Meditation for April 13th, 2016
What’s For Dinner?
This is the question that plagues every person every night in every place in America. The bigger the city and the more restaurants there are the harder it is to answer this question. Couples meltdown in grocery stores, living rooms and in cars looking at the precipice of breaking up every time the other person says, “I don’t know, wherever you want to eat.”
Who even plans out menus for the week anymore? We just wait till its hungry time and we look around at the plethora of choices and get shut down by too many options. We open our refrigerators and cupboards over and over again to see the same thing every time. We want what we don’t see or think about. We hope that something will suddenly be there to whet our appetite or someone will come up with something delicious.
We have access to almost every kind of recipes. Thai, Italian, Mediterranean, Japanese, Mexican, Korean, Caribbean, German, Chinese, Ethiopian, French, Cajun, French Cajun, Cajun French, New Wave Cajun French, Vietnamese, Greek, Lebanese, Scottish, Pizza, Tacos, Korean Tacos, Tex-Mex, Mex-Tex-Caj-Fre-Tac-Piz, Russian, Fusion, Vegan, Pacific NW, Farm to Table, Jamaican, Honduran, Laotian, Ballpark Fare, Indian, Northern Thai, White Guy Taco Cart, Mission Style Burrito, Williams-Sonoma Style Mexican (Poor Kay Know), Bar Fare, Hot Dogs, Hot Pockets, Bakery Goods, Gluten-Free Bakery, Atkinson’s-Palm Beach Diet Shacks, Food Carts, Poutine, BBQ, Southern Soul, Chicago Polish Meat Counter, Jewish NY Deli, Breakfast All Day, Hamburgers, Pirate Food, Paleo-Diet, Rice Bowls, Fast Food, Sandwiches, Falafel and etc.…
All of these choices can be on the same street. The hungrier you are the harder it is to know what to eat. You can stand on that street and just stare at the signs or just scroll through YELP looking for something to grab you. Your stomach is growling. You kind of have a hankering for Thai, but you don’t like how you get hungry a half an hour after eating it, but you also love the idea of tacos – cheap and quantity. You feel guilty because you can make your own tacos, but you are hungry now and have no time to gather the ingredients and make it. As you stand there trying to decide you die of starvation.
The following is a deleted scene from A Streetcar Named Desire
STELLA: Stanley, take me out tonight, you never take me out anymore.
STANLEY: C’mon, baby, we don’t got the money for that!
STELLA: Please? Pleeeeeaaaaasssseee?
STANLEY: Okay, what do you feel like?
STELLA: I don’t care; let’s just go out somewhere.
STANLEY: Wanna try that new BBQ place?
STELLA: Stanley, it’s too hot for BBQ.
STANLEY: OK, how about the taco place? The one that looks like a surfing shack and has the line all the time.
STELLA: I don’t want to stand in line. That place is always too busy. Besides, the tacos aren’t that good anyway.
STANLEY: [Now agitated, he starts pacing back and forth] Well, where do you wanna eat?
STELLA: I don’t care, Stanley, I told you that, just pick something.
STANLEY: I just picked two places and you turned them down. Why don’t you tell me where you want me to take you out.
STELLA: This place has a good YELP review. It’s on Jackson and St. Charles.
STANLEY: Ok, ok, lets do it. Sounds good.
STELLA: Oh, never mind, its closed on Tuesdays.
STANLEY: What! Why is it closed on Tuesdays? Why do things always have to be closed on our days off? That’s dumb. They must not want any money.
STELLA: C’mon, baby, calm down. We’ll find something else. Why not this pasta place in the Garden District? It looks good.
STANLEY: We had pasta yesterday. I don’t want to have pasta twice in a row.
STELLA: Ok, this is a different kind of pasta place. It’s like Korean, Italian and Japanese fusion pasta.
STANLEY: I just don’t want pasta, Stella!
STELLA: Ok, ok. Stop getting mad at me. Why not the sushi place that only uses ethically farmed fish? That place sounds good.
STANLEY: I fucking hate sushi, Stella. How long have we been together? You still want to eat at sushi places with me. I don’t want cold fish rolled up in rice like a joint.
STELLA: They have hot food too, Stanley. You like teriyaki chicken, don’t you?
STANLEY: I do, but not tonight.
STELLA: Well, I’ve tried. You’ve turned down everything I’ve suggested. Why don’t you give an idea now?
STANLEY: Applebee’s?
STELLA: Applebee’s?
STANLEY: Yeah.
STELLA: Fuck, yeah.
STANLEY: TO THE APPLEBEES!
[They high-five, then wrap each other up and kiss passionately, and then head for the door.]
END SCENE
Craft
Fat Bastard Sick Ass Heart Attack Recipe
Pot of no beans chili
Pot of three or four packets of Ramen
Four eggs
Hash browns or potato O’Brien’s
Cut up hot dogs
Diced onions
Diced green and red peppers
Cheddar cheese
Drain the Ramen and put into a skillet.
Pour hot chili on top of Ramen.
Place hash browns or potato O’Brien’s on top of the chili,
Place four fried eggs on top of potatoes.
Now place hot dog bits, peppers and onions on top of that.
Now place as much cheddar cheese as you can on top of that and melt.
Eat.
Never want to eat again.
Throw up.
Goal
Keep energy bars on your person at all times, so when you have to make a decision of what you want to eat, you’ll eat an energy bar and the decision will be a lot easier.
Keep in mind that not making a decision about what you want to eat will end your relationship, so stop being indecisive and make a decision.
Applebee’s is always an option.