Surviving on Pizza for 25 Years

A Man's Pizza Habit: 20 out of 21 Meals a Week

Dan can eat cheese pizza for 20 out of 21 meals, every week. The question on everyone's mind is why? What drives someone to eat pizza so frequently? Is it a lifestyle choice or a coping mechanism? Whatever the reason, it's clear that Dan has taken his love for pizza to an extreme.

In a bizarre story, my manager at work once had to deal with a similar situation. One day, our oven was smashed by a truck, leaving us without cooking facilities for over a week. My manager decided to take matters into their own hands and attempted to clean the ruined oven. The process was not only time-consuming but also chaotic. The cleanup crew found regular barbecue sauce on the broken oven, making it a nightmare to restore.

As I reflect on my own experiences with pizza, I find myself reminiscing about an infamous argument I had with the owners of my favorite pizzeria, Veneries. It all started when I tried to negotiate a trade for some old pizza bags that I had in exchange for three pizzas. However, it seems that the owner thought I was trading five bags for only two pizzas. The situation escalated quickly, and we both ended up yelling and screaming at each other over essentially nothing. I've been avoiding their place ever since, but now I'm back and ready to get my pizza fix.

I walked into Veneries and ordered my usual large pizza with extra sauce and well-done crust. The owner greeted me warmly and handed me the piping hot pie. "You know, it's been a while," he said with a smile. "This guy has been this guy for way too long." I laughed along with him as we exchanged pleasantries. He told me that Dan had not set foot in the restaurant for over six months, but when he did, it was like old times. Dan used to come in twice a week; now, it's more of a once-a-week occurrence.

As I waited for my food, I couldn't help but notice the nostalgia in the air. The owner told me that his dad had been coming to Veneries since 1979 and always orders extra sauce. It was heartwarming to see how much love and care the owners put into their craft. When I finally got my pizza, I took a bite and closed my eyes in appreciation. It was indeed good to be home.

As I sat outside enjoying my meal, I pondered three different scenarios: one where Dan would still harbor resentment towards Veneries; another where he would have moved on and forgotten the whole ordeal; and a third option – that they would actually be surprised and happy to see me. As it turned out, the latter was true. The owner called out, "Hey! You're back! We missed you!" I smiled and replied, "I'm glad to be back!" It seemed that Dan's absence had been felt, and we all knew why.

Lesson learned: sometimes, getting into a fight over something as trivial as a pizza deal can lead to lost friendships. On the other hand, it also shows that our favorite pizzerias truly care about their customers – even if they do miss their number one fan.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enThis is a story about myobsession with pizza.I like pizza a lot.I don't really knowwhere it comes from, andI know a lot of peoplesay, I really love pizza.I really love pizza.I don't eat pizza forevery single meal,I'm not an animal,I don't eat everythingwith my hands.It's not something Ieat three meals a day.But it is somethingI eat everyday,so it will be in there.I do wanna try andexpand my diet butpizza will always bea part of who I am.I think of myselfas the pizza king.I maybe, I,maybe I did have a pizza.>> I think youhad a pizza, yes.>> Yeah,I may have had a pizza.To put it on the.>> Yeah.>> It said tocook it this way.I'm famousnow for eating pizza.When we were firsttalking about doingthe article,Man Survives on Pizza For25 Years,I thought maybe a fewthousand peoplewould see it.That's what I thoughtwas gonna happen.And the exactopposite happened.The world now knowsthat I'm the guy whoeats pizza.There's a lot of guys,a lot of women out there,too, say, I'd love todo that every day.I mean, Kelly Ripa,not Kelly Ripa.Is that her name,Kelly Ripa?Kelly Ripa's like,I'd love to do thatevery day, if I could.You can.>> I don't likevegetables.Why would I eat a pizzawith mushrooms on it,when I really likea standard cheese pizza?I don't want to sortof corrupt the taste.The toppings.To me, this isn't pizza.This is a bunch ofvegetables, on crust.Everything aboutthis is unappealing.From the toppings,to the toppings,to the toppings.I'm, I'm gonna go for it.First of all, itdoesn't taste like pizza.Second of all.God!My fiance, Madeline,she's pushed me to goto a therapist and talkabout food aversions.I recognize I have a verysevere food aversion.All, this doesn'tdo anything for me.I won't have any of this.I don't eat thingsthat normal people eat.>> I, I think thatwhen somebody hasan aversion to eatinga wide variety of foods,that really does oftenhave a deeper connectionto things that may havehappened in the past or,things they areexperiencing right nowthat, that, lead tothat kind of behavior.Feeding difficulties forinfants is actually wherewe start to see some ofthe earliest signs ofthis, and in fact.For the longest time,that's the only one,the only type ofthis issue that weeven recognizein the field.And so,this last summer when itwas sort of expanded toadolescence and, andadults as well,is response tosome of the things hedescribed makes sense.And I wouldn't sayit's a problem until itreally becomes one.It's not an issueuntil it starts tohave an impacton his life.>> Whenever anyone talksabout me on the news,I get you're our hero,I wish I can do that,will you talk to my wife?To you'rehorribly unhealthyand you're gonna die.Yeah, we'reall gonna die.I'm gonna die with pizza,in my stomach.It's gonna be good.Probably test my blood.So I have diabetes.I blame God.Just kidding.It's inconvenient.It'll kill you.It's dangerous to have.You do have to watchyour diet, allegedly, andthings like that.I don't watch what I eat.I should.I don't.I eat pizza.Doesn't seemto affect it,.I like to take, my normalamount beforehand in thiscase it's gonnabe 12 units, andthen I'll take a littlebit afterwards.Usually when peoplehave diabetes they takea little bit of insulinright before they eat andthen they're good,they're covered causethey watch what they eat.You know, they care.I don't really notice anynegative health effectsfrom it, it's justsomething that I like.I, I really like it andI don't see a reason tostop eating itall the time.This is St.Paul Street I've livehere for about 20 years.I started off in one ofthese smaller houses,moved to a bigger housebut, been on the street.Lot of my friends havelived down thisstreet with me.Some of themstill live here.It's a small town,it's kind of grown up.But, it is what it is.That church right thereis where Babe Ruthwas married..So I have a company thatI run out of my home,in a workshop inthe basement.Started as a hobby andit's bloomed intoa part-time business forme.We make hand-turned,hardwood,shaving accessories.My fingers usuallylook disgusting.And I scrub themwith an industrial stylecleaner and a brush andif I don't turn fora few weeks theylook fine, ornot a few weeks, if Idon't turn for a week anda half they look fine.They, our goal is todo this full time,all of our money comesfrom turning wood.Wood's not cheap and thehardware's not cheap andthe tools are definitelynot cheap.So, I'm hoping,it'll just grow and grow.Hello?>> Hey, baby.Well,this is where we live.This is my fiance, Mel.>> I go through differentphases of what I eat.I'm a pretty picky eater,but it changes.Unlike Dan,where it's justpizza all the time.Like, I gothrough phases.I love the fact that Daneats pizza all the time.I think it'sreally endearing.I don't like ithealth wise.Like, you know,I'd, I'd like to changethat part of it,but I don't wannachange him as a person.Like, I don't wannachange the things that helikes and, you know.But I would like foryou to be a littlebit healthier.>> Yeah.>> I'm notgonna eat this.>> No.Eat the mushroom.That's what gives it.You have to haveall the flavors together.That's what makes it sospectacular.You're gonna try it.And you're gonna love it.>> All right.I'll do it.I'll do it.All right.I can do this.What'd you do this to me?>> Don't resist it.You have all thesepreconceived notionsabout this pizza thatyou're looking at.But you just haveto accept it.It's a flavor that'sgonna evolve.Just, just let it go.>> So, this looks great.This looks likean amazing cheese pizza.I'm really excitedto eat it.>> Yeah.It looks really,really good.So normally-.>> This is myItalian guy face.>> So, do you think thatSometime in the nearfuture we might beable to get rid of thegrease bucket that's onour stove where youfry the food, andmaybe you can bakethe things that you putinto the grease-bucketinto the oven.>> No.>> You're never gonnaget rid of that?>> No.>> I'd be very curiousto do an experimentwhere you go a wholeweek eating like younormally do, same thingevery day, and then youswitch it up and you eat,you know, all produce.You might get very verysick, but>> I wouldn'thave any energy.If I ate likean apple every day,instead of food.>> No, no, no.Not just an apple everyday instead of food.Like, I, I don't, I don'twanna call you a liar,but I don't believe thesedoctors are saying,keep doing whatyou're doing.>> I showed you mylast blood work.Remember when I camehome .>> I know, butI mean like.>> And it was, andeverything was great.I think if therewas a problem,my doctors would stepin and say something.But I think, right now,they see thateverything's fine.I'm not overweight,I have tons of energy,my cholesterol,my blood pressure.>> Cause you're young.You're young andcan do things like this.>> I'm almost 40.>> As an onlooker itseems great, you know.I would be cheering youon if I didn't loveyou and wasn't ina relationship withyou like, I'd be like,>> Let's just stop,stop there.Let's just stop there.>> I, I would be like go,keep eatingpizza forever.You'redoing great a hero.>> Great.Cheers.>> I no no, stop,stop with the cheers.>> Cheers, I likewhat you're saying.>> No, stop withthe cheersing unless I'mdone what I'm saying.>> .If I was an onlooker andyou know,just being like, you're ahero, keep eating pizza,blah blah blah, if Ididn't know you I would,I would be saying that,butI'm mean I'm sayingthis out of a,y'know, as your you know,future spouse anda person who loves you somuch andI want you to be aroundforever and I just want>> I will be,and I'll be eatingpizza forever.Hey I'm Dan.>> I'm Jason,how's it going.Go on.>> So I haven't beenhere in a long time butI worked here fora while, a few years.I'm sort of known foreating a lot of pizza andDominoes is a bigpart of that.I've always likedDominoes pizza.I love the new deep dish.>> It's a handmade pizza.>> It's great.It's a great pizza.I could throw on a shirtand deliver pies likeno tomorrow you know, cuzlike, you never forget.It's a good job.A good job.>> A fun job.A really fun job.>> Yes.It's really fun.>> Yeah.>> Yeah.>> Somebody brought upto my attention thatan individual had eatenpizza pretty much 20out of 21 meals a week.All cheese pizza,all the time.I mean I,I couldn't believe that.And then I read about it.And it actually happens.So, this particularindividual,Dan can eat cheese pizzafor 20 out of 21 meals.Why?Actually why?I think that's insane.>> Sothis oven right here,I'll tell you a funnystory about it.My manager at the timedisassembled it andwheeled it intothe parking lot.And then reassembledit and cleaned it.This is onsome down time.And a truck hit it andsmashed into the side andruined the entire oven.>> Really?>> So we wereclosed for a week.Because mymanager decided todisassemble part ofthe oven and try andclean it.>> They got regular,they got barbecuesauce on this.>> It's good to be home..So right now we'redriving to Veneries,my favorite pizza place.I haven't been insidealmost two yearsbecause of the argument Igot in with the owners.I made a trade with themwhere I traded some oldpizza bags that I had forsome pizzas.And it was myunderstanding that Iwas trading three, whatwas it, five bags forthree pizzas.And they thought I wastrading five bags fortwo pizzas.And I walked out,yelling and screaming.And they were yelling andscreaming.Over essentially nothing,and, I haven't goneback until now.I usually havea spot where Iorder it, so it'll be.We'll have abouttwo minutes beforeit'll be ready.>> Hi.Can I have an order forcarry out please?large, extra sauce.Could I getthat well done?Thanks a lot.Oh, they shouldbe done with that.What's up, man?How are you?>> Jesus Christ, man.Wow.I thought you forgotall about us, man.>> It's been a while.>> This guy hasbeen this guyhas been here forway too long.>> I literallycame here forprobably tenyears every week.>> Yeah.Can I get it well done?>> Well done?Yeah, thanks.There you go.This isthe legendary pizza.Thatis your order.Extra sauce, cheese,extra sauce always.Ever since I like youguy it's always beenextra sauce guy, always.>> You haven't seenhim in a while?>> I haven'tprobably like,I saw him at the gym forprobably like oversix months ago.He used to comelike almost,at least twice a week.Yeah, so it was like,you know.Is we know himlike family.You know, his,he's always here.So, it's alwaysa pleasure to have him.>> Thanks a lot, man.Appreciate it.It's good tosee you again.You guys make the bestpizza in town for sure.Love it.>> My dad's actually beenhere since what like '79,since '79.That's my dad.>> It's been a long timehere, always, alwaysloves the extra sauce heloves the extra sauce.It's been a long,long time here.Thank you forcoming here.>> Hey it's the best.Yeah, it's that bad.>> Thank you very much.>> I appreciate it.>> Thank you guys verymuch for stopping by, andI'll see you guys.>> Thanks again.>> Have a great night.I I had two thoughtsgoing in there.One is they're stillgoing to hold a grudge,they're stillgonna be mad andthe other thought was,they don'tcare at all andeverything will be fine.I didn't expect the thirdoption, which iswhat happened where theywere actually surprised Iwasn't coming in, andsaying where were you?We missed you.>> You here Ireally don't>> Obviously they misstheir numberone customer,and lesson learned.Next time I won't get ina fight over something asstupid as a littledeal like that.The best of all worlds.\n"