This is a very large favor to ask of you, my wonderful readers, but here goes! Please keep this secret of mine under your collective hats, and try not to reveal it to everybody.

This secret desire first Spring into my consciousness on a trip to Greece about 15 years ago. Lorraine and I and our friends the Greenes were on our way aboard a bus to visit the Sunio Monument to Lord Byron, outside of Athens.

Lord Byron loved Greece and spent a good part of his short life enjoying this ancient land and writing about it. From the starboard-side window of the bus I spied so many small, verdant, unhabited islands that, in that moment, my secret wish was implanted in my mind and branded into my soul.

Someone (me) could and should open a kosher delicatessen on one of those barren islands. There would be no competition and in time I'm sure business would boom. Good pastrami is hard to find and I am positive the world would beat a path to my establishment.

The old saying, "Build a better mousetrap" surely must be true, even in Greece. Getting good rye bread might be somewhat of a problem. Pastrami on pita bread sounds less than exciting.

Even though kosher delis are closing everywhere in the five boroughs of New York City, people from out of town just crave a good corned beef or pastrami sandwich on rye with a potato knish and a glass of Dr. Brown's Cel-Ray Tonic. It is a world-wide phenomenon.

When my army buddy from Seattle, Dave Gordy, comes to New York City, he has at least three pastrami sandwiches before noon. He is a pastrami addict.

In my dream I have donned a clean white apron tied in the back and I am standing behind the counter. The counter is stocked with frankfurters, knockwurst, pickled tongue, corned beef, pastrami, chopped liver, coleslaw, potato salad, kosher pickles and pickled-green tomatoes. Also there is my slicing machine, weighing scale and cash register.

In my recent trip to the Scotland Highlands I saw some other green, isolated islands in Loch Ness and Loch Lomond. Maybe these would be better locations for my dream store? As the years go by I am slowly getting used to the idea that this capitalistic venture won't ever come to fruition. A lot of kinks have to be worked out.