Tuesday, May 19--Dinner Denied

The first section of my Tuesday night class in Atsugi has ended, and I have two weeks off before the next session begins. Tuesday happens to be Mongolian BBQ (basically build your own stir-fry) night at the Officers’ Club, and I have been seriously craving dinner there since class started in November. My arms have finally stopped aching enough that I think I can hold chopsticks without disgracing myself, so Jim and I made plans to meet at the club when he got off work. I even skimped on lunch so I’d be plenty hungry come dinner time. Jim arrived with two coworkers from out of town, and another couple was planning to meet us as well, so it was shaping up to be a very festive evening. Good company, good food—a perfect mid-week outing. So I actually felt myself deflate like a balloon when I walked into the club’s lobby to find a large sign declaring that the dining room was closed for some kind of conference. I hope they are prepared for me to raise a huge ruckus if they pull the same stunt next week, as I won’t have another chance for Mongolian BBQ until the next class ends in six months. I don't know if my taste buds can hold out that long.