1. The grocery store
is not just the place
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2. to pick up roast beef and milk
on your way home from work.
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3. It's more than that.
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4. To me, the supermarket is
an immersive theater experience,
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5. like a haunted house
or seeing Santa at the mall.
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6. The smell of fresh bread.
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7. The feeling of the cart handle.
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8. I want to be a part of it.
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9. In our go-go world of
"Just order it online, honey,"
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10. it's nice to know
that at the grocery store,
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11. there's always
a show going on.
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12. And this is the start.
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13. Hello.
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14. My name is Joe Pera.
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15. Every Tuesday, I come
to my grocery store
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16. to reprise my role as shopper.
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17. It's a fun role
but also quite challenging.
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18. According to
the Food Marketing Institute,
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19. from 1975 to 2008,
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20. the number of products
in the average supermarket
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21. swelled from 9,000
to over 46,000.
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22. I don't know about you,
but that's more than I need.
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23. Yes. Yes. Yes.
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24. I'm not doing my impression
of Jim Carrey
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25. in the 2008 film "Yes Man."
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26. In my mind, I just asked myself
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27. three simple questions
about this product.
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28. Should I eat this?
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29. Will I eat this?
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30. Can I afford this food?
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31. If I say yes to all three,
I'll get it.
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32. In the modern supermarket
where I can have anything,
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33. I must draw the line myself.
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34. Like the casino,
it promises good times.
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35. But without restraint,
I will get ruined.
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36. Yes. No. Yes.
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37. I'm always struck by the colors
of Swiss chard
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38. but never know
what to do with it
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39. and end up chucking it
over the fence.
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40. My budget each week is $70.
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41. To keep myself honest,
I'll pre-write a check
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42. and not even bring cash
or a credit card to the store.
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43. With this check, I aim
to get the calories necessary
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44. to be an effective
grandson, boyfriend,
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45. and United States citizen.
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46. And if I stick to my list,
I should be all right.
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47. Coffee, butter, oatmeal.
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48. I'm sorry.
This is TMI.
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49. If you want to see my list,
just go to
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50. joeperagrocerystore
foodlist1945.com.
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51. Leave a comment of
something you think I'd enjoy.
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52. Stop. Stop, stop, stop,
stop, stop, stop.
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53. Hi, Sue. Hi, Nicole.
Great game last week.
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54. Thanks.
Hi, Joe.
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55. She was like a pre-teen female
Mark McGwire out there.
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56. Thanks.
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57. Where are the rest
of the kids?
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58. Kelsey is at swim class
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59. and Josh wanted to
stay in the car.
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60. I don't know. He likes
to listen to the radio.
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61. I used to be like that
at his age too.
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62. I'm surprised you trust him
with the car keys, though.
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63. Oh, I just know
that he can't reach the pedals.
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64. He's got my muscular,
short legs.
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65. Here's your chickens, hon. Thanks.
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66. Ooh, rotisserie chicken.
That's my favorite.
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67. Yeah, I was just picking up
something quick for dinner.
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68. It is kind of
messed up, though,
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69. how a fully cooked chicken
is $5.99
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70. but a raw one
is $9.85.
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71. I try not to think about why.
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72. Are you having a party?
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73. What?
Oh, no, I —
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74. I get an extra one
for Mike.
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75. Wow. Mike eats a whole chicken
by himself?
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76. Yeah.
Wow.
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77. Yeah.
He's on this new diet
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78. where he eats just one
all-protein meal a day.
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79. Heard about it on
"The Joe Rogan Experience."
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80. Fascinating. Yeah.
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81. It's actually horrible,
Joe.
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82. He acts like a brat all day
because he hasn't eaten.
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83. He's always dropping tools
around the garage
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84. because he's lightheaded.
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85. He forgets stuff.
It's like he's menopausal.
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86. He gets home from work
and he takes his chicken,
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87. and he goes straight
to the basement
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88. without talking to anyone.
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89. Then he strips naked,
gets in the shower,
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90. and eats the chicken with both
hands like a goddamn raccoon.
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91. Then what he's done,
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92. he turns on the water and washes
the grease off his body,
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93. leaving the chicken skin
and bones in the drain
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94. for me to clean up.
It's unbelievable.
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95. Well, at least
he's losing weight.
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96. He's put on weight.
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97. I'm sorry.
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98. We got run.
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99. That's why
you can't be on your phone.
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100. Well, something's going on.
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101. I guess if I've learned anything
from U.S. foreign policy
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102. in the later half
of the 20th century,
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103. it's that it's best not
to get involved.
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104. Samples available.
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105. Oh. I almost forgot.
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106. It's sample day.
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107. That's German select honey ham
from Schweinkopf Meats.
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108. Thanks for trying.
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109. Hey, Joe.
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110. Hey, Fred.
How's business?
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111. Well, for me,
it's always good.
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112. You know I'm in
the free business.
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113. If you don't mind me
saying, Fred,
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114. you're the leading man
of the grocery store.
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115. I don't know
what that means,
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116. but can you tell us a bit
about what you do?
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117. You know, Joe,
I'm gonna tell you
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118. I got the best freakin' job
in the world.
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119. I get to give away
lifelong memories for free
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120. and provide people
with risk-free eating
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121. adventures in the middle
of their day.
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122. Well,
what's the adventure today?
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123. I was hoping
I was gonna see you.
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124. I know what kind of freak
you are for ham.
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125. I love new ham.
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126. It's a new product
called German select honey ham
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127. from Schweinkopf Meats.
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128. Joe, let me tell you,
this stuff is just —
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129. I mean, wow, it is just out of
this world freakin' phenomenal.
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130. I'm excited.
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131. And I personally guarantee
that this ham
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132. is going to
change your life.
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133. It tastes like honey.
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134. Is that phenomenal
or what?
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135. It's absolutely phenomenal.
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136. Just a phenomenal ham.
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137. Joe, do you need this?
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138. Yes. Yes. Yes.
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139. Thank you, Fred.
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140. My pleasure.
I hope you enjoy that ham.
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141. Let me know how it goes,
will you?
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142. I mean,
that stuff is amazing.
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143. I know.
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144. Phenomenal.
Thank you, Fred.
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145. Did I mention that before? Yes.
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146. All right, buddy.
Have a great week.
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147. You too. Always good to see you.
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148. Thanks for coming.
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149. To prepare for Fred
and his temptations,
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150. I build a fixable point
into my budget.
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151. $5 free to spend
on something fun.
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152. That way, the grocery store
can bend me
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153. but not break me.
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154. You wouldn't know it
by looking at him,
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155. but Fred was in prison
for 14 years
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156. before the grocery store
gave him a second act.
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157. They put the freezer aisle
right before checkout
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158. so that your items won't thaw.
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159. It's considerate.
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160. But because of Fred's ham,
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161. there's no budget left
for ice cream.
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162. This is going to be tough
for me.
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163. Look at all this ice cream.
I love it.
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164. I should keep my eyes ahead.
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165. As much as I like it here,
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166. now is when the guilt sets in,
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167. wondering why we have
seven flavors of mustard
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168. while others have one
or zero flavors mustard.
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169. I don't always think about
where all this comes from.
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170. Sarah's right. I should.
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171. I've never been here when
the supermarket's not full.
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172. It's impressive, perplexing,
comforting, and wasteful.
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173. But since this is
the way things are set up,
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174. I feel no choice
but to participate.
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175. And if the supermarket
became obsolete, I'd miss it.
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176. There's a chance it might.
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177. I heard a drink was developed
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178. that provides
all the nutrition you need.
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179. It's called cold beer.
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180. Just kidding.
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181. Did it.
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182. Well, tell Nana if I win,
I'm taking her for dinner.
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183. Will do.
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184. $66.47.
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185. Are you sure, Louise?
Yeah.
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186. The 24-ounce Alfredo sauce
is buy one, get one.
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187. Oh, boy. Hold on.
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188. He'll be right back.
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189. Sorry. Excuse me.
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190. $70.
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191. It's real, I swear.
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192. How nice.
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193. I'll be able to have
a few scoops tonight,
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194. which is sweet
because today is my birthday.
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195. I don't like to make
a big deal of it.
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196. Anyhow, what a great show.
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197. Bravo.
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