Consequences

Even though it was all for fun, writing this blog has really been somewhat of a life-fulfilling activity (there have been reasons that I have not been writing in the past couple years and that will addressed at a later point).  Writing this blog over the years has had a lot of great consequences.  I've met interesting people, discovered great music, shared and received fascinating ideas, and found a lot of humor in the world.  

However, the best consequence was re-connecting Angie.

It all started with a little blog post congratulating Angie for becoming Miss Wheelchair Iowa 2009.  I had met Angie through a friend nearly 10 years earlier, at a time before she was involved in an automobile accident and becoming a quadriplegic. Around the time of the accident, our mutual friend moved and we lost touch...until the blog post.  We started hanging out again to catch up and then more often as friends and after about a year we started dating.  It's been a wild few years since then full of ups and downs - we became engaged on Dec 24th 2013. 

One Ring to rule them all...

I thought we would take is slow, maybe get married in a year or two but Angie was all "Nope, let's do this."  We were married on September 6th, 2014.  It was an exceedingly busy 9 months of planning and I am mightily thankful that Angie actually handled most of the planning and organizing.  Angie did an incredible job and created a wedding that reflected us and preferences. It wasn't your typical wedding (we are anything but typical) but it was an amazing day.

We decided to do a theme wedding...I know, I know some of those are horrible, but we decided it would be fun to have a 1920's Hollywood themed wedding.  The basis for this being that we are both big fans of both theater and movies, plus you know the outfits back then were just elegant and fun.  That was our base point for planning and the ideas developed from there.  Sticking with the theme, I had hoped to get married at the old Billy Joe's Picture Show location since I was always such a fan but unfortunately our guest list (correction - Angie's guest list) made that space a little too tight.  So after much searching we decided on the Iowa Events Center.  IEC used to be called Veterans Auditorium and I had seen many great concerts there like Kiss, Motley Crue, and Ozzy (and yes it is where Ozzy bit the head off a bat); how could I have a problem with a historic institution like that?  I think it is cool.

Of course, Hollywood themed we had to set the mood...so we started brainstorming.  We let our imaginations and desires run a little wild (sorry, this is probably going to just be a bunch of pictures).

We needed people to know where they were going.  We needed a lighted marquee.  This was created by my dad.  He did a great job, especially because I just said - "Will you make us a lighted marquee?"  We didn't know how it would be hung or where it would go, but it ended up being incredible.  Unfortunately, this picture doesn't do the lights justice.

Our names in lights

Red carpet and red curtains were a must and of course our bridesmaids and groomsmen would be seating in movie theater seats.  Gold stanchions and velvet ropes to keep the crowd in line.

The walk down the red carpet

We thought it would be funny to have us photoshopped into various famous movie posters like we have been in all these movies.  It was a fun photo shoot and our photographer (Black Label Studios) did a great job of making the posters.  The frames came from the Re-Store in Des Moines - only $10 each!

Grease, Phantom of the Opera, The Princess Bride, Singin' in the Rain, The Wedding Singer.

Top Gun - close up

Refreshments - movie popcorn and candy...what else did you expect?  Movie film, popcorn, and the velvet ropes and stanchions were loaned to us by the Merle Hay Cinema (I miss you guys already).  Movie reels were loaned to use by Fleur Cinema.  Both are places we visit regularly.

Popcorn and candy waiting for the guests.

Our star ready for the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  We also pressed our hands into "cement" ala Grauman/Mann's Chinese Theater for our unity ceremony (probably shouldn't trust us with fire).  Unfortunately that didn't turn out as great as I would have liked, just too much rushing on the day of the wedding to get it done right.

Our star

We decided we were famous enough that we needed life-size* cardboard cut-outs of us.  OK, I thought of the idea because I really didn't want to pose for a lot of pictures and figured this way that we could still let everyone get pictures with "us."  It worked like a charm.

*not quite life-size - mine is a little shorter, Angie's is a little taller to make for more balanced photos.

Feeling a little flat

Real vs Doppelganger -
Is it strange that facebook recognized and automatically tagged the cutouts instead of us?

My grand entrance song was the theme to the Muppet Show.  "It's time to play the music, It's time to light the lights..."  Angie did the more traditional wedding march, but we left to Red Sweater by The Aquabats.  Seriously, could she have been more open to strange ideas?

Center Stage  - Fur stole and tails and top hat.

We both love the movie, The Princess Bride, so we thought it was only fitting that we convince our minister to re-enact that scene at the beginning of the wedding.  Luckily, The Princess Bride is also one of our minister's favorite movies, so it didn't take much convincing (Thanks David!).  Not everyone got it...but to us, it was hilarious.

Wuv, twue wuv.

As our minister went to change into his normal clothes, our wedding had a short interruption by Elvis who serenaded us with some "All Shook Up."  This was a surprise that I did not know about until the rehearsal the day before.  Why Elvis?  I had been joking with Angie for years that if I ever got married, I was going to Vegas and getting married by Elvis.  So this was an inside joke that no one else would understand.

Ladies and Gentleman...Elvis!

The Feature Presentation

The fun and surprises continued with the reception.  I don't care for cake, of course, I would happily eat it on my wedding if Angie wanted a cake...but she agreed that we should go with Rice Krispie treats (one of my favorites).  Angie had a Rice Krispie cake made with Princess Leia and Han Solo toppers.  We also had a large selection of Rice Krispie treat flavors including: original, scotcheroo, peanut butter and bacon (the Elvis), and Fruit Pebble.  Instead of a full sit down meal, we decided to have a lot of appetizers of our favorite foods such as mini-corn dogs and white cheddar cheese curds (it had to be white cheddar...I am picky like that).  IEC did a great job with all the food and I wish I had been able to eat more.

mmmmm....

"I love you."  "I know."

Angie then surprised me with a Groom's Cake.  It was styled after a pinball machine with a hockey theme.  I had originally wanted to set up my pinball machines so everyone could play during the reception.  However that idea got thrown out early due to some demands from the IEC. So this cake was a really cool way of Angie bringing in more of my favorite things.  I am not even sure what a groom's cake is, but it was really thoughtful of Angie...and also made of rice krispie (with marshmallows and candy for various buttons and lights).

Delicious, delicious pinball

Our good friend, Tim AKA DJ NSFW, spun records for the first half of the reception.  Then our favorite local band, No Good Deed,  played a set for the second half.   I would recommend either or both for all your Des Moines area music needs.  I wish I had more time to rock out.

No Good Deed

It was a great day...and we passed the line of paparazzi as we left triumphantly.

Here are just a couple photos from the day that I thought turned out well.

On the new pedestrian bridge in downtown DM

A quiet moment before all the craziness

Thank you Angie for all the hard work and effort that you put into our wedding.  I feel like a total slacker for not doing nearly as much and for not having the creative surprises for you that you had planned for me.  I love you and think that you are wonderful.  I am glad that having you in my life has been the best consequence (by far) of this blog.  

Thank you to everyone who was able to help us celebrate or wished us well,  Special thinks to everyone who was in our wedding or helped along the way, it would not have been the same without you.  We appreciate you all.

Harmful if Swallowed

Last night, I was running some errands with Angie.  She had to stop at one of those dollar stores to pick up some cheap party supplies.  I don't go to these places often because although they have their uses and good deals, I rarely actually need the kinda cheap, plasticy items that these types of stores specialize in...or I would rather go some place more specialized.

Delicious - like all Mike & Ike products

However, I love their candy aisles.  Getting the big boxes of candy about 50 cents cheaper than at the gas station and two dollars cheaper than the movie theater is great.  They also tend to have the stranger flavors of some candies that you don't see as often - like Mike & Ike Jolly Joes or maybe Lemonhead & Friends (both delicious).  There's always new stuff for me to try.  I was tempted by Muddy Bears - chocolate covered gummi bears but wasn't in the mood this time.  I also like how the have a bid section of knock-off candy like Sour Kiddos (obviously not a ripoff of Sour Patch Kids).  I decided on some horehound hard candy and some Jolly Joes...since it had been a really long time since I had both.

Not So Hazardous

I also perused their selection of candy in novelty containers and decided to go with Toxic Waste because of the fun container and the fact that it said "Hazardously Sour Candy".  According to the back of the barrel if you could hold Toxic Waste in your mouth for 15 seconds you were a Total Wuss, 30 seconds earned you Cry Baby, 45 seconds Kinda Toxie, but 60 seconds meant that you were a Full Toxie Head.  I was a little disappointed...it didn't seem that much different that Warheads to me.  Decent I guess.

Evil Incarnate

But on the way to check out, I saw the most venomous candy item imaginable.  Something that would probably induce vomiting in me...something that must be the spawn of the devil because I can't believe anyone else would be evil enough to create such an item.  I am talking about Good & Plenty Lip Balm.  I seriously don't think there could be a worse thing in the world.  Good & Plenty are not even candy, they are like little poison pills.  I love candy of nearly every kind and don't even mind black licorice on occasion...but somehow Good & Plenty removed anything good from licorice leaving a hard center of black death covered in a tantalizing looking but nasty tasting candy shell.  I can't think of a worse flavor than Good & Plenty for a lip balm.  Remember the Harry Potter Bertie Bott Every Flavor Jelly Beans they came out to tie in with the movie with flavors like pepper, dirt, grass, earwax, dish soap, and vomit*?  Still better than Good & Plenty.

Just thinking about the G&P Lip Balm is making my stomach turn.  I am pretty sure if I kissed someone wearing this, I would probably vomit in their mouth (fair warning!).  I know that Good & Plenty is the oldest branded candy in the US (first produced in 1893), but that is no reason to still have it around.  I can really only see three scenarios where Good & Plenty candy is sold at all.

1. Old people who ate it as children when there was nothing else have found memories of it.  You know, like people from the great depression and world wars when sugar was scarce.
2. Parents who want to shut up their kids who are whining about wanting candy will get it as a "Really you want candy?" type punishment
3. Young girls fall for the pink and white packaging...but this will only ever happen once to each child.

The name Good & Plenty is such a misrepresentation - well half misrepresentation.  They are definitely NOT good, but you will have plenty because you will never finish a box.  Good & Plenty stop tricking old people and kids...you should not be in the candy aisle.

*I think Jelly Belly actually wussed out on the second run of these beans and the gross flavors were changed to ketchup, fish, onion, and sausage (still better than Good & Plenty).

A Tale of Two Ms

I have always liked M&Ms. I think most people do. However, for me, they lost something when they started messing with the five colors of my childhood. To me, true M&Ms should be Orange, Yellow, Green, Tan, and Brown. I know it is just the coloring and it doesn't make a difference to the taste but for some reason the blue really throws me off and then six colors (with red re-added in the late 80's). Surely six colors is some sort of excessiveness. Which must be true since Tan was later dropped to get it back to 5....but then blue came along and screwed it all up again. Damn you Blue!  I still liked M&Ms, but they kind of fell by the wayside and no longer gave me that nostalgic feeling.   Ignoring them, I missed Mars, inc coming out with new limited edition flavors.  Shame on me.

I finally got to try Coconut M&Ms. I saw them in a gas station about a year ago when I happened to not have any money on me. I thought they sounded good and wanted to try them but figured that since they were new that I would be seeing more of them. I was wrong, they were a limited edition and I did not see them again for almost a year...and even now they are not in very many places. QuikTrip and Walgreens seem to have them in stock most consistently in mid-Iowa.

Coconut M&Ms are good.  The really reminded me of something but I couldn't quite put my finger on what exactly.  The first thing to pop into my brain was a Jr Mint...but that wasn't right.  Angie suggested Pina Colada.  That is very close but not quite right.  I am still trying to place what exactly it reminded me of, but have had no luck.  I liked them, they were a nice change but I couldn't see eating them that often.  It's just not a taste that I have cravings for.  Angie and I didn't even finish a regular sized bag between the two of us.  Mixed with a bag of Plain M&Ms (I don't subscribe to calling them Milk Chocolate M&Ms instead of Plain) might be nice...more chocolate to spread out the coconut flavor a bit.

I know that Mars inc. also released Pretzel M&Ms this summer and I look forward to trying those soon.

But would really like to try the Strawberried Peanut Butter that came out last year.  Basically PB&J in an M&M.  I know that I can still order a case off of Amazon, but I am unsure if I want that many.  As I have learned from Cadbury Eggs this spring...I would rather have a smaller amount of product and be left wishing for more.

But I am really envious of the Wildly Cherry M&Ms that came out in the UK in 2008.  Much like Hot Tamales Ice, I am sure I will probably never taste them...but they sound delicious.

The Totals are In

Last week Cadbury Egg season officially ended for me.  It was a sad day even though it was officially 3 months longer than a normal Cadbury Egg season which runs New Years Day through Easter.  I was also kind of glad because they started losing their specialness.  Usually when you eat one, it is like god has created heaven in your mouth...so rich, so creamy, chocolately sweet gooiness.  The last few didn't do this for me...they were just there.  Good yes, but not amazing.  My taste buds were worn out and overloaded.  Man was not meant to eat Cadbury Eggs for six months.

This season's grand totals:

Full Size Regular Eggs: 46

Full Size Caramel Eggs: 8

Full Size Orange Eggs: 8

Mini-Size Regular Eggs: 10

Mini-Size Caramel Eggs: 10

Approximate total of diabetes inducing calories: 6500

That's a lot of calories...but not as bad as I would have guessed.  Now I just hope that my taste buds are ready for next years season...I think I will cut number of eggs in half so that they retain their specialness...unless of course the bring some of the more exotic flavors to my area.  Now to finish the last box of Girl Scout Samoas (Carmel deLites).

Season of Goo

I have now added a Cadbury Creme Egg Counter to the right hand sidebar.  This will help you keep track of my horrible addiction this time of year (you may remember this post from last year).  I might also call it a Fat Guy counter...because each egg eaten is sure to delay any fitness plans or ideas I may have.

I have been doing pretty well this year though in limiting myself to one egg a day (OK, sometimes 1 full size and 1 mini).  No mass quantities at one time though...no sugar coma.  I can't believe how grown up I am!  In addition to the Regular and Caramel eggs, I also stumbled across Orange Creme eggs (hoo-ray!)  Still no sign of mint, chocolate, or dream eggs.

Avoiding the Inner Fat Guy

I've been trying to workout lately.  I don't think that I am horribly out of shape, but I do have the beginnings of a pot belly and gone are my size 26 jeans...damn you size 32!   So I figure I need to probably change my lifestyle to be healthy and avoid the inner fat guy lurking within.  I haven't gotten into 100% routine but have been at least getting in a workout semi-regularly.  Those who know me personally and know that I am totally lazy, should know that this is a pretty big step for me. 

I've been doing the FMS 45 Minute Fat Burning Workout, which I like because it is short, seems to be a decent overall body workout and doesn't have a whole lot of pep talk in it.  That's really all I want, someone to show me how to do the workout and maybe count the reps.  Billy Blanks, why can't you just shut up?  I am not ready for Tae Bo quite yet...but am getting there, but dread listening to Billy tell me to reach for my higher power.  If anyone has suggestions for other workouts let me know, admittedly I am a amateur at this. 

Unfortunately, my motivation for getting up early and working out is making myself a sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit; thereby undoing probably 98% of my workout...but I am feeling slightly fitter and have been on time to work more times in the past two weeks than I have in the previous 6 months.  So I consider it to be going well.  I just hope that once I am more fit that I can avoid the John Basedow "standing like I have scoliosis to make my abs pop" pose and the ever constant threat of my button-down shirt coming open.  The threats are real.

John Basedow - love your workout, hate your poses.

Having said all that, March is a totally horrible time to try a fitness plan.  First of all, there are the Girl Scout cookies.  Congrats Girl Scouts on getting my orders right this year, unlike last year's debacle.  Then there is the Cadbury Creme Eggs...one of the greatest food stuffs ever invented.  Money spent on Cadbury Eggs this year (so far): $20; portion of the eggs eaten (so far): $3.  Then there is chocolate Easter bunnies, and many flavored jelly beans to consider.  Finally, March is my birthday month and that means cheesecake...more specifically Jello No Bake Cheesecake topped with cherries.  It really is the Cadillac of cheesecakes at a Kia price.  Delicious.  This year, I am trying to control my impulses and only eat these things in moderation and as rewards for doing something good in my life...this is a far cry from eating only Girl Scout cookies for two days or having an entire meal of Cadbury Eggs.  If nothing else, I am sure my pancreas is thankful.  Sensible eating?  Moderation! I feel so grown up!

Top 5 Things I did on my birthday weekend:
5) Ate at PF Changs with my family
4) Went to see local band Cold Filtered
3) Ate Cheesecake
2) Went to the pre-season roller derby bout
1) Went to see Alice in Wonderland 3D XD

All in all, I would call that a pretty good birthday...only thing missing was getting lucky, and I didn't really even try at that one.

The Sad State of Trick or Treat

This Halloween, I took my niece America (human) trick-or-treating. Papa had to work, Grandma and Grandpa were babysitting Braeden, the other grandchild...so that left me to be the trick-or-treat custodian. America (human) is still just young enough to need someone to go with her, but also she was in my neighborhood which she was not really familiar with (and all the twisty streets, dead ends, and cul-de-sacs can be confusing - even for me after 10 years). Mostly, I ended up being the candy mule...hauling the large bag of candy that she would dump her small bag into every few houses.

Behold - The Princess America

It was a beautiful night and perfect trick-or-treating weather with just a slight chill in the air to keep you cool when running from house to house. I really enjoyed trick-or-treating with America this year. She had a good haul of candy (5 or 6 pounds probably) and I think we burned off all the future calories running from house to house.

Although, it was a great night...I am more and more shocked about how over-protective people have become on Halloween. It was rare to see a kid without a parent or some kind of custodian along for the night. I'm not talking 5 and 6 year olds - kids that looked 10, 12 and one that looked like she was 14 had parents coddling them along all evening. Where is childhood independence? Admittedly, I grew up in a somewhat isolated semi-rural neighborhood and not the "big city" (ha ha)...but still, today's parents seem way too hovering. I don't think I had a parental guardian after second-grade. Instead I had a tight knit group of candy loving friends who would all take care of each other each Halloween. Let me say this once: Halloween is safe. People aren't poisoning candy, there are no razor blades (both overblown examples of hoaxes, coincidences, and pranks), and the pedophiles are not any more dangerous on Halloween than every other night. These are the same people that live in your neighborhood 364 other days of the year. Let your child go out with a group of friends, have fun, and blow off steam.

Let the kids be kids. Halloween is a chance to run a little wild and to be rewarded for being a child. As a child, my friends and I would run from house to house as fast as week could...arriving completely out of breath. Sidewalks and driveways be damned, all flower beds and shrubbery were endangered of being trampled as we strode through yards from house to house. Halloween was a non-stop foot race and you had to take that into account when you were planned your costume. You didn't want anything to bulky that would slow you down (neighborhood kin remember Kristina in her awesome Rubik's Cube costume? great looking costume but not built for the candy hunt), nothing loose that could fall off, nothing to hamper leg motion, and easily removable layers and breathable masks were very important as you were going to be sweating (a lot).

We also believed in a little bit of tricking...if you weren't handing out candy, you might be the subject of getting the apples we received a few doors down thrown into your roof gutters or maybe the mini tube of toothpaste squirted in your mailbox. You can't do that with parents around. Being a guardian this year, I left a bowl of candy and miniature flashlights on my porch for all the ghosts and ghouls. When I got back, it still had some candy and a few flashlights. This is all a far cry from when I was young. If you were foolish enough to leave a bowl of candy unattended on your porch in my neighborhood, chances were very good that the first person in my group to reach your porch would dump the entire bowl into their candy bag and throw the empty bowl in the bushes or on the roof (to dispose of the evidence, so the group of kids would think you left your light on by accident or fell asleep or something - or maybe it was just fun). Admittedly it was not very nice, I can see that now...but the race for that candy bowl was one of the funnest things ever. I can still remember the feeling as those sprints started and the pounding of your heart when you reached the candy bowl in either glorious victory or agonizing defeat. Rarely is so sweet a victory achieved in this life (both literally and figuratively). I was sort of hoping that I would find some evidence of that kind of exuberance - but with everyone having parental guardians along, kids actually paid attention to the "Please Take One" sign.

Halloween just seems a little too sanitized and supervised for my tastes. I hope the kids get to experience a little bit of the feeling of Halloween Freedom for an entire night (really 6pm - 8pm but it felt like all night when I was a kid) because that is one of my favorite childhood memories.

Two Minutes Hate

Strawberry Milkshake Oreos

Actually I love strawberry milkshake oreos (even though I just had them for the first time)...but I hate their packaging.

The packaging is not the normal oreo packaging, it is in a bag where you can roll up the end and clip closed for freshness (instead of the resealable packaging). I am not opposed to this type of packaging in theory, even if it does take longer to get at my delicious cookies.

I have a problem when this packaging is presented in such a way that that it makes the product look bigger than it is. Hold a package of unopened strawberry oreos next to a package of regular oreos and they are nearly the same size. Open your strawberry oreos and you will be sadden by your small pile of cookies. It is literally less than half of the oreos in a regular pack, for more money. The plastic tray is bulkier, the oreos are oriented funny, there is just a lot of empty space in the package...all to make it look like the same size. Come on Nabisco, I know strawberry filling doesn't cost that much more.

Secondly, on the bag there is printed the phrase "Remove Cookie Tray This Side Up" (or something like that). I couldn't wait to eat my cookies, so I was opening them while I was at a stop light. The light turned green just as I got the package open. As I start to drive, I am trying to pull out the cookie tray. Oh, by the way the "This Side Up" message is printed on the bottom of the bag...but it is goofy packaging so you might not notice if you are a little distracted. I was very close to having delicious cookies all over my floor pan. Luckily I am a multi-tasker and noticed before the mistake and before a crash. I am pretty sure the package was meant to say something like "Open this End" which is completely different from what it says.

Finally Nabisco, why can't I find the yummy looking Banana Split Creme Oreos any place around here?

End Hate

Picture borrowed from Tiny Muffins Flickr page.

Doing the Gooing

Cadbury Creme Eggs

Cadbury Creme Eggs are pretty much the tastiest food substance on the planet. I think they are the whole reason for Easter (but I may have my theology a little confused). I've heard many people complain that these delicious chocolate eggs filled with creamy goodness are too rich and hurt their teeth. All I have to say is that you are a bunch of wusses and that the pain is a small price to pay for the scrumptiousness of these candies.

OK, I can see how these Ova of Love could be too much for people who don't have a large sweet tooth, so I have a few suggestions:

1. Have you tried Cadbury's Caramel Egg? It too is amazing, but filled with caramel instead of sticky sweet creme. The caramel is only about half as sweet tasting as the cream, so the richness is not as over-powering. It is like eating a round Caramello candy bar.



2. Check out the Cadbury Mini Creme Eggs...AKA Bite Sized (caramel also available). These are just like the regular eggs but about 1/10th the size. Perfect for popping in your mouth for a quick treat...and not nearly as messy to eat. These are actually my favorite way to eat the eggs.


3. The standard Cadbury Egg is smaller than it was just a few years ago...so easier to handle by wusses. Before 2006 a Cadbury egg in the US was 39 grams, they are now only 34 grams. So they are basically diet eggs now! Ha ha, maybe not. Lucky Canadians and Britons still have a 40 gram egg.



4. Suck it up! These are awesome and only available between New Years Day and Easter. Enjoy them while you can.

Although I am a big fan of the regular and caramel varieties, I am only lukewarm on the other varieties that I have tasted - Chocolate and Mint. Both were OK, but just OK, not great. I have not had the fortune to find the odder flavors like Orange, Berry, or Dream Eggs. Hopefully someday (even if I have to go to England!).

I highly enjoyed the page below on Cadbury's website. Its more suggestive than some porn covers and that made me love Cadbury eggs all the more. Plus "Where will you be doing the gooing?" is just awesome by itself.

My Heart Broken by a Girl (Scout)

I fully support the Girl Scouts and all they do for young girls...not being a girl or nor having a female child, I am not familiar with all it entails but I assume it is similar to Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts that I was part of as a child. Teaching skills, giving self-esteem, and just a safe place to have fun with other children.

I try to buy a few boxes of Girl Scout Cookies every year...not just because it is a good cause, but also because they are delicious. There hadn't been Girl Scouts in my neighborhood for a couple years though, so lately it had been hit or miss if I got cookies. This year, not only did I get hit up at work by the mother of a scout, but some neighbor girls finally joined the organization. Ten (or so) varieties were offered with up couple not interesting me at all (the sugar free things, and I have never huge fan of the Shortbreads (Trefoils) or the Daisy Go Rounds). So I decided to be fair and split my order down the middle and order three boxes from each girl.

I ordered one box each of: Thin Mints, Samoas, Tagalongs, Do-Si-Dos, Thanks-A-Lots, and Lemonades. That was three boxes per girl. Unfortunately, Lemon Chalet Cremes were not available this year since all the local Girl Scout troops were getting their cookies from ABC Bakers - the more boring and generic baker (more on that in a minute). However, the Lemonades were a new one for me and they were awesome...even better than the LCCs.

My cookies from one girl arrived several weeks ago. "Here are your two boxes of cookies!" Two boxes? WTF? I ordered three boxes. I know I ordered three boxes, you told me the total was going to be $10.50...look I wrote it down! I'm sorry, we only have you listed for two boxes. Luckily, one of those boxes was the Lemonades and that surprise helped make up for the loss of the Do-Si-Dos. My second batch of cookies from the other girl showed up about a week ago. "One box of cookies - $3.50!" One box? Are you freaking serious?!? And Thin Mints...the one I wanted the least! No Samoas, no Tagalongs - thats what I really wanted! Dang it.

Girl Scouts - you somehow lost half of my orders for your delicious cookies. This isn't good for customer service or even your bottom line. If my orders got screwed up twice, just think how many other orders may have been screwed up. Maybe you should implement an "Addition" badge or "Order Taking." I know it is not the end of the world to me, but it is disappointing. Will I order again next year? Of course, but evidently orders of three kinds of cookies are too much to handle, so maybe I will just cut it back to the ones I really, really want.

Oh, and I know you use different bakers and they get to name their own cookies...but seriously, why? You would think you constitute large enough orders that you can dictate the name. ABC Bakers, you need to work on your product naming (taste-wise they are great). I hate ordering Caremel deLites instead of Samoas, Peanut Butter Patties instead of Tagalongs, and Peanut Butter Sandwiches instead of Do-Si-Dos. Those names aren't fun, they aren't memorable. They don't have that certain pizazz that rolls of the tongue. Peanut Butter Sandwiches...bleh. That is like calling your Porsche a sports car. Technically it is accurate but it doesn't have the same ring to it.

Favorite Things

Chick-O-Stick Candy

I love candy...all kinds - chocolates, caramels, taffies, gummis, hard candies, sweets, sours, nuts, nougat, schnazberries (they taste like schnazberries!). I am a big fan of anything in the candy aisle (except Good & Plenty which are deadly poison disguised as candy). You name it, I have probably tried it a couple times. I am getting a little disappointed in all the gas stations around here that do not rotate their candy on a regular basis. Yes keep all the old favorites, but try new things too...there is room because you have 3 different sizes of each candy bar, whittle it down to 2 and you have tons of room to experiment.

Chick-O-Stick holds a special place in my heart...the very taste of which always takes me back to swimming lessons when I was in kindergarten. I would get one out of the vending machine after swimming lessons whenever I had the money and eat it on the bus ride home. What is a Chick-O-Stick you ask? It is basically crunchy peanut buttery goodness (like the center of a Butterfinger) in tube form and then lightly sprinkled with toasted coconut. It is a good classic combination that is delicious, but it has always had one downfall - the shape. It is a cylinder of brittle candy covered in a plastic sleeve, even if you didn't get one that was already smashed (or smashed in the fall inside the vending machine), it was a total disaster to eat. Chunks would fly everywhere, posing significant eye damage and leaving you with a lap full of orange dust and debris. Another issue was that a Chick-O-Stick was just large enough that you usually didn't want to finish it in one sitting and yet it never stored well because of the plastic sleeve and crushability factor. These things have often prevented me from buying a Chick-O-Stick even when I thought they looked really good.

I was delighted to discover Chick-O-Stick Bites the other day. I guess they have existed for years...but no store that I regularly stop at has ever carried them. I feel a little stupid because I have long lamented that this is what they need but never did the research to realize it already exists. All the deliciousness of Chick-O-Stick in convenient, individually wrapped goodness. It does throw the toasted coconut/peanut butter flavor ratios off slightly but the lack of a mess makes it all worth it. I just wish the cowboy chicken was still on the label, but at least he is still available on a t-shirt from the company store.