Tour II; Day 6 – Chocolate and Baseball

Today I bring you another guest post! Yeah, I know, you’re beside yourself with excitement. But first, a little aside about my small purchase this weekend.

As of this writing Arizona is in the midst of what has been termed a “winter storm.” It’s not your picturesque, Saturday Evening Post kind of storm, I assure you. Temperatures aren’t expected to get much above 60, if that. Around these parts (three feet from Hell) if the temperature dips below 60 then folks are breaking out their heavy coats and whining because “it’s so cold outside.” Yeah, I can see all you east coast and midwest types sneering. You folks think nothing of walking around naked in 60 degree weather.

So what does that have to do with a purchase I made? Well, my writing friend, Unabridged Girl made mention of something called the Cocomotion on her blog. When it’s cold (yes, even wimpy Arizona cold) a tasty mug of hot chocolate sometimes hits the spot. So I picked one up and gave it a go. If you even like hot chocolate, try it. I made some with soymilk and it came out great!

Okay, now once you have that mug of hot chocolate, or coffee, or tea—or whatever—I’d ask you to sit down for a few minutes and have a look at my guest post for today:

• Over at Blogging Authors I relate a story about how a baseball fan and his daughter exhibit a little Christmas spirit of their own during the regular baseball season.

And as always, if you drop by, leave a comment!

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A Chocolate Frosty – For A Good Cause

Tasty and Helpful

I found this tasty item while cruising around some blogs looking for potential sources for getting my book reviewed (it’s a never ending process, folks!). Naturally, being a guy, and hungry at the time, this intrigued me. Turns out it’s a case of a corporation doing something good for the community . . . and for kids.

Apparently, over the last three years, Wendy’s has made it something of a gastronomic tradition to donate fifty cents from the sale of every Frosty sold on Father’s Day weekend (June 20 and 21) to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. All monies raised go to the Wendy’s Wonderful Kids program, which funds full-time adoption recruiters at local agencies across the United States, who in turn pair up parents with foster care children needing homes.

So merely by purchasing an inexpensive Frosty (they’re, like, a buck people!) for you and/or your family, you can indirectly assist children from sea-to-shining-sea and increase their chances of finding a family of their own.

Wendy’s will also donate an additional .25 to the Dave Thomas Foundation for each Father’s Day eCard created and sent from FrostyCard.com. Kids can also attach coupons to the card for things like taking out the trash or washing the car.

I know my son and I will be helping the cause. C’mon, how many of you can turn down inexpensive, chocolate ice cream? GO GET ONE!

Want to read more? You can get to the Foundation web site here.

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Retribution

Willy caught him out of the corner of his eye, sitting dejectedly amidst a small grove of crystalline spiced gumdrop bushes, shards of sweet confection strewn about like edible glass. The Oompah Loompah had always taken tremendous pride in their handiwork, and equally hurt when things didn’t work as they designed. That wasn’t the case for this one. Wonka gently dropped to his right knee and removed his towering hat in respect.

“What happened here?”

A stubby finger pointed towards the chocolate river where a bloated Augustus Gloob was cupping the sterile liquid from palm to mouth. Wonka dropped his gaze and shook his head. “I had a bad feeling about him as soon as he waddled through the gate.” A heavy sigh escaped his chest. A slender finger slowly extended out and tucked itself under the Loompah’s chin, tenderly raising its face to meet his eyes.

“Did you witness it?”

The small man rose indignantly, small tear streaks staining his face. Almost comically, but with profound sincerity he stomped around mockingly, feet sweeping in large arcs in portly mimicry.

Wonka’s brow furowed. “I should have figured. I’m terribly sorry. The bushes were lovely, some of my favorites.” He looked back over his shoulder at the still slurping Gloob at rivers edge. “That child needs to learn a lesson.”

Turning back to his Loompah he leaned forward, speaking in private tones into his ear. When he finished, he leaned back and simply asked “Do you understand?”

The small head nodded once, and the pair strode purposefully to the chocolate-laden Augustus Gloob. Wonka gingerly planted his cane in the ground near the boy’s foot.

“Augustus, may I have a word with you?” The boy turned his head to look at Willy, mouth ringed with chocolate, palm equally painted. He rose, standing just a couple inches from the river’s edge. A fine ribbon of liquid chocolate distanced itself from his chin, forming a grotesque thread from chin to barrel chest.

“Augustus, my girthly wonder, would you please look across the river and tell me what you see on the other side.” The boy’s head swiveled, liquid chocolate swinging loose from his chin.

For his size the Loompah was surprisingly fast, most surprisingly to Augustus. A small bronzed blur streaked towards the rotund boy, and with a shoulder heave sent the boy careening into the river.

“You really must get out of there!” Wonka bellowed, waving his cane in a level sweep over the sullied river. “I’ll have to sterilize the whole river now!”

And you thought he ‘fell’ in…

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