Preparing For The 2012 London Olympics Opening Ceremonies

Right in line with themed celebrations of the past (epic Amazing Race season premieres and such), we are having quite a shindig in the house tonight, in honor of tonight’s 2012 London Olympics Opening Ceremonies. My sister suggested that we make fish and chips (okay, twist my arm), and she’s also making sticky toffee pudding for dessert.

I had included British beer on my grocery list, and this morning Jim surprised me when he said, “Oh, when you pick up beer for tonight, please don’t get Guinness because it’s technically Irish.”

I love a man who can fully commit to the theme.

Julesie and I went to our local super-huge grocery store where you can buy milk and a sweater, and found everything we needed except for rice flour for the fish.

We had to pass a different Big Box store on the way home and Julesie suggested that I call first before running in, to see if they carry rice flour like the guy at the first store told us.

The following really happened:

We left the parking lot of the first store and I used my smart phone to look up the number of the second store. I clicked to dial.

*ring ring*

I bypassed the recorded options by pressing zero.

“Good afternoon, Big Box store here, how can I help you?”

“Hi,” I said. “I was wondering if you carry rice flour.”

She said, “I’m sorry, what?”

I repeated. “I was wondering if you carry rice flour.”

“Oh,” she said. “Let me ask someone in grocery.”

“Good idea,” I thought.

We were turning onto the side street where the parking lot entrance was. The woman who answered the phone was calling out to someone, “Is there anyone in grocery? Is there ANYONE in grocery? IS THERE ANYONE IN GROCERY?????”

We pulled up in front of the store, and I hopped out of the car so Julesie could drive around with the air on, so our fish would stay cold.

Finally, someone in grocery materialized as I approached the doors to the store.

“Grocery…” he said.

“Hi,” I said. “I was wondering if you carry rice flour.”

He responded, “Hmmm, rice water. Rice water. Well, I know we have coconut water (and then his tempo slowed to turtle speed) but…I…don’t…think…we…have…rice…water.”

I said, “RICE FLOUR. FLOUR!!!”

And just as I walked down the baking aisle and laid eyes on the rice flour, he said, “Oh, rice flour. Yep, we have it.”

“Thanks so much,” I said, hanging up.

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