It was a kidnapping on a Sunday at 6 a.m. complete with a 40 ounce Thermos of coffee and mostly full tank of gas; two single girls then set out on what has to be dubbed the “madcap road trip.”
Madcap: marked by capriciousness, recklessness, or foolishness
And by kidnapping, allow me to explain; on the Friday previous to the day in question, I was asked under rather curious context about my weekend plans. After explaining I had writing group on Saturday and a volunteer event on Monday, my soon-to-be kidnapper rubbed her hands together in devious glee and muttered it would have to be Sunday.
“Sunday? What about Sunday?” I asked.
“Never. You. Mind.” The devious glee rose to a new level.
“If something is going down on Sunday, I think I need to know,” I reasoned.
“Listen, I will simply suggest we go for lunch and once I have you in my car and on the highway, it will be too late,” she mused with evil laughter.
“You better tell me where we are going? I’m not a cat you are trying to take to the vet.”
She smiled.
“You aren’t taking me to the vet, are you?”
“No,” she shook her head at me, “but I do like to get an early start—like 6 a.m.”
“What?” I was still confused.
“We are going for cupcakes,” she said, turning to her monitor and pointing to the website for Crumbs. That would be Crumbs Bake Shop – a place where fabulous cupcakes are baked and sold each day
“New York?” I asked, surprised.
“They have many locations,” she said matter-of-factly.
I will admit that I intended to take a road trip. I like driving to New York and having a cupcake every month or so. This particular time I thought I would invite Nikki to join me. It’s quite unfortunate that someone considered it a kidnapping. Sigh…
Saturday: I verify early in the day with my would-be kidnapper that she was indeed arriving at 6 a.m. the next morning to abscond with my personage. She confirms.
Much later that night, while in the shower trying to rinse the shampoo from my hair, it occurs to me—there will be little by way of coffee at 6 in the morning and I only own a tiny 16 ounce travel mug. Panic sets in.
Out of the shower, my mother calls. I explain the kidnapping plot hovering against me and my newly formed coffee conundrum. She seems un-phased—as if I simply stated I needed to pick up cilantro (certainly a spice rack staple, but you can get by without it).
“I don’t think you understand; I cannot get on the road at 6 a.m. with only one cup of coffee. This is serious,” I said digging for socks in my drawer. “I’m going to have to procure a thermos tonight.”
“I think if you are going to New York that early, you need to go to bed now,” she said, still unconcerned with the coffee situation.
“Have you ever met me?” I asked her. “When have I ever gone to bed this early?”
Certain that Bed, Bath and Beyond would be only open until 10 on a Saturday, and it being close to 9:30, I hung up on my mother, I threw my wet hair under a hat and ran out to solve the problem at hand. As it turns out, not only does Bed, Bath and Beyond close at 9:30, so does the neighboring Dick’s Sporting Goods. Left with Target as the only viable option, I made my way to the sporting goods section I was told Thermos’ resided.
There were really only two options—size-wise. There was a nice 40 ounce Thermos in shiny lacquer black. It was pretty. There was a bigger one, holding two quarts (over 50 percent more!) but it unfortunately looked like it should be on a construction site, or a NASA mission. With the coffee situation under control, I was able to focus on far more important tasks at hand… what to wear and where to brunch.
I was not aware of the coffee thermos problem going on in Conshohocken, and I was happily sleeping or something. (Don’t judge me because I go to sleep early!)
Anyway, the story continues in the next post…
