The first example of Ed’s intellectual prowess came following his latest ejection from the Life of Riley. He was in between mealtickets, living out of his van and down to his last few dollars while he was waiting out another suspension from his bouncer job at the Ventura Theatre. Now, most people with limited funds will seek to get the most "bang for the buck"; seeking out those foods that can be bought in bulk at a Costco or Smart&Final; foods that can stretch to cover several meals; spaghetti comes to mind, peanut butter is another. Obvious, right?
Ed bought a gallon tub of mayonnaise. A gallon tub of mustard. A gallon tub of catsup. A gallon tub of chopped onion. A gallon tub of relish. A gallon tub of sliced jalapenos.
“Ed, what are you going to do with those?”
Big grin. “Uh, stuff goes good with hotdogs.”
“Oh, you got hotdogs?” Looking around. There was no fridge in the van. No hotdogs.
Blink. Blink.
“ You bought hotdogs right? Something go with that stuff right? Baloney? Bread?”
Blank look. A day or so later, I heard that Ed had been vomiting during a rehearsal; hotdogs with all the fixings, but without the buns or dogs.
