Â§hria's Spot

Today I tried a different kind of Danish from Tim Horton’s.

Chocolate is my character flaw but maple pecan Danishes are my secret pleasure. I wait weeks, driving by Tim Horton’s when I crave them, sometimes circling the block several times before driving on and enjoying the self-denial. I budget sugar, calories and grams of fat so I can just allow myself a single 460 calorie 25 grams of fat brain masher because I really really want one. I dig change out of the sofa and am willing to walk or ride my bike to Tim Horton’s so I can get one when I’m finally ready to let myself have it.

Today I decided I really needed one, even though I had one only nine days ago. I pulled up to the drivethrough, riddled with guilt both at being in a drivethrough and at my plan to eat the sticky sweetness I was anticipating.

“One large coffee, milk and two sugar please and a maple pecan Danish,” I said to the little box.

“Just a sec, Hon, I’ll have to see if we have any of those ones,” said the box back to me.

After a brief pause which I used to imagine the sweet gooey goodness making my tongue swell and the sensual scrape of the pecans sliding across the roof of my mouth the box spoke the words I’ve always dreaded.

“I’m sorry, all we have right now are cream cheese and cherry Danish,” it said.

In the following seconds of panic two thoughts chased each other around my head like a dog and a cat on a tear. ‘Try something new,’ barked the dog. ‘Drive to another Tim’s and get what you really want. Don’t settle!’ hissed the cat.

“I’ll take a cream cheese Danish,” I said, mentally congratulating myself for not wasting gas and money to go looking for the maple pecan this time.

‘Change is good,’ I reassured myself. ‘Maybe you’ll find a new favorite, one that isn’t quite as bad for you.’

So I ate the cream cheese Danish.

From the first bite I knew it wasn’t what I wanted but I kept eating it, hoping to cultivate a taste for it.

Nope.

It was totally unsatisfying. Right to the very last bite. It wasn’t bad. There was nothing wrong with it. It just wasn’t what I wanted.

So the next time Tim Horton’s doesn’t have what I want, I will say no thank you to all of it.

“Just the coffee, then, please,” I will say.

And I will keep coming back to see if I can have another maple pecan Danish. They can keep the rest of it.