The Next Revolution will Start with Chips & Salsa

joannaauthor ♦ August 24, 2016 ♦ Leave a comment

If you follow my blog, you know that I have a weekly tradition of going out to lunch with my Dad, when he’s in town for his Vet Center visits.   Over the past six weeks, these lunches have expanded to include several other Veterans that are from his group.  They are all Vietnam Vets, and they are all an endless source of information about the war.

They always want to eat Mexican food (not a problem with me!) and the one time we strayed for barbecue, while it was enjoyed, everyone agreed that it would be back to Mexican food the next week.

Lunches are even more fascinating with multiple war stories from the Vietnam era. I would love to say it would be enough for another book.  There’s one problem.  I hear the same stories every week.

Veteran:  “Did I ever tell you about the time I learned to like Lima beans?  We were camped out in the jungle, and that was all that was left from our C rations were cans of Lima beans.  I hate Lima beans.  But one of the guys took a few peppers growing wild in the jungle, chopped them up and heated them with the beans.  It tasted great!”

Dad: That reminds me of the times I would buy rice with over easy eggs on it.  These Vietnamese women would cook it and their kids would come sell it to us.  $2 for a huge plate of rice with a few eggs on top, and it was hot!  My 1SG threatened to write me up if I got hepatitis, but I knew it was good.  (Bonus points if you can find a part in the book where Dad also claims he was threatened by the 1SG for his food choices.)

This leads to reminiscing and quite often, the same stories.  Dad loves to talk about Cuban Revolution in Durham, a place he often eats before Durham Bulls Games.

Dad: Oh, you should have seen the steak they gave me, so tender!

Veteran: Where is this place?

Dad: Durham.

(Repeat this exchange at least twice per lunch, every week)

So I’m sorry to say that these lunches will probably not lead to a volume 2 of the book, but they will give me awesome memories and invaluable time with my Dad and other Vets.

Side note-  Dad will not eat “not authentic’ Mexican food (Sorry, Aye Toro! in Sanford) but he will eat at On The Border.  Can anyone explain this to me?