Once a week my sister and I play a "game" that we call the grocery game. Some might not call it a game but they have not tasted the sweet victory of coming up under budget and being able to put the extra money in the "eating out jar". Long story short we have a budget and we use an app on my Ipod to add up our grocery prices as we shop. If we are over budget we have to put something back. We have become very savvy shoppers and sometimes go to three different stores to get the best prices.
We do allow ourselves one luxury: sliced deli meat from the meat counter. This may not sound like a very price conscience decision but once you have a sandwich with fresh sliced meat, it is hard to go back. We have had several very memorable experiences at the meat counter. Recently, most of them have surrounded the grocery store employees trying to coerce us to buy items from the bakery. There are two reasons why trying to entice us with stories of cinnamon rolls on sale really is a futile attempt. First, as I said before we have a very tight budget and cannot be distracted by cinnamon rolls unless we are willing to give up something necessary like milk or shampoo. And second, my sister is gluten and lactose intolerant and cannot have wheat or dairy. A simple sneaky cinnamon roll could mean a three day cycle of exhaustion and severe indigestion for the poor girl. And yet every week as we walk away from the meat counter those carefully instructed grocery employees inform us that pastries are two for one or something like that. A few weeks ago we thought we had gotten away when the girl behind the meat counter actually shouted at us in a desperate final attempt, " RED VELVET CAKE IS ON SALE!"
Our favorite meat counter experience happened this week though. We go to the same grocery stores on the same day every week, so we see a lot of the same employees and they have gotten to know us. One week a few months ago my sister and I were approaching the meat counter when she so obligingly noticed that something was on my face that had once been in my nose. As retribution I brought up another time when her bodily functions had been humorous and we dissolved into semi-hysterical laughter. This did not stop as I ordered our thin sliced Pesto Parmesan ham. The male employee behind the counter also got tickled at our laughter and he began to laugh himself. All in all it was a pretty jolly trip. That brings me to this week. We were once again getting our meat thinly sliced for sandwiches by our jovial friend from a few months ago. It did not seem like he remembered us and my sister and I were very thankful that he hadn't tried to get us to by some gluten saturated treat. But as we walked away he yelled out " I will never forget you guys!" Neither will we, Meat Guy, neither will we.
