VEAL CHOPS AND THE AMERICAN DREAM

Two veal chops cost me $21 the other day! When I was in high school, you could buy a car (used) for $25, and didn’t have to leave it in the refrigerator!

The cost of everything is going up, including keeping your sanity.

I still have a child in college, and that is expensive, when you factor in his cigarettes, tuition (a close second or so it seems) and incidentals. Incidentals are up 2.3%!

“But who cares, DelBloggolo, I got my own expenses, PLUS I read this for some strange reason!”

OK you got me there, things are bad for everyone.

I remember when I was a young kid, last week. Dad had the handle on his expenses, keeping meticulous records, everything was neatly filed and he took out his accordion folder, poured a cup of coffee and lit a cigarette.  Opening his checkbook, he would write out a check, curse in Italian and that was that. What I found interesting was we didn’t have a lot of money, but he WAS organized.

I get letters from doctors I haven’t seen in years, sending me “Happy New Year” letters. Doctors trying to drum up business! My mechanic greeted me like I was a god: “Joe, it’s so good to see you again!” I bought a Prius and I needed it inspected, the car is a great investment, using very little gas in comparison to other cars. The mechanic is desperate now, even though people are repairing their cars and not buying new ones.

I even get a slide now from the Handy Pantry, they skip the $0.09 in a $1.09 buttered roll, and say: “See you tomorrow?” Everyone it seems is looking for business.

I have great empathy for riders of the LIRR. It seems they are constant targets of the MTA and must pay for bad management, poor service and promises to do better. Gas prices fluctuate so much you wonder when they will settle down, or should I say settle up.

So where is the American Dream? When do we realize we are having the American Dream, and not the American Nightmare? We scream about politicians and we keep electing them, we continue to pay ridiculous prices for things, big cars that consume our money where the gas is charged and paid like a mortgage every month. I see homes for sale, and no one buying them, I see people living in fear of losing their jobs, and I see people in supermarkets, living for coupons and sales, because that is the only way they can afford to live.

Feel Better

My gosh, even the New York Yankees are cutting back, and the Mets, well… so we are all in the same boat, paying high prices and watching the ship of state sink.

Throw me a life jacket, a used one please, I’m not paying top dollar to float in $(-)!+.