Ohi-NO!

On the border of West Virginia and Ohio lies the little sleepy town of Marietta, Ohio. I'm a fan of small towns, love the little cafes and craft shops, but this was no charming small town. The streets were bare and funeral parlors lined the roads. Was this where Ohio sent their elderly to die?

Desperate to answer all of our awaiting student emails, Jesse, a co-worker, and I searched for a coffee shop to enjoy a cup of joe and get to work in between our class visit and our scheduled fair.

Marietta is the home of Marietta College. What is one thing that you would think all college campuses would have, large or small? Ok yes drunken coeds, but more importantly you would find a coffee shop. Having gone to a small institution myself, my campus had three coffee shops and only one stop light. Surely this would be the case in a town with three stop lights and a Mexican Restaurant.

We searched in vain, and then resorted to asking the lone college students that would appear as if out of no where. Slowing down our white PT Cruiser (uh...can you say pimpin?), we approached these young academics and inquired about the whereabouts of a coffee house.

It was as if we had asked where their local rocket base was located. Like I had said, so can you point me in the direction of your local puppy killing farm. A look of bewilderment crossed their faces, a pained expression, and then only the answer, "No," came from their lips. No? Yes, no...no coffee shops.

Finally after trying several weirded out college students, we managed to find the only coffee shop. As we entered this cozy little establishment (and by cozy, I mean barely able to contain the three tables within), the man questioned, "Well where are you ladies from? I can tell you aren't from around these parts?"

"Really how come?", we asked.

"Because you have all your teeth," he retorted. A simple answer, for a simple town.

Ahhh the memories that I'm already making.