When I Need A Pick Me Up, by my friend Ryan King

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Instant Gratification


My first meeting of the dayis to take place in a site close to a certain bakery that I discovered (whatever did they do without me?). When I realized this, I had only one goal today. Get slice of cake from this place. The alternative is a cupcake if the cake slices are not available. The ultimate goal is to get that buttercream icing into my face.

One slice down and one to go.

Yes, I know I'm dieting. I can't right now. I lost my midsection and there's nothing on the horizon just now and I'm unhappy again and I want buttercream.

It's a confluence that I didn't want to avoid. I'll blame no one and nothing except myself.

But what else is new.

The deed is done.
I. REGRET. NOTHING!!!!

14 comments:

Shades of Scorpio said...

I'd go off my gluten free issues for a piece of THAT. I've never seen such a beautiful piece of cake!!! That was art, detail, bliss.

Me said...

No joke!

This bakery/buttercream is especially desired because when I was growing up in Spring Valley there was a bakery named Pakula's on Main Street that use to make the same cakes I find in certain bakeries. The Shadow Cake (two layers of yellow cake with one layer of chocolate between, cushioned by chocolate buttercream. The outer covering is white buttercream with chocolate, I don't know--fudge? Dressing? poured on top with evenly spaced stripes running down the sides.) the Checkerboard (checkerboarded yellow and chocolate cake inside, cushioned with chocolate buttercream, white icing as outside covering with chocolate cake crumbs dusting , and the famous birthday cake with either lemon, strawberry, vanilla custard, no chocolate anywhere, white buttercream icing with roses and leaves).

Pakula's had a specific taste that seems to remind me of the good days of Spring Valley. The times when I enjoyed the perversity that was my childhood. The times when I watched TV without abandon. The times me and Childhood Bud played improvised space battle startegy games with the little spaceships I made based on sci-fi cover paintings. The times when I'd play with the Micronauts in my room for hours and hours and hours. The times when I took those Micronauts out to the brook near Rt 59 and had outdoor adventures. The times when I'd walk along the train tracks to the Nanuet Mall. The brief adventures I'd have with Marc, when he wasn't psychotic. Somehow my mother or maybe once a year my father would give me money and I'd buy a whole cake from Pakula. Sometimes it was a birthday cake and I'd have nothing written on it. I'd just eat it, slice by slice, when I got it home. I could get through half a cake before Mom came home from work.

This bakery here, in the now, has buttercream that tastes just like Pakula's. It's rare, but it happens--I find one. So when I'm in this area...

*slurp slurp--glorp--lehhp--shlepp*

Me said...

"With abandon"?

Eliel said...

You forgot to mention that you would sometimes eat these Pakula's cakes in front of your Childhood Bud and not share...

Me said...

The curse of being an Only Child!

Anonymous said...

Sometimes you just have to have your cake and eat it too!

Either that, or the cake is a lie.

GrizzBabe said...

Some things are just worth the carlories.

Me said...

And ya know this, Grizz.

Steven, EVERY time I have to have my cake and eat it too. What good is cake for, other than? Why would anyone have it and NOT eat it? :-D

Ned Hodgson said...

I just went out and got donuts. Dang you, my brother. ;) I wanted to scold you, but yeah, sometimes sugar soothes the soul. But eff it - I earn a little indulgence now and then.

Hope you feel better soon.

Me said...

Okay, I can self-destruct, but I can't lead others down the same path. We ate the sweets, now lets go back to fruit. Fruit is sweet! I can eat peaches, but only in fruit form. I hate Peach teas, peach candy, and peach-smelling air fresheners.

And even if I fail again, Ned, save yourself!! My Brother, nooooooooooo!! Don't do it, Leonides!! That way lies madness and flab!!!

Ned Hodgson said...

Sorry Braveheart - if you want to lead, you must lead by example, not fiat.

The donuts were gross, to my relief. I just had a banana and a bagel with Philly cream cheese - the hi-test stuff, none of that low fat nonsense for me. But I also ran 3 miles last night, and have another run tonight and tomorrow and friday, then off Saturday, and a race pace 5K on Sunday.

It's basic math, relaly. Calories in need to be equal to or less than calories out, or they stick around. So you CAN have a piece of cake, even two, but you need to then turn around and work it off.

It's a hard thing to get used to, but it really is basic math. Well, it's actually really complicated math, but it breaks down to simple arithmetic at its roots.

Google BMR - basic/basal metabolic rates. Calculate yours. This is the best stuff a geek like me can do - work it out on paper.

The first guy who broke the four minute mile wasn't a runner. He was a scientist. Just saying - brain power can and does often trump muscle and will power.

Me said...

If I want to lead? Nooooo I don't want to lead. I'm support staff.

Trixie said...

I don't even have a sweet tooth, but even to me that cake is TEMPTING!!!

Shades of Scorpio said...

I was just looking at the new photo again (profile photo). Yes. the last one was cool, but this one looks really confident.