The Chocolate Fund

You all know that I am the resident chocolate "dealer" at my restaurant, right? Well, I apologize if I neglected to mention it before. It has become a pretty long-standing thing now (since October). For the past two months, I have turned my focus to a healthier alternative - trail mix with peanuts, raisins, yogurt raisins, and Raisinets - and other people have been bringing in bags of candy.

Aside from the candy donations, sometimes people will give me a dollar or two. It's certainly not requested, but a donation will get you a say in the next type of candy purchased.

Well yesterday The Boss gave me $10 for the chocolate fund, which I proceeded to put in the envelope in my unlocked desk marked "Chocolate Fund." That was at about 3:00. Around 7, he decided he needed AAA batteries for an old pen-size flashlight in his desk and sent me downstairs to the shop to buy them. He was trying to figure out whether to give me his corporate card, but I suggested I'd just use the $10 he had given me earlier.

The sundry shop downstairs had AAA batteries - but they were marked $15 for four batteries! I hadn't brought my wallet or my discount card, so I trudged my way back upstairs to grab both. Even at 35% off, I didn't think that $10 would cover the tax. Leaving my office again, I thought I'd try the gift shop on our level (mostly toys). These guys had batteries, but they were a different brand and there was no price tag. So I crossed my fingers and got in line. Imagine my surprise when the man rang up my purchase and told me the total was $5.75.

WHAT?!?!?

I still don't know what magical powers the batteries downstairs possessed, but I'm glad I didn't have to spend all of my chocolate fund on four tiny batteries.

Well, wouldn't you know, the batteries didn't do the trick for the little flashlight anyway. I told The Boss that they do sell tiny flashlight key chains in the gift shop, but I spent all my money on his batteries. I don't think he was amused.