Fortune Cookie #3 - New Experiences Aren't Always Good

I can definitely tell that summer is here. I sat down to post a blog and realized it has been six days since my last post. My life is much busier in the summer time. I will have to work harder to make sure I keep the posts coming.

In my previous post, my van had broken down in Elkville while out with Red of Doesn't Speak Klingon. It sat in a mechanic's parking lot until Monday morning and was ready to be picked up by that afternoon. Adam of The Train's Whistle gave my daughter and myself a ride back to my vehicle. All is well with the van now.

Since we had to retrieve the van from an area that is near larger cities than where we live, my daughter wanted to take this opportunity to go shopping.

I HATE SHOPPING!!!

I can do it for about half an hour. I might even last an hour on a good day, but then my mind starts to turn toward violent thoughts and I want some ice cream.

However, I did not resist this time. Kirsten was leaving on a mission trip in a few days to Puerto Rico and still needed a few things, so I gritted my teeth and we headed for the mall. Kirsten knows how much I hate this activity and typically encourage her to make these trips with her mother, but this was a unique situation that landed me in the middle of it. She worked quickly to find the items she needed and finished in less than 20 minutes with visits to only two stores. She's such a good girl.

With our shopping done and a long drive ahead of us, we decided to find a place to eat. I suggested we find a buffet and Kirsten hungrily agreed. Within a few blocks, we hit the jackpot.

A SUPER BUFFET!!!

I had never been to a super buffet! Would the food have extra taste? Would the portions be bigger? Would we be waited on by ninjas and samurais? Would consuming the food increase my abilities in martial arts? Who knows. We had to go there and experience this.

It looked normal on the inside. It seemed to have a little more variety than most regular buffets. They had fried squid; not just the small calamari rings, but the entire tentacle. I couldn't wait to dive in. I filled my first plate and started eating. Despite the large variety, the food was bland. Everything tasted the same. No flavor. I tried different sauces and spices and just couldn't fix it. I was very disappointed. Add this disappointment to the fact that we never saw our waitress again meaning our drinks were empty most of the time and I was not impressed.

Kirsten picked through her food and made the same complaint. She didn't like the place either. At ten dollars a plate, we still ate, but were sure we would not be recommending this place to anyone else. We asked for our check and it was brought with the standard fortune cookies. My 'fortune' said this:

This could not be further from the truth. I do NOT like competing, watching or even acknowledging most sports. I even wrote about my disdain for sports. Not only was my 'fortune' cookie way off base, it wasn't even a fortune. It just made a generalized statement that may or may not be true depending on the person who gets it. What is going on in China? Are they even trying any more? And what is with the 'have a nice day' smiley faces? It doesn't exactly have a Chinese feel to it. I was tempted to walk in the kitchen to see if it was staffed by a bunch of Mexican migrant workers.

I should have known better. When it comes to the Chinese buffet, I need to stick with CHINA BUFFET #6 in my hometown. The food is excellent. The staff is always available and very friendly AND The fortunes are much better. Here is the last one I received from #6.

While this may technically not be a fortune, it is a sound piece of advice. Plus, anyone who spends time with me will quickly learn that this is a motto that I can get behind and tend to live by. I love a good adventure and look to have one every day. I thought I was embarking on a culinary adventure when I entered the doors of the so-called 'super buffet', but am ashamed to admit that I was duped by the false claims on their sign.

#6, you have made an already loyal customer even more devoted. Save me a seat.