Seen on the way to work:
The car in front of me had a low-hanging muffler. Pulling into the parking garage, it took the first speed bump slowly. But that muffler was like a loose tooth that just needed a little more wiggling and jiggling. It scraped the speed bump and fell right off. The car just drove on, not even noticing. And strangely, the car didn’t get any louder. Maybe mufflers are optional on Hondas?
I angled my car around the muffler, now just laying there in the middle of the garage, and chased down the car. I flashed my lights and the driver stopped.
-“Um, your muffler fell off back there at the entrance to the garage.”
-“Oh, thanks. I probably need that.”
-“Yeah. Well, I’m not really sure if you can put it back on, but it is just laying there.”
-“Yeah. I should go get it.”
-“Good luck!”
I kind of wanted to hang around and watch him try to put it back on, just to see.
(not counting ones in Italy)
On a whim, I stopped at Cornucopia, an Italian specialty market around the corner from my apartment building. I read in the Washingtonian that Cornucopia has great panini, and a sandwich sounded like the perfect dinner.
I ordered a Prosciutto di Parma sandwich, made on a crusty mini-baguette with provolone, olive oil, aged balsamic vinegar and mixed greens. The owner of the shop, Ibrahim Selmy (I know he is the owner because he pointed out his picture on the door when I walked into the shop), took great care to slice the cheese and prosciutto fresh for my order, and he even handed me a sample of the provolone to snack on while I waited.
I couldn’t resist picking out some olives and cookies, both sold by the pound. Ibrahim also sells fresh pastas, ravioli, homemade sauces and lasagnas, and an assortment of dry Italian goods. The store smelled just like a market in France.
As Ibrahim handed me the sandwich, he said in a sultry accent, “I hope this sandwich is the start of a new relationship…with my store.” Oh boy, it definitely was—everything was amazing. The sandwich was stuffed with prosciutto, and the balsamic gave it just the right salty-sweet combination. Yes, this is the beginning of a long relationship.
Cornucopia
8012 Norfolk Ave.
Bethesda, MD
