Of Nachos and Cheese Dips
Half past six in the evening. Home sitting comfortably in my living room watching Netflix, when I felt an intense craving for nachos and cheese dip, which I had for the first time earlier today when my friends Marylin, Minette, her mom Menchu, and her 12-year-old daughter drove to the only Designer Outlet in a Vienna suburb as early as 8 a.m., arriving a half-hour before the shops opened. We heard that shoppers were coming from all over Austria and neighboring countries, such as Hungary and the Czech Republic, in buses, and that finding a parking spot would be a significant problem if we arrived much later.
Today was supposed to be the day when prices would drop by 70%. Not really, and yet we thought the price was right with our purchases, especially for me. Menchu was kindness incarnate, agreeing to cover for my purchases, which I promised to reimburse when I get my new ATM and debit cards. (Two days earlier, I lost my wallet to a pickpocket in the subway. In it were my ATM card, a credit card, and other legal documents. I had them with me when I left the house, so I thought. I went straight to the bank to have them blocked, cancelled, and requested replacements, which would take a week or so.)
Anyway, we had a leisurely late lunch, and that was when I discovered Le Burger’s nachos and cheese dip. It was Menchu’s side dish. I’m not a big fan of nachos and dips, but she convinced me to give them a try. Wow! Now I believe: “Once you go black, you never go back.” I got hooked, alright, and craved them, but I told myself, “No way I was going out in the rain to get them.” I was already in my boxer shorts, sipping a glass of white.
But then the craving was stronger than the rain. It was as if the nachos and cheese dip were calling out to me, and I couldn’t resist. I swiftly changed from my boxers to my trousers and was out in a matter of seconds. Billa, the grocery store in our building complex, where a friend said I could get nachos and cheese dip, was closing in 10 minutes. I didn’t mind the rain–my craving was stronger than the cold raindrops falling on my head. I ran to avoid getting soaked, when suddenly I froze. WADAFAK! I realized I had forgotten to put on my upper front denture. No way I was going back to my flat to get it. I needed to beat the grocery store’s closing time.
At the grocery, I frantically searched for the nachos and cheese dip in the cold compartment, but they were nowhere to be found. I asked a sales staff member for help, but she struggled to understand me. Of course, who could comprehend me when my lips were sealed? Meanwhile, the auto PA reminded customers that the cash register was closing in seconds. I panicked but ignored the announcement. In the end, I managed to get myself understood by the sales staff. I got the cheese dip, but not the nachos. Instead, I grabbed a bag of tortillas—a twist I didn’t see coming. I’m not sure if they were the same. I have yet to try them, but by the time I was home, the craving was gone. At least I had the cheese dip, a small victory in a rainy, denture-less night.
You got pickpocketed in Vienna??? Wow, they seem to be everywhere now! Senior moments with your dentures🤣🤣🤣 at least you didn’t forget to wear your shoes when you went out, so you’re still ok 😂 I’ll bring you nachos and dips next time I come to Vienna.