that R & B feelin’

I’m reposting this one because I like it. And it’s pretty rare that I feel that way about what I write here. I know it’s just right over there in the sidebar under “Favorite Tales,” and that most of you have probably seen it already and all, but I just wanted to put it up here again.

I dunno. Who can say why?

Not me. I’m just rageful and bloaty right now.

So I’m just gonna go ahead and relive this wee, triumphant moment.

IS THAT SO WRONNG?!!?

So I’m at Costco the other day.  We all know Costco, right?  Basically a hangar-sized building filled to the brim with enough bulk items to satisfy any shopper’s greedy, grabby consumer lust.  In other words, a place that fills me weepy, sloppy love.  And I still love Costco even though I worked there in high school, which should have had a lifelong repellent effect.  Not for me.  When I’m at Costco, I know Jesus loves me.

So … I’m at Costco the other day.  Somehow I managed to subdue my pounding desire for that 10-pound bag of potato chips, that silo full of Red Vines, that moon-sized pizza.  Smug with my utter dominance over The Sirens’ Call of Costco, I approached the checkout with only 5 — yep, count ’em, 5 — items.  I did, however, succumb to some practical items, like The Raft o’ Toilet Paper.  Hey, get yourself enough of those and you have what I call the guest bed.

Surprisingly, the line wasn’t that long.  And trust me, I know what a long line at Costco is.   As I stood there,  4 or 5 more people fell in line behind me.  Moments later, my turn, and I was quite giddy about it, frankly.  But just then, on the brink of my precious turn, up strolled Duchess McSnooty Voice. 

Stepping in front of me, she clipped, "May I cut in front of you?  I only have a few things."

Quickly, I glanced and counted.  Well, okay.  She did have only a few things.  Seven, to be precise.  I heard The Lady Behind Me breathe one of those lingering, huffy breaths. 

Now, I’m not opposed to letting someone in front of me who has fewer items than I do.  I’ll even offer, because, by golly, I’m just that wonderful.  But when there are other people in line behind me, I find things get … fuzzy. 

Because, really, aren’t you asking to go in front of everyone in line, Duchess? 

I was entering a weird area.  Duchess McSnooty Voice was waiting and staring at me, The Lady Behind Me was waiting and huffing at me, and I just wanted to go home to peace and quiet and the blessed security of my glorious Raft o’ Toilet Paper!

(Plus, I wanted one of themthere yummy Costco hot dogs as a reward for all the temptation I had resisted.)

Crumbling under the weight of all that staring and huffing, I looked at Duchess McSnooty Voice and said, with a sagacity far beyond my years:

"Well,  I don’t have a problem with it" (just a wee Pinocchio),"but why don’t you ask the people behind me if it’s okay with them, too?"

This, to me, seemed utterly sane and reasonable.  I was quite taken with myself.

Instantly, The Lady Behind Me stopped huffing.  Duchess McSnooty Voice, however, kept staring.  At me, like I was crazy.  Then I did the unpardonable, I guess.  I smiled at her.  And she just stomped away.  Huffing. 

I guess it was contagious.

Was it something I said?