Stick it in my Pig

I went to the gym last night so I went to the central markets today for a plate of chicken. Wet Ho Fun costs more than Dry Ho Fun.

This is one of those little events where the enjoyment of the first experience builds the anticipation for the second. After Friday's lunch I was really keen on some chicken. Today just wasn't that nice. It was disappointing. But I was just glad to be out of the office. Still nothing for me to do this week.
In 1995 I came to that same food court one Friday night. My family used to combine grocery shopping with family outings. It was very efficient. Not very I.T., it seems, judging by this week.
I read recently that grocery shopping is a great first date activity. Apparently in the new millennium the traditional date is now dead and you have to show girls that you like them, but you're also a busy person with goals and shopping lists. No time for a quiet drink or to take them to a movie. You were even supposed to consider bringing friends to catch up with at the same time. The more social functions you can integrate into an hour, the more attractive you are to the opposite sex. Very Steve Jobs, not very 90's.

After lunch Josh and I walked through the markets looking for a Maneki Neko statue for a bargain price. He told me his business plan to assemble an army of beckoning cats on his desk which would elicit loose change from everyone else at his office. I think he's bored at work too. He did seem committed though, we checked out five stores before finding the best price.
While we were looking for the cat I found a little green pig statue, tennis ball sized with a coin slot down its spine. He was perched on a shelf, standing out against a crowd of yellow pigs. So Josh bought his beckoning cat and I bought a green pig. His name is Green Pig.

Josh went back to work but I was still hiding from boredom after lunch so I took Green Pig for a walk down Rundle Mall to see if I could get money from strangers. I got no money. I was hoping to at least collect enough to cover the cost of buying him. I only felt awkward at the end as I walked down a Hindley Street alley back to work and a scruffy youth came up to me and asked if I could spare change for the bus. I said I couldn't, and shook my empty pig for emphasis.

It's been exactly one year since I bulged my disc today. Happy anniversary, year of constant pain. I'm very glad that year's over. I think I've been suffering from the Anniversary Reaction. I read about it during work on Monday.

When I was back at my desk I sat Green Pig up on empty box of paper reams in my cubicle. I stuck a Post-It Note under him saying "Pat green pig, 20c." I now have forty cents. I wonder how profitable one of the yellow pigs would have been.

I feel a special bond with the green pig. We're both the independent type, but with fucked up backs.