Desperation

Yesterday it was so cold that, once I defrosted from the morning commute, I refused to go outside again. This decision had sharp implications come lunchtime because it meant venturing into the insanity that is the Hancock tower cafeteria, a place I avoid at all costs. The cafeteria is located in the basement and I am always keenly aware of the gigantic building mass looming over my head, and I can’t help wondering what would happen if it came crashing down. Also, the cafeteria is perpetually crowded, the food is mediocre at best (try frozen pre-prepared sandwiches that still have ice on them and are thus rendered inedible) and obscenely overpriced, and the food stations are usually out of everything I want to eat roughly five minutes after the place opens for a meal. I knew it was a gamble given the cold and I was right because every other person in the building decided to avoid the cold and hit the cafeteria for lunch and the place was a madhouse. The lines at the food stations snaked around the room and it was almost impossible to walk around. I felt particularly bad for the people in the sandwich line, which always moves at a snail’s pace. In the end, I fled without buying any food, opting to go back to my nice, calm office for a nutritionally well-rounded bowl of cereal. Next time I’m just going to suck it up and hit the Rebecca’s across the street.