I did something today that I'm not very proud of. I honestly have to say that I'm glad my mother isn't around to know about this. If she were, she would have been horrified.

Now, before you get carried away imagining all sorts of things, let me explain. There is nothing in this tale to satisfy any prurient interests.  It all started innocently enough. My daughter and I went to a relatively new hamburger restaurant. I won't mention the name, although I cleverly hid a clue in the title of this column.

It's not a fast food place, by any stretch of the imagination. However, it's not a fancy place either. You have to go to the counter and order your burger. You can choose from beef to bison to portobello mushroom to chicken. You then choose your bread, cheese, sauces, and toppings.  

I ordered bison because of its low fat content. My daughter got the chicken sandwich. She also ordered fries. We each ordered a drink. I just want to paint a clear picture of what we purchased, because when I tell you how much we paid, you may be joining my mother, if you know what I mean.

Someone else who just might be rolling over in his grave if he knew what I know, is Ray Kroc, who built McDonald's into the successful operation it is. Kroc made his mark by selling burgers for 15 cents. Even today, you can get a good-sized burger with cheese and all the toppings for a buck at McDonald's.

Anyway, the gal behind the counter rang up our order. I could see the total mounting on the register with each thing we said. I think it costs a quarter for every "and, uh" I uttered while trying to decide what I wanted on my bun. I ordered first and before my daughter even said a word, the register said we were over ten bucks. I figured I was reading something wrong. I didn't know just what, but I was sure that the numbers showing on the cash register at the counter had nothing to do with the real world in which I was preparing to eat a quarter pound burger.

I'm not trying to milk this story for all it's worth (okay, I am); I'm mainly trying to give you time to get yourself prepared for what I'm going to tell you.  Here goes. After my daughter had ordered her chicken sandwich, her fries and her drink, the counter lady hit the total button.  The total for two people to eat lunch came to $24.64!

I was too sickened to eat, although being the brave soul that I am, I forced myself to consume every bit of my sandwich. But, just think about this. I could still be eating, as we speak, and would have spent less money, had I gone to Golden Corral.