Turkey and tomato sandwich on sourdough bread


So far I've spoken to three young people who work at the bread counter at Whole Foods. All three are exceedingly helpful and fully conversational. They're actually interested in the knowledge that older people possess. None of them make their own bread. None of them have read any books about making bread. None of them know anything about sourdough or why the sourdough bread that they sell is better than what you can buy at the grocery stores. While all three are fun to talk to. 

I told them that slicing the loaves breaks a basic rule of bread bakers everywhere. They asked why. I told them bakers store their bread on the counter cut side down, and asked them if they know why. This was like a guessing game. I told them bakers are rather pissy about these things you wouldn't even think about and they laughed. Pissy bakers. For some reason that's funny.

The checkout girl is a gorgeous young goddess, the type of young woman who'd be difficult to talk to in High School, yet she is utterly charming as checkout girl, completely cooperative in every way possible in that situation. There is a lot going on with the cards and the computers and the cell phone interaction and the Whole Foods card interface, plus bagging and stacking the cart when a helper isn't available. I told her, "You are a charming young woman" and she smiled so beautifully my heart is stabbed. "We try to be helpful." 

And they do. 

Everything I read about Whole Foods online is wrong. It's as if the writers haven't attempted to speak to anyone there. Nor do writers comprehend far less appreciate what is being offered. 

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