Dumpster Diving

So every Wednesday on campus all of the food vendors offer a special $3.00 student lunch. I must admit it is one my favorite days of the week. Lately my campus restaurant of choice is this salad place called Core. It has every healthy and delectable salad topping you could ever imagine (from fresh strawberries to artichoke hearts... it's just amazing!) So for the last several weeks my Wednesday tradition has been to buy one of these delicious salads, eat some of it during my big geography lecture, put the leftovers in the Institute fridge, and then eat the rest of it for dinner as soon as I finish teaching. This weekly ritual was really working well for me and there has never been a single problem with it before. However, today when putting my leftovers in the fridge for later, I missed the note taped to the door warning people about the "spring fridge clean out" that would be taking place this afternoon.
While sitting in orchestra later this afternoon I couldn't stop thinking about the beautiful salad that was waiting for me. As soon as I finished teaching violin, I raced across campus, trotted through the Institute doors, and v-lined it for the kitchen. I enthusiastically swung open the shiny white door only to be greeted by barren and empty shelves staring mockingly back at me. What!?! Where is my salad? I then talked to the missionary couple and much to my dismay I discovered that the fridge had been cleaned out just 15 minutes prior to my arrival. I left the institute building in total dismay. There was nothing I wanted more in that moment then my luscious, flavorful salad While walking through the parking lot to my car, I walked directly past the dumpster. It sat there smiling at me. I don't know why, but it lured me closer and closer. The next thing I knew, I was hanging over the side of the dumpster reaching for the black plastic garbage bag sitting on the top of the heap. (don't worry... I checked the parking lot first to make sure no one was watching because that would have been embarrassing). I rip open the shiny black bag to see my beautiful salad container sitting there right on top. I grab it. It is still cold. I climb down from the dumpster and start walking again towards my car. I just couldn't stop smiling. I was so proud of myself! You better believe I went straight to my car where I sat there gloating and eating my $3.00 salad. Did I dig through the dumpster today to find food for dinner? Sure did! And it was worth every bite!