Fish and Other Yummy Treats

During my freshman year at college I noticed that I my teeth were getting tender. My gums were bleeding and I was very nearly always tired. It was painful to eat an apple and my mom was worried.

I was not suffering from any rare disease; however, something had to change and it needed to start with my eating habits. Somehow ramen zapped in the microwave covered with ragu, turkey franks and 25 cent mac and cheese was not providing me with the balanced diet my delicate body needed.

Help soon arrived and it came from my brother. He was married and living nearby. Each night I went to his house and ate. Voila...I stopped having tender teeth and I could walk all the way across campus without tiring.

Eating with my brother was not without perils though. My brother is very creative and I was very gullible.

I sat down one night, ready to dig in, and I noticed that he had already poured me a glass of milk. I grabbed the glass and took a hearty swig...wait, was that milk? It turns out that Kaopectate looks an awful lot like milk. It does not, however, taste much like milk. A half a glass of later, I became an expert in the qualities of this medicinal substance. Needless to say, I did not have any intestinal issues that evening. My brother did have a stomach ache though, all that laughing can be tough on a guy.

One glass of Kapectate was not enough to spoil my appetite though. I had many great meals there. Especially if there was reason to celebrate.

I remember driving to his house one night and he told me that things were a little tight this week and he had to reduce the food budget a little. I put on my brave face and showed my solidarity with his economizing. Then we sat down to eat.

His wife placed a bowl of vegetables on the table and I sat down ready for our new and more thrifty diet. She brought out a platter and we prayed. Then Tracy uncovered the main dish - a little tiny rainbow trout.

"Hey that looks great!" My voice and facial expression didn't match though.

Tracy just burst out laughing. Shelly brought out another platter of steaks and we celebrated something - I don't remember what. I do remember how good the steak was and how happy I was that we didn't have to split the little fish four ways.