ACCOUNTANT BY DAY

We did a lot of driving this week, and a lot of it involved going up and down big hills with lots of tree growth in the Poconos. One of the towns we visited was Mount Pocono. Miles before we got close to Mount Pocono, I spotted a billboard at the side of the road advertising the Pocono Garlic Festival, where the ad promised that “all your garlic fantasies” would come to life. Unfortunately I will be in Des Moines on Labor Day weekend and won’t be able to attend. I’m curious what type of garlic fantasies people might have. From a culinary perspective, it’s true that I appreciate garlic, but even with my love of garlicky food I could not honestly say I have ever experienced anything resembling a garlic fantasy. It’s hard to imagine someone feeling strongly enough about garlic that they would indulge in elaborate fantasies about it.

I also saw one of those magnetic signs in another town, perhaps Hazleton, advertising for a local exterminator. “PEST OF THE DAY” the sign said on the first line. “FLEAS”, said the second line. This prompted me to think of other unlikely “of the day” candidates.

“GENOCIDAL DICTATOR OF THE DAY - CEAUSESCU”.

“TERMINAL CANCER OF THE DAY - PANCREATIC”.

“FOOD FANTASY OF THE DAY - GARLIC”.