About 2 1/2 years ago, my middle daughter Sandy met a guy on the net. They had a lot in common and quickly developed a close friendship. It wasn't long before it was more. One minor problem: he lived in Holland and he was married. He swore it was a wretched marriage. Yeah, heard that one before!! Two years ago he came to America. They spent 2 weeks together. He went home and moved out of his house. He got divorced. 1 1/2 years ago she moved to Holland. I'm so pleased to say that Ben is an honest man, a great guy! Sandy is so happy where she is. She has a super nice house, a fantastic husband and a brand new prestigious job. She's one lucky yping lady! But that isn't the point of this story. We in this country are so used to what we have that it just seems normal. We don't have a clue how the rest of the world lives. I sure had an eye opener last week. Ben and Sandy came for a visit and they brought his 21 year old daughter, also named Sandy. I can't tolerate having two Sandys around, too confusing! She was promptly named Little Sandy, LS, Ellis. She was quite amused by her new nickname! I'm telling you this now for clarity sake. Sandy said that after they landed in Washington DC, they were hungry and found a restaurant next to the hotel. They ordered sandwiches and fries. When the waitress brought the three plates of food out, Ellis's eyes popped out of her head! Nowhere in Europe do you get that much food! Sandy said the usual portion is about 1/3 of what we consider normal. Next shock to Ellis's system came when Sandy took her to a supper Wal-Mart. She came to a complete stop and just stared, with an open mouth. She's never seen so much "stuff" under one roof. Well, that amused Sandy so much she took her to a supermarket. Ellis gasped and was in total shock! The meat department completely blew her mind! >From DC they drove to Austin, Texas. There is an annual music festival there, South by Southwest. Ben attends yearly. I should mention here that he's the head of Munich Records. Poor Ellis was stunned by the size of this country. You drive and drive and there's still more of it! And cows! She's never seen so many cows! And horses. Not to mention sheep, pigs, chickens and dogs! After the festival they came here. Now I'm as bad as my daughter. What can I do that will awe Ellis? After a little thought I came up with taking them to Golden Corral, a buffet restaurant. It turned out to be an inspired thought because I got Ben too! When Ben and Ellis saw all the choices they were overwhelmed. Ben asked, "What are we allowed to take?" When they were told they could have anything they wanted, as much as they wanted, they about had a heart attack! Needless to say they dove in with gusto! After the meal, Ben was curious as to the cost. When he was told that for 5 people the bill came to $40, he thought there had to be a mistake. Most meals in Europe are $20 per person! To say the visit was educational is an understatement, on both sides of the pond. Now I'm plotting what to spring on them next year. Maybe a biker bar?