It was Halloween, October 31, 1992...8:47 PM.

I had a craving, and didn't even know it yet.

I was hungry, vehicle was broke-down, was stuck at home...no way to satisfy the stealthy craving. Ah ha, but with the turning of the nob, opening of the door, my roommate Jon was home, and suddenly, possibilities existed.

"Jon, have you eaten yet?"

"Not yet"

"Want to go into town, get something to eat?"

"Sure, let's go get a sub at Oma's."

And with that, we were off to Saratoga Springs, NY, about 10 miles from our apartment in the Upstate New York country-side. As we drove to town, our planned destination being one of those great Mom & Pop Italian Food/Pizza places Upstate NY is known for...I suddenly became aware of... The Craving.

"You know what I really want Jon? I want an Arby's Roast Beef Sandwich."

Looking down at the dashboard clock and knowing that the only Arby's was in the mall and the mall closed at 9:00pm, Jon remarked, "Yeah, but the Mall is closed, too late to get Arby's."

I thought a moment then casually stated, "You know, there might be an Arby's that's open later in Albany."

So,  that's how, with a turn down the Adirondack Northway, we were on our way to Albany (25 minutes away) just after 9pm on Halloween. Now, neither of us knew Albany well, having arrived to the area (our new duty station with the Navy) just a few weeks before.

But, a quick jaunt around Albany and we saw the main drag, the SUNY Albany campus and a few other sites of note...but no Arby's. Stopping to check a phone book, we found that every Arby's but one was located in a mall. I called that one lone Arby's and...no luck.

"Oh well, I guess no Arby's for us Jon. There's a Subway, let's just get a sub like we started out to do."

Since this had officially become a minor adventure, we couldn't help but explain our dilemma to the Sandwich Artist assisting us at Subway. Sure, he looked like a Sandwich Artist, but I know the truth now these many years later. He was our Oracle, that sagacious presence whose quiet wisdom steers this Odyssey.

Having heard our tale of woe, and still working on that second sandwich, he paused for a moments silence, then gestured pointedly with his knife and spoke, "I bet there's a 24 hour Arby's in the city that never sleeps."

*blink, blink*

"Make that a to-go order. Jon, we're going to New York City."

"It's a 180 miles to NYC. We have a full tank of gas, half eaten subs, it's Halloween and we're not wearing costumes. Hit it."

The three hour drive passed quickly as The Craving had overtaken my sense of time.

Of course, being new to New York, neither of us had ever been to New York City, but we knew enough to take the signs for Manhattan. So we got off on the first exit that said Manhattan.

Curving down the off ramp onto a quiet, dark street where, even on Halloween, 2am was settling about the neighborhood like a dense fog. Piercing through that darkness was a large, softly lit sign adorning the building before us declaring that we had arrived at the "Harlem Delicatessen."

A moment's pause. We were two white boys who only knew New York City from TV & Movies, lost in a crappy red late 1980s Chevy Cavalier, in Harlem, at 2am on Halloween.

But more importantly...we didn't know how to find the nearest Arby's.

Eventually, realizing that we are lost in NYC and knowing if anyone can get us to our destination, it's a cab driver. We found a parking garage. Being pretty clever lads (we did work in Nuclear Power you know), we wrote down the address of the Parking Garage, and we were off to call a cab.

Now, everyone knows this now...but to us it came as a shock. NYC cab drivers don't speak English. Go figure. Without an address, he couldn't get us to Arby's.

So, next best thing, he got us to Time's Square where we wondered around for awhile...still not finding an Arby's.

Hungry again, we ate breakfast at McDonald's, watched the start of the New York City Marathon and called a cab. Our hopes having faded of finding a 24 hour Arby's in New York City, a half hour later we were back on the New York State Thruway for our 3 1/2 hour trek home to Saratoga.

At 5 minutes after 10am, we were pulling off of exit 15 on the Adirondack Northway and a minute later into the parking lot of the Wilton Mall, where we stopped at Arby's...and had Roast Beef sandwiches.

Tangy BBQ Sauce, Creamy Horseradish Sauce, soft bread, thin sliced roast beef...and freedom from my Craving.

The quality of every meal is relative to the circumstances. I've had great meals that tasted that like I was chewing ashes, because the company I shared the meal with had so turned me off to enjoying it.

And, I've had common, fast food, Roast Beef sandwiches that have taken me to that one strange place you arrive at, where you can just close your eyes, chew and savor each bite...content for that moment.