Eggstremely Disappointing

I think I've already written about what a gigantic fan of "Harriet the Spy" I was when I was a kid, haven't I? Hold on, let me check.  No! And here I thought I had shared everything.

Well, I loved the book, which I bought at a garage sale from my next door neighbor Nancy.  I must have read it fifty times before I became a teenager.  It inspired my best friend Anne and I to start our own spy routes.  Let's just say that Harriet's life in New York climbing on roofs and going up dumbwaiters was a little bit more exciting than looking through windows in a sleepy Chicago bedroom community.  I did manage to hide a tape recorder under the couch and record my mom and dad filling out a police report after our house was burglarized, but even that didn't end up being too notebook-worthy.  Oh how I longed for absentee parents and a weird nanny!  Some kids have all the luck.

Anyway, Harriet always drank egg creams in the book.  Being a Catholic from Chicago, I had no idea what that meant.  In the days before Google, I imagined it was a liquefied Cadbury egg and could picture myself sitting at a soda counter with Harriet and sipping our favorite drink.  Following in Harriet's footsteps, I became a great fan on tomato sandwiches and I figured that egg creams would naturally follow one day, if I ever got a hold of one.

Well, today was that day.  I went to a deli for lunch and what was on the menu but chocolate egg creams.  I excitedly ordered one and (because I am my mother's daughter, alas) I told the lady at the counter all about my love of Harriet.  She nodded politely at the crazy woman on crutches and brought me one.

I hate to stomp on anyone's children's literature inspired dreams, but it was so so so so gross.  They made it from chocolate syrup, milk and ginger ale.  It tasted like something my sister used to whip up with bubble bath in the tub when we were toddlers.  Who would have thought Harriet would have such terrible taste in beverages??

I am sure Harriet grew up and became one of those weird adults who drink Bailey's or White Russians.  Ick.  I'll stick with Margaritas and Shirley Temples.  Sorry, Madame Spy.