Monday after the Super Bowl starts with a 5:00 am wake-up. I need to get ready to head to the airport for a 7:00 am flight but not before a quick look outside. Forecast called for early morning snow but thankfully (?) nothing is falling at the moment. I have a long day ahead of me, with my return flight scheduled to land at 11:30 pm. With luck, I’ll be in my own bed at 12:30 am, but not before a nineteen or twenty hour day is lived to its fullest. But seriously, it’s the day after the Super Bowl, I’ve had about 5 hours of broken sleep, and I’m just hoping to present professionally in front of the client. In the next article I’ll talk about food for this Monday trip but first I’ll share about last night’s Super Bowl party.

I belong to a social club in downtown Hartford, CT. I’ll save the type of club for another day but I’ve been a member for about 2 years. I’ll drop in maybe once a week and a probably 2x a month my wife and I will stop in after enjoying dinner somewhere. The party in the club lounge was reserved for members only and you could bring 1 guest. The cost was $20.00 as it was going to be catered, with beer also provided. The owner is a great guy and appreciates my business. I’m sure if I had called to tell him I’m a vegetarian, he would have accommodated me in some manner. But, I didn’t. I assumed there would be something there for me to enjoy, some cheese, a salad assortment, etc. And for a vegetarian, that is rolling the dice. So, while everyone enjoyed 5 different entrees, all with meat, I enjoyed a plate of rice and boiled cabbage. Yes, I could have called up the street for a pizza, but that would have made the owner feel bad and I would have stood out like a sore thumb.

What’s the lesson learned here? Don’t hesitate to make the call, especially when you’re paying the same as everyone else. Worst case, they’ve already ordered the food and can’t accommodate you. But at least then you can bring the pizza with a clear conscience.