More With Less

Everyone in the Bronx is doing more with less.

Juan Carlos woke up early this morning – 4:30 a.m. – and started baking.

“I hate putting my hands in dough,” Juan Carlos explained, “but things are tough all over.”

He still picked up a small bakery order – a few donuts, muffins and bagels – but there was a new sign taped to his coffee cart when customers arrived:

Large Coffee & Apple Square $1

“What’s an apple square?” someone asked.

“It’s just dough, apples and sugar,” Juan Carlos said.

The man checked the sign again.

“Okay,” he said. “For a buck I’ll take a large coffee and try an apple square.”

The man took a bite.

“This is pretty good,” he said, “but it looks too plain. Why don’t you cut them in the shape of a baseball diamond?”

Juan Carlos shook his head.

“Just turn it,” he said. “A square is a diamond.”

“Oh yeah,” the man said laughing at himself. “Then you should call them something like: Apple Baseball Diamonds. It’s all about marketing with these things.”

Juan Carlos shot the man a look and said:

“Just eat your damn apple square!”