Sorry I've been away. I wanted to respect the writers strike, but then I remembered I'm already not making any money for writing this blog, so who cares. I have a few things to catch you up on- including a trip to NYC to meet another new baby, the demoralizing Eagles season and the results of my gift list. But first something more important:
I have been let down. Betrayed by one of my favorite things from one of my favorite places. Two things actually went wrong on Christmas eve this year. I had X-mas Eve open for the first time in a few years and I was going to check out one of those Jewish singles parties that are so popular- no, not the "Matzoh Ball" (but I love that name.) First I planned to have a nice lunch on my extra day off. I was going to try out the sandwich that the Today show called the best in the U.S. - the BLT Cheesesteak at Vesuvio's, just a few blocks from my house. Of coure they were closed - it being a Monday afternoon and a quasi-holiday. Not a big deal, I went a short distance to one of my favorite sandwich places- one that I think is usually a challenger for the best sandwiches anywhere- that's right - usually. I won't mention their name here because I can't be 100% positive they made me sick, and also I'm a bit afraid they would have me killed. Of course the sandwich wasn't bad when I was eating it- everything was great as usual: a perfect dance of bread, meat, cheese, peppers, oil and vinegar. As I digested the sandwich after lunch that's when I started to notice something wrong. I had an upset stomach- and not just a little acid reflux or low grumble. I tried to ignore it, but it kept coming back, and all I could taste was the hoagie and the biggest clue I was sick- I wasn't getting hungry again. It wasn't until early evening that everything became clear. I can't remember having food poisoning before- I've certainly been ill my share, but I had more flu-like symptoms then. I'll spare you the details of what happened, but you can ask anyone in my family about it as I told them about it in detail over Christmas dinner the next night. Suffice it to say that everything came out OK.
In the aftermath, I haven't had a hoagie since. A few sandwiches here and there, but nothing too ambitious. Next Christmas Eve I'm sticking to the traditional Chinese food.
