Barely Two in a Subaru

I spotted this couple outside of the Giant Eagle in Lawrenceville. While the sight of a car parked in front of the entrance to the store is nothing special, the occupants touching shoulder to shoulder inside the car is. Or maybe not -this is America. I'm not criticizing them for being obese. I'm observing American poverty and it's lack of nutritional options. The poor don't starve here, they bloat and swell.

If you want fresh roast beef, Giant Eagle in Lawrenceville would not be the place to get it. You'll get nearly iridescent, slimy, green-sheen sliced beef here. Alternatively, if you want something that may not immediately eradicate the healthy bacteria colony in your colon, you could get the almost-unspoilable chipped chopped ham, a Pittsburgh-only treat, cheaply, at $2.99 per pound. But that sodium-enriched reconstituted meat product will eventually make your heart explode. Frito Lay products are also BOGO this week with your Advantage Card.

This is regular life here. There aren't other options in this neighborhood beyond the convenience stores. I can at least afford to both drive and shop at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's, or pedal into the Strip District for produce. There's talk of better things to come, like East End Food Co-Op relocating, but nobody really expects it. Lawrenceville won't see much for the near future.