Within our country laws change from county to county and state to state. Here are a few personal experiences while in the United States Air Force.

Katy and I were married in San Angelo, Texas, Tom Green County, home of Goodfellow Air Force Base (Security Service). After dinner we went to a “cocktail lounge” (it looked very nice) and asked for champagne. We were told that “Tom Green County is a dry county and you cannot sell alcohol. You can go to the next county and buy alcohol, return and have a setup”. Being from San Francisco I had no experience with “Dry Counties and blue laws”. So I asked for a further explanation as to what a setup was and was told, “You bring in your unopened bottle of liquor and pay $10 to have it opened and served to you”. Well, I took the ladies advice and went to the next county and purchased a nice bottle of champagne, returned to our apartment, and enjoyed opening it myself!

My next assignment was Richards Gebaur Air Force Base, Grandview, Missouri (Harry Truman’s home town). One Sunday I wanted to buy a family sized bottle of soda. So off to the local supermarket I did go. I entered the supermarket and found that the entire wall where beer, wine and soft drinks were kept was covered with an orange colored canvas from ceiling to floor. I could not get to what I wanted so I asked the store manager about the canvas and that I wanted a soft drink. I was told, “On Sunday we cannot sell alcohol (blue law) so we use the canvas to cover the area”. Well, because soft drinks were in the same area they could not be sold.

You never know what you will find "nextdoor". :)