pee" and thought was quite hysterical.

So she became (affectionately) known as Baby P(ee) long before there was ever a Mama or Papa Pea in Blogland.

11 comments:

Erin said...

Love it! The stories just keep coming LOL, and to think you haven't written that book yet.... !

judy said...

ohhh I just love stories like that-I have a similar one -my dad used to own a restaurant called"Fred's Place" on Washington and Nicolette ave in downtown mpls. it was right where that new Japanese fashion designed ins, building is now,anyway my dad's recipes [ especially his bbq ribs were so popular the vips from the nic. hotel would order from my dad's restaurant instead of a more exclusive one. but one habit I'm sure my dad didn't teach my sisters who worked there [ I was only 3 at the time ] when guys who had too much to drink sat at the bar,my sisters would come along to wipe up the bar along with any lose chance--hey I'M NOT EVEN THE BLACK SHEEP OF THE FAMILY!

Chicken Mama said...

Good gawd, I don't remember that AT ALL!!! (Being Baby P, yes, but not that table of guys.) And, if we're gonna be picky, I worked in the fam business mostly in my high school years - BEFORE it was the fam business (owned by us)! I started when I was 12 - a little underage, but shhhh. Don't think I was around during college much at all!

Mama Pea said...

Erin - Yupper, I'll get started on the book this afternoon . . . right after I get the poly on those last 104 cabinet doors! ;o]

judy - Ah, tricks of the trade, the tricks of the trade!

Chicken Mama - Ha! You were the one who related the story to the rest of us. I can still visualize exactly where that table was and you standing there.

I don't think you worked at the restaurant when you were 12. The summer you were 12 you worked for L and D up at the NALAC Lodge. Remember? You started dishwashing in the restaurant when you were 13.

So where the heck DID you work holidays and summers when you were in college? (Methinks we're BOTH sliding down the slippery slope into senility!!)

Dirt Lover said...

My job growing up was mowing the lawns. It was hot and took forevuh!! Then I worked at the mosquito abatement, dipping rice fields to see what little creatures lived in the water. And taking care of the caged mosquitoes in the lab. And walking door to door (in 3 cities) asking to look in backyards for standing water. At nights in college I worked in the wood shop tool room. Ahhh, yes, good times, good times!
~~Lori

Susan said...

My goodness - the things one learns on this blog! To heck with Wikipedia - we got Mamapeadia. Did I just hear a groan?

Chicken Mama said...

Mom, nope, I'm pretty sure I took some time off from the restaurant to work up at the lodge when I was 13 or 14. Working at the restaurant (doing dishes) was definitely my first job. College, I was working at the jewelry store . . . and then at the business in Duluth . . . 'cause I was with them for 7 years: 1990 - 1997 when I moved to the Cities. *I think.* ;)

No WONDER large families have big arguments about "this happened then" or "no, it didn't"! 'Cause, look at what a hard time we TWO are having with the timetable of memories! ;)

Susan said...

Wait a minute, Mama Pea. Is this a trick question? Didn't the stork bring her? Sorry - I just couldn't resist.

dr momi said...

Totally enjoyed the story.....and the comments!! :-)

Mama Pea said...

Lori - Outside of the lawn mowing, I don't there are many people who could list those other jobs of yours on their resume!! Very interesting.

Susan - Indeed you did hear a groan, you silly girl!

Chicken Mama - Geesh, I would never have guessed (or remembered) you worked for the business in Duluth for SEVEN years! I guess I must have been thinking of one of my imaginary children when I got your dates, ages and jobs mixed up!

Susan - Um, did the stork bring Baby Pea? No, we found her under a cabbage leaf. (That old wives' tale must have come from an age when everyone had a garden, huh?)

dr momi - Thanks, dr momi. What bunch of funny-bunnies I'm dealing with here!

The Apple Pie Gal said...

I love history leasons of the Pea Brains!
hehehehhehee