Those 70ish Girls

By Valerie Halla

We were pretty excited, the four of us, not to just be there in Mesa for the snowbirds 2023 Jones/Lyman County South Dakota Gathering, but for getting a full box of Krispy Crème Donuts: FREE. Bill snagged them at the end of the reunion. Such a smart cousin. Remember I had said that this reunion had tons of sweets put out? Like we needed to add more sweets and calories to our senior diets and let’s not eat any protein nor veggies and fruit. What are veggies and fruit anyway? Never heard of them. Donuts? That’s a different story.

Bill brought the donuts back to our hotel. Mary and I were like Wolfhounds ready to pounce on our next meal only we were sugar hounds. She grabbed one and so I chose a shiny chocolate covered one which called out to me like a moth to the flame if the flame was chocolate coated. We managed to control ourselves for that night. After that we pretty much guarded the box with our lives.

The next morning we took the box of KC donuts proudly downstairs for the continental breakfast.

We four were putting together our donut patrol team. Gus, being the oldest, placed the large box of donuts on a table next to ours after carefully surveying the area. We then proceeded to take turns getting our continental breakfast with one of us on security for donut duty at all times. I suddenly saw a guy heading for the DT = Donut Table.

A clean, swell looking guy sat down next to the donuts with his breakfast. He was alone and looked relatively trustworthy but one never knows. I cannot recall which one of us gave him the original warning … uh… I meant greeting about our box. Gus even teased the stranger about our special donuts sitting in the big box at his table. We were getting friendly but still cautious with the fine wholesome looking stranger near our donuts.

Gus said, “Sir, you’re in charge of our donuts. They were free.” The fine quiet stranger did not seem to be impressed as he tried to eat his breakfast in peace. We obnoxiously weren’t going to let him eat in peace.

Gus kept prodding. “Sir, would you like one? “

Sir answered,”No thanks. How did you get them for free?” (He may have cracked a smile.)

After we got our emotions settled from the shock of Sir not wanting a free Krispy Crème donut plus not seeming honored, we forged on. One of us explained how we had gotten a box of donuts for free. We clearly were experiencing some boredom yet bragging about our good luck. How could anyone turn down a free donut? Are you kidding me? This Sir guy maybe came from a different galaxy far, far away- a donut-less galaxy.

We did get over this rebuff. We weren’t too hurt by Sir. We did eat more donuts. We might’ve thrown a couple away, but I doubt it. They were, after all, free and that’s a big deal in our galaxy called South Dakota Donut Association, though sadly, I do not think that group is currently together anymore.