January
24th, 2005 - You can't have your bagel and eat it too
From 30C in Tanzania to -30C in Toronto. A 60 degree difference
- in the wrong direction.
I don't mean to whine, but....OK......so I really, really
need to whine.
This morning, after stuffing my son into his snow pants and boots,
I realize that he'll have to carry two more pairs of shoes to
school - non-skid gym shoes and his regular "classroom"
pair. That, along with his gym clothes, lunch, homework, recorder,
music book, snack, signed permission slip for a trip, Monday story
book, dictation notebook, French lesson planner, mitts, hat, scarf.........and
we're ready to go.
Traffic is a nightmare.
"I need a car wash," I think, as the bus goes by, soaking
us in a dirty slush of snow and salt.
By the time we get to school, it's all caked into a cold film
of grime that I manage to get all over my coat in my rush to get
everything out.
So now I'm cold AND dirty. And hungry.
After dropping Adam off, I stop at a coffee shop to grab some
breakfast.
"Small coffee and a whole wheat buttered bagel with jam -
to go please."
"Sorry. We don't sell buttered bagel with jam. You can have
a buttered bagel, or a bagel with cream cheese, or jam."
Apparently, what I ordered isn't on the menu.
"OK. I'll take the buttered bagel and buy some jam on the
side."
"I can't sell you any jam."
"You're out of jam?"
"No. We have jam, but I can't just sell you jam. There's
no button on the cash register just for jam."
"Can you throw in the jam then? " I ask optimistically.
"Sorry,
you'll have to buy a bagel to get the jam."
"But not a buttered bagel......."
"That's right."
I take a deep breath.
"Okaaay. In that case, just give me a coffee and a bagel
with jam..
And could you please put the jam on the side?"
"Sure thing."
I get my order, step to the side, add milk and sugar to my coffee,
pick up one of those mini-tubs of whipped butter from the PILE
on the counter, spread it on my bagel and top it off with jam.
Now for that car wash before heading to work..
With wax, or without.....?
*&^%$!!.
I think I'll just go home and crawl into bed..
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