Wednesday, April 2nd, 2003

I'm in a bodega near the store looking up at a new brand of chips on a high shelf. The flavors are all very strange and I finally pick the shrimp-flavored. As for pay for my chips, I notice the bag feels light. I open it to find it empty except for a nickel on the bottom. I take this up with the manager - a middle-aged white guy. he tries to help me find another bag but they're out of that flavor. We look around the store for an alternative. He has a long grabber that he uses to knock down items on high shelves. We're now in the toy section as he knocks down a plush turtle. I ask him the price and he tells me $27. He also tells me that times are tough for his store and the owner wants him to do everything possible to keep customers happy. I tell him times are tough for me too. I tell him it's a good thing I have someone working at the store for me and I can kill time at his store. We come across another shelf full of action figures and I try to pick one out as a replacement for my chips.