Obscene!

Margie wanted to go out to lunch, said she was craving a roast beef sandwich. So we gave it a try. The first place we went to only had outdoor seating on high stools she could not possibly have gotten up on. And it was cold. Then at the second place, a butchery with a deli, she could not believe the prices. You had to go up to the order desk to read a menu. I seated her, went up, and came back to ask if she wanted the Philly Cheese Steak with onions and peppers for $18.50 or the roast beef with horseradish for $18. 

"Eighteen dollars? Are you kidding me? Is that what it costs to get a sandwich nowadays?" She looked around. It was busy. "But people are coming in and ordering. Are they out of their minds?"

I could tell she was tired, maybe getting a bit weak, so I said let's just do it. OK, she said, "Philly cheese steak without the cheese. What are you getting?" I said a lettuce, tomato and avocado sandwich. "And how much is that?" $16.50. Again she gasped.

We were seated next to the meat counter (see extra), and she looked at the prices of the meats and couldn't believe it. She couldn't stop gaping at the price tags on things. Her sandwich came in a baguette, and she couldn't chew it. After a few bites she said, "Let's take the rest home," and we did. On the way home, she said, "I would normally throw the rest away, but I'd be throwing $9 in the trash. No wonder there are so many people living in tents."

Nothing wrong with Margie's critical thinking and math skills. She went on, "If someone is working full time, making $15 an hour, they have to work more than an hour to buy a sandwich. That's outrageous. I've been living in a dream world. I haven't really been out in the world since Covid started, and look what's happened. It's obscene."