Lose the lid....

The cashier was a pleasant young man who couldn’t have been more than 16. He was helpful and had given me a curious smile when I put my two purchases down at his register. The gentleman who had helped me retrieve a bottle of eye drops from behind a display case door in the little grocery store was equally as nice and had also given me a nice smile, in fact, every one did as I came through the door and found my way around the store.

It had been a disjointed day where juggling work and caretaking responsibilities had left me distracted and needed to stop at three different grocery stores by the time I got home to retrieve everything I needed. I hate to admit to this as it makes me seem senile in my young age, but with a four year old tugging on my sleeve and my cell phone ringing and me gently watching out for the friend I’d taken to the doctor, I wasn’t as organized as usual.

At the first grocery store, I ran across a smart little coffee kiosk. Though, I don’t drink coffee, the proprietor was gracious to make my favorite, a green tea latte. The day was very cold and snowy and a warm treat seemed appropriate. When it came it had a coffee bean wrapped in white chocolate neatly resting in the divot on top. Wondering if I really should leap that far into the world of caffeine I let it sit for a while as I made my way around the store, through several phone conversations and pit stops by my four year old. At last I determined that it wouldn’t hurt, I was lugging down a little in the late afternoon.

For a reason that may also explain my temporary senility, I was mildly surprised when I picked it up and the chocolate was melted to the bean on the bottom leaving a nice white puddle on the lid. If I had been a teenager witnessing the scene, I would have said, “well duh” which is exactly what I said to myself.

It was still a good half hour before I made it to the car and really had a chance to drink my tea. Then I was driving for 20 minutes before I realized I had forgotten two key items on my first stop. Quickly pulling into the little store that served a rural community on my way home, I found myself smiling broadly at the people inside as they seemed to be doing to me.

Jumping back in the car and stowing the items away, I felt an itch on my nose. As I reached up to rub it a hunk of white chocolate neatly fell away into my lap. I’m sure all those people in the store I’d just left were really very nice and right at the moment giggling at the silly girl with the chunk of white something on her nose.
I looked around my car and demanded, albeit, jokingly, why no one had told me that I was spouting white chocolate from the end of my freckled nose. I was indeed embarrassed and glad it wasn’t a place I frequented and quickly made a note to self. Get rid of the chocolate covered coffee bean right way or lose the lid on the tea.