Chocolate Cake

It's a "chocolate cake day."

I'll bet that statement makes perfect sense to many of you. A few will be clueless, and others will only be "in-the-know" because they share life with someone who does know about "chocolate cake days."

It's not that there's anything particularly wrong. I'm not sick; not even a headache. The weather, while cool, has been mostly sunny and not the least bit depressing (unless the job of leaf-clearing falls to you).

That's exactly what makes a "chocolate cake day." No rhyme or reason, no catastrophes or anything. It just "is."

We had a few CCDs during the last few months my oldest son was living at home. It was his job, usually between 9:00-10:00 p.m. to get in his car, drive the 3 or so miles to the grocery store, find the "right" chocolate cake, check out, and then drive back home. He hated this particular job but knew it was far better to go fetch the cake than to argue and get on Mom's bad side on a Chocolate Cake Day! After all, she swears it's medicinal!

Now don't laugh. Teamed with a large glass of cold skim-milk or a cup of hot coffee, the combinations are practically magical. It's not just the sugar rush - I've usually tested that out a time or two on a typical CCD and it didn't help. You may even be surprised to know that the "right" chocolate cake isn't even my favorite cake. I really just love cake but if forced to choose it would have to be my homemade chocolate cake with vanilla frosting. Traditional white bakery birthday cake is pretty wonderful, too, as long as it has buttercream frosting and not whipped cream. But the "right" chocolate cake is a chocolate fudge layer cake with chocolate fudge frosting. It's really surprising that Bi-Lo's chocolate cake is "the" cake. It's pretty and prissy looking and has cake crumbs pressed into the sides and even a cherry on top. I really didn't think I would like it at all. Boy was I surprised! Pretty or not - this was the real thing.

So, the hour is nearing 9, the outside temp is dropping, the wind is howling, the leaves are blowing and Darrell is 60 miles away at school (he did seem to appreciate the request, though!).

Knowing from experience that the night wouldn't get better on its own, I packed up the kids, we ran to the car and off to the store we went. Besides, the kids needed Eggo Waffles and I needed more yogurt (for my diet, of course!).

Boy was that piece of cake good! The milk was good and cold. And yes, I'm feeling much better now, thank you!

Yep, medicinal!

Stay warm, friends, or...warm your friends.


for KW - miss you...