"Have you eaten yet?"

That's what the priest asked us as he was tending the Good Shepherd lineup, 20 minutes before closing time, when there's usually no line-up at all.

The line goes all the way to the street corner. All I've eaten today is a bowl of soup. The rest of the Scott Mission lunch is inaccessible without a spoon, but it IS in my bag. So far, two instances of sexual harassment have died in their tracks because I managed to act like I didn't notice.

This is the last meal program that is open today. So after this, them dumpsters had better be full. Maybe they've been plundered for the same reason this place is being oversaturated. Maybe they're empty because the stores were closed today. Maybe it's all gone bad in the heat. This could be the first evening in weeks where I actually regret making it to the rehearsal that conflicted with the three other meals I needed to go to today. I know you're not supposed to try to do anything planned when you're poor, but I'll break the law to make the appointments that will take me out.

In the end, the line was only 15 minutes long. No seconds today though, and it's the fact that they usually let you go through as many times as you want that got me all the way across town for this anyway.

Inside, the mood is surprisingly subdued.

Hopefully you found what you needed to stay fed and out of trouble. Happy Victoria Day. God save the queen.