Let us step back into 1999…the time before iPhone and GPS were everywhere. It was still an era of the paper map, that thing you folded so much it resulted in some street names becoming illegible. I want you to picture a young wife flying to San Francisco to meet her husband, who is stationed in Eureka for the next 3 months. On this flight is where the story innocently begins with the placement of a single cookie onto a tray table.
My husband, Barry, and I decided to take a weekend getaway to San Francisco from Eureka, California. Prior to hitting the road for the trip, I remembered that little cookie wrapper I had saved from my flight. I had saved the wrapper because from the first crunchy bite of that cookie, I was addicted to the caramel, bite-sized confection. While I was on the airplane, I noticed the cookie was manufactured on Green Street in San Francisco. The wrapper went into my pocket because I wanted to make sure I could purchase some more on my next visit to the city.
On this particular day, Barry and I had done the tourist’s sites, like Alcatraz and Pier 39, and we were walking along Esplanade. I happened to glance at the map, and it was like a beacon flashing on this one spot on our map. The only street name in focus appeared to be Green Street! I became so excited and of course Barry had no clue why I was dancing around about Green Street. I dug into my purse and pulled out my crinkled cookie wrapper and pointed out the address for the cookie store. We studied the map and realized it was not too far to walk to the store. So, our journey began…
Even if you have never visited San Francisco, you still know this city is unique for all the humongous hills or as Barry and I like to call them, MOUNTAINS! Our journey up the mountain started with us smiling sweetly at each other while holding hands and life was perfect. This giddiness lasted for the first 5 minutes of the hike. We quickly realized we were ill-prepared to climb the summit, but what we lacked in physical endurance, we more than made up for in love!
Our love was surely tasted in the next 15 minutes of the hike. It became every man for themselves and survival was paramount. Holding hands and sweet smiles had rolled down the mountain 10 minutes earlier. Bystanders heard the bellows and groans of the two determined idiots as they trudged up the mountain! We pushed through the shin splints and dehydration and stayed the course.
Half a day later, we arrived at the summit! We had made it! The love was back, and we hugged and shouted in jubilation of our accomplishment. With smiling faces we turned left, and we turned right only to realize we were in a residential area of the city. I must say exhaustion eliminates a person’s moral fiber because my normally calm and reserved husband became this irate tyrant. He marched across the street, banged on the front door, and walked right in! I was frozen in shock and the questions running through my head were, “do I go” or “do I stay?”
I cautiously entered the residence and found Barry talking with a receptionist. He asked if they sold the cookies here and was informed that they were a distribution center for restaurants and stores. Barry politely stated that today she was selling to the public! The wide-eyed receptionist informed us that they only sold in bulk. Barry quickly said that was not a problem and to please give us two cases!! We were all smiles as we each carried a case of cookies out the door. The smiles quickly disappeared as we realized we had to descend the mountain with two cases of cookies and walk all the way down Esplanade back to the parking garage!
This is my wonderful memory of how I became the proud owner of two cases of Biscoff cookies! If you have never tried them, head out to your local grocery store and pick up these delicious devils! By the way, they are still my favorite cookie and I was so excited to see them become more available to the public. Hmmmm, maybe The Marbles had a little something to do with this!
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