$1.24

Afternoon snacky time was fraught with tension. I had assembled my usual middaily goodness - Peanut Buttery granola delight and one can of Pepsi One - for purchase. I had my money at the ready, $1.25 for the usual $1.24 bill. I stepped up to the clerk. She rang me up. $1.84. $1.84??? Huh? Clearly, I had made this purchase before and I noticed I DID NOT have 59 additional cents in my hand. Why the sudden increase? Had the treasury been dangerously devaluing the currency by mass overprinting of greenbacks? Was there a peanut famine that I was totally unaware of? Had the price of a barrel of Pepsi One skyrocketed in the futures’ market? All these thoughts raced through my mind as the clerk waited patiently. A Mexican standoff ensued. I don’t really do the confrontation with strangers thing, so I decided my best option was to stand there some more. Then, I gestured towards my granola bar and pop, raised my eyebrows questioningly and made that noise – you know, the one Scooby-Doo used to make that said, “WTF Shaggy?” – and maybe had a little tear in the corner of my eye. Gradually, the clerk caught on. She said, “Hmm, let’s see.” Soon she had pinpointed her error. She subtracted 55 cents (+ 5 for tax) and the shiny LCD display vindicated my courageous resilience. $1.24. That’s fucking right.