Pizza Palace Remembered

I (Matt) haven't thought much of my college years since I graduated, but my new job brings me very close to my Alma Mater, Towson University, at least a few times a week. If it weren't for my college experience, random references to the area where I often work today in 2008, would go unnoticed.

Since I used to live and study near the Timonium MD office (for my current job) which brings me to one of my colleagues who mentioned "Pizza Palace" yesterday. I know Pizza Palace. In fact, I worked there briefly back in 1991.

Pizza Palace was the place where all the college students would visit after drinking one or 27 beers. They would yell their order and proceed to eat, scream, fight, throw food, throw up, and generally do all the nasty things college students tend to do. Pizza Palace was the place for someone to study in order to write a comprehensive book on Health Code Violations. Just uttering the name would cause Rats to sweat nervously and Cockroaches make the sign of the cross.

I can only convey my Pizza Palace experience with a short story. I was working one Tuesday night behind the counter, taking orders and cooking food. I was adorned with a Red Pizza Palace Tee Shirt, A Red Pizza Palace Baseball Cap, and a large, dirty white apron. Around 1:00 am, the kids streamed in.

"Get me a meat ball sub and quick, punk!" "I want a Pizza....now!"

I then saw a friend of mine who is quite the wise @##. I thought to myself: Great. I thought that since he was so drunk, that he wouldn't notice me in my Halloween costume, dressed like a guy who worked in a Pizza Parlor.

Me: Can I help you?

Unnamed friend: "Yeah..I'll have a large pizza, a large fries.." he squints his eyes...looks confused..looks away..looks back.."ROGERS?.....Is that you? ROGERS????"

Me: Yes..it's me. What can I get you.

Him: "Heeeeeyy..Rogers..You work at Pizza Palace? Pizza Palace???"

Me: Yes. I work at Pizza Palace. Now what do you want.

Him: He proceeds to retrieve all the people who he is with, bring them in front of me and begins pointing at my like I am some time of lab experiment run amok. "I KNOW THIS GUY! Look at him, he's working at Pizza Palace! Just look at him!" Laughter, smirks, condescending glances, giggles. If it were a movie, I'd have a lone tear down my cheek.

About two days later, I was walking to class in the warm sunshine, with a spring in my step, ready to absorb all that knowledge. There were hundreds of student milling about and socializing.

The music stops. "HEEEYYYY....PIZZA PALACE! What's up Pizza Palace!" I look over to see my friend along with a group of other people I knew. "ROGERS WORKS AT PIZZA PALACE!"

The following is dead true. For the next two years, this same guy forgot my real name. He only referred to me from then on.....as "Pizza Palace."

The funny thing about the position at this restaurant was that it was one of the more normal jobs I had during college. I could go on about the others, but I am out of time..