My Life So Far (This Week...)

I lead such an exciting life. Today, I went to a job interview. I hate job interviews. There was about a six-year span of my life when all I DID was go to job interviews. And get jobs. And leave jobs. I hopped off that merry-go-round four years ago when I started my business. But I currently find myself with time on my hands and the need for some extra cash, so a-hunting I will go. I’m almost hoping for no success…

Don’t think the business isn’t going well, though. The highlight of my week—and this is why I say I lead such an exciting life—has been the discovery of an important ingredient for one of my pastry pocket sandwiches, on sale at a local discount grocery store for a quarter of the regular price. That will improve my food cost on that item by over 6%. Woo-hoo! I almost high-fived the entire staff of the store. Of course they thought I was crazy…buying 37 one-pound packages of Pepperidge Farm Herb Stuffing mix. "Um…making a BIG meal…?" asked the clerk. "Don’t ask…" I giggled as I scraped my 37 bags back into their boxes and danced out of the store.

The highlight of my husband’s week happened at the same store. Hubs and I cannot live without ice cream. Proximity to the nearest Dairy Queen has been an important element in all our home-buying decisions.. After we joined Weight Watchers, a life without our daily ice cream fix stretched on before us, bleak and arid, until we discovered "Skinny Cow." Low-fat ice cream that actually tastes like something besides sand and ice crystals suspended in watered-down milk. Husband swears he would never have made it to goal without Skinny Cow.

Suddenly, just after Christmas, Fred Meyer stopped carrying Skinny Cow. Husband was horrified! He marched to the service desk to complain. They told him the company had…gasp…discontinued the product; he nearly fainted. He emailed the company. They sent him coupons…for everything else they sell, but were sorry, they would no longer be making the half-gallons of ice cream that husband lived for every day. He was crushed.

When the discount grocery store put up a "coming soon" sign at the empty storefront down the street, husband counted the days until the Grand Opening.  It was his last hope for Skinny Cow. (This little chain of stores sells stuff like manufacturer’s overruns at big discounts.)  We sauntered nonchalantly into the new store on Saturday, hardly daring to get our hopes up.  Wonder of wonders…Eureka! There in the freezer case resided carton upon carton of husband’s life’s blood. For less than half the price we had been paying at Fred Meyer.

We bought eight cartons. And another six last night. Along with my 37 bags of stuffing mix. I’m sure we already have quite the reputation with the store staff… But we are happy little campers tonight!