It’s time for an old story.

When I first escaped active duty I discovered the Sleepy Hollow of AFRC, Youngstown.  It’s not that exciting things don’t happen at the “Yak”, it’s that it, pretty much, sits in the middle of a corn/soybean field depending on which crop rotation they’re on.  There isn’t anything nearby.  No hotels, restaurants,  fast-food, mini-marts, just corn.  As a result, deciding where to go for lunch in 30 minutes can be challenging.  Back in ’86 it was even worse than it is today so we often ended up at some odd places.

One of our favorite places back then was the Dairy Queen in the thriving megalopolis of Cortland, OH, right next to beautiful Mosquito Lake.  “Cm’on kids we’re vacationing at Mosquito Lake this year!”  This wasn’t your run of the mill Dairy Queen, this was one of those fancy Brazier Dairy Queens complete with inside dining. And, to my joy, in ’86 they were serving those new-fangled treats call a “Blizzard”.  Anyway, we headed there for lunch one Tuesday, me, Les, Lee and Marty I think, and walked up to the counter to place our orders.  As we took turns, I noticed a sign next the register which listed all of the great Blizzard flavors available and, on a whim, I decided to break out my trusty grease pencil and add one of my own.  I wrote, “Fish-head”.  I giggled to myself and when it was my turn, I ordered a hamburger, fries and a small fish-head Blizzard.  The woman behind the counter gave me a sideways look and told me, of course, that they didn’t have fish-head Blizzards so I matter of factly changed my order to a small chocolate shake.  Aircrew being aircrew, we all had a good laugh and went on our merry way.

Fast forward one week and there we were again standing at the same counter and, much to my surprise, no one had rubbed of my addition to the menu.  So, I strode up to the counter and placed my order.  “I’ll have a hamburger, fries, and…….. a small fish head Blizzard”  This time her response wasn’t as pleasant as the last time as she informed me that they still did not have fish head Blizzards and that it sounded disgusting,  So, I changed my order to a small chocolate shake.

We laughed even louder this time, but as we sat eating, an odd little man walked in and made his way to the counter staring intently at the menu along the way.  I describe him as odd based mostly on the black socks and sandals, checkered shorts, striped shirt, and coke bottle bottom glasses held together with scotch tape.  Not that I’m a fashionista, but I’ll only wear that at home.  He got to the head of the line and in an unsurprisingly nasal tone ordered a hamburger, fries and a small fish head Blizzard.  That’s about all the girl behind the counter could take and the poor little geekish man took the full brunt of her verbal assault.  “What is wrong with you people!  All week people have been ordering fish head Blizzards!  Who ever heard of fish heads in ice cream!  Are you crazy!  What makes you think we have fish head Blizzards”  Under a glaring stare that could kill a small animal, the man answered.  “It’s right here on the sign, Fish Head, right below Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups”.  The girl leapt over the counter, read the sign, and proceeded to rip it from the wall.  She then calmly walked back around to the counter and the odd little man said, “I guess I’ll change that to a small chocolate shake”