am I the ONLY person on the planet...

that still makes spritz?

I went out tonight, in search of a cookie press. I had done my homework and knew that both Linen's N Things and Macy's were supposed to have one. Target said they only carried them online and not in the stores.

I could have borrowed my mother's, but alas, I need the spritz for tomorrow and didn't want to spend half of my evening driving up to CR. So I decided, what with the fact that I've made spritz the last three years in a row, that maybe I should have my own cookie press. (For the non-Norwegians out there, spritz are a butter cookie (three sticks of butter, to be exact) and are shaped usually like a three petal flower.)

Hence the search.

I looked at Target, I was there anyway - no cookie press. But I was expecting that, so it was somehow ok. Drove over to Linen's N Things. Asked a nice enough looking saleslady who asked at least five people named Matt - NO COOKIE PRESS. They had a snowman shaped cakepan and chocolate fountains and TONS of ridiculous holiday bakeware, but nothing as practical as a cookie press. Which, might I remind you - they were supposed to have. A Wilton Cookie Pro Ultra II - to be exact.

Next stop - Macy's. Also in the mall - which I hope to avoid what with all of the Christmas craziness and Santa's and kids. The saleslady in Macy's - when asked for the now elusive cookie press - said, "Oh, like one of those cookie guns?" Complete with a hand motion. She went to ask - and yet again, came back empty handed. "Sorry - we don't have one of those."

I trek out into the hordes, by now, hungry and annoyed that I've already been to Target, Office Max, Rainbow, AND Linen's N Things. My feet are hurting monstrously by this point, as I'm wearing three inch heeled boots - but no matter. I continue my brisk pace to the JC Penney. I don't even bother asking. No visible cookie press.

Finally - I get to Herberger's (which is also by the Santa picture taking debaucle) and make it to Housewares. More ridiculous chocolate fountains and Santa shaped bundt cake pans. And then - I spotted it - a table that appeared to be only for cookie baking items. And then - you might as well have had a spot light and the Hallelujah chorus - because there it was. The Wilton Cookie Pro Ultra II Cookie press.

So when the clerk asked me if I'd found what I was looking for - I could only exclaim, " YES! And about time, too." I was exceedingly glad that I did not have to trek to the Williams and Sonoma, which is now in the 'hip' outdoor part of the mall.

And that, my friends, is what happens when you decide, the night before, that you need to make spritz. If anyone needs a cookie press - I have one. Complete with recipes!

Quote o' the day:

"Maybe all one can do is hope to end up with the right regrets." - Arthur Miller