How I got my Girl Scout Cookies...

Thursday night I went out with my friends. I am big believer in girl friendships, I think they keep me sane. We went to my high school's spring musical, 'Little Women', starring Shaelie, my bff Pam's ultra talented daughter. And she really was the star, she played Jo, and I gotta say, she was amazing. (And who knew Little Women was a musical?)

So while I was gone having a good time, Mr. Neat and Tidy got a bee in his bonnet and decided to clean out the refrigerator. It's a good thing I have him, I would let things grow mold and legs and walk out on their own in protest. But this particular episode did not go well.

Thrown away was the soft, yucky fruit. Out went old chili, potato salad and spaghetti. It was the spaghetti that turned the whole, usually fulfilling activity for Mr. Neat and Tidy, sour.

Now he says it was two tablespoons of spaghetti down the drain. Um. no.

So here's a public service announcement for you....Don't put large amounts of spaghetti down the drain. It clogs them. No bueno.

After swearing and plunging, and plunging and swearing some more, the drain was still clogged. I got home at 10:30, surveyed the kitchen and my husband's mood and went off to the store to buy Draino, or something like it.

So here's a second public service announcement for you....Draino, Liquid Plumber and Draino Max DON'T dissolve spaghetti. That was a $17 lesson. Learn from me on this one.

It was still plugged when I got up this morning and Mr. Neat and Tidy almost had cardiac arrest that he had to leave it all day long. I went somewhere after work and when I finally got home, Mr. Neat and Tidy had turned into Mr. Neat and Tidy Plumber. Arranged neatly were all the assorted under the kitchen sink products. He was under the sink, trying to dislodge pipes that have never been undone for 15 years. Virtually impossible.



He asked me to go to the hardware store to buy a 'snake'. Sensing that he was just about to snap, of course I did! I drove up to my local Ace Hardware and what do you think I saw?

Of all people! Celia Fae and the lovely and gracious and funny Claire. Imagine my surprise and my delight!



Now THIS friends, is the way to make a sale. Learn from a master all ye amatuers!

Celia came in the store with me and in the six minutes we spent together we discussed gift giving (wink-wink Ilene and Lisa Marie), wacky relatives, seminary drama and Scotty's soccer progress, (he made the school team, one of only 3 sixth graders, woot woot). It was like speed dating friend style; because let's face it, Celia and I both have ADD and that's about our attention span.

I bought a snake and went outside where I was assaulted by boxes of Girl Scout cookies. One clogged sink + 1 trip to the hardware store = 7 boxes and $28 worth of Thin Mints and Tagalongs.


Claire and her friend Brianna

I'm dieting and having several thousand calories of Thin Mint cookies within reach is an exercise in stamina. I will not eat, I will not eat, I will not eat. Lucky for me Claire buckled them in safely so I wouldn't have cooky crumbles when I got home.



There was tons more excitement before this adventure was over, but I'll spare you all the scintillating details involving pipe wrenches, drills, chuk keys and a trip to Home Depot. Byron went to the play, I took over and it's done.

And there was more than a couple of tablespoons of spaghetti, but who's measuring? (moi)

I'm taking bets on how long the cookies last... seeing as how Scotty has eaten an entire box by himself in one night. I'm going to need a refill on the tagalongs Claire.