It all started off with the Case of the Expired Shower Gel. I have absolutely no idea why it would occur to me to check the expiry date for shower gel of all things. It's not like you can eat it or drizzle it over your ice-cream sundae. My mind works in strange ways sometimes.

So into Ralph's we went in search of shower gel with a more desirable life expectancy. We're moseying down the aisles when all of the sudden we're mesmerized by a large glass object illuminated in a heavenly silvery aura and I swear we could hear a chorus of angelic voices whispering "draw near, oh Chosen Ones.. draw near..." Eyes glazed over, we approached in a trance, lifted our chins... and stood in awe before AN ENTIRE FREEZER FILLED TO THE BRIM WITH BEN & JERRY'S ICE-CREAM!!

Member's price: 2 pints for $6. We hurried over to the cashier to ask what it would take to become a worthy member of Ralph's, wondering how much of the store we would have to buy up to do so. Membership was FREE. It was a no-brainer. We signed up on the spot and were given spanking new plastic. Oooooh!

Oh wait, why are we in this hypermart again? Ahhh yesss, the shower gel. The challenge was in finding a scent that both of us liked:

DC: Let's get this - one bottle in 'Aquamarine' and one in 'Pacific Fresh'.

YL (sniffing cautiously): This one smells like chlorine!

DC: Okaaay, how about the other one?

YL (inhaling): Smells like a swimming pool. How about this? Citrus is unisex right?

DC (snuffing shower gel): Errr. Smells like dishwashing liquid. Hey look - 'Oat & Honey'. I could do with oat and honey!

YL: Okay, settled. Let's go.

DC (wrinkles nose): Wait wait! It smells FLORAL! I don't want to smell like a sissy!!

YL: Fine! You choose. Just don't make me smell like a man.

DC: How about we both smell like freshly-washed dishes?

YL: So... citrus? Er... okaay.

DC: Great! DONE! Let's go pick out our ice-cream.

Agreeing on ice-cream flavours was a significantly easier task. 2-For-1 deals are marriage-savers.

Life on the road is good when you can have ice-cream for lunch! (Thanks Yean Pin for the neat Benetton travel utensils kit - we've put the spoon to good use already!)

Americone Dream - vanilla ice-cream with fudge-covered waffle cone bits and caramel swirls. Yummsss.

Cinnamon Buns - caramel ice-cream with cinnamon streusal swirls and bits of cinnamon bun dough. Doh!

We also picked up some cheese crackers before leaving Ralph's. I couldn't decide on one type of cheese flavour so was psyched to find this box with a mix of 2 cheesy flavours! Since it was 2 boxes for $6, I picked up another duo-mix box and wandered off happy that I didn't have to make a choice. I'm a Libra - life is easier when you don't have to choose between all these wonderful options that the world offers you on a silver platter.

My favourite snack of the moment - and I've OD-ed on it less than halfway through the first box.

Unfortunately, my stomach decided at 4am that night that two pints of ice-cream and half a box of duo-cheese crackers were not its idea of fresh American produce. And it just HAD to go about protesting on our first night in a hostel without an en suite bathroom (see blog entry below on our lodging in Cambria.) Getting to the toilet was akin to completing an obstacle course twice over - climb over sleeping husband, fumble with door knob, tiptoe on creaking floorboards through dorm, fumble with second door knob, scurry down corridor, fumble with third door knob and practically leap into the bathroom. Then do it all over again in reverse.

Still, when it comes to food in the US, I think we could go on living the Americone Dream for awhile.

YL

written by  DanYilin on April 3, 2009 from Cambria, United States
from the travel blog: go.
Send a Compliment

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i can't believe they have a stephen colbert flavour!!

written by  junwei on April 7, 2009

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Oh yeah? They should have a DanYilin flavour! We'll see what we can do when we get to Vermont. Talk to our ol' friends Ben and Jerry.

written by  DanYilin on April 8, 2009

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