Scouting for a place to try that I have never been sometimes depends on wherever my car takes me or in today’s case – my feet! I was on Cherry Street and thought I would try that little place called The Firm. I parked my car and gathered my coins for the meter.

After putting in enough dimes to hold my spot while I waited to be served, I crossed the street only to find that this place was closed and looked to be out of business. I already fed the meter all those dimes! I wished the meter had a release lever like phone booths used to if you put in your money and didn’t get to make your call.

I decided it was a lovely day for a walk and I did have on my warm up suit, so I trekked my way down the street looking for a place. I saw a nice man on the street and I asked him if there was a good place to eat close by. He pointed toward the corner and said I’d find a good deli. I got to the Cherry Street Diner and walked in.

“We’re closed” the man said, before I could even catch my breath. Well that was a fine how-do-you-do! It wasn’t even three o’clock yet. I knew, because I fed the meter and was having to keep time! Further up Cherry didn’t seem to have anything, so I went down to Market Street hoping to find something I haven’t tried yet. I was afraid by the time I found something, ate and had to walk back to my car that I would see a ticket.

I walked quite a few blocks down Market and finally saw a place! “Thai Smile”. I had never had Thai food before so I went inside. I was seated instantly and was asked by my waitress what I wanted to drink. After that long walk I was glad to tell her. I asked her what the difference is in Thai and Chinese after I viewed the menu and didn’t see much difference. She didn’t seem to know either and had to look at my menu with me, bluffing her way with something that made absolutely no sense.

I saw one section that was curry “everything” and decided I would try something from there. She suggested Panang Curry for 11.99. When it was brought quickly to my table, I was surprised to see that my dinner was in a bowl of soup. Was it soup or was it dinner? It wasn’t under the soup listings on the menu. I ordered the Beef Panang whatever that would be… but soup? I had wished I had ordered the Crispy Duck Special, but I bet that came floating in a bowl too.

I was given a large spoon to eat my beef that was in large-cut portions floating around in my soup. I knew the only way I could eat that without choking was to ask for chop sticks. For an easy meal of soup you would think it would not take two utensils to eat it with. I did pretty well with it.

I was able to use the chopsticks for the sliced peppers and the large chunks of beef, though I am sure I wasn’t too lady-like biting off the meat from my chopsticks. I acted as if I were not having trouble at all and I was a professional soup-chopstick eater. I grabbed the spoon to get some of the soup in between the chunky bites. Now I want to tell you - for an old lady with arthritis, I handled those sticks pretty good!

As for the taste? It was delicious, just not what I was expecting. My nose even began to run a little – which meant they used a lot of spice like Willie Mae likes! I had to hurry and get back to the meter so I ate fast. When I left I noticed big black clouds hovering over my direction. One mean old cloud was right over where I had to walk to my car.

I had already walked a mile to get there and now I had to walk a mile back and try to beat the rain. It was a race between me and that cloud! I won and was back to my car with minutes to spare on the meter. I was satisfied. And then I thought, wouldn’t that be one answer to America’s obesity problem if people had to walk two miles for their dinner in a soup!

Willie Mae can work chopsticks