The supermarket is my favorite shopping venue.
Why? Because it’s full of food and I love food. Plus, I’m a self-defined bargain grocery shopper. I love getting the best deals on my favorite culinary items. I clip paper coupons and download digital savings. I’m borderline obsessed with it. Starting Wednesday, I can buy 18 count eggs for .97 cents. That’s a good deal.
Additionally, I will dine this evening at Pizza Ranch, a highly coveted buffet. A now retired co-worker first introduced me to this gem while we temporarily worked in Sioux Falls, SD. He basically described it as the creme de la creme destination for the chronically obese and glutton obsessed. He wasn’t wrong.
One could successfully argue that buffets are all the same. Sneeze guards, semi-cleaned plates, and a growing horde of type II diabetes patrons. However, Pizza Ranch produces a wide range of choices beyond pizza. Potentially, one could eat healthy if they made the correct choices.
Until recently, no Pizza Ranches existed in Colorado. I relied solely on my memory. With limited exposure, my cravings increasingly heightened my desire to revisit the establishment. Tonight I will drive 82 miles to Pueblo just to re-experience this gastrointestinal treat. Pizza Ranch is a big deal.
Ironically, my wife and I are watching what we eat.
Starting January 2, we basically went Paleo. Our diets consist mainly of meats, fruits, and vegetables. That’s not to say that we don’t have occasional indulgences. We do, just not too often or too much. Besides dropping a few lbs, I’m shooting for better overall numbers. Things like blood pressure, cholesterol levels/ratios, blood glucose, and A1C scores. If we don’t watch our diets, we may end up looking like Pizza Ranch regulars.
Tonight will be a test of will. I prepared my body leading up to the buffet-fest. After Super Bowl Sunday, I’m back to paleo, hitting the gym, and intermittent fasting. They say you can’t outrun a fork. I hope, short term, that’s a false claim. Besides, I don’t eat pizza with a fork.
Typically, my wife and I have each other’s back in the battle of the buffet. However, she’s out of town this week. Did I not mention that? Oh, that must have slipped my mind. Ah, the flesh is weak, especially around the midsection. Let’s just call this one of those indulgences I mentioned earlier. Not to mention, we already lost a combined 25lbs. That’s a big, fat deal.
Still, we want to set good examples for our children, dietary and otherwise.
Neither child struggles with weight issues. Plus, they kick butt in the classroom. We let them know early on that we expected A’s. Neither son nor daughter disappointed. Both graduated high school in the upper echelons of their respective classes. Both continue to excel academically at the collegiate level. Their big brains come from my wife. I’m tall. Their height comes from me. We all have our roles to play.
My daughter recently transferred universities. She followed her volleyball coach to the Big 10 conference. If you follow college volleyball at all, the Big 10 is arguably the best conference in the nation. She still kills it academically. But make no mistake, she’s passionate about her sport, too. My son plans on attending graduate school. He talks about economics, math, and computer science as if I understand what he’s saying. Fortunately, he also talks with his sister and mother about these things. Remember, the big brains came from my wife. He is tall, though. More importantly, he’s also passionate about his life’s direction. Passion is a big deal, too.
Naturally, this brings us back to Pizza Ranch.
Not because I’m passionate about pizza. Well, I can be. But I needed to deliver some post-retirement paperwork to my former coworker. He suggested meeting at Pizza Ranch. I naturally jumped at the opportunity. Not because of their Tuesday kid’s discount or senior early bird specials. There was a cause for celebration. Their 10 year old grandson made the academic honor roll for the first time in his life.
Lots of kids probably do that on a regular basis. My kids did. My wife probably did as well. I, however, was in the half of the academic class that made the first half possible. It was not until my final 3 years of college that I finally made the honor roll. It took me that long to figure out how to effectively apply myself and execute. Their grandson clearly discovered the “secret sauce” to academic success far earlier. However, there is a gigantic difference. He’s autistic. For him, making the honor roll is a huge deal.
To complicate the matter, his mother was born with some cognitive dysfunction. She’s able to live on her own and hold down a job, but it’s not easy for her. The grandson’s father is not in the picture in any capacity. And there’s a twin sister. Double the work for mom, who’s not always the best equipped to handle it.
As grandparents they really perform a great deal of the parental functions.
Interestingly the grandkids refer to my retired coworker as dad and his wife as grandma. He said he gets some funny looks at youth sporting events and school functions when other parents hear that exchange. But they just roll with it. He’s the only father figure the grandkids know. It doesn’t seem to bother him one bit. I think he likes being called dad.
If you have kids, you can appreciate the gravity of this commitment. Imagine you’re multiple years removed from raising your children. Suddenly and unexpectedly, there’s a new set of twins in the picture. The father is MIA and the mother struggles to function emotionally, socially, and, to a degree, mentally as an adult.
Your retirement plans just changed. For them, this means 8 more years. At that point, both grandchildren will hopefully graduate from high school. As I’ve learned, that doesn’t necessarily mean parenting is over, but at least the grandkids will be able to spread their wings and fly. They love the grandkids and will do whatever is necessary for them to thrive. That’s generational commitment. And it’s a humongous deal.
So I went to the supermarket this morning to capitalize on my .97 cent eggs. Oddly, they were marked at the regular price of $1.99. After perusing the weekly adds, I realized that the egg deal is not effective until tomorrow. I came early to the grocery store to avoid later crowds and snag my precious grade A extra larges before the soccer moms depleted the shelves. Such is life. I’ll come back tomorrow. They’ll still be here. It’s no big deal.