I don't know which is worse - the Thallium or the pepper

I had to get one of those Thallium Stress tests done today. That meant no caffeine since Saturday night and no food or drink at all since bedtime yesterday.

My appointment lasted most of the day, so I never got cleared to eat anything until about 3pm. By the time I got home, showered, etc., I decided I wanted a nice steak. We went to Earl's. I was really looking forward to dinner.

Unfortunately, the chefs (and I do use that term very loosely) at Earl's had a thing for black pepper. Everything was coated with the stuff - the steak, the green beans......... Oh my freaking God people - can we stop now with the damned pepper on everything? If I had taken the time to scrape the pepper off my meal, I'm sure I would have had a pile big enough to fill one of my pepper shakers at home.