The Traveling Macaroon

At times I know I am a chronic procrastinator. At other times I wonder if I have taken procrastination to a whole new level.

My everyday life consists of the same, monotonous tasks, which never, ever reach completion. Sometimes, though, a rare, wonderous moment occurs - a spotless laundry table (Olivia, my comrade!), a sparkling kitchen, a bedroom chair sans shoes, hairdryer and clothes, but these moments, as I said, are rare, so I live for the little firework celebrations I create for myself. Mostly, I am ashamed to say, I find these on the Internet - like checking friends' blogsites several times a day, or, going to Amazon.com and looking at $3,000 espresso machines - I mean, how good of a cappuccino can you get?

My most recent procrastinatory indulgence was the search for the Laduree macaroon. Last year, I was blessed to be able to vacation in Paris, and it was while there that I discovered these jam-filled, meringue-like pastry Xanadus. I brought several boxes home, consumed all of them in a few days, oblivious to the fact that I could order them from a gourmet shop in New York.

My discovery of L'Epicerie.com could be my ultimate downfall, but, right now, I am pleased to report that my very own box of macaroons is on its way. I probably should give this box a name, considering the amount of time and emotion I have put into acquiring it - Jean-Luc Pierre Francois de Guisse seems fitting, I think. (Perhaps this is the right place to mention that my shipping cost for this long-sought Jean-Luc is almost as much as the illustrious Jean-Luc himself.)

As if acquiring the macaroon wasn't enough, I have actually been stalking it by regularly checking fedex.com. Jean-Luc Pierre Francois de Guisse was picked up in Brooklyn at 5:45pm on Tuesday, and left Brooklyn at 10:06pm, where he traveled to Newark, NJ for a short stay, and then departed Newark at 11:03pm. Wednesday and Thursday his wherabouts are unknown, but I have discovered that this morning at 7:04am he arrived at the FedEx facility in Nebraska only 45 minutes away, and at 7:08am, he boarded a FedEx vehicle for delivery, meaning he should be arriving sometime today.

I have done nothing since I received this rapturous news, but, with palpitating heart, pressed my nose to the living room window like a captain's wife looking out at the sea from her widow's walk. It is only hours until I will be united with my Jean-Luc!

I would like to think that, as Proust forever transformed the madeline by glorifying it in his Remembrance of Things Past, perhaps I will transform forever the macaroon.

Or, perhaps, more likely than not, I'm just crazy.