The real question is whether you got them from a teller who orders them or just whatever they have on hand. Some branches keep a strap or two in the drawer for folks who ask, others make you fill out a form and come back in a week. If Dave's grandson only wants a few for a birthday, he doesn't need a whole branch connection, he needs a bank that'll hand over what they've got and maybe not charge him a fee for ordering. Also worth knowing, the $2 note has been printed in waves since 1976 and there's no shortage, so nobody's sitting on a rare thing. The collector value only shows up on old stuff like red seal notes from the 50s or uncut sheets. Set aside the cool factor and you're basically just holding twenties in pairs.

That line about the spoon going down really got me. Someone you cooked for just stopping after one bite says more than any insult could. My wife did that to me two winters ago over a pot of split pea soup that turned out like cloudy water, and I sat there staring at the bowl like it had personally wronged me. It stings because you know deep down they are right, and you have been serving that same thing to people for years without a clue. Blooming the spices makes total sense too, since dry powder just floats around doing nothing. Anyway, good on you for fixing it with four bucks instead of a whole new recipe.