Monday, May 15, 2006
The Great Lunch Heist of 2006!
Well, not exactly, but it could have been! Here's the deal: our young pup Sports Editor (SE) volunteers once a month to help make lunches for a Chicago West Side charity, which in-turn distributes the lunches to hungry local residents. For out-of-town readers, the west side is the poorest part of town, but the areas closest to downtown have been quickly gentrifying. So quickly, in fact, that a condo developer made this charity an offer they couldn't refuse, and now they are building a new facility a mile to the west. In the interim, the lunches are being distributed out of a parking lot. Since nobody else could drive the lunches to the parking lot, the SE was asked if he could haul them over and wait for the charity's officials and a volunteer from a north suburban location to show up. The scheduled time was 11:00 AM. The SE showed up at 10:45 and already there were people gathering in the lot. As soon as the SE parked his lunch-packed car, he was approached by a man and a woman. They claimed to be from the charity, that the director who was normally supposed to be there couldn't make it, and that he was to take down some contact information about the SE's group and then we could leave the lunches with him. The SE was a little suspicious. He'd been approached by would-be "early birds" back when he dropped off lunches at the old place. Could this be a dastardly plot to snag --all-- the lunches? But what if it was legit? He didn't want to insult this guy by effectively calling him a crook, a liar, a swindler, a rapscallion of the worst srot! "Uh, ok, but actually I'm supposed to talk to the person who is coming from (up north), so I guess I'll hang out a while."
Tick-tock. Tick-tock. The minutes pass. Nobody is showing up, except for more area residents. The SE, who kind of stands out in this crowd, is getting antsy. He's tried calling all the numbers he's been given: the director, the director's assistant, the project manager's cell. Nobody is answering! Could the plot run even deeper? Did this guy have accomplices who kidnapped these people... or worse?! The SE was about to dump the lunches and hightail it out of there when he heard a voice in his head. The voice of the Monz! Monz was saying the third commandment of myl: Thou Shalt Not Deprive Others of Their Yummy Lunch! And while the SE has doubts as to these lunches yumminess (bologna sandwich, bag of chips (assorted varieties), apple and two cookies), he resolved to see his mission through. And, by no coincidence, he was moved to call the director again, who this time picked up the phone and assured him all was well (and that this dude was taking any leftovers down the street to some church). So, on behalf of the hungry of Chicago, we say "thank you, Mark Monz!"
And what fuels such a spirit? "Leftover pizza and some chicken thing" from the Italian Kitchen, that's what!
Well, not exactly, but it could have been! Here's the deal: our young pup Sports Editor (SE) volunteers once a month to help make lunches for a Chicago West Side charity, which in-turn distributes the lunches to hungry local residents. For out-of-town readers, the west side is the poorest part of town, but the areas closest to downtown have been quickly gentrifying. So quickly, in fact, that a condo developer made this charity an offer they couldn't refuse, and now they are building a new facility a mile to the west. In the interim, the lunches are being distributed out of a parking lot. Since nobody else could drive the lunches to the parking lot, the SE was asked if he could haul them over and wait for the charity's officials and a volunteer from a north suburban location to show up. The scheduled time was 11:00 AM. The SE showed up at 10:45 and already there were people gathering in the lot. As soon as the SE parked his lunch-packed car, he was approached by a man and a woman. They claimed to be from the charity, that the director who was normally supposed to be there couldn't make it, and that he was to take down some contact information about the SE's group and then we could leave the lunches with him. The SE was a little suspicious. He'd been approached by would-be "early birds" back when he dropped off lunches at the old place. Could this be a dastardly plot to snag --all-- the lunches? But what if it was legit? He didn't want to insult this guy by effectively calling him a crook, a liar, a swindler, a rapscallion of the worst srot! "Uh, ok, but actually I'm supposed to talk to the person who is coming from (up north), so I guess I'll hang out a while."
Tick-tock. Tick-tock. The minutes pass. Nobody is showing up, except for more area residents. The SE, who kind of stands out in this crowd, is getting antsy. He's tried calling all the numbers he's been given: the director, the director's assistant, the project manager's cell. Nobody is answering! Could the plot run even deeper? Did this guy have accomplices who kidnapped these people... or worse?! The SE was about to dump the lunches and hightail it out of there when he heard a voice in his head. The voice of the Monz! Monz was saying the third commandment of myl: Thou Shalt Not Deprive Others of Their Yummy Lunch! And while the SE has doubts as to these lunches yumminess (bologna sandwich, bag of chips (assorted varieties), apple and two cookies), he resolved to see his mission through. And, by no coincidence, he was moved to call the director again, who this time picked up the phone and assured him all was well (and that this dude was taking any leftovers down the street to some church). So, on behalf of the hungry of Chicago, we say "thank you, Mark Monz!"
And what fuels such a spirit? "Leftover pizza and some chicken thing" from the Italian Kitchen, that's what!
Comments:
3 comments
Every once in a while, the EIC gets a hankering for a Mexican hot chocolate. So he goes out and buys a package of those Abuelita (tm) tablets and a quart of milk, but without an electric blender it's impossible to make right. A few weeks ago, he notices that they are now selling instant Abuelita (tm) mix. It gives you a choice of adding hot milk or hot water. It's a little on the sweet side, but at least it's preparable.
thanks.. i'll try it... i usually just throw a whole chocolate plate into a pot and wait for it to melt.. than i get a hemorrage to the brain from being so high... sorry oversharing :)
Post a Comment
