Farewell to Evangelical tater tots

This week could've gotten off to a better start. Substituting spicy Hungarian sausage for kiełbasa in the bigos was absolutely defensible in terms of flavour but a disaster for my reflux, and even a full course of both TUMS and Pepto wasn't enough to get me a decent night's sleep. I made it through a multiple-meeting Monday to a specially-mild dinner prepared by the ever-solicitous monshu, yet somehow I was up at 4 a.m. this morning and didn't sleep soundly again.

Despite that, today actually went rather well. My biggest disappointment was lunch. Still chary of aggravating my gut, I struck upon the local seminary cafeteria as the perfect place for a stolid meal. I know I've sung the praises of their "Lutheran comfort cuisine" in the past, but I'm judicious about subjecting myself to such a starchfest, so it's been ages since I've gone. Besides, I'm a late luncher and they close early.

So imagine my surprise when, having made a special effort to make there before 1 p.m., I found the steam trays covered and empty. At first I thought they were closed, but I found an attendant and uncovered even more distressing news: They'd long since gotten rid of their hot-food service and now had only dismal plastic-wrapped sandwiches to offer. Nuts!

Dinner was more satisfying: a hearty frittata with mushrooms and peapods. Still, somehow I fell into a funk after dinner which only and extended chat with a good buddy lifted me out of. You know how sometimes you think about your friends and all that fills your mind is the obligations you owe them rather than the joy they give you? I hate moods like that and I think I'm going to crawl into bed before this one tries to make a comeback.