Yeah, Yeah. I know.  St. Paddy’s is Corned Beef and Cabbage day in the US.  It’s also Amateur’s night at the local bars, but we’re having none of that this year either, thanks to COVID-19 wreaking havoc on our lives. 

Having the opportunity to duck to the stores before the crush of people still at work gave me the chance to attempt picking up some Meat of Opportunity at the local grocery… or so I thought.  It seems that the Great Toilet Paper Frenzy has swept into the meat section of the store, because nothing was there!

Wow.  Just… WOW.

These have got to be the emptiest cases I have seen in an open grocery store in a LONG time, and brought back stark memories of my time in Poland before the fall of the Iron Curtain.  That being said, I had the time and dashed over to another local grocery, Sendik’s.

For those of you who aren’t from the area, Sendik’s is a treasure and an institution here; the cuts of meat are always good (and occasionally on sale at a great price), and the trademarked Red Bags are a dead giveaway that something damn fine is going to come out of that kitchen.  Even better, it is on the way home with a little side-trip and this location is new enough where it’s not AS likely to get swamped by the Charmin Horde. 

I hope.

Hallelujah! 

Not only was there meat, glorious meat, but the thick-cut pork chops were on a sale that made them too enticing to pass up! 

Lesson number one for surviving in a land where shortages can hit, whenever a store “throws out something good”, as my friends would say- YOU BUY THAT #$%@!!! No, not so much that no one else can get some- that’s bad karma- but enough where you have a little extra for yourself, or for that friend who threw something else scarce and desirable in your direction.  Besides, barring any unforeseen issues Operation MOO Meatwagon was a go  for this weekend, but that is a tale for another blog entry, my friends.

I grabbed six of these beauties and zipped home with them, a few other staples, and Big Trouble in Little China firmly stuck in my head as I referred to my car as the Pork-Chop Express!

Before encountering pork chops that weren’t Shake-and-Baked into a burnt offering to the gods so dry and hardened that swallowing them required copious amounts of apple sauce as lube, I could easily pass on them, but these were delicious and there was more to enjoy at a later date!

Lesson two in survival:  a positive outlook is essential.  Enjoy the good things wherever you can.

Stay safe.