The Season of Food and Stuff
Oh I know the reason for the season, I really do. And still I find myself wandering around gathering, gathering, gathering. Today I got myself presentable after seeing the kids off to school and hopped in my van, headed north and began gathering.
First I went to The Christmas Tree Store. If you don't have one around you, well, consider yourself just fine anyway. It's a bargain type place with lots of stuff ranging from nutcracker soldiers of every size to lamps to party supplies to cheap crackers and gummy worms. I bought a book for Seth, gift tags, a cute round box of 4 adorable snowman plates (yes, I needed them really bad), battery operated candles for the attic windows, and if there was anything else I suppose it was unimportant because I can't remember - oh! Three little frames to hang on my basement wall...they are really cute...a house, a cat and a cow. Yeah, unimportant. But cheap!
Then I headed to Wegman's where I bought parsnips and Stilton cheese for my sister's Thanksgiving ingredients - couldn't find her creme fraiche. Greek yogurt, some herbal remedies and salves (I cannot walk down that aisle without buying something!), teas which I already have too many, various stocking stuffers, Prima Donna cheese (for Thanksgiving hors d'oeurves), some doggie supplies...and then I found myself wandering through the kitchen supplies and quickly wrenched myself loose from the place and split before I spent any more money. When you find yourself buying $8.00 Barefoot Contessa Lemon Poundcake mix it's time to leave.
Then I stopped at Trader Joe's for a few necessities. Almonds. They have the best and I keep telling you, but do you listen?! I hope so. Also little mushroom pie hors d'oeurves for Thanksgiving - de - lish - shus. We usually do all homemade for Thanksgiving, but I am breaking with tradition, I don't care these things are irresistible. Groovy natural shaving lotion for my son. Dog food. Coffee. Still couldn't find creme fraiche for my sister's celery soup, but I did find some cornbread mix for Coleen for Thanksgiving. She swears by the stuff, it has real corn kernels or something and she was out.
Before I left the parking lot of Trader Joe's my naughty van parked in front of Starbucks. It doesn't even drink coffee, but there we were. So I went in and started my Peppermint Mocha obsession a little early this year. I ordered, then stood there waiting at the counter for a while because the barista (I'll use that word instead of "the lady who was fixing the drinks") was making something else and chatting with the customer.
Meanwhile a serious young very rich girl (I could tell somehow) approached the counter in the latest winter apparel accompanied by her mother. (I could tell that too.) The girl ordered some sort of vanilla drink. Grande. One cup vanilla. 2% milk. Iced. "I said 'iced'," she quickly reminded the cashier with a fake laugh, "you're reaching for a hot cup." The cashier put it back and got the appropriate cup apologetically. "Whipped cream?" "No!" She responded, shocked that the subject had even been breached. I mean, what was the cashier thinking? Then the customer came over next to me and said to her mother as she peered around to the barista, "I'm going to watch to make sure." This was getting serious, I began to wonder just what might be happening to my drink that I didn't prefer! Sheesh, should I be hiring a detective? While the lady was making mine, the customer couldn't contain herself, she stretched over the glass window "Do you use 2% in all drinks?" The barista assured her that she did then handed me my drink. I lifted it off the counter and slipped it into the little cardboard sleeve all under the watchful eye of the serious, young, very rich, vanilla-type drink - iced drink! - lover. Shew. That was intense, kinda took the fun out of stopping for a peppermint mocha.
Then when I got home I was so tired of traipsing all over that I didn't want to make dinner so I gathered a couple cheesesteaks and gyros. Just doing my part in trying to give the economy a boost.
First I went to The Christmas Tree Store. If you don't have one around you, well, consider yourself just fine anyway. It's a bargain type place with lots of stuff ranging from nutcracker soldiers of every size to lamps to party supplies to cheap crackers and gummy worms. I bought a book for Seth, gift tags, a cute round box of 4 adorable snowman plates (yes, I needed them really bad), battery operated candles for the attic windows, and if there was anything else I suppose it was unimportant because I can't remember - oh! Three little frames to hang on my basement wall...they are really cute...a house, a cat and a cow. Yeah, unimportant. But cheap!
Then I headed to Wegman's where I bought parsnips and Stilton cheese for my sister's Thanksgiving ingredients - couldn't find her creme fraiche. Greek yogurt, some herbal remedies and salves (I cannot walk down that aisle without buying something!), teas which I already have too many, various stocking stuffers, Prima Donna cheese (for Thanksgiving hors d'oeurves), some doggie supplies...and then I found myself wandering through the kitchen supplies and quickly wrenched myself loose from the place and split before I spent any more money. When you find yourself buying $8.00 Barefoot Contessa Lemon Poundcake mix it's time to leave.
Then I stopped at Trader Joe's for a few necessities. Almonds. They have the best and I keep telling you, but do you listen?! I hope so. Also little mushroom pie hors d'oeurves for Thanksgiving - de - lish - shus. We usually do all homemade for Thanksgiving, but I am breaking with tradition, I don't care these things are irresistible. Groovy natural shaving lotion for my son. Dog food. Coffee. Still couldn't find creme fraiche for my sister's celery soup, but I did find some cornbread mix for Coleen for Thanksgiving. She swears by the stuff, it has real corn kernels or something and she was out.
Before I left the parking lot of Trader Joe's my naughty van parked in front of Starbucks. It doesn't even drink coffee, but there we were. So I went in and started my Peppermint Mocha obsession a little early this year. I ordered, then stood there waiting at the counter for a while because the barista (I'll use that word instead of "the lady who was fixing the drinks") was making something else and chatting with the customer.
Meanwhile a serious young very rich girl (I could tell somehow) approached the counter in the latest winter apparel accompanied by her mother. (I could tell that too.) The girl ordered some sort of vanilla drink. Grande. One cup vanilla. 2% milk. Iced. "I said 'iced'," she quickly reminded the cashier with a fake laugh, "you're reaching for a hot cup." The cashier put it back and got the appropriate cup apologetically. "Whipped cream?" "No!" She responded, shocked that the subject had even been breached. I mean, what was the cashier thinking? Then the customer came over next to me and said to her mother as she peered around to the barista, "I'm going to watch to make sure." This was getting serious, I began to wonder just what might be happening to my drink that I didn't prefer! Sheesh, should I be hiring a detective? While the lady was making mine, the customer couldn't contain herself, she stretched over the glass window "Do you use 2% in all drinks?" The barista assured her that she did then handed me my drink. I lifted it off the counter and slipped it into the little cardboard sleeve all under the watchful eye of the serious, young, very rich, vanilla-type drink - iced drink! - lover. Shew. That was intense, kinda took the fun out of stopping for a peppermint mocha.
Then when I got home I was so tired of traipsing all over that I didn't want to make dinner so I gathered a couple cheesesteaks and gyros. Just doing my part in trying to give the economy a boost.
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