The Great Cupcake Caper

When I last left off on Thursday night, I left a short f-word encrusted litany about being stranded with 5 dozen cupcakes and a  heinous trek to Astoria. This is how my night ended.

I slowly made my way two blocks to my bus stop over snow that hadn't been plowed and ice sheets that had  crusted over the unsalted streets. With two huge shopping bags full of cupcakes, it was a pain and it hurt even more to watch my bus pass me by because I was too slow to get to the bus stop on time. I waited an hour for another bus to slowly come ambling by and just managed to squeeze between two large people in one of those side seats in the back on the bus.

When I got to the F train on 179th street, I waited another half an hour for a train to come. When it came, I changed cars three times when homeless people came shuffling in and making themselves at home near me and my cupcakes. I know they need to stay warm on these cold winter nights, but the stench coming off them was making me quite ill. I was already very car sick from the slow, bumpy bus ride, and the stench was making me nauseous.

Once the F train started moving I thought it would be smooth sailing from there, but it took it's sweet time, going local and practically crawling down the tracks. When I got to my first transfer point at Roosevelt Ave, I climbed about a million stairs with my heavy bundles to get to the outer platform to catch the 7 train. It was cold, wet, and slippery. The train was crowded, and like the F train, it crawled down the track.

I had to transfer again at Queens Plaza for the N train. It's also an outer platform stop. The trains came quickly, but they were crowded and I couldn't fit inside with my two huge bags. Two trains later, I was squeezed inside, with my poor cupcakes protectively huddled against me and the door.

I had said last week that I had a 5 block walk to her apartment. Let me correct that. It was 8 blocks. Yes, 8 full, long blocks over unshoveled sidewalks and unplowed streets. By the time I got to her door, my feet were wet and cold. My hands were numb. My face was frozen, and I was done.

Thankfully, I got a $20 tip for all my troubles and a steaming Hot Toddy to defrost with. (A hot toddy is hot tea with lots of honey, lemon, and brandy.) Or maybe whiskey. I really don't remember which one it's supposed to be. But I had a nice big mug of it!

Anyway, here are a couple shots of my cupcakes: