However, it was pretty late, so the guy who works there was very grumpy, and having four teenagers talking, laughing, and playing "Concentration 64" whilst in a very long line probably didn't help his good mood. Apparently, Coldstone should have been closed by then, too. So, our customer service was less than satisfactory (Celia's ice cream was "blended" by folding it over her nuts once and plopping it in the bowl, and Mom and Dad got a burnt waffle bowl, to name a few examples).
We all went outside to eat the ice cream on the benches. Since we decided to go to the Coldstone at the Outlet Mall, we were in the open night air. Since it's open, birds willingly fly in and out. (Actually, they willingly fly in and out of our closed mall's food court too, but that's a different kind of stupid) Most stores were closed or closing, including the Starbucks next door. One employee, heavy laden with two big bags of food, caught sight of the same bird who had caught our attention, sitting pretty in the window frame.
He set down his bags and we watched him chase after the bird, capturing it in his hands, trying to put it in one of his bags he had with him, then chasing it as it flew into the window across the way, and then capturing it again. He asked us if we wanted some free food, and got the obvious answer of "YES PLZ".
As a closing employee of Starbucks, this guy got the chance to bring home the freshly baked pastries that can't be sold day-old as well as the refrigerated food set to expire the next day. However, bringing home a wild but confused bird AND two bags of food doesn't bode well for anyone, so donating it all to his bemused spectators worked well for all parties.
We were as thrilled to take it home as he was to have his new pet, I'm sure, as Starbucks tends to make high-quality yet high-priced pastries and foods. We got tons and tons of breads, rice-krispies, cookies, donuts, and more breads, as well as a few yogurt parfaits and cheese-and-fruit plates.
Our free food served as excellent breakfasts and lunches, as well as some treats for Celia to pass out on the bus on the way to 6 Flags. (She told me when she started passing them out, the other students flocked around her like...well, like teenagers getting free food) Christine, who stayed for lunch the next day, and I had a yogurt parfait (originally $4) and a fruit-and-cheese plate (originally $6) respectively. Mine was absolutely delicious and felt very fancy, but Christine realized after she had blended her parfait that she actually doesn't like yogurt. So she amused herself by staring at the parfait in all its free-fancy-food glory before she actually had to eat it. Eventually, she poured it onto a plate and picked out the fruit, so she was just as happy as me (especially when I shared my Brie).
We still have some food left, mostly pastries and rice krispies, and our island counter looks a bit like it does at Christmastime, covered in the loser breads that aren't as quick-to-be-chosen as the cookies and candies. So, we still have that happy feeling, like we cheated the system or something, whenever we eat some of that three or four dollar treats. I'm sure it would be even better if they had price-tags (the tastiest part of my lunch was laughing at that sad, little "$5.75"), but the memory, not complete without the bird-man's escapades, is delicious by itself.
As they say, the best things in life definitely are...free!
I just had some of that "loser" leftover blueberry swirl coffee cake for breakfast this morning. Yes folks, I ate bread that was 48 hours old (the people at Starbucks would be agahst) and you know what? It was YUMMO!
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