How to defeat a food craving

For some inexplicable reason, I had the strongest urge to eat some fried chicken today. After unsuccessfully trying to obtain some at work for lunch, i resolved to get what i wanted for dinner.
I pulled up next to the 24-hour Wal-mart later this evening, and confidently strode up the aisles to the in-house Deli; where i encountered a rather large person.

Estimated to be about 2 feet wide, and wearing enough textile to make a small tent, was this woman on an electric wheelchair, ordering exactly the same thing i wanted. Suddenly, i began to feel very well-fed. I lost all desire for fried chicken, fried potato wedges or fried anything. The same golden, crispy and juicy chicken seemed like it was a sponge soaked with cholesterol. I quietly went home to my mixed vegetables and yellow dal.

...And ends so abruptly...

Well now, this is fun.

Exactly two days after receiving my brand-new credit card, i managed to lose my entire wallet in one clean sweep. Besides losing a very supple nubuck Guess tri-fold wallet, i lost about 40 dollars in cash, my debit card, the darned credit card, my driver's licence, and my SBI VISA card, worth about 500 dollars. (!)

Of course, i realized something was amiss only the morning after, when i frisked around in my bag to pay my bus fare; and found myself clutching at thin air where my wallet should have been. After a complete search of the apartment, and a trip to Wal-Mart, where i had used my shiny new plastic friend the night before, it was clear that my wallet could be well on its way to the land of Oz by now.

Lucky for me, I somehow had the good sense to have kept all necessary information in one place for exactly this sort of thing, so i fished my little green telephone book out, and began an hour-long process of cancelling all my lost cards and ordering replacements, while i requested a duplicate driver's ID online. I had missed a good two hours of my workday, so it did not matter a whole lot when I missed the bus to Sarasota, and had to pedal down about 13 miles in another hour to get to work. As if my day could have gotten any worse...

I also happen to be so rich i have two extra wallets lying about, which includes my very supple and smooth grained black Hidesign wallet, that has absorbed the sweat of two Delhi summers, always from the vicinity of my arse...no wonder it smells good.

Anyway, Sumeet and Torea, Boo-Yaa!!!

And so it begins...

I received my new Credit card yesterday, which arrived in much lesser time than expected. Endowed with a credit limit of $500, it came with a little booklet that contained my contract with the company, and the very technical terms and conditions document.

First Question- Why does it take a 'contract' to do every damned thing in the U.S? I was on the phone with a car dealer the other day, and this guy just could not give me a price on the car i wanted, meandering around stuff like options, financing, and the ubiquitous 'contract'...all i wanted was the base price, and he would not bring that number up. Finally, i got very frustrated and asked him to call back later.
Second Question- Why do these guys have something called 'MSRP'(manufacturer recommended sale price) instead of what the rest of the world calls maximum retail price, so that dopes like you and me can get ripped off ??

Anyway, getting back to the buisness of my credit card, i have decided that the best way to deal with this menace is to stay one step ahead of these card companies. i will equate my spending limit to whatever cash i actually have in hand, and not treat the card as a means of 'credit'. In other words, save money, buy what you need on your card, and pay the debt off as soon as possible from the money you saved. Do not spend over a set limit, say $350, and pay your bill with frightening regularity. Never, ever let yourself get carried away by the various offers these guys wave in front of you. Stay in control, always.

Cash, is King...