Octoberfest?

Los Angeles, California


Life ain't been easy. There has been no salsa dancing in my life for several weeks. Cooking has been a last-minute affair at best. And, well, you can see how writing is going. This is my first blog post this month. So much for the big three (if you don't know what I'm talking about you can find out by reading previous posts, available here, for free!).


For those of you following along (and, for the love of heaven, why would you be?), life at Casa Healy is currently about caring for my mother, who has just been discharged from a skilled nursing facility after seven weeks, and trying to put our rental property right, after a deranged tenant (ok, I exaggerate, he was only a degenerate slob) destroyed it. Frankly, one could say there is very little life at Casa Healy.


But, in spite of all of this, I had to, HAD TO, get in at least one post in this month of October. It is, after all, my very favorite month. And, my birthday month. But what to write about? A recipe is due, but forget about it. You won't find that here, not now. Interesting anecdotes? Not so many. What to write about . . . what to write about?


And then. And then I went to Trader Joe's. Now, I had just been to Trader Joe's, say, maybe last week. But, they had thrown the Fearless Flyer into one of my shopping bags, and I read it, cover-to-cover, when I got home. I realized I'd missed a couple of things: like Halloween Joe-Joe's (knock-off Oreos shaped like Jack O'Lanterns with orange-colored filling); frozen Vietnamese Pho (I know, I know, we're not about frozen food, except right now we are). And Mango-Chile Popsicles, a new addiction of Billy's. And Buttermilk Biscuits in a tube (seriously, have I no shame for revealing this?). And Crispy Spicy Chicken Wings. I resisted the frozen onion rings, which really are pretty good. But was unable to resist my own renewed addiction to Red Tail Ale.


I couldn't fit the Red Tail Ale six-pack into the shopping cart (I also had flowers and a potted rose for my mom taking up a lot of room), so I was carrying it in one hand, while trying to maneuver my cart, backwards, down a narrow aisle in the wine section of the store. Did I mention the aisle was narrow? I ran my cart, a mere glancing blow, into a display of Oktoberfest Authentic Bavarian Festival Lager. Big bottles. Stacked high. Top-heavy. Am I making my point? They started to sway, then they started to pitch over. I only had one hand free (Red Tail Ale) which didn't help in rectifying a swaying city of beer. In retrospect, I thought it was kinda like bowling pins. Except they weren't on the floor. Yet. Crash and splash. Yes, I broke at least two of them, in a loud explosion of beer. But you know Trader Joe's. Someone was right there, no problem, happens all the time, don't worry about it. I was mortified. I apologized over and over (still holding my six-pack of Red). Then I scurried away like that rat in the Harry Potter books.


In the checkout line, the checker inquired whether I had found everything I was looking for. I responded that yes I had and I had also knocked over a display of beer and was so sorry for that . . . etc. (there's no stopping me). The bagger and the checker assured me that this was no problem, happens all the time, don't worry about it. Jeez. They're so nice, it's like they welcome you to go and have another whack at it. Feel free. I paid for my stuff, slunk out of the store  and wheeled it all out to my car.


Then, as I was loading three bags of Trader Joe's good stuff into my trunk, I noticed something that I hadn't recalled putting into my cart. Yep. It was a bottle of Oktoberfest Lager. Evidently, in addition to the ones that toppled over, and the ones that broke on the floor, one bottle had made a run for it . . . right into my cart. Nice, soft flowers had cushioned it's fall. So, there by the trunk of my car, I had an LOL moment, which is rare and welcomed these days. 


When I unloaded the bags at home, I smiled at the hitchhiking bottle before I stowed it in the fridge. Lager happens, I thought. Or, more accurately, into each life a little lager must fall. Not bad for a cosmic message. So, to all of you, celebrate October, have a Happy Halloween and thank you for reading my blog. Back on track in November, so help me!