When I was a little girl we used to love getting Tootsie Roll Pops! I loved the commercials and I loved the yummy middle. I remember that my dad used to say he was a tootsie roll pop. Hard and crunch on the outside but soft and squishy on the inside. Once I counted how many licks it took to get to the tootsie roll center and then sent in my number to the Tootsie Roll company to let them know. I got a letter back in the mail along with a certificate with my number on it congratulating me on finding out. I wish I still had that certificate…
Another thing about Tootsie Roll pops that I loved was looking for the Indian. When I was 7 years old I was sure that seeing that star meant I was in for a free lollipop. I even convinced a store clerk of it once and walked away with my free pop as happy as could be. When I my kiddos asked me about the Indian I decided to find out and here’s what I found:
I found that the free lollipop idea isn’t true but I’ve heard that a lot of folks keep the star wrappers for Good Luck! Some hold on to them, some ball them up and make a wish! Either way, Chief Shooting Star is just another reason Tootsie Roll Pops are so cool!
Sylvie was sick with a fever and kept me up all night,
prepared for a biological or chemical attack we should all have 
duct tape, plastic sheeting, and water. I know, I know, you weren’t the first doomsday fanatic to climb out of your bunker to go stock up….however, there were a FEW cautious folks who decided that it was better to be on the safe side and if anything, they could use it when they painted the living room in the Spring. So, how did I get involved? Well, at the time I was living at home with my mom and raising Dade & Corben on my own. It was one of those mornings and Dade was late for school. I hadn’t taken a shower yet that morning, as my plan was to drop Dade at the door and get back home quick. I’m not even sure I was out of my PJs….actually, I know I wasn’t. I seem to remember throwing on a coat and deeming my pj pants not too floofy for public viewing. I then grabbed a half awake Corben, also in his PJs, handed both kids a poptart and rushed out the door. As I was dropping off Dade my cell phone rang…..MOM: Christy, since you’re out, can you run over to Home Depot and pick me up some duct tape and plastic sheeting? ME: Seriously, Mom? They’re going to think I’m some sort of fanatic! MOM: It’s early, I’m sure no one will even be there. Pick me up like 10 roles of duct tape and maybe 5 tarps….So, I get to Home Depot and survey the area. Sure enough, it’s pretty empty, I may be able to pull this off. So, I hop out of the car, load my now-covered-in-Poptart 2yr old into a cart, throw my greasy hair up into a bun, and head inside. This should be quick and easy…..so I head to the tape aisle. Now, where is that duct tape? It wasn’t there! I looked all over and couldn’t find a single roll….No big deal, it’s probably on the end of an aisle somewhere, I’ll find it on the way to the paint section. Well, I didn’t see it on the way and when I got to the paint section, there was no plastic sheeting!….Okay, they can’t possibly be all sold out….can they? I was going to have to ask someone! I didn’t want to. I knew the look I was going to get and telling them it was for my mom wasn’t going to sway them from thinking I was a nut. ANYWAY, I found an older gentleman and simply asked for duct tape…I’m slick like that. He saw right through me and informed me that the duct tape and plastic sheeting had been placed together on the crazed-doomsday-fanatic aisle at the other end of the store….Thanks. Guess they wanted to ensure they could get those nuts in and out quick! So, embarrassed, I head that way……….Now, imagine for a moment…..You’re in your pj’s, your hair is greasy, and your kid is a mess……who’s the last person you want to run into at this point?? An old boyfriend? That girl who thought she was better than you in High School? Child protective services??…..How about…..A NEWS CREW!!! I stopped dead in my tracks. There, at the end of the aisle with the supplies I’d been sent to gather, stood a news crew. Yep! Nicely dressed news anchor and 3 guys holding cameras and cables….it was a showdown. They looked at me and smiled (It was 
that “YEEESSSS….the greasy bunker rats are finally emerging from their underground shelters and we’re going to catch one on camera!!” look. I’d know it anywhere.). I stayed in place just staring at them. The anchor guy told me it was alright…..HA! I shook my head and just stood there. The camera man slowly lowered his camera and I took a step forward but still waited. They all lowered their equipment and stepped aside. Hoping to get this over with I zoomed down the aisle walking PAST the duct tape and looking at some sort of bolts until the camera crew finally moved away from the end of the aisle. I then
rushed over and started dumping tape and plastic into my cart. SUDDENLY, I noticed I was not alone…..down the aisle came a lone man (in a suit), pushing a cart….with a news camera inside. Seriously? I’d totally expected them to be peaking through from the opposite row when I picked up a roll of duct tape but putting the camera in a cart and Pretending to not be filming?? He kept moving the cart around to get a good angle. I’m QUICK though. Like a flash I was looking at bolts again and I even threw a box of something boring over my stash in the cart. I gave the guy a look….you know, the I’m-Not-Going-To-Let-You-Make-Me-Look-Like-More-Of-A-Freak-Than-I-Am look? Anyway, he left. So, I slowly emerge from the aisle….carefully peaking around each corner to ensure a newsman wasn’t going to jump out and put me on the 12 0’clock news. As I exit the row, a beautiful woman in business attire passes me headed for the duct tape….No News crew….I watch her load her arm basket with at least as much as me….No News Crew….We both head to the registers. In line, I warn her….Look out, there’s a news crew stalking us. Really? She hadn’t seen one. Of course. Another line opens up and they take her as I wait at the register with the guy who’s got the bizarre thing that has no tag and no one in the store can figure out where he got it from or how much it costs and they have 4 floor employees looking and thanks for my patience. I look over and see that crazy doomsday fanatic business lady is getting her stuff bagged up and heading out the door….No News Crew….THEN….someone taps me on the shoulder. I don’t turn around. He then says, “Excuse me, Crazy Bunker Lady…..” Okay, that’s not EXACTLY what he said, but that’s what he meant. ANYWAY, he asks if he can FILM me checking out. AAAAHHHH, I had almost escaped!! And where were they when the NORMAL person was buying supplies? I try to get out of it. I explain the having not meant to be seen in public thing this morning and the not wanting my credit card pin on 
camera and that my kid was covered in pop tart….he PROMISED he’d just film the stuff…..Sure Anchor guy…sure. I know what Depth of Field is….you’ll just blur the greasy woman and her bunker rat a little in the background…..Anyway, reluctantly (to say the least) I agree. At this point the store is considerably busier and EVERYONE has stopped and is staring at the Fanatical woman and her terror prevention purchases being filmed for the world to see…..UGH. I then grab my bags and my greasy kid and rush out to the parking lot to escape. Only then do I notice the very large NEWS TRUCK parked just 2 spaces away from me….how’d I miss THAT?! (Did I mention it was early??) I call my mother to inform her of the wonderful events of the morning. She’s laughing when I hear one of her friends in the background, “Is that Christy?? Is she still at Home Depot? Could you ask her to pick me up a few rolls of duct tape and plastic sheeting??” NOOOOOO!!!!! --- (The final product was broadcast to the world later that day on both the noon news and the evening news. Sure enough, it included a fuzzy ME in the background and several very clear shots of my hands….AND, no surprise, ONE shot of me loading things into my basket taken by a sneaky camera man with his camera in a CART!)
