*drool* or Why I Spent $15 On Chocolate Today

I have worked for a wonderful woman for the past 8 years, across 3 companies (4 if you include an acquisition). I don't think I could ask for a better mentor. She even understands my crazy dog and triathlon addictions enough to let me work away from the office as needed (sometimes thousands of miles away), train in the middle of the day, take off for races or agility trials, etc. Why? Because she knows that when she needs an emergency handled at 10:00 on a Friday night, I will be there on the phone and emailing with her to get it done. Seriously, she rocks and I'd follow her to any company (and already have several times).

BUT. (There's always a but, right?)

But. She usually has a variety of international delicacies in her office and encourages a taste whenever we meet. Sometime last year, she went through a phase where there was always a variety of chocolate on her table. And that is when it happened. I fell. Hard. For Ritter Sport Dark Chocolate with Marzapan.

As it happens, this delicious and highly addictive treat is not available at most big-name grocery stores. I have to drive out of my way to find it. For the most part, this has meant that I don't have any in the house and am safe from consuming large quantities at once. When I do buy it though, I have to stock up since I won't be able to get it easily, right?

Today we were out running errands (Sports Basement - goggles, pull buoy, swimsuit, Gu2O, Luna moons and bars, etc. Pet Food Express - bully sticks, frozen bones, treats, new stuffed toys because we can not resist buying more for the world's most spoiled dogs) and I made Jeff drive several miles out of his way, in a route that involved 3 U-turns, so that I could dash into Cosentino's (gourmet grocery store) because "honey, there's something I really need there."

Now safe in the knowledge that I have it available when I need it, the chocolate is stashed in the back of my training cabinet (storage spot for Luna Moons, Gu2O, bike water bottles, Cliff bars, etc) and I haven't even cracked open one package. Given how healthy I have been eating lately (and I'm talking uber-healthy, more vegetables than I know what to do with and losing weight I wasn't even trying to lose), I figure it's OK to have a small sweet reward when I need it. At least I'm consuming the high quality stuff and not total crap - I mean, this is fancy Columbian cocaine we're talking about, not your cheap cough-syrup meth here.

Just don't ask me if any of it is left in a week - I can't guarantee it won't all vanish in a post-race binge. If I have to eat the pain, then I'm eating the post-pain sweets too.