I'm Sorry, We Just Ran Out

Northeast states are so small , except for Maine, of course, that it seems one is making great progress : Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland - all in one day!

Today: Maryland, West Virginia (just a corner), Virginia, Tennessee.

Tomorrow: Tennessee. Tennessee. Tennessee. And about 50 miles into Arkansas. It turns out that Tennessee is a very long state when you traverse it NE to SW.

I can't wait till we reach Texas.

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When I was growing up I dreaded going out to eat with my family. No matter where we went, it seemed that (a) they were out of whatever I ordered, having just served the very last to the table next door; or (b) they brought the wrong dish; or (c) my dinner came last, often a full 5 or 10 minutes after everyone else was served. After a while it became a family joke, although my sense of humor has never been at its best when I'm hungry. This scene in all its variations continued even after I was married, although less and less frequently, and by the time I was about 30 had stopped.

Fast forward about 30 years. Two nights ago (the night before we left) we had dinner at Not Your Average Joe's, where I ordered a yummy-sounding flounder special. Yup - they were just out of it, and it was only 6 p.m.! I reminded Bob about my dining curse, but he assured me it was only a fluke. (Groan) Yesterday was uneventful. 

Tonight we went to a steak place in Knoxville, where we both ordered Beefeater martinis, Bob's with olives, mine with onions. And for all you purists out there, I know that a martini with onions is really called a Gibson, but having tried to order that once or twice, it only serves to confuse the waitperson, so I choose my battles. A few minutes later she comes back to let us know that they have just run out of Beefeater, and would Bombay Sapphire be ok? Yes, of course, although in all honesty we both prefer Beefeater. 

Another few minutes go by and she returns with the martinis, Bob's with 3 big, beautiful olives, and mine....naked. She told us they had just run out of onions! To their credit, the manager was on his way to the store to buy more, and in a few minutes the onions appeared. Not only was the price of the martini taken off the bill, but the manager came over later to apologize himself. Very nicely handled. 

We'll see what happens the rest of the trip.