each carried a bag of Saint Paddy fixins out of the grocers

exiting through the pneumatic glass doors they were waylaid by Girl Scouts

                                                                               COOKIES

shit

     was it that time of year used to be once a year  seems they were hitting people up a coupleCHRIST maybe three times a year

WOULD YOU LIKE TO BUY SOME GIRL SCOUT COOKIES?

as he got his No thank you out his buddy said SURE enthusiastically

the girls surrounded him like sharks a feeding frenzyNO nonot sharks  can you say PIRANHAS   blood in the water

buddy handed him some boxes to put in the bag he carried Mine’s full.

the GIRLS enthusiastically thanked himwaved goodbye as they walked into the parking lot

What’s with you? 

didnt bother to look at him

                             Nothing

You got something against Girl Scouts, against cookies?

No I . .

. . Give ‘em away. It’s for a good cause.

Whas the cause Keepem off the street  I didnt hear you ask they didnt explain have a fuckin clue wha youre supporting

The Girl Scouts the Girl Scouts, I’m supporting the Girl Scouts.

   An you like cookies

Who doesn’t like cookies?no sooner out of his mouth he corrected himself Who aside from you, doesn’t like cookies?

Its not about cookies Its about the corporations behind the Girl Scouts  Who theyre fronting

Fronting?

Fronting

What the hell are you talking about?

Whadid ya pay a box

Six dollars.

How many cookies in a boxwhas their net weight

I don’t know.

Thin mints thirtytwo others fifteen each box nine ounces Think   Once upon a time they were sixteen ounces  though I coud be wrong

So what. The Girl Scouts are iconic.

They are

You could donate cash.

I coud

       But then Id have to trust strangers trust only their troop utilises it   An I don trust nobody      

You trust me.

As far as I can throw you  which aint far

What do you mean fronting?

Its profit motivated

As most things are.

I agree

          Though seems to me Girl Scouts coud make substantially more money turning tricks sex trafficking

Jesus.

   Dark humour

                     I surely relish dark humour

You don’t mean it?

Nah

      Though ever wonder how many women in porn had been Girl Scouts

his eyes bugged

Just sayin

           Also  Aint a damn thing wrong with porn Id prefer to watch people have sex than kill each other car chases mayhem AI-generated sequences an characters

But thas me

when they got to the car unloaded bags into the backseat buddys tipped over  cookie boxes spilled out

Christ  How many boxes did you buy I took four from you

No idea. I bought what I wanted.

                                   COOKIE.

Great Cookie Monster impersonation

1827,  Monday,  11  3. 24

1302,  Reggaefriday,  15  3. 24

https://www.allrecipes.com/girl-scout-cookies-prices-2024-8424175#:~:text=For%20the%202024%20season%2C%20many,last%20year's%20%245%20price%20tag.

https://www.gobankingrates.com/money/price-girl-scout-cookies-through-years/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OKGUAbpj5k

he read in London Boulevard  Ken Bruen  “It’s a happy man who knows his place in life.”

he thought it was a pithy observationscreamed  common sense

                                                                   then he thought

Thasa rare commodity

   then  during the ensuing dialogue going off in his head between the gaggleMariachis he  they  came to terms came to an agreement

Im sayin

Well let you say

Youre not letting me say Im sayin

                                    Shaddup

No nee . .

. . SHADDUP

they muttered Testy under their unified breath

Im not deaf step away

                         Sure ya have oodles to commisersate

Oodles they mimicked

oodles made him laugh   he was fond of the word

their consensustheir response to Bruens pithy words

                                                         Its a bright lad or gal who recognises they were born behind the eight-ball

2158,  2sday,  12  3. 24

1156,  Reggaefriday,  15  3. 24

Ides of March  Vehicle  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq95nZBbNHI

wrong

Yah   Nah

            he put down the puzzle piece he was holding turned around from the table

Tha was wrong

                  Worse  I can see in your face you know it   A second time in as many weeks

She said she wasn’t up to it.

Then you shoudnt have gone

She had to make an appearance.

   Appearance

                    I coud laugh  Appearance  Horseshit    One doesnt make an appearance at a funeral or a memorial

That was her word.

Her word  For both you

I was there to support her.

Youre worse than she  You know better   Or rather I thought you woud

                                                                               Bein fuckin leadround by the nose man

I’m not . .

. . Pity  You are

                    I believe  believe   yaknow better    Arent lookin so proud now

What would you have had me do?

Whaya shoud have done

                            Not gone

he leaned over the kitchen table pickedup a puzzle piece   turned it in his fingers

Put the piece down

Why?

   Were not doing a puzzle now Were havin an unfortunate conversation

It wasn’t my decis . .

. . It was to take her  You scarcely knew the first anby cursory mention knew the second  You werent obligated

I made an obliga . .

. . To take her to attend services Not to avoid the ceremonies go for food an drink afterwards

                                                                                                   The occasions were to celebrate the deceased

I went to your nephews wedding I did not attend the reception

The party? You didn’t go to the celebration afterwards?

I did not

         Its been years Go ahead search your memory you wont see me therefrankly  I came up to youlast person the last I said goodbye to before I left

I don’t remember.

I do

Why did you do that?

The invite was for me It wasnt a one-plus   I went home to spend the evening with my girlfriend

You should have brought her.

She wasnt invited

Still, you should have brought her, there was plenty.

I saw She wasnt invited

                            I attended the wedding to show my respect Anif someone cant respect the ceremony they shouldnt attend the reception

A lot of people do.

Thas on them I woudnt think to disrespect a marriage

                                                            Nor woud I disrespect the memory of someone deceased

You disappoint the hell out of me

he set the puzzle piece back down on the table

he didnt try to make it fit

find its place

Im gonna go

              I hope you give your dismal failure some thought

1730ish,  Thursday,  14  3. 24

1051,  reggaefriday,  15  3. 24

Rodrigo Rodriguez  Together  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AAB2id5tPc

Aretha Franklin  (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman  he didnt think so  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cF0tf35Mbo