Gelato Break

While I don’t entirely envy the standstill that’s become Colorado this week, what I wouldn’t give for a coating of the powdery stuff this weekend. J and I are intent to go X-country skiing and/or sledding this year and taking G out on Xmas day for latter would be the most after-present aftermath fun I could imagine. I have been enjoying the unseasonable (how long before this word is redundant?) 40s all week and getting a last bit of outdoor running in, including a record-smashing 6 miles to the Bahai Temple and back on my lunch hour the other day fueled by a sugar tide of mid-morning office cookies. The office cookies, which a week and a half ago were pleasant novelties freely indulged in, have incrementally become my nemesis as their volume has spread to all-you-can-eat cookie buffet. And I must try one of each, even if they spring forth from a vacuum-packed tin. The daily pre and post lunch dosage has created a bodily response, a physical need that simple avoidance of sweets fails to banish from my thoughts.

So today, feeling my body ring its sugar bell after lunch, I skipped the uniform shortbreads and decided to quell the beast head-on. This meant heading downstairs to the place I’ve only ever considered a coffee shop in my building for fear of courting the slippery slope that is the gelato break. The coffee shop is a local mom and pop establishment, seemingly holding its own against the franchise coffee place across the street. Their espresso is good and they don’t appear to put any artificial goop in any of their drinks.. Plus, they sell little bottles of bubbly water. Nevermind the jewel-like case of gelato that meets one at the door and behind which all employees stand. I treat it as décor- never meeting its gaze- arcing my espresso order over it like a badminton birdie. In the three months since this business moved in, I’ve never once allowed my coffee break to be encroached upon my what is, in my opinion, dessert. I had seen how easily my coworkers transformed the coffee break into the gelato break, a similar ritual that occurs at 3 o’clock everyday. I had tasted this café’s gelato goodness with the free bite-size samples they lovingly push and I knew that’d be playing with fire. After all, I’ve only just recently begun to accept soy ice cream.. backing it up to full-on dairy plus egg yolks would be a dramatic turn.

Today the drama ensued. I entered and placed my order for one diminutive scoop of hazelnut, in a cup, but the college girl behind the counter looked regretful and informed me that they only serve 3 scoops at a time.. for 3 dollars. Now that’s a value. One can mix and match. She recommended I also try the tiramisu flavor. The scoops were on the small side. And the chocolate was dark dark dark and, I’d soon discover, habitat to some high percent cacao little shards. I wish I had photographed this triumvirate that was so humbly squished into a Styrofoam cup. It was a palette of dark, medium and light brown heaven. Instead I slunk back to my desk where, if half the office weren’t already out on vacation, one may have witnessed a specific ecstasy amidst the cubicle beige.

Meanwhile, the warmer temps are giving us a second straight day of rain. Back on the treadmill for me. Let’s see if I can do another 6 miles while watching Paula Dean make her heart-stopping chocolate bread pudding. As for the snow, I’ll have to settle for powdered sugar this year.