Way Too Much Salt

My older one and my mom went to go see a production of “The Waves” this evening.  There was a copy of it lying around the house.  As was “To The Lighthouse”.  I’d read them both when I was in my twenties.  I think I was in Guatemala on rough, fourteen-hour bus out to Tikal in the summer of 1989.  I was likely sitting on an overturned bucket as the seats were sold out and everything was rather sore.  And there was likely someone's ass too close to my face and an elbow in my side and farm animals close at hand, but Virginia Wolfe was dreadfully concerned about the table setting.  And if I recall correctly there were more than a few dozen pages spent fretting about whether or not everything was in its proper place, and was somehow perfect for the bouncy bus to Tikal where absolutely nothing was in it's place. 

The rest of us, my step dad, and my younger one, my wife and I needed a place to eat.  I remembered a very cool joint, Essie's that had been started by a former Culinary Institute chef.  But he had only a set menu of Tuesday night comfort food this meant what we’d all be having snapper and I was pretty sure that would flop for my little one.  So I called back and canceled and we tried find something else. 

My step father came up with the “Mill House Brewery.” They had no seats but I asked and yes, certainly they had seats available outside on the porch.  There was a bald guy in his forties chatting up a lady of similar vintage and I had a stilted dating narrative all built up for them until another guy showed up and it didn’t much make sense any more. 

They had beer.  It is a brewery, after all.  And the beer was tasty.  I had an ale. And I was happy with that.  And somehow, I got it into my head to order fish and chips as it was that kind of place and that seemed to pair with ale.  They were properly deep fried and the fish was flaky but later in the evening I had that odd feeling you get when you’ve ingested way too much salt.  This got worse as the evening wore on and indeed it was still with me in the morning.

The sunset was nice.  I’ll grant them that.  The beer was nifty.  But I don’t think I’ll head back for the food.  The fish, at least was just too salty. 

Tuesday 7/24/18