Black Jelly Beans

When I get an idea in my head, I HAVE to see it through.

A few days ago, I got this idea to put some black jelly beans in a glass container to use in my Halloween decorating.  Cute idea, right?

So I ran to Wallyworld yesterday morning to pick up a package or two of the beans.  But they didn't have any.  So I ran to Target.  No dice.

I had a lunch date with a friend later that afternoon and figured that I would stop at a couple of stores while I was out just to check and see if they had any.  Albertsons, Harmons, Shopko, Macey's, another WalMart, a couple of dollar stores, a craft store, even a Halloween store- NOTHING!  

I could not believe it!  Many of the stores were selling bags of black and orange jelly beans and I can't deny that the thought didn't cross my mind a time or two of buying a whole bunch of those and picking out the orange ones.  But that would be silly, wouldn't it?

So I went to school last night and discussed the matter with my lab partner.  I gave her an accounting all of the stores I had been to that day, and shared my frustrations with her.  "Why not just choose another type of candy.  Or use black pebbles or something like that.", she lovingly offered.  I could tell she thought I was loosing my mind.

"Just promise me that you will keep your eye out for black jelly beans and text me if you see any, ok?", I begged.  She promised that if she came across any she would text me and stand guard until I could get there.  I think she was mocking me just a bit.

On the way home from school, I decided to stop at Smith's.  And what do you know.  Black jelly beans.  They were in the bulk candy.  I grabbed a bag and opened the spout.  The bag filled in an instant.  I tied it off and held my precious, and very heavy, bag of jelly beans in my arms and went to check out.

The cashier looked at me, looked at my bag of beans, and said, "You must REALLY like black jelly beans." 

"They're for a Halloween decoration.", I mumbled quietly.  I almost shared with him how many stores I had been to that day looking for the black licorice beauties that were now mine.  I thought he would be proud to know that HIS store had been the store where my search had ended.  But the look on his face told me to keep it to myself.

I may be crazy, and I may have spent $50 in gas, several more dollars to buy the jelly beans, and be suffering from a strained hip today from all the running into and out of stores I did, but I have the cutest jar of black jellybeans I have ever seen.  And I think it was worth it.