What is a store? Is it a building? Is it a brand or an idea? No. It's a place they store stuff. Stuff you take home once you give them money. Today, Fresh and Easy was neither a store nor worthy of its name. It was \"Tired and Difficult\".  Like me.  \n\nI went there for a few things. The $5.99 mixed grill pack, featured front and center in their weekly ads.  They were \"out\".  They had chicken, but I didnt want four lbs of squawk.  I wanted a mix of beef, chicken, and if they happened to have any left, maybe a sausage or two. Like in the ad.  The only employee around to ask was busy with other customers. Screw it. \n\nI migrated to one of the few everyday deals I can count on at F&e; their $7.99 large bottle of extra virgin olive oil.  There's usually a case or two on the shelf. Twenty or forty bottles. There were none. Fuck. This isnt even in the ad, or a special sale, where they might've had some run on it. It's been $7.99 for at least two years.  \n\nSince my wife is traveling, I asked our son (before he headed out the door for school) if he had any special requests from f&e. He said, \"Dad, get me one of those indian frozen dinners they have. Like chicken tikka.\" \n\n\"You got it!\" \n\nHe's a good kid. I was thinking of getting him an assortment of two or three. Wait. There's none of those anymore either! They used to have an entire freezer door dedicated to indian food. They didnt just downsize it - maybe it's not a big seller - there's not one goddam indian frozen food entree in the whole goddam \"store\".  They're not sold out. I looked at the shelf labels and they dont stock it at all anymore. \n\nGood things? Store's clean, milk is $1.98 a gallon, and there's a friendly lady up front who's been there from the beginning.  But there's a reason they throw their $5 coupons at you like confetti. They dont take manufacturer coupons and there arent that many compelling  deals. But all that's secondary. \n\nYou're a store.   Store stuff.\n\nI'll even give you money.