Why I'm Mad at Russell...

Here's the situation.

I've been very disciplined for over a week...no sugary sweets.

I had decided that today I would allow myself to have a treat.

My whole goal is not to eliminate sugar from my life completely,

but to gain and maintain control over sugar in my diet.

So...It's Valentine's day...

The expectation of Valentine's Day at our house is...

Chocolate.

It's a rule.

Abide by the rule.

But this year was different and my husband, 

bless his heart,

decided to do something crazy and purchased a box of chocolates for me 2 weeks before Valentine's day.  

2 full weeks!

Which was before I decided to break up with sugar. 

He doesn't normally plan that far ahead, but...he knew he'd be out of town on Valentine's day.

So when he called this morning, he apologized to me (he's been very supportive of my treat-lessness) before sending me on a treasure hunt for my Valentine's day gift...

Which I found.

A box of chocolates.

Sigh.

I thanked him...honestly, I was hoping I'd still get chocolates!

I told him that I'd already decided to have one and I was really excited!

I opened the box.

Under the cellophane was a chocolate map...

Hallelujah!

I'd be able to pick exactly what I wanted from the box without risk of getting, say, an orange or lemon cream...

Alex asked me which one I'd be going for...

I examined my choices...

butter cream caramel,

coconut cream,

chocolate buttercream,

fruit & nut caramel,

molasses chew,

strawberry cream,

maple nut buttercream...

That's it!

Maple Nut Buttercream...

It's got 3 delicious components to satisfy my deprived sweet tooth...

chocolate, maple buttercream and walnuts!  

Alex agreed it was an excellent choice.

He waited while I retrieved the chocolate...

I bit into it...

Mmmmm....the sweet assaulted my tongue like a flood of rich, gooey...chocolate cream...

wait.

what?

Where's the nuts?

I don't taste maple!

I re-checked the map.

I cursed.

I apologized for cursing.

"What happened?" asked Alex, listening on phone.

"This isn't maple nut buttercream!  I wasted my first indulgence on chocolate buttercream!" (not a top 10 favorite)

I imagined a Russell Stover worker, in an acute sugar crash, carelessly putting the chocolates in random compartments, 

slapping the map in the box and 

pushing it down the line with no regard for who may receive that box of chocolates...

Someone like me who, for the past week has dreamt of that very moment...

that moment when after a drought of sugar, 

ok, I'll stop...

 So, I closed the box and vowed to try again tomorrow...

I'll have to take my chances with what I get, I suppose...

Which is fine, I like them all...this box doesn't have orange or lemon cream...

I will continue to exercise self control, and have one per day.

At that rate, this box should last over 2 weeks! (unheard of!)

In the mean time, I'm thankful for my REAL valentine, Alex...

But I'm mad at Russell...
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!