CPI

So I just got of the phone with my grandmother.  I talk to her once or twice a week.  She is usually good for saying one or two things that make me think, "Jesus, I am glad I am not an 85 year old lady".  When I talk to her, I try to play devil's advocate with whatever she is saying.  I find it usually makes for a more entertaining conversation.

Tonight she told me about how many times she played bridge this week.  Then she asked me what I was doing for dinner.  The conversation led to her telling me how much groceries cost these days.  When you're talking to an 85 year old, you have to be very careful with the term "these days".  For all I know, she could be referring to the period 1982-2008.  I asked her to be more specific.  "What do you mean these days?".  "Well, in the last two years".  So I told her I thought she was full of crap.  I logged onto the Bureau of Labor Statistics website to try and dispel her theory by looking at CPI stats.  For the record, she is right, things are more expensive than May of 2008, but the logic she uses is because the orange she bought at the grocery store today was 95 cents instead of 50.  I told her to give me another example.  She started talking about blueberries and apples.  It's nice to see that she is eating so much fruit.

Then we started talking about our backpacking trip to Montana.  She doesn't understand the term "backpacking" so I had to be very specific in describing what we were going to do.  This led to "Are you going to be able to buy food there?".  "No Grandma, we are going to have to cook for ourselves."  "Over a campfire?", she asked.  "No, we'll be bringing a stove".  "YOU ARE GOING TO BRING A STOVE?".  I think that for a split second she thought I'd have a regular sized oven strapped to my back.

The conversation then turned to fishing.  Specifically, would I be doing any fishing out there?  "No, I don't like to fish", I told her.  "Me either", she said.  "Well maybe you should consider it", I told her "it sounds like you could use a little supplemental income".  She said she would rather starve.

Speaking of starving, Gina is down in New Jersey this weekend and I am starving, which means I need to get up off my duff and go get a burger.  I am glad the Bruins are on tonight.  Against my former team, The Whale.