tales from aisle 15.

i'm still at it: slow and steady and all that jazz. slowly but surely my to-do list is whittling down, or at least morphing and changing to add some variety. but i'm tired of thinking about it, so you must be equally tired of hearing about it.

let's move on, shall we?

so, for the past three weeks, probably, off and on, i have been telling musicboy that i really want a buttermilk bar.

(wow, random and hasty transition.  hang with me.)

he had no idea what a buttermilk bar was.  i guess people on this side of the country, populated more by the giant donut conglomerate with the alliterative name (actually, either one will do) than by little shops run by families of various ethnicities (ours was run by an Asian family--i don't know how they knew how to do what they did, but boy did they).  i tried to explain what a buttermilk bar was and what it tasted like.  i'm not sure that you can really explain the density and taste of it, but i tried by saying that it was sort of like four crullers smashed together.  when he didn't really know what a cruller was, i sort of gave up.

fast forward to last night, when we went to the store.  most of the time, i go to the store without musicboy because i usually go straight after class, when he is at work or at school.  it's less crowded and i can do it on my time.  but this time, we went together.

things you should know about me. i am a power shopper. this means that i rarely enter with a list--i just have, in mind, things that i need to get and things that i usually get every time (milk, bread, vegetables, fruit, ice cream, etc.).  and then i shop sales. if i'm interested in buying yogurt, it better be on sale.  if i'm interested in buying canned fruit/applesauce/insert food item here, it better be on sale.  this is how i try to control our food budget, and so far it's worked out pretty well.

being a power shopper, however, means that i often forget things that i need because a) i didn't write it down and b) i'm moving so fast through the aisles that it's easy for me to forget something.

i was doing my power shopping thing last night, which musicboy didn't really understand. so we slowed down.  while i was looking at something else, musicboy found the display of alliterative named donuts.  you know--the ones that are different than the ones you can find in the actual store, and are sometimes better? he seized upon a cruller box and was sure that he had found the promised land.

but he had this twinkle in his eye.  it reminded me of a little kid, trying to convince his mom to let him buy the frosted chocolate sugar bomb cereal when he knew that she was likely to say no. it was almost like he wanted to see if i would buy his line of reasoning, which went a little something like this.

me: what the heck?  really? donuts? (we had just eaten a HUGE dinner...his more huge than mine.)
mb: (putting them down) no.  i guess not.
me: i mean, if you really want them, then get them i guess.
mb: no! they're for you! see, they're just like buttermilk bars!
me: in no way are those like buttermilk bars.
mb: babe, they're CRULLERS.  just like you said.
me: yeah, they're like four year old crullers from alliteratively named donut company. in no way are those like buttermilk bars.
mb: but you've wanted buttermilk bars for SO long.  this would solve that!
me: (pausing.  his reasoning wasn't far off.) yeah, no.  it's not worth it.
(i start to walk down the aisle, as he's still at the display)
me: (calling over my shoulder) but get them if you really want them.
mb: you really don't want them?
me: no. not really.
mb: hmm.  okay. 

he looked sort of dejected. i should have probably let him buy the dang donuts (and would probably have been fine if he did, except for the fact that i would have eaten them and it would have derailed two weeks of progress) but the whole thing was mainly just hilarious to me.

(here's a little digression about those endcaps and displays. OF.THE.DEVIL.  i rarely look at them anymore, unless they are large displays of the things that are on sale, but they will convince the susceptible and unarmed (namely my musicboy) to want to buy everything.  it wasn't long before he was staring lovingly at the beef jerky endcap, which was topped with some sort of party tray of already sliced salamis and meats.  i laughed, especially when i looked at the price.  for a guy whose favorite food group is sausage, i wasn't surprised, but it just makes me glad to be as well-armed with knowledge as i am. i don't love being the budget nazi, but sometimes it's necessary.)

i still really do want a buttermilk bar.  but i won't settle for less than the awesome that i remember--which means, unless i find a small donut shop that actually makes them, i won't be even trying.

perfection's hard to mess with, though i love musicboy for trying.

(he's auditioning today for big collegetown u's music program. he's worked so hard.  he's practiced so hard. he's READY. send good thoughts, prayers, and whatever else you can his way. i have a lot to do today, but for much of the morning, i'll be distracted with fervent prayers sent heavenward that it will go well. we really want to stay here.  he really wants to go there.  please let it work out.  please please please let it work out.)