Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Cookie Monster

Rarely do I get the house to myself. I love my host mom, but she just doesn't seem to understand my need for random awkward blaring house dancing. So, a couple of Saturdays ago when host mom was out visiting with friends for the night I knew it was my chance to dance all over the house without judgement. This, paired with a pasta mix from America and some Moldovan tea cookies was going to be my big Saturday night in. I'm not going to lie, these are often my favorite nights.

So, that evening when host mom called to say she wouldn't be home and that I was on my own for dinner I knew just what my plan was. The day had been very gray. The sky was overcast, as it usually is this time of year. The wintery mix had been falling all day and I had been tucked in my bed with a cup of tea and some Harry Potter. It had been the perfect day. I knew in order to top the day off perfectly I needed to make the five minute walk down the street to buy myself some tea cookies. This would be my desert after my delicious pasta. I had put it off all day long, who wants to go out in yucky weather when the alternative is to laze about? I also knew my only reason for making the trip was to buy cookies...I mean it's not like I was going to buy bran flakes and apples.

But, at about 7:30pm when I decided it was time to get dinner cooking I knew if I was going to go to the store it would be now or never. I bundled up in leggings and pants, shirt and sweater and jacket, gloves and hat and scarf. I pulled up my boots and popped open my umbrella. This was going to be a quick trip because this girl needed her cookies. (I realize the light this is shining on my cookie problem.)

At this point in the day the sun head set hours ago. The gate was covered in a slush mixture that made the lock to the gate even harder to find in the pitch black. I began my walk. It was really disgusting out. The snow and rain mixture were coming in at an angle that my pathetic umbrella just couldn't handle. As I was walking I started laughing at myself. All of this for some cookies. My dad would be so proud. As I got closer to the store my spirits picked up, almost there!

As I approached the store I saw that the gate was closed. No worries, I know how to open a gate. But, this gate was locked and all the lights in the store were off. WHAT? No, this store is open everyday until 9pm. Why on the one day I decide to venture out is it closed?

I knew there was another store a few blocks further, and I made the executive decision that I had come this far and I wasn't leaving without these cookies. As I turned down the next corner an older gentleman, seeing that store was closed, yelled 'what time is it?'. I yelled back, 'it's 7:30'. He seemed just as annoyed as I was that he had come all this way only to find the store was closed.

I began the trudge down the next street. When, all of a sudden, I fell flat on my bum. I went down, and I went down hard. I quickly got up and gathered my umbrella ...and my pride. All of this for some cookies, really Brittany? I finally reached the store, it was open. SUCCESS. I happily walked in wiping the slushy snow mixture off my pants and explaining what happened to the store clerk. At least she was nice and told me that it happens to everyone. Although her understand probably disappeared when she realized I had only come to the store to buy cookies.

As I reached into my pocket, my heart sank. My pocket was empty. I had put money in my pocket before I left. Where was it? ...Probably on the street where I had fallen. Great. So, I asked the kind lady working at the store if she had a flashlight so I could go find the measly 11lei (about $.90). Sure enough there it was. Sitting in the skid mark I had left from my fall. I picked up the soggy bills and made the walk back to the store. She was happy that I had found the bills. I was questioning my sanity over the mess I had gone through for a few mediocre cookies.

I tucked the bag of cookies in my pocket and carefully made my way back through the snow to my house. Luckily, I followed through with the solo dance party and this raised my spirits as I waited for my pasta to boil. I sat down to my meal, happy in my triumphant over the elements. At the end I pulled out the bag of cookies I had been pining for all day.

The cookies were stale. I ate every. single. one.

Peace :o)

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