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Sunday, October 2, 2011

Sunday Confessional: Forty Three Cents

It has been a rough weekend.

On Friday night, Jessi was chasing after Lennon, trying to put her into time out.  Lennon went under the dinner table.  Jessi followed, and twisted her knee.

When Jess was in high school she mangled the very same knee to the point where a number of screws and a plate had to be placed in it.  She has a nice, huge battle wound to prove it.  She woke up yesterday in severe pain, with her left knee swollen as all hell.  There was a little pocket on the outside of the knee that looked like it was full of fluid.  Didn't look good.

After an hour of negotiations, I managed to convince her to go to the ER, and get things checked out.  Our friends, Lori and Zac, were nice enough to meet us at the hospital and pick up Lennon.  They took her to Jessi's parents' place.

Three hours and an x-ray later, it was determined that my wife wasn't dying or bleeding internally.  Though they had no idea what was actually wrong with her knee, they discharged her with a referral to an orthopedic specialist.

We left the hospital, and went to go pick up our daughter.  Jessi in a knee brace and crutches, me in a full-torso back brace with a cane.  We made for a pathetic looking couple.

The hospital offered her pain medication, as her pain level was hovering between an 8 and a 9.  She refused.  Think about it:  I can't drive.  I can't bend over or lift anything for the next four months.  We have a three year old daughter at home.  And, to top it off, Jessi is starting her second week out of training at a new job. Being hopped up on narcotics is not an option.  Instead, she asked for prescription strength Ibuprofen.

We got to the in-law's house, and at simply looking at the two of us, they volunteered to watch Lennon overnight.  They have been super supportive over the last couple of years, but one thing you have to understand:  I can't recall a single time that they have outright volunteered to take our daughter for the night.  Every single time we have asked them or have hinted that we needed a break, they have obliged.  But, to step up and say, "You guys should just leave her here for the night"?  We must have looked like we were in sad shape.  The things you have to go through to get a date night sometimes.  Am I right?  (I'm kidding.)

We stuck around for a while and watched some TV.  "Nana" gave Lennon a bath, and tried to wash the red permanent marker from her legs, arms and face from the night before.  It looked like she had been in a duel with a local graffiti artist, and lost.  "Buppa" put Lennon to bed, and that was our cue to leave.

We stopped by a 24 hour Walgreens to fill Jessi's prescription.  By then, it was already close to midnight.  Other than some assorted junk food, our fridge is empty at home.  Between work, dropping Lennon off at daycare, and picking her up either at the in-laws or at our friend's house, Jessi is out of the house 13 hours a day.  She has no time to go grocery shopping lately.

We were driving home, and saw a sign in the window of the local Del Taco.  12 tacos for $5.88.  Taco Bell's tacos are usually $.99 each, so $.49 a taco is one hell of a deal.

We pulled up to the drive thru, and ordered 12 tacos with no lettuce and extra cheese.  "Extra cheese is 43 cents per taco."  Wait.  It cost 43 cents for extra cheese, but 49 cents for cheese, lettuce, seasoned ground beef and a taco shell?  I'm calling shenanigans on this one.  There is no way that the cost of all the other taco ingredients comes to 6 cents.  Unless, of course, that means when you pay that extra 43 cents, you get a metric shitload of cheese. (*"metric shitload" is a unit of measurement still used in some Canadian provinces)

Sadly, it doesn't.  In fact, I think on a couple of my tacos, they actually took away some of the cheese that would have otherwise been there.  Our meal, (12 tacos and a large fry) came to almost $16.00 after tax.  A far cry from the $5.88 that was promised on the sign.  Then again, we spent an additional $5.16 on extra cheese, which could have gone to either buying another 10.53 tacos, or about three pounds of cheddar cheese at Walmart.

Speaking of Walmart, 43 cents?  Is Del Taco taking pricing lessons from Wally World?  Round it down to 39 or up to 45.  43 cents makes it sound like you've had your cheddar on the shelf for the last three weeks, and now you're putting it on clearance.

I'm not complaining.  Jessi and I have been joking about it all day, actually.  Ketchup packet?  That's an extra 43 cents.  Napkin?  43 cents.  Even after the up charge on the food, it's much less expensive than what Taco Bell would have been.  Better tasting too.

There is a lesson to be learned here somewhere, though I don't know what it is.  Shredded cheese has always been one of my weaknesses.  It's my Kryptonite.  We all have our vices.  For some, it's alcohol.  For others, it's women.  Me?  Mild cheddar.

BTW....If anyone is interested, I have an old DVD player I'm trying to sell.  Selling it for $.43.  I need a fix.

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