Five on Friday #3: Sweet Stuff

1. Cake or Pie?
   A small slice of each, please.

   
   

2. What is your favorite kind of candy?
   Chocolate, just about any kind. I am particularly fond of Hershey's Kisses.

   
   

3. Do you actually like conversation hearts?
   You know, we were actually just talking about this at work yesterday. The concensus (and I agree) was that they are fun, but don't taste very good at all.
   
   Here's a funny story about them, though:

   When Shrike and I were "dating" (talking online, before we met in real life), I sent her a "care package" just before Valentine's Day.
   
   I bought a big bag of conversation hearts, but I went through it and only picked out the best ones to send to her, keeping all the ones that didn't convey the right message - like "Maybe Later" or "No Way" - or "My Guy."
   
   Shortly after that, LadyKay's Kiddo#2, who was 10 at the time, spent the night with me, and found the bag of leftover hearts in the fridge. We were eating them, and of course, she was reading them all.
   
   I kept worrying that at some point she was going to notice that they almost all said really negative things!

4. Would you prefer chocolates or flowers from a loved one?
   Definitely chocolate, unless I'm trying to behave, diet-wise. In which case, I'll take cash.

   
   

5. What is the sweetest thing someone has ever done for you?
   I don't know that this is the sweetest thing ever, but it's awful sweet and it's the first thing that comes to mind:

   I am very involved in my local Democratic Party and other political stuff,
   and sometimes Shrike gets a bit annoyed by it all.
   
   (Especially when I want to "invite a bunch of strangers to our house," which I do from time to time. )
   
   A couple of years ago, I participated in a statewide fellowship that was a long-term training program for progressive political leaders, and those who'd like to be.
   
   It involved monthly trips to big citys three and four hours away, either for all day on a Saturday, or sometimes over night. It also cost a good bit of money.
   
   Needless to say, I love it, but it was a bit of a sacrifice on her part for me to participate.
   
   As I was preparing for the first weekend, I realized that I didn't have a decent briefcase or anything similar to carry my stuff in. I'd been carrying my lunch and other things to work in an old tote bag from a school where I used to teach (complete with mascot logo) but that just didn't seem to project the image that I was looking for.
   
   She loaned me an old leather satchel / briefcase of hers for the weekend, but it had seen better days. I appreciated it though, and it was much better than anything I had available. But that's not the sweet part yet.
   
   When I got back home on Sunday, she was at work, but sitting on my chair was a brand new black nylon bag, with room for all my papers (and, later, thanks to Anonydaddy, a laptop) and just about anything else I could possibly carry in it.
   
   It was exactly what I needed - functional enough to be useful and professional enough to make the kind of impression I was going for.
   
   Most importantly, though, she'd gone out of her way to find it and pick it out and get it for me, and to me it's not just a bag, but a symbol of her support of me and of my goals and interests - even if they are not things that she would choose herself.
   
   And that's pretty damned sweet.

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