Hey kids,

I needed to grab some food on the way home from job #1 to sleep for an hour or two before job #2. And on the way, there’s a Subway shop tucked up under a grocery store and part of a little Salt Lake underground strip mall.

I ordered my sandwich, Chicken Bacon Ranch, splurged for the meal deal, and slid my card for bonus Subway points. All the time eyeing the tea dispenser, full, I imagined, of refreshing ice tea. Of the peach variety my hopes dared to dream. I declined my receipt, picked out my chips, and activated the ice dispenser

I pulled the lever on the tea canister, and nothing. I pull it three more times just to be sure I was doing it right. Still no tea flow.

I turned and asked the watching late teen/early twenties sandwich artist, “what gives?”

“It’s broke.”

His technical response cut deep and defied any follow-up questions.

“So my choice is soda?”

I looked with disdain at the eight dispensers now mocking my cup of ice.

“I can let you have a bottle of Powerade instead,” he offered. He pointed to the small glass-door refrigerator on the counter behind him, filled with more soda, bottled water, and blue liquid electrolytes.

I accepted the offer.

“No charge.” He smiled

No charge? I divined from the look on his face he felt quite proud of his generosity and customer service skills. He wasn’t offering a discount on my now spoiled meal, but making it known he would not charge me for my “extra” bottle of of blue sports Kool-aid.

Out of reflex courtesy, I thanked him.

Despite the beverage blunder on my part, the artist did well on the sandwich he created and I pulled away on my iron horse a happy cowboy.

Blue does not a tea make, but not everything has to be perfect all the time.

Post #50-50