Would you like to buy a cookie?

I cannot tell you the last time I actually ate a Girl Scout cookie....but I'm guessing it was probably the one year that Allison was a Girl Scout, which was AT LEAST 20 years ago now.
I just can't do it! Fat, carbs, calories, sugar...no thank you.

But, damn, it's so hard--might I say impossible?!-- to say no to a Girl Scout! And you can just forget about saying no thank you to a sweet little 6 year old in a Brownie uniform as she runs up to you excitedly asking, "Hello! Hello! Would you like to buy some Girl Scout cookies?!!!!"
Funny thing is, a friend at work asked if I'd like to buy some from her daughter today. I politely declined, but asked if I could make a donation instead. I told her, honestly, I wouldn't eat them and if they were in my house, they would call to me all night long! Of course my friend understood, and I thought I'd made it through another year unscathed...

But DAMN, if I didn't stop at Ralph's on the way home and SHUTTERED to find BOTH entrances completely barricaded with Girl Scouts, Brownies, TABLES full of colorful cookie boxes....and a whole lot of moms giving me the eye!! (You know that look that says, "Come on, bitch, you've been here before too, buy some damn cookies so we can go home already!)

And then, just when you think you can walk by and pretend you didn't see them, a SWEET little girl, so happy to be out there and so anxious to practice her goal setting, decision making, money management, business ethics and people skills (I am sorry, that's slightly overkill, don't you agree?!) runs up to offer me her wares...
"Would you like to buy some Girl Scout Cookies?!" she almost SINGS to me as I walk toward her...

I think quickly and say, "Would I?!! I've been practically all over TOWN just HOPING I could buy some Girl Scout Cookies...this must be my lucky day!!"

I can't tell you how excited she was as she ran behind the table and began explaining each and every flavor and variety of cookie to me, waving her little hand over them like a junior Vanna White. She looked up at me and added, "And they are only $4."
I smiled and said, "Oooh, they all sound so yummy! Which ones are your favorites?"
"Oh, I LOOOOVE Tagalongs!!" She says with a toothless grin.

I remember that those were always Allison's favorites too (probably still are!) and excitedly say, "Sold! I'll take one box of Tagalongs please!"
Sweet little Brownie hands me the box and I hand her a five dollar bill. She says thank you and I ask her if I can get my change too. She giggles and the other girls giggle along. Mom hands her a dollar to give to me. And I thank them all.
I smiled all through Ralph's with my little red box in the front of the cart.
How fun was that?!

I have to admit that it was a whole lot more fun than saying no thank you! The smile alone on that little Brownie (and her mother) was absolutely worth the four bucks...would have even been worth the five.

And so, of course...there they sit on my kitchen counter...
"Julie...Julie...come try us...we're delicious..."
I KNEW that was gonna happen!
Maybe just one.