Recycling.

Checking out at the grocery store recently, the young cashier suggested I should bring my own grocery bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment. I apologized and explained, "We didn't have this green thing back in my earlier days." The clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations." She was right about one thing -- our generation didn't have the green thing in “Our” day. So what did we have back then…? After some reflection and soul-searching on "Our" day here's what I remembered we did have.... Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles repeatedly. So they really were recycled. But we didn't have the green thing back in our day. We walked up stairs, because we didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks. But she was right. We didn't have the green thing in our day. Back then, we washed the baby's diapers because we didn't have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts -- wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that young lady is right. We didn't have the green thing back in our day. Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana. In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity. But she's right. We didn't have the green thing back then. We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. But we didn't have the green thing back then. Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus, and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerised gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint. But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn't have the green thing back then? 

-found somewhere from the internet. 

Chippenham Pizza Hut

So after an exhausting day involving Christmas shopping, and visiting my ill father in hospital, my partner and I decided that we were not going to cook this evening.

After a purely scientific decision (coin toss) we decided to visit Pizza Hut in Bath road, Chippenham.
We got there and found a half full establishment. After a reasonable wait, we were chaperoned to a table in a very busy corner, where my partner had to move the table to get behind it, and I had to put my chair off to one side so I did not interfere with the customers eating on the table behind me.

After deciding on what we wanted to eat, the waitress came and sat on the table beside us, to take our order. After telling her I wanted a stuffed crust, I was told we are out of stuffed crust. I switched to another crust, and carried on with our order. We also decided on a unlimited drinks, and we were offered the free salad bar.

Upon getting to the bar, we found that there were 10 containers missing, and the remaining containers were either empty or as near as dammit empty. (Apart from sweetcorn, but no one eats that shit anyway).

In disgust, I replaced my bowl and retreated to the drinks machine where I eventually found a clean glass, and put it under the tap. All the flavours were out of stock except the vanilla (Again, who drinks that shit?) So I opted for a straight Pepsi Max. And all I got was fizzy brown water. There was no flavour syrup in it at all.

In disgust, Mrs Clunk went to complain and asked for the manager. The waitress that seated us went to find the manager, then came back asking us what the problem was. She explained briefly, then went off to get the manager who eventually appeared. When we voiced our disgust at the available service, we were met with a blank stare, and a careless attitude, with a pathetic half arsed attempt at an apology that lacked any form of sincerity (I must question if she is human). In disgust, we cancelled our order and went elsewhere.

After previously eating here and being happy with the service, it was somewhat of a shock to find it in such a poorly managed state. the salad bar wasn't 'just' empty, it had been empty for some time. The cordial machine had been empty a while, judging by the amount of half full glasses surrounding it. I don't think myself or Mrs Clunk will be returning anytime soon.

But a big thank you to Lee's Chippy in Redlands who provided us with the service we required.