Lunchtime!

Like most folks, I am of the belief that's it's important to make sure you get a good deal, you get your money's worth, you try to stretch a dollar as far as you can and that you should always make sure you get what you paid for.
So, with that type of thinking, it only stands to reason that when you go somewhere for lunch that advertises $2.75 for a to-go side salad that you make yourself, it might make sense that you'd pile as much as you could into that side salad container.
And, if you don't--- there's something very wrong with you--you are not spending your lunch money wisely....

Not so fast....

I eat Lapband style. Not bargain style.
Got it?
I'm not piling on as much as I can.
I am actually getting what I think I can eat and then happily handing over my $2.75 and then I'm on my way.
As far as I am concerned--a $2.75 lunch is a deal no matter what.
Where else can you get a scoop of tuna salad, 2 slices of cucumber and some carrot sticks for $2.75?
Nowhere.
I don't think I'm squandering my money--by any means.
And, I don't think I'm doing anything wrong.
But, evidently a few folks think I am!
Take yesterday for example--I went to my cheapo lunch spot, ordered the side salad container and made my way over to the salad bar.
As I was scooping my tuna, I noticed another patron filling up her container with a fierce, almost maniacal ghusto---jamming everything imaginable into her container...piling fruit salad on top of coleslaw on top of cottage cheese on top of lettuce on top of bean salad.....eeeewwww .

Honestly, I wasn't snooping or judging.
But, really.....could all of that stuff jammed together really taste that good?
So, when I got to the register, I happened to be directly behind Ms. Jam-As-Much-As-I-Can.
Figures.
She peered at my container and immediately decided she had to educate me...
"You don't pay by the ounce you know! Look at mine! You can get as much as you want for $2.75. I get more in here than other people can get in the whole salad container for $6.50!"
I smiled appreciatively and told her that I knew I could get more but I wasn't very hungry.
She eyed me suspiciously. "You can eat some of it tomorrow if you aren't hungry today!"As if she had just came up with some novel solution.
"No, I'm good," I smiled through gritted teeth.
That didn't stop her.
She went on and on about the fact that I should go back to the salad bar and get more.
I just kept on smiling and nodding. As nicely as I could.
When we got to the register, Ms. JAMAIC pointed out the comparison between our two salad containers to the clerk. "She doesn't know how to rock a 2.75 container!"The clerk laughed "oh, she's more into spending calories than money!"There it was. The awkward food moment.
The bitchy immature girl inside of me wanted to say "clearly SHE doesn't care about the calories!"
The let-me-tell-everyone-about-my-lapband girl inside of me wanted to explain what was really going on with my lunch and possibly sell them on the joys of Lapband living.
The holier than thou girl inside of me wanted to say something about being sensitive to not taking more than I can consume and about the fact that all of us should be more aware that there were children starving in Africa.
And, the non confrontational girl inside of me wanted to just pay for my damn lunch and get the hell out of there.
Yes, you guessed it....I did the non confrontational girl thing.
But, as I slinked out of there, I realized how the consumption of food has somehow become everyone's business.
Perhaps 5 years ago, I would have been Ms. JAMAIC.
Maybe I would have been the girl who wanted to help the poor soul who didn't know you could stuff $6.50 worth of food into a $2.50 container if you really tried.