Every
once in a while, a cause comes a long that piques my interest. I don’t actually act on any of these
causes, but I find them fascinating.
Take the Occupy movement. I
thought it was great that these people were out there fighting the good fight,
sticking it to the man, being dirty hippies, but I’m not going to lie, unless
the Orccupy movement evolves and becomes based out of some swankier venues, I’m
not going to get involved. I spent
8 summers of my life fighting fires, sleeping in the dirt, and I can’t justify doing it anymore unless it’s absolutely necessary,
ie, I’m homeless. . . . . or. . . . . i'm really tired.
What
I’m trying to get across to my readers (aka my mom) is that i’m willing to
justify a little to get out of a lot.
(aka I’m selfish). I’ll
admit it. I’m a single white male,
looking out for nobody but myself.
Sue me. Please don’t
. . . . . . Anyway, after
that bizarre introduction that just happened, you must be wondering what incident could have sparked
my newfound desire to make a change in the world? Well let me regale you with a story that happened to me the
other day.
My
friends and I were at Village Inn, yes Village Inn, attending our sometimes-weekly ritual of
Free Pie Night (FPN), which is exactly what you’re thinking. It’s free pie. You can buy anything you want and you
get a free piece of pie. You can buy a milk steak and get a free piece of pie. You can buy an omelet and get a free piece of pie. You can even buy a scoop of ice cream and get a free piece of pie. Who could pass up that deal? Nobody. Anyway, we sat ourselves down because no one was paying
attention and we started perusing the menus. Blake joked about eating his arm, while Marcus genuinely
contemplated it. Land (yes, that’s
a real name) was staring off in to space, thinking about rocks probably,
because he’s a geologist, and I’m pretty sure that’s what they do in their free
time.
When
the server arrived, I had already decided what I wanted. Since I’m trying not to get fat, and I
was already having pie, I decided that I wanted two pieces of French toast,
instead of the four that comes in the French toast combo meal. That’s all I wanted. Two pieces of French toast. It’s pretty much the simplest request
on the planet. The only thing
easier would have been bread, but I would have been an idiot if I just ordered
bread. Seriously, who would do
that? Nobody.
Anyway,
I look at the waitress and in my kindest voice I ask if I can just have two
pieces of French toast. “I’m sorry
sir, I can’t do that, I can do the French toast combo meal with only French
toast, but I can’t do just two, it’s four”. . . . Silence. . . . .“What?”. . .
. At this point, the switch in my brain that usually keeps me from acting
irrationally was teetering. “I
could give you the two sides of French toast, but that would cost more than the
combo meal. . . . . more silence.
. . . “ok, how about we do this.
Could I get the combo meal with just the French toast, and instead of
getting four pieces, could I just get two?” . . . . . . “I’m sorry sir, we can’t do that”, she
said. “ok, I’ll just get the
four”.
As
she walked away, my mind drifted off.
I was laying on two giant pieces of French toast. Floating through the
sky. In my wake was a trail of fire and brimstone that engulfed all of
humanity. I was brought back to
reality by the feeling of Marcus nibbling on my arm.
Why? Why?!?!?!! Why can’t I have just two pieces of French toast. Look, I don’t want four pieces of French
toast. I’m not going to eat four
pieces of French toast (I did, but I didn’t like it). Why can’t you just charge me for two pieces of French toast? Take the cost of the combo meal, that’s
four pieces of French toast, and divide by two, which will give you the price for
two pieces of French toast, write it on a paper, and I will give you money for
the amount that Is written on that paper.
It seems so simple, like something an octopus could do, but for some
reason, Village Inn, a restaurant run by adults, not octopi, cannot do this.
Can’t
or Won’t?
I’m
convinced that Village Inn knowingly, willingly, and stringently overcharges
for French toast because a) they’re Republicans, b) they like money, and c)
they hate French people.
Therefore, as of today, I am protesting Village Inn until next
Wednesday. I will not eat at
Village Inn, nor will I even look at Village Inn until I can go back and order
something different in order to get a free piece of pie. I would urge all of you to write a
letter to our future President, Mitt Romney, pleading with him to make this a
priority when he claims his Presidency, because at the end of the day, we all
know that four pieces is too much, and once we finish the third piece, we’re
going to eat that fourth piece only because it’s there, and not because we want it.
-Matthew
Irving, author of the previous 500 blog posts, is currently residing in Salt
Lake City, Utah, where he is anxiously awaiting next Wednesday when he can
purchase a scoop of ice cream and get a free piece of pie, like a normal
person-
