The End of the Quest

I think everyone has had a meal that they consider memorable. Most, I’m sure remember the good one, while I on the other hand remember the bad. Years ago, not sure how many, Marge and I joined our friends on a trip to Amish Country in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. While there we did all the usual touristy things, one of which is driving through the beautiful, and peaceful countryside. The Sunday of this particular trip we headed out into the Amish farm country and headed toward Blue Ball, Pa, one of the many small towns with the strange and sometime suggestive names like, Blue Ball, Intercourse, Bird-in-Hand, and Paradise etc. Blue Ball being especially intriguing, became our destination. After enjoying the scenery for quite some time, we realized that we were all a little hungry so we began looking for a restaurant. This became a bit of a problem, weren’t many places to eat in good old Blue Ball Pa. Finally spotted a place and pulled in. I don’t think they were too happy to see us, no other customers, and the wait staff looked as though they wanted to close and go home. They did, however, seat us and took our orders. Marge and our friends ordered a turkey dinner while me, always the different one, ordered roasted chicken.

Well, let me tell you, this chicken must have spent the previous few weeks in the coop doing pushups, deep knee bends and running miles and miles on a chicken tread mill, because this was absolutely the toughest, rubbery chicken imaginable. I literally could not chew or break this meat down to a point of swallowing and for a man with my appetite; this had to be a first. Honestly, you coud not believe how tough this bird was. At the time, I was, needlessly disturbed (you think), but later we had many laughs about the “Rubber Chicken of Blue Balls”. It really has been a lot of fun talking about it over the years.
Our friends have been back to the area many times and tried to find that “Rubber Chicken Restaurant” again, but with no success.

Well, guess what? We were back in Amish land this past week and decided to give the quest another shot. During our quest we decided that perhaps it was not in Blue Ball after all, but in an adjoining town so we continued down the road to New Holland and lo and behold before our eyes stood the Peoples Restaurant (now we even had a name) alias the “Rubber Chicken Restaurant”. We even decided to have lunch there in honor of our memorable rubber chicken episode. None of the same excitement this time, there were new owners and no chickens exercising in the back yard. I even ordered chicken rice soup, with the hope of a new adventure, but no tough meat in this one. Although the one piece of meat the size of a dime was a little laughable, but pretty tender.

We’re all quite saddened that the quest is over, but I will still occasionally bore people with my rubber chicken escapade.