This is a story that appears to end well but actually ends with a thud. Stay with me and you’ll see what I mean.
When the Western Fair is on I’m usually eager to try one of the new, slightly ridiculous treats that’s offered. They hold a contest now to determine a new, crazy taste sensation. This year’s winners include bacon-wrapped, deep-friend jalapeno poppers and deep-fried peanut butter cups or Turtles. The Fair’s media releases said someone was serving bacon-caramel apples and that’s who I set out to find on Saturday before my shift at the Free-FM booth.
I literally walked the entire grounds, greeting pals at other radio station booths, filling out surveys, admiring trendy, cheap jewelry I’d never buy and searching in vain for the right apple man. Finally I approached an ice cream vendor I’ve known over the years and asked if he knew where this person was. “Oh yeah, he was selling them at the Ex”, said Mark, and pointed the guy out. Turns out the bacon-caramel combo isn’t a very big seller so he didn’t even put up a sign. But he was pleased to make me one if I’d come back in a few minutes. So I wandered the grounds a bit longer, umbrella at the ready for the on-and-off showers.
It was worth the wait! I didn’t even tuck into it until I got home because I had also purchased deep-friend pb cups for hubby and I wanted our hearts to explode and our sugar counts to spike together! The apple was even better tasting than I imagined. The salty combined with the sweet on top of a crisp Granny Smith apple, not a mushy Mac like so many of them use, created a taste sensation I won’t soon forget. I won’t soon repeat it, either. Like the Grinch’s heart, I felt my ass grow three sizes that day.
But something felt odd. I couldn’t put my finger on it. In fact, it wasn’t really obvious until the next day, Sunday, at the book signing at Chapters. The sticky, delicious treat I enjoyed to the level 10 had taken with it a veneer off of one of my teeth! It was my one and only veneer and now it’s gone. Well I probably still have it, if you get my drift, but even if I ever do see it again it’s of no use to me! So now I get to go through the whole process of dealing with that which, by the way, isn’t covered by my insurance. (First world problems!) Funny thing – I’m not as upset about it as I might have been under other circumstances. I’m not saying the bacon-caramel apple was worth it. But it was close.