The best thing that happened yesterday however was when I checked in to the a large bookstore downtown to pick up a Julius Knipl book which I had meticulously researched before heading out. When I went to check out, I found myself at the cash with about five idle, smiling, young, female cashiers and while I conducted my purchase with one I could not help but overhear one talking to another about ice cream. When I engaged her on it she explained that she was a bit of an aficionado, although her nut allergy got in the way and she in fact preferred to make her own which got us talking about that. In any case I left and unlocked my bike but then I remembered there was a fancy grocery store in the basement of the office/shopping complex across the street, and I got a funny idea. I crossed the road and locked up in front of the mall entrance and went down to the grocery store, which was open on a Sunday, and scanned the ice cream section. I inspected a few tubs and discovered that the majority of the dairies appeared to blanket label their products with "May Contain Nuts", regardless of the flavour. But then I spotted some kind of organic ice cream and picked up a small half litre tub of cappuccino which had no nuts and no mention of nuts and i grabbed five bowls and five spoons from some kind of soup thing they had, and I had to talk (and buy) my way through that one where the cashier suggested to me that the bowls were "very expensive". I suggested 20 cents a piece and she countered with 25, and I was not going to argue with that I mean this was a stunt but there was no going back. After all was said and done I actually asked for a bag - in a town where conventional wisdom has equated the plastic bag with Satan's chariot - and while I was digging around in my pocket for the requisite nickel you need to dispel his wrath, she actually found a paper bag and handed it to me, gratis, hallelujah, into which I loaded the icy treat and bowls.
There is a prior version of me who would not have found the courage to carry out the final part of this story, but we are not talking about that me. I walked across the street, sober as a churchmouse, with a paper bag of organic ice cream and bowls and spoons, and walked into the store and put it on her counter. She was a bit stunned and shaking but in a good way, and opened the bag and announced "Oh my God, it's ice cream", and I just kind of looked left, looked right, a split second with one girl and then the other, looked her in the eyes and wished her well and instructed her to make sure she shared her gift with her friends, and then I left.
This is the part when I think maybe I was a bit weak. I fled the scene a bit too quickly, the young ladies were just gaggling over me, I might have stuck around, even if it did not mean it was going to make something big out of it, it still might have been worthwhile to see more of their smiles, they were really touched. I really wished I had had my business card with me I could have put it in the bag and then it is up to her and them if they want to thank me personally or whatever. I did not notice that I did not have my cards with me until after it was already over and I was on my way home and then I realised that I could not have put a card in the bag since I did not even have one with me, but whatever. I made their day, their whole weekend, a whole pack of pretty young friendly women, and all it took was chutzpah. I remember from the moment I thought of the idea until I delivered the gift, it was just balls, the whole way, it seemed so crazy but oh my god those happy young women were so bowled over it was amazing.
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