• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EDT 23:42
CEST 05:42
KST 12:42
  • Home
  • Forum
  • Calendar
  • Streams
  • Liquipedia
  • Features
  • Store
  • EPT
  • TL+
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Smash
  • Heroes
  • Counter-Strike
  • Overwatch
  • Liquibet
  • Fantasy StarCraft
  • TLPD
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Blogs
Forum Sidebar
Events/Features
News
Featured News
RSL Season 1 - Final Week6[ASL19] Finals Recap: Standing Tall15HomeStory Cup 27 - Info & Preview18Classic wins Code S Season 2 (2025)16Code S RO4 & Finals Preview: herO, Rogue, Classic, GuMiho0
Community News
Esports World Cup 2025 - Brackets Revealed15Weekly Cups (July 7-13): Classic continues to roll8Team TLMC #5 - Submission extension3Firefly given lifetime ban by ESIC following match-fixing investigation17$25,000 Streamerzone StarCraft Pro Series announced7
StarCraft 2
General
RSL Revival patreon money discussion thread Esports World Cup 2025 - Brackets Revealed Who will win EWC 2025? The GOAT ranking of GOAT rankings Server Blocker
Tourneys
FEL Cracov 2025 (July 27) - $8000 live event Sparkling Tuna Cup - Weekly Open Tournament Sea Duckling Open (Global, Bronze-Diamond) RSL: Revival, a new crowdfunded tournament series $5,100+ SEL Season 2 Championship (SC: Evo)
Strategy
How did i lose this ZvP, whats the proper response
Custom Maps
External Content
Mutation # 482 Wheel of Misfortune Mutation # 481 Fear and Lava Mutation # 480 Moths to the Flame Mutation # 479 Worn Out Welcome
Brood War
General
Flash Announces (and Retracts) Hiatus From ASL BGH Auto Balance -> http://bghmmr.eu/ BW General Discussion Soulkey Muta Micro Map? [ASL19] Finals Recap: Standing Tall
Tourneys
CSL Xiamen International Invitational [Megathread] Daily Proleagues 2025 ACS Season 2 Qualifier Cosmonarchy Pro Showmatches
Strategy
Simple Questions, Simple Answers I am doing this better than progamers do.
Other Games
General Games
Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread Path of Exile Nintendo Switch Thread CCLP - Command & Conquer League Project The PlayStation 5
Dota 2
Official 'what is Dota anymore' discussion
League of Legends
Heroes of the Storm
Simple Questions, Simple Answers Heroes of the Storm 2.0
Hearthstone
Heroes of StarCraft mini-set
TL Mafia
TL Mafia Community Thread Vanilla Mini Mafia
Community
General
US Politics Mega-thread Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine Russo-Ukrainian War Thread Stop Killing Games - European Citizens Initiative Summer Games Done Quick 2025!
Fan Clubs
SKT1 Classic Fan Club! Maru Fan Club
Media & Entertainment
Korean Music Discussion Movie Discussion! [Manga] One Piece Anime Discussion Thread [\m/] Heavy Metal Thread
Sports
2024 - 2025 Football Thread Formula 1 Discussion TeamLiquid Health and Fitness Initiative For 2023 NBA General Discussion NHL Playoffs 2024
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
Computer Build, Upgrade & Buying Resource Thread
TL Community
The Automated Ban List
Blogs
Ping To Win? Pings And Their…
TrAiDoS
momentary artworks from des…
tankgirl
from making sc maps to makin…
Husyelt
StarCraft improvement
iopq
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 597 users

Lunch at a Soup Kitchen

Blogs > AirbladeOrange
Post a Reply
AirbladeOrange
Profile Blog Joined June 2010
United States2573 Posts
December 03 2010 07:01 GMT
#1
As I stood around my nana's kitchen table waiting for my dad to finish taking a piss, my nana told me, "I went to go pick up some milk and a few other things from the gas station today. The young man who was my cashier told me it was $9.44 so I put out my hand with a ten dollar bill in it. As he grabbed it I let go very slowly. I gave him a dirty look and told him this was my drug money. You should have seen the look on his face! Then I told him that if I had an extra dollar I would buy a beer too."

We drove down the rural roads, passing tiny stores and old houses, most I imagined had been passed down from parents to children for generations. It's funny how a small town like this one maintains a very slow rise in its population. The town's near nonexistent draw to newcomers balances out the 99% of residents that never move away.

The parking lot of the soup kitchen was shared by a Christian church and an automotive shop. As we walked to the entrance of the lunch destination my Nana greeted a chubby woman in her 50s. Immediately after the woman was out of our hearing zone my nana whispered to me, "she's the local puttana." My dad later told me that his means whore in Italian.

Once inside the redone hardware store I saw a crowd of around a dozen people, the mean age about around 70. There were three rows of tables lining the open room, each with about ten metal folding chairs on each side of the tables that were slowly rusting away. For each table there was a paper placemat, paper napkin, and plastic silverware. I noticed that there were actually more place settings than there were chairs where I was sitting, even though there was no more room for extra chairs for the additional place settings. That bothered me.

We were all served au grotin potatoes with little pieces of ham mixed in. We had a side of fruit cocktail from a can poured into a styrofoam bowl. For drinks we could pick apple juice, grapefruit juice, or coffee. And for dessert we had the choice of a chocolate brownie, boston creme pie, or a lemon meringue pie, all one day old donations from Topps grocery store. Of course I picked grapefruit juice and a brownie.

While eating I didn't speak much but I learned a great deal about people just by listening. Debby's easy-going demeanor and sense of humor made me forget about her rotting teeth. That is until I looked at her rotting teeth again. I laughed when she called the local puttana a strange woman that gave her the creeps. She grew up in the city only a few blocks away from where I was born and spent the earliest part of my life.

I met one older man who insisted on showing me and my dad the door that his son had just installed in the dining area. He later made a trip out to go pick up some local residents and and give them a ride to lunch.

There was one guy who I swore was hitting on my Nana. I didn't like that guy.

I was also introduced to a small and very frail looking woman. She asked how old my dad was. He replied that he was 60 and she responded that she was 72 and he was too young for her. Apparently, several decades ago she came home from school one day to find her entire family murdered. Holy shit, right?

The local puttana did turn out to be a strange and creepy woman. She seemed to be the youngest person there besides me. My nana and her had this whole passive-aggressive routine down pat. They would insult one another, compliment one another, give a neutral statement to one another, then finish the exchange with another compliment. After all of that my nana proceeded to whisper some curse words about her to me. This happened a few times before we finished eating. That was some weird shit.

My nana is 83 years old, lives in a house alone in the country, and eats one meal a day. That meal is the free one she receives between 11:00am and 1:30pm each day at the soup kitchen.

***
Kakera
Profile Blog Joined October 2010
United States419 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-12-03 07:39:58
December 03 2010 07:17 GMT
#2
Old people. *shakes head*

User was temp banned for being lousy in general
BlackJack
Profile Blog Joined June 2003
United States10474 Posts
December 03 2010 07:21 GMT
#3
Lol what a strange blog. That first paragraph is hilarious
MuffinFTW
Profile Blog Joined August 2010
United States235 Posts
December 03 2010 07:37 GMT
#4
Interesting blog, but eating one meal a day isn't very health. ]:
AcrossFiveJulys
Profile Blog Joined September 2005
United States3612 Posts
December 03 2010 07:50 GMT
#5
Interesting. Hope you write some more.
Cambium
Profile Blog Joined June 2004
United States16368 Posts
December 03 2010 08:04 GMT
#6
Interesting read, just out of curiosity: is this a fictional story?

I actually volunteer at a local soup kitchen once a week, and it's not nearly as eerie as the one described in your blog. I guess it varies from town to town.
When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.
Adeeler
Profile Blog Joined June 2009
United Kingdom764 Posts
December 03 2010 08:07 GMT
#7
Get a job(if you don't have one) and buy your nana some food.
AirbladeOrange
Profile Blog Joined June 2010
United States2573 Posts
December 03 2010 08:16 GMT
#8
On December 03 2010 17:04 Cambium wrote:
Interesting read, just out of curiosity: is this a fictional story?

I actually volunteer at a local soup kitchen once a week, and it's not nearly as eerie as the one described in your blog. I guess it varies from town to town.


Yes, this is a true story, just happened to me earlier today.

On December 03 2010 17:07 Adeeler wrote:
Get a job(if you don't have one) and buy your nana some food.


Don't worry, my nana will have enough food. But please don't pretend to know the details of her or my situation.
Loser777
Profile Blog Joined January 2008
1931 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-12-03 09:00:18
December 03 2010 09:00 GMT
#9
This sounded totally surreal as I was reading it at 00:59 O_o mad props
6581
Adeeler
Profile Blog Joined June 2009
United Kingdom764 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-12-03 10:10:20
December 03 2010 10:06 GMT
#10
On December 03 2010 17:16 AirbladeOrange wrote:
Show nested quote +
On December 03 2010 17:07 Adeeler wrote:
Get a job(if you don't have one) and buy your nana some food.


Don't worry, my nana will have enough food. But please don't pretend to know the details of her or my situation.


No need to be aggressive dude, sheesh. 1 meal a day even for and old person isn't great.

And your situation is a billion times better then millions upon millions of people around the world so don't pretend people can't comment on it in an open blog. Perspective is great.
Adeeler
Profile Blog Joined June 2009
United Kingdom764 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-12-03 10:10:05
December 03 2010 10:07 GMT
#11
..double post on edit :s
muse5187
Profile Blog Joined September 2009
1125 Posts
December 03 2010 15:49 GMT
#12
So your nana is starving to death whilst you play online at a starcraft website, go figure.
Snuggles
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
United States1865 Posts
December 03 2010 16:31 GMT
#13
Anyone else get weird vibe from this blog O.o
AirbladeOrange
Profile Blog Joined June 2010
United States2573 Posts
December 03 2010 21:40 GMT
#14
Weird vibe indeed. My point is there is a reason she only eats one meal a day that does not have to do with how much money she makes. Not all information can be gathered from a few paragraphs written by someone that you do not know.

She almost never cooked since her husband died is one reason. She also made a deal with God over 40 years ago that she would fast every evening if my dad came home from the Vietnam War alive. He did come home and she has not broken her promise yet. She is poor but has people who take care of her.
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
Next event in 6h 18m
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
Nina 301
StarCraft: Brood War
ajuk12(nOOB) 37
LuMiX 2
Dota 2
monkeys_forever898
Counter-Strike
Stewie2K1099
Other Games
summit1g18277
shahzam1143
JimRising 570
WinterStarcraft295
ViBE244
C9.Mang0225
Trikslyr68
Organizations
Other Games
gamesdonequick4363
StarCraft 2
Blizzard YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
BSLTrovo
sctven
[ Show 15 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• Berry_CruncH173
• Hupsaiya 111
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• intothetv
• Kozan
• IndyKCrew
• LaughNgamezSOOP
• Migwel
• sooper7s
StarCraft: Brood War
• Azhi_Dahaki13
• BSLYoutube
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
League of Legends
• Lourlo787
• Stunt568
Upcoming Events
CranKy Ducklings
6h 18m
Epic.LAN
8h 18m
CSO Contender
13h 18m
Sparkling Tuna Cup
1d 6h
Online Event
1d 12h
Esports World Cup
3 days
ByuN vs Astrea
Lambo vs HeRoMaRinE
Clem vs TBD
Solar vs Zoun
SHIN vs Reynor
Maru vs TriGGeR
herO vs Lancer
Cure vs ShoWTimE
Esports World Cup
4 days
Esports World Cup
5 days
Esports World Cup
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

CSL Xiamen Invitational: ShowMatche
RSL Revival: Season 1
Murky Cup #2

Ongoing

BSL 2v2 Season 3
Copa Latinoamericana 4
Jiahua Invitational
BSL20 Non-Korean Championship
CSL Xiamen Invitational
2025 ACS Season 2
Championship of Russia 2025
Underdog Cup #2
FISSURE Playground #1
BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025
ESL Impact League Season 7
IEM Dallas 2025
PGL Astana 2025
Asian Champions League '25

Upcoming

CSLPRO Last Chance 2025
CSLPRO Chat StarLAN 3
BSL Season 21
RSL Revival: Season 2
SEL Season 2 Championship
uThermal 2v2 Main Event
FEL Cracov 2025
Esports World Cup 2025
ESL Pro League S22
StarSeries Fall 2025
FISSURE Playground #2
BLAST Open Fall 2025
BLAST Open Fall Qual
Esports World Cup 2025
BLAST Bounty Fall 2025
BLAST Bounty Fall Qual
IEM Cologne 2025
TLPD

1. ByuN
2. TY
3. Dark
4. Solar
5. Stats
6. Nerchio
7. sOs
8. soO
9. INnoVation
10. Elazer
1. Rain
2. Flash
3. EffOrt
4. Last
5. Bisu
6. Soulkey
7. Mini
8. Sharp
Sidebar Settings...

Advertising | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use | Contact Us

Original banner artwork: Jim Warren
The contents of this webpage are copyright © 2025 TLnet. All Rights Reserved.