Jean’s Diner has sat alongside a busy road in nearby Hoosick Falls, N.Y., for some time, but this morning was the first time Maria and I stopped by for breakfast. There is a sign hanging on the wall that says “Beware Of Attack Waitresses,” and our waitress Robin said all of the waitresses were attack waitresses.

But she was actually quite  sweet and attentive. The Oat Bran pancakes were wonderful, so was the coffee. And Jean’s was dripping with character and feeling.

I don’t know why I never ate there before, Maria suggested it this morning and so we tried it. We both live it – the food, the feeling, the atmosphere. It’s curious how you can live in a place for a long time without stepping outside of the conventions and boundaries of our life.

Maria told Robin there was also such a thing as an “Attack Wife,” and they both got a good laugh out of that. I told Robin I could testify that this is true. Maria got blueberry pancakes. The bill was $15.