so there I was at Le Pain Quotidien...my new guilty pleasure...get some walking in at Roosevelt Field...reward?...a hot, frothy café au lait...dutifully standing 6' behind the ladies in front of me, I suddenly heard a voice to my left...maybe a Covid-panicking 1 foot away...at least we were both masked...a small women leaned in to talk...she felt compelled to tell me of her woe...rambled about the fact that when she'd eaten a bread purchased here two weeks ago, her LDL was out of whack after, so there must be butter and other non-listed ingredients in the bread...she went over her exercise regime...the number of steps she did...I mentally thought of my walk that morning...I felt like Sherri the Sloth...she was petite and obviously trim, about ten years older than me...and she wouldn't stop...I was thinking about the croissants at the register...but with my paternal genes just looking at them filled my arteries to the brim...then I thought, without meds they did that with oatmeal...so maybe I would get the croissant...I kept my inner monologue going because the little lunatic to my left was now telling me how she wanted to move to Greenwich and I was hoping it might be in the next minute...I noticed the barista had left her station...or was that baristette here...anyway, now the register person was running back and forth and despite having ordered, it might be Christmas before I got my order...I lost my LDL friend though...she was chewing off the ear of the other woman behind the counter...who was probably glad for the mask as it hid lines of exasperation...I finally heard "Sherri" and took the cup...quickly exited the mall for a walk in the sudden cool air...Indian summer a lovely memory...the wind whipped my hair...tangled my earrings in mask straps that I ripped away bringing the hot cup to my lips...closed my eyes and smiled...then wondered...what was my LDL at my last visit?...oy...
