The "Staying Dry Along The Chesapeake" Story

It was an ordinary day. Going on a date! My wife and I like to go on a date as often as we can. Sometimes it is to visit with friends for a long weekend, other times it may be to an evening concert to hear some oldies band, but then again it may just be out to eat. Well, today we are headed to Havre de Grace, Maryland for lunch. Takes slightly over an hour, but the drive is an easy one through the Pennsylvania countryside to the Maryland border and across the Susquehanna River. Havre de Grace is at the head of the Chesapeake Bay and means harbor of grace in French. Neat little town with a hospital, marina, plenty of antique shops, and a boardwalk that rims the waterfront. The only problem is they only have one restaurant that is located by the water and that restaurant has made us sick on a few occasions. Physically sick. After eating at the Tidewater Grill we would walk around town and then it would hit us. Got to find a bathroom and quick. We pity the poor owners of the places we find with a restroom. Wouldn't want to be in the shop immediately after we leave. One time we started home right after eating and had to stop at a shop part-way home to use the restroom. We finally figured out why we were getting sick. Must be the water! So, we don't drink the water or the ice tea or anything that they might have to use water to make. And, it worked. We haven't been back to the city to eat lunch for over a year, but we thought we would give the Tidewater Grill another shot. Checked the menu and started to make our choices when the waitress arrived. "I'll have a gingerale," I said and my wife said, "And, I'll have a diet coke." Playing it safe. Carol ordered the crabcake sandwich and I ordered the chicken salad sandwich on a croissant. Oh yeah, I also had their cream of crab soup that is soooo good. Made with sherry! As we waited, we watched an Acela Express train make its way quickly across the Susquehanna. This is the high-speed train that travels the North-east corridor of the US. "Oh, here comes my crab soup," I said as the waitress approached. We usually share a cup with Carol taking a spoonful or two first, then I pour on the pepper and finish the cup. Carol took a spoonful and said, "Boy, you can really taste the sherry. Tastes great." I took my first spoonful and started to savor the taste when I bit into a shell. I hate that!! Then the next spoonful revealed more shells. "Carol saw me pick the shells out of my mouth and said, "Don't spit them on the floor." You see, the last time I had a cup of crab soup with shells in it, I cluttered the floor with the pieces. "Just swallow them," she said. "Swallow them?" I asked astonishingly. "You got to be kidding!" After a few more spoonfuls of shells I put my spoon down and pushed the cup away from me. Shortly the waitress brought our sandwiches and seeing that I hadn't finished the soup asked if something was wrong. "Yes, it's full of shells," I told her. She said she was sorry and wouldn't charge me for it. We started in on our sandwiches and the waitress returned and said, "I looked in the pot and it is loaded with shells. Nice to know. "Anything else I can get for you?" I told her I would like some mayonaise. After my condiment arrived we both ate our sandwiches while talking about the people around us, wondering if they would get sick and if they were enjoying their shell soup. Then I looked at Carol and said, "How's your sandwich?" "Extremely dry," she said. "Can't be as dry as mine," I said while starting on my second gingerale. I had loaded the entire dish of mayonaise on the sandwich and it was still dry. We both ate a little over half of our sandwichs and most of the home-made chips when the waitress arrived with, "Do you want to see the dessert menu?" "Just the check please," I responded. Well, the good news about our lunch date ...... neither one of us got sick. And, the bad news ...... we won't be sitting by the water on our next trip to Havre de Grace. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.