Our surprise today actually began with something unusual...I decided to hold off on purchasing yet another cookbook. I have been trying to be better about managing my collection so I thought to check the library rather than just buying them immediately. It turns out that the new branch of our county library carries them so I added a stop to our list of errands.
Adam was convinced that I had set him up when we arrived at the Klondike branch. The parking lot was pretty packed, cars were parked alongside the road and there were a lot more people milling around than one would expect. Apparently today was the Grand Opening of the Branch.
There were extra attractions like a man with a parrot and free Klondike bars for the occasion. I think what I liked the most was actually the experience of being in a library that was packed with people excited about checking out books. I guess I have a soft spot for books and readers to begin with, but the whole scene just made me...happy. You know that kind of silly grin, full heart kind of feeling. Usually mobs of kids put me on edge, but give those kids an armload of books and I am in love. Maybe it is because I remember how much I loved the library when I was a kid. Whatever the reason, I left with my selections and a good mood.
The next stop was the drugstore. Waiting for a prescription is a dangerous time. The only thing to do is to wander the aisles. I resisted the toothbrush that plays music (courtesy of Hanna Montana), the hair magnets, and any number of trashy magazines, only to succumb to the impulse buy when I spied the New! Limited Edition! bag of Carnival Skittles. I have tried them all and they are pretty good, at least for Skittles. The odd thing is that I have never been all that mad for Skittles. I don't even really enjoy carnivals all that much. Go figure.
The cotton candy tastes pretty accurate...though one of the best parts about the real thing is the texture. I remember the first time I had cotton candy was at a circus. I watched a woman eating this fantastic looking pink cloud and I guess I must have been staring because I caught her attention. She gave me a piece and it was pretty amazing. Pulling off big airy pieces and letting it melt on your tongue, or biting off a hunk and getting both the pillowy and granular edges of the sugar at once, or compressing pieces into harder lumps were all part of "the ritual." I also liked to put my tongue on it to enjoy the contrast in colors, but that particular practice usually got a look, so it was best done on the sly.
The bubble gum tastes like bubble gum and the red licorice tastes like Twizzlers. That is fine by me because I still like the stuff. Adam doesn't like it so when I get some for the movies I am a bit more self-conscious about it. That attention made me realize that it may be a fine thing to gnaw on, but the smell really is awful. I may have to swear off Twizzlers.
As you might expect, the candy apple isn't like the real thing, unless apples have started to taste like Jolly Ranchers. It isn't bad, but it doesn't really evoke any particular memories. The final one, lime slushy, didn't do it for me at all. It tastes okay, but it seems like an afterthought. Even the name is a stretch. I think it may be a standard formula that they stuck in there and renamed. Or maybe I just never had a slushy at the carnival. Sno-Cones galore, but no slushy. (And I was a blue raspberry girl all the way, anyway).
I guess I have my answer. It seems appropriate that I grabbed a little Carnival on a sunny summery day. The trip down memory lane was fun and if it was a little plastic and artificial, so be it. The sugar buzz will let me power through any regret....just as it always has.
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