One Last Shebang

Melissa and I are entering upon a strict diet starting tomorrow. The only reason it's not today is because we had to go buy all the food for it. The diet we're going on is a diet created for me by Total Health and Fitness over four years ago. Wow, hard to believe. Anyway, it really worked although it's not easy. There's no magic drug or bit of equipment. You control your eating and exercise. Pretty basic. It just takes willpower. Anyway, we decided that we'd go out to dinner tonight as one last shebang while we weren't on the diet.

We went to Hometown Buffet since the kids had free meal passes from the library reading program this past summer. I have to say that nearly everything I had was very good. Not spectacular or memorable really, but very good.

Since I gave up all forms of chocolate several months ago (sigh), the dessert selection was pretty limited for me. Luckily, for some reason, all buffets carry tapioca pudding. I love tapioca pudding. Aside from any taste sensation, I love the memories I have of making it with my family in Malaysia. It's never with the desserts at the buffet- often with the salad or fruit. At Hometown Buffet, it was by the hamburgers and hot dogs- near the other fixings for those two. Kind of odd placement. I almost mistook the vanilla pudding for mayo.

The thing about Buffet Tapioca is that all the buffets in the world stocked their tapioca from one central source twenty years ago and are still working through their stockpile. Kozy Shack tapioca in most grocery stores is the best I think. Buffet Tapioca has some kind of drier taste. Not sure. Anyway, I didn't empty the small tub they had of tapioca but I did my best- you've got to do something to reach the $11 price tag.

At one point the manager was walking around and kind of glanced at me filling the soup bowl with the tapioca and I could tell that an upcoming conversation was stewing in the back room:

"What do you mean the tapioca's gone, Frank?!"

"I'm telling you, Gus, there's a guy out there that seems to like it."

"But that tub was supposed to last us another year- do you know if that company's even still in business to order more?"

Frank should his head. "Not sure Gus. No one could have guessed that someone would like that tapioca. It was selected to be totally outclassed by the other desserts but I guess in this case..."

"Is he gone?"

"Yeah, he and his family got cleaned up and left about five minutes ago or I would've called Guido."

"Hmm. Well, check on the tapioca stock and get the usual signs made up for our other branches to watch out for that guy. I assume the security cameras got a reasonable photo we can distribute?

"Sure Gus, sure. We'll make sure if he comes in again the tapioca tub'll be empty."

Not Kozy Shack but yummy. No wonder I'm on a diet...