It was a dark, rainy morning. The Weather Channel had called for snow, but once again they had been wrong... And now here we were, outside and umbrella-less, wishing that we had checked the sometimes more reliable Weather Network instead. The journey was long and arduous; the wind blew and the rain clouded our vision. But I trusted that as long as the force was with us, we would make it to our destination. And so we trudged on, our minds set on our mission: retrieving groceries for our first meal of the day.
After what seemed like an eternity, I could finally see the bright Red, White, and Blue neon sign through the rain droplets and mist: Shoppers Drug mart. What had began as a simple pharmacy had evolved into a full-blown store that carried everything from oil-less deep fryers to Nintendo Wii consoles. Most recently, they had added a grocery section and extended their hours, achieving what, in my mind, was considered perfection as far as convenience stores were concerned.
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I could not help but smile as we walked into the entrance and I eagerly anticipated a warm greeting from one of the Beauty Section ladies. And as if on cue, first came the high-pitched, excited "Hi there!". Then, a perfectly made-up face that must have taken at least two hours to put on popped up from behind one of the shelves. They never ceased to amaze me - there is no way she could have seen us from behind the wall of designer perfumes. And yet, she somehow knew... It was as if the force was with her too...?
We dared not to say anything in reply, lest she tried to indulge us in conversation and beauty samples or free skin analyses. Instead, we smiled and nodded as we swiftly passed the Beauty Section and proceeded straight to the Grocery Section. Our mission was far too important to risk any delays.
Our basket steadily filled up: Eggs, Apple juice, Bagels ( pronounced Bah-ghels), Milk, and Cornflakes - the essentials of a true Jedi breakfast. Then, on the way to the till, something caught my Jedi master's eye.
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"Oh look! KD!" He said as he stood, rooted to the ground, in front of a large Kraft Dinner display. I had never understood the hype around this "Mac & Cheese in a box" concept, and so I simply smiled. My stomach growled, as if to remind me to keep my eye on the prize, and so I began my second attempt to make it to the till. However, I sensed that my mentor was not right behind me. As was my duty, I turned around and walked back toward him. "You've never had KD before, have you?" He asked.
"No, I haven't."
"We should get some then!" And with that, he grabbed the closest box and dropped it into the basket. Sometimes I wonder what the point of our reasoning lessons are if he does not apply them himself, but I dared not ask him this time - his answers tended to evolve into hour-long lectures, and my stomach continued to growl. I could simply refuse to join him in his Kraft Dinner escapades later on. However, knowing my mentor, this could prove to be a difficult undertaking.
Could this be the day I would finally join the millions of Kraft Dinner lovers, and perhaps realize that I actually loved powdered cheese??
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