Hi, Paul. Hi, Erica. Welcome to our Patreon. Yes, on the main feed. We wanted to have a chance to remind everyone that is July 1st. And now you really truly can go sign up for our Patreon. Yes, that's right. Yeah. We're no longer in Italy. Everything's up and running. This is on the main feed, but the episode on Patreon that's coming in two weeks, that's only going to be for Patreon subscribers. Right. This is just a little scintillating taste. Yeah. An amuse bouch, if you will, to get you interested in the flavors to come. Exactly. So, Erica, how are you? Good. What's going on with you, Paul? What's going to? Okay. So I have a story. I went to Starbucks the other day. I had to take Oliver to the vet. He's okay. He's okay. He's doing well. But I had to take him to the vet and I had to kill some time. So I wound up in a Starbucks. First of all, it was like 75 degrees outside. it was no more than 32 degrees inside the

Starbucks I was freezing cold I that is your environment though I'm shocked you're

I usually like it it was the fact that it wasn't hot enough outside the balance was off okay

I wanted to be 20 degrees colder at least inside the Starbucks but not if it's only like 70

degrees outside.

You know, you know? So I go up there and this, I have been, my brain has been broken by living

in New York City too long and this is how I know. I walked up. I ordered an Arnold Palmer, a venty.

I was treating myself. My cat was in the hospital. I was treating myself. Ordered a venty.

And the woman looked at me and she said, nine dollars. And I said, okay. Reasonable. I didn't even blink. Yeah. And then I thought to

myself, as I was paying, that seems like a lot. But, well, I guess it's more expensive in Manhattan.

And I paid the nine9. And then the woman

looked and said, oh my God, I'm sorry. I charged you twice. I was going to pay double without

saying anything at Starbucks. You know what? Until you finish that story, I genuinely thought,

well, that's what it costs, Paul. Yeah. It's probably fresh squeezed lemonade. So you think lemons are cheap? That's not cheap, right? Yeah. Everyone knows lemons are a hot commodity. Lemons are very rare this season. Everyone knows Lipton iced tea costs a ton of money. Exactly. Just paying it. No problem. I 100% thought that's just what it cost. Yeah. Like, yeah, New York has broken my

fucking brain. Yeah. You know, when I was traveling and things only cost, like, what they're

supposed to cost? And I was like, are you kidding? This whole meal is only $10? Yeah. This plate of

pasta, which is so delicious, is seven euro. How is that even possible?

Are you, how are you? Show me your business plan. What are you doing? They just have a bunch of Italians in the back rolling out pasta dough. Like some nonas in the back. I remember vividly, this was years ago. I was working an office job in Midtown. I called my dad during my lunch break. So I'm on the line at like, like,

elbow and pan or something while I'm like on the phone with my dad. And I'm buying,

I'm like, I'm buying lunch. Hang on a second. And I do the transaction. And then I walk away.

And my dad goes, did you just pay $11? Yeah. For your lunch. This, by the way, this conversation

like 2004.

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