It’s Taco Tuesday

Prior to the start of the World Series Taco Bell announced that they had a promotion that would run through the Fall Classic. If either a Colorado Rockies or a Boston Red Sox player stole a base during the World Series then everyone in America would be eligible to receive a free hard shell or soft shell taco. At first I just shook my head in disbelief. Oh how baseball has changed. It used to be that teams prided themselves on aggressive base running and the ability to move a player into scoring position. Now there had to be an incentive given in order for someone to think about stealing a base. In game 1 it looked like everyone would be getting a taco but the stolen base was negated by a balk. The fortunes of the country changed in Game 2 with Red Sox rookie center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury stole second base in the fourth inning. I couldn’t tell whether the fans were cheering for the Red Sox having a runner in scoring position or because it meant that America would not be going hungry. The announcers broke in to notify everyone that they would be eligible to go into any Taco Bell on October 30 between 2-5 PM and receive a free taco. The excitement was electric and Tacoby Bellsbury became a folk hero and in the process got a really cool nickname.
As soon as the kids arrived home from school I met them at the door to remind them that today was Taco Tuesday complements of Tacoby Bellsbury. They danced around the living room singing praises to their new hero and crusader against world hunger, Tacoby Bellsbury. Trina of course was a little more practical and noted that the family could not possibly get filled up on a taco per person. Not to fear, I went to my desk and retrieved 5 coupons for free chalupas thanks to the Arizona Diamondbacks scoring 8 or more runs in a game. Now dinner was up to a free chalupa and a taco by the grace of Tacoby Bellsbury. Trina of course was not satisfied stating that the kids would be thirsty with all the salty Mexican fast food. Again I went to the desk and retrieved coupons for Circle K Thirstbuster drinks courtesy of the Arizona Diamondbacks pitching staff recording 12 or more strike-outs during a game. Trina seemed content that I had an answer to any objection she might have so we climbed in the car the kids still singing about Tacoby Bellsbury.
When we arrived at Taco Bell it was obvious that we were not the only people who had watched the World Series regardless of what the ratings may have indicated. There was a line waiting to take advantage of the quick feet of Tacoby Bellsbury. We patiently waited in line. I attempted to get the crowd excited by starting a wave but it appears Taco Bell is a no-wave zone. When we finally reached the front of the line the pock-faced cashier asked to take our order. I explained that we would like our free tacos. He stated that the promotion ended at 4 PM and it was now 4:03 PM so we were therefore too late. I begged to differ; the promotion was clearly stated to be from 2-5 PM. He was standing his ground as was I. For a moment I thought I was going to have to go Lou Pinella on the guy. He could sense that the natives were starting to get restless and immediately called for his manager. She too claimed that the promotion ended at 4 PM. I started to get just slightly annoyed and refused to back down. Finally I suggested that the manager should perhaps call someone who actually knew what reality was. She went to the phone and for all I know she called Tacoby Bellsbury himself. She soon returned and admitted her error that the promotion did indeed end at 5. Once we had that settled they asked if I wanted to order anything else. I told them that I needed 5 chalupas and handed them the coupons. I think the cashier was trying to be funny when he suggested that I must have been saving those up for a while to collect that many. Whitney jumped in and asked aloud whether this guy even knew what had to happen to get a chalupa coupon. The guy admitted he didn’t have a clue which my kids immediately agreed with. Once the chalupas were added to our order he asked if we needed anything else such as drinks. I asked if I could get a Thirstbuster at Taco Bell. The cashier said no and I replied that our order was pretty much complete. The price for a family of 5 for a complete dinner from Taco Bell and Circle K, was $0.00. I was feeling pretty impressed with myself.
As we waited for our food I noticed a sign next to the cash register. It simply stated that if Taco Bell did not give you a receipt from your transaction then your meal was free. Hmm, I didn’t get a receipt for my free chalupas and tacos. I mentioned that to the guy working the cash register. He turned an ash color equivalent to the color of the Diamondbacks away uniforms. He mumbled something about our meal was already free. I argued that free was a relative term and that he did not follow the restaurant’s policy. It was a losing proposition. We ended up with 10 free tacos and Chalupas. It was indeed a great day all thanks to the swift feet of Tacoby Bellsbury and the Boston Red Sox.