Treats for the sweet

Janet, Annie, Hallie and I sat down the other night to catch up on the American Idol finalist show that we had recorded ( I'm still having nightmares of the last 3 guys walking and holding hands to the final judgement) (creepy) and thank goodness we were interrupted by the urgent information that Kylie had for us. (Our 10 yr. old tax crediting grand-daughter, Kylie, recently moved in with us ) (and she had brought along her flute to practice "Mary had a little lamb" continuously day and night)(and she is such a child prodigy - I could listen to that music day and night) (now I know what music in Heaven will sound like)(Ok, she's no longer reading over my shoulder)

She says (in a panic) " We have to use these tickets from my teacher that I got for Valentine's Day for free ice-cream at Sonic that we have to use tonight, because it's the last night to use these and it's for free ice-cream at Sonic and if we don't go tonight, they won't be any good then we won't get free ice-cream so can we go to Sonic to get our free ice-cream and Annie and Hallie have free tickets too for free ice-cream from Sonic, except that Hallie's is for Braums. I said "You had me at free ice-cream!"

So off we go. I'm glad Hallie has a coupon from Braum's, because I've been craving a Banana Split every day since I was born. Yeah, I know I have to pay for mine, but think of the savings. If I had to take the kids for an ice-cream treat (cause it's easy to talk me into eating ice-cream even with no free tickets) ( during the summer there are ice-cream trucks with a route of circling my block) it would cost a small fortune, but now, with the free coupons, I'm getting a better value on my purchase. (which seems to imply that I'm getting value on my banana split) (have to think on that)

I pull into Braum's, Hallie and I go in, Janet and the other kids stay in the car. (and the manager is eagerly waiting my arrival, $ in his eyes) (he's thinking that he'll make enough off of me to buy a foot long chili-cheese dog at Sonic) (my favorite! maybe I'll buy one at Sonic) We're greeted with "Welcome to Braums! How may I help you today?"(by helping me today and not tomorrow)(Take the kids to Sonic, while I sit here and worship at the altar of Banana Split) "I have my coupon for a free ice-cream cone and I would like".....Then the horror strikes me as I realize that I left my wallet at home and all I have is about a dollars worth of change in my pocket(mostly pennies). Janet has money, but she would never be a part of raising my blood sugar, unless I used her decorative soaps again to wash the dog. (then I neatly put them back in the crystal dish)
I have enough to buy a single dip cone so I spread all my pennies onto the counter and order 2 single dips, one being free. "Would you like an extra scoop for a better value?" he asked. "Well....if the better value is free." I reply and he gives me this quizzical look and says "No sir, that would be 39 cents more for each scoop." I'm thinking that maybe I could buy 3 scoops of ice-cream (no cone, just put them in a bag) and then tell Janet that we need to go to the store, because we're low on groceries.(whipped cream, crushed nuts, chocolate syrup, strawberry glaze, that white stuff and I know we have cherries in the freezer and I think I saw a blackening banana) Janet is notorious for throwing a fit(or to be politically correct .....having violent seizures) when I buy bananas. They over-ripen, turn black and attract those little flies.( not if you made banana splits all the time!) But after thinking that the ice-cream would melt by the time I got everything together (not to mention that there are still two kids waiting in the car) I chose a single cone at a lesser value.
We get back into the car and I have Janet drive to Sonic, so that I can close my eyes and imagine that my cone is a tasty banana split at a greater value and putting Janet in quite a quandary, as she has issues with using a business to get free stuff only. By this I mean that she won't be able to order free cones from Sonic without buying something, like a drink.(a large one at a greater value) When we travel and stop at a convenience store to use the restroom, she always feels compelled to buy something so people won't look and point to her saying "There goes the woman that uses restrooms for free!"(she thinks that there is a special place in Hell for people like that. Pay toilets....and having no coins) . I keep her away from Jewelry stores that have restrooms.
Sure enough, she orders a drink along with the free cones and now everybody is happy. The kids are happy with their free ice-cream cones dripping all over the back seat, Janet is happy with not being viewed by the Sonic car-hop as a leech on society and I'm happy that I know where my wallet is and I can drive back for my banana split. (and yes.... with extra nuts for a greater value)