Now, I think I'm a pretty open minded person. I try, in my practice, to understand where people are coming from physically, financially, and emotionally so that I can treat them appropriately. I understand that some people have hard times and that the government has programs in place for these people.
BUT>>>>>>>>
I was so irrationally angry yesterday at a convenience store that I came home and screamed at my poor, unknowing husband for no real good reason. (Yes, he gets that a lot, and he's a saint to put up with me like he does - more on the miscommunication that caused the ruckus soon...)
I was in line at the convenience store trying to buy a snack for Emma because her sugar was dropping. I picked out a think of pineapple chunks in juice and a stick of cheese. Feeling very proud of myself that I found her a healthful snack at the convenience store, I swaggered up to the register only to be beat out by seconds by another woman. I must admit that I did begrudge her a little because I was in a hurry, but only a little.
The lady has on the counter 8 cases of name brand soda, a bag of Doritos, and a gallon of milk. She proceeds to get rung up, and the cashier announces that her total for this is 42.80 or something of the sort. She mumbled something I couldn't understand, and the cashier pointed to a little card swiper off to the right. She then re-rings the purchase without tax. Curious, I kind of looked over the woman's shoulder, and come to find out that she's paying with FOOD STAMPS!!! I have so many problems with this, I don't even know where to start.
1. NO ONE should be allowed to use food stamps at a convenience store. It is WAY too expensive. Is this lady going to run out of stamps by the end of the month and end up at the food bank? Likely. I have patients that are trying to feed a family of 6 with food stamps, and they do run out of money, but they're at least trying to buy food that will sustain their children. 42.80 (minus tax) for 8 cases of soda and two other items comes out to about 7.50 per case of soda. Seriously? When Kroger has buy one, get one free at 4 dollars a case??? Why is this allowed to happen?
2. SODA??? SERIOUSLY???? Now, in their defense, the food stamp program doesn't allow cigarettes or alcohol to be purchased on the cards. Instead, people buy cases of soda, then sell them to their friends for cash to buy the cigarettes and beer. It's a little harder now because it used to be that they would just sell the stamps themselves. Now, with the declining balance card, they actually have to purchase something and resell it to make any cash for ciggys. Aside from that, soda IS NOT FOOD!!!! It is horrible for children - it rots their teeth and makes them obese. It sucks calcium from their bones and replaces nourishing water. Plus, all but 2 cases were caffeinated. So, assuming that this woman had kids, they are probably having trouble in school due to being all sugared and caffienated up. I have seen people give their kids mountain dew at 8:00 at night. Then, they come in and tell me their kids can't sleep and are falling asleep in school. REALLY? Nooooo..... I honestly cannot believe that the food stamp program allows this and actually puts the card reader in convenience stores. With the incredible obesity crisis that we're facing in the nation, the government is allowing people to buy Doritos and pop on their dime. Un-freaking-believable.
3. Ok, so I'm in line behind her as she is ringing up a fortune in pop, and then her husband comes in to start carting the cases out. I think that she is done and try to deftly maneuver my way up to the counter around the mountain of soda, but, OH, she's not done. Next, she takes out her own (hard earned, I'm sure) money to buy 4 packs of cigarettes and 4 lottery tickets. So, now I'm even more miffed because I'm in a hurry, I'm astounded by the flagrant lack of concern about what she is spending the taxpayer's money on, and she's starting another transaction. Wow. Has enough money to buy $6 a pack cigs (name brand, of course- camel ultra lights), but has to buy her pop with the food stamp card.
4. THE KICKER. The woman raised her arms to stretch when in line and revealed approximately $800 dollars worth of low back art. Seriously. It was one of the nicest tattoos I've ever seen - fairies and lilies and vines from one side of her ample low back to the other. I can only assume it's about $800 worth.
Wow. I still can't get over it.
So, I was plenty irritated when I got through the line. Then, Phil called and told me that the suddenlink guy was at the house and waiting for me. I had to deliver the kids to piano and pick them up, make dinner, and make it to girl scouts by 6:15, so I was rushed. I asked Phil to stop on his way home and pick me up some white wine. Unfortunately, I called him from my nephew's phone at piano, then left and went home to get my phone. I went home to meet the suddenlink guy. I got even more frustrated because the guy had to go through my house, and as he was doing so, I kept having to move all of the crap that Phil has never put away (i.e., guns, tools, fishing poles - in my DINING ROOM) and I had to move out the couches which had dust bunnies the size of the dog behind them. So, I was embarrassed, irritated, and rushed. We all know that this is NOT a good combination.
About 40 minutes later, Phil texted back to my nephew's phone, not knowing that I was no longer using it. He said, "pinot grigio?" My nephew (or his mother) did not know that he was texting me, so they said, "How about a nice Chianti?" Then they had a little Silence of the Lambs banter. In Phil's defense, we've had that banter hundreds of times, so there was no way that he would know it wasn't me on the other end of the line. (And, I must admit, that if my nephew knows that movie, I'm a little worried.) So, Phil comes home at 6:15 with 4 bottles of red wine. I know nothing of these text messages, and I'm already mad because of his stuff everywhere, so Phil is greeted with, "Gee, thanks, hon. I ask for one freaking thing, and you can't even get that right. And, by the way, you are not doing any outside projects this weekend, so don't plan anything - we are going to clean up this damn house so our kids aren't living in a pig sty. And, don't expect me home right away from scouts because I have to go out and get my own damn wine because you couldn't even get the right kind!"
I'm so embarrassed. Poor Phil. Have I mentioned that he's a saint and the best husband in the whole wide universe????
He sputtered a little. He was SOOO confused. He didn't have time to explain about the texts because I had to go to girl scouts. When I got home, he had moved his guns, boxes, and fishing poles, and had his phone ready to show me that he was not, in fact, screwing up, but following what looked like a conversation with me.
Actually, it would have been a comical situation if I hadn't have been insane when it happened.
I've never claimed to be easy to live with. Luckily, Phil can handle me. He will say that he has his own issues that are hard to live with, so we even each other out. I think he got the short end of the stick sometimes....but we love each other more and more every day, and that's really all that matters.
As always,
Dr. Mindy
BUT>>>>>>>>
I was so irrationally angry yesterday at a convenience store that I came home and screamed at my poor, unknowing husband for no real good reason. (Yes, he gets that a lot, and he's a saint to put up with me like he does - more on the miscommunication that caused the ruckus soon...)
I was in line at the convenience store trying to buy a snack for Emma because her sugar was dropping. I picked out a think of pineapple chunks in juice and a stick of cheese. Feeling very proud of myself that I found her a healthful snack at the convenience store, I swaggered up to the register only to be beat out by seconds by another woman. I must admit that I did begrudge her a little because I was in a hurry, but only a little.
The lady has on the counter 8 cases of name brand soda, a bag of Doritos, and a gallon of milk. She proceeds to get rung up, and the cashier announces that her total for this is 42.80 or something of the sort. She mumbled something I couldn't understand, and the cashier pointed to a little card swiper off to the right. She then re-rings the purchase without tax. Curious, I kind of looked over the woman's shoulder, and come to find out that she's paying with FOOD STAMPS!!! I have so many problems with this, I don't even know where to start.
1. NO ONE should be allowed to use food stamps at a convenience store. It is WAY too expensive. Is this lady going to run out of stamps by the end of the month and end up at the food bank? Likely. I have patients that are trying to feed a family of 6 with food stamps, and they do run out of money, but they're at least trying to buy food that will sustain their children. 42.80 (minus tax) for 8 cases of soda and two other items comes out to about 7.50 per case of soda. Seriously? When Kroger has buy one, get one free at 4 dollars a case??? Why is this allowed to happen?
2. SODA??? SERIOUSLY???? Now, in their defense, the food stamp program doesn't allow cigarettes or alcohol to be purchased on the cards. Instead, people buy cases of soda, then sell them to their friends for cash to buy the cigarettes and beer. It's a little harder now because it used to be that they would just sell the stamps themselves. Now, with the declining balance card, they actually have to purchase something and resell it to make any cash for ciggys. Aside from that, soda IS NOT FOOD!!!! It is horrible for children - it rots their teeth and makes them obese. It sucks calcium from their bones and replaces nourishing water. Plus, all but 2 cases were caffeinated. So, assuming that this woman had kids, they are probably having trouble in school due to being all sugared and caffienated up. I have seen people give their kids mountain dew at 8:00 at night. Then, they come in and tell me their kids can't sleep and are falling asleep in school. REALLY? Nooooo..... I honestly cannot believe that the food stamp program allows this and actually puts the card reader in convenience stores. With the incredible obesity crisis that we're facing in the nation, the government is allowing people to buy Doritos and pop on their dime. Un-freaking-believable.
3. Ok, so I'm in line behind her as she is ringing up a fortune in pop, and then her husband comes in to start carting the cases out. I think that she is done and try to deftly maneuver my way up to the counter around the mountain of soda, but, OH, she's not done. Next, she takes out her own (hard earned, I'm sure) money to buy 4 packs of cigarettes and 4 lottery tickets. So, now I'm even more miffed because I'm in a hurry, I'm astounded by the flagrant lack of concern about what she is spending the taxpayer's money on, and she's starting another transaction. Wow. Has enough money to buy $6 a pack cigs (name brand, of course- camel ultra lights), but has to buy her pop with the food stamp card.
4. THE KICKER. The woman raised her arms to stretch when in line and revealed approximately $800 dollars worth of low back art. Seriously. It was one of the nicest tattoos I've ever seen - fairies and lilies and vines from one side of her ample low back to the other. I can only assume it's about $800 worth.
Wow. I still can't get over it.
So, I was plenty irritated when I got through the line. Then, Phil called and told me that the suddenlink guy was at the house and waiting for me. I had to deliver the kids to piano and pick them up, make dinner, and make it to girl scouts by 6:15, so I was rushed. I asked Phil to stop on his way home and pick me up some white wine. Unfortunately, I called him from my nephew's phone at piano, then left and went home to get my phone. I went home to meet the suddenlink guy. I got even more frustrated because the guy had to go through my house, and as he was doing so, I kept having to move all of the crap that Phil has never put away (i.e., guns, tools, fishing poles - in my DINING ROOM) and I had to move out the couches which had dust bunnies the size of the dog behind them. So, I was embarrassed, irritated, and rushed. We all know that this is NOT a good combination.
About 40 minutes later, Phil texted back to my nephew's phone, not knowing that I was no longer using it. He said, "pinot grigio?" My nephew (or his mother) did not know that he was texting me, so they said, "How about a nice Chianti?" Then they had a little Silence of the Lambs banter. In Phil's defense, we've had that banter hundreds of times, so there was no way that he would know it wasn't me on the other end of the line. (And, I must admit, that if my nephew knows that movie, I'm a little worried.) So, Phil comes home at 6:15 with 4 bottles of red wine. I know nothing of these text messages, and I'm already mad because of his stuff everywhere, so Phil is greeted with, "Gee, thanks, hon. I ask for one freaking thing, and you can't even get that right. And, by the way, you are not doing any outside projects this weekend, so don't plan anything - we are going to clean up this damn house so our kids aren't living in a pig sty. And, don't expect me home right away from scouts because I have to go out and get my own damn wine because you couldn't even get the right kind!"
I'm so embarrassed. Poor Phil. Have I mentioned that he's a saint and the best husband in the whole wide universe????
He sputtered a little. He was SOOO confused. He didn't have time to explain about the texts because I had to go to girl scouts. When I got home, he had moved his guns, boxes, and fishing poles, and had his phone ready to show me that he was not, in fact, screwing up, but following what looked like a conversation with me.
Actually, it would have been a comical situation if I hadn't have been insane when it happened.
I've never claimed to be easy to live with. Luckily, Phil can handle me. He will say that he has his own issues that are hard to live with, so we even each other out. I think he got the short end of the stick sometimes....but we love each other more and more every day, and that's really all that matters.
As always,
Dr. Mindy
I try really hard not to judge people's choices, but if I'd been behind this woman, I'd have been horrified, too. So food stamps won't let you buy a hot meal of meatloaf and green beans from a grocery store deli, but you can buy eight cases of caffeinated, carbonated, high-fructose corn syrup-filled, nutrition-free pop? Sigh. They're not even allowed to sell that stuff in the schools here, and we feed the kids pizza and fries every day.
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