People have asked me, “Leon, where do you get your ideas for Thursday Thoughts?” Not really. That’s a lie. The most common question I get is “Leon, what do you like to eat for a snack?” Seriously, really. No that’s a lie too.

But now you are wondering, “Leon, what do you like to eat for a snack?”

I have a weakness for chips (crisps for the Brits). My favorite flavour (flavor for the Americans) is ripple. Now, before you start jumping up, waving your arms, and screaming, “Ripple is not a flavor! Ripple is not a flavor!” hold your horses. I know it isn’t, but it’s funny to say*, and I know that next time you are with a bunch of friends (freinds for the people who can never figure out the “i” before “e” rule), you are going to take the opportunity to say, “Pass the ripple flavor, please.” and get that round of laughter we all want from time to time.

My second favorite is Sour Cream and Onion. All the salty flavor and none of the dipping hassle (I do like chips and dip though). But, more often than not, I’ll go for a bowl of cereal.

“Cereal?” you ask.

“Yes. Cereal,” he answers aloofly.

“Aloofly?” you ask in a puzzled fashion.

“Well, maybe not aloofly, but I don’t think that I have used that word in any of my writings, so I seized the opportunity,” he replies smugly.

“Smu—” No. we are not going to do this anymore. Moving on.

Favorite cereal? Let’s digress, shall we? Remember those 4-packs of little cereal boxes that mom used to buy on special occasions? I’m pretty sure you can still get them because I’ve seen the little boxes at hotel breakfast buffets when the hotel hasn’t sprung for the convenience of the large silo dispensers. You’ve seen them. They are strategically placed above the cereal crumbs and bits on the floor.

What do we remember about that 4-pack? Anyone? Anyone?**

That’s right. It comes with three delicious sugar coated varieties and the one that kids won’t touch until they are older. Much older. I know that “All Bran” was one, and they would also include “Corn Flakes” which kinda look like “Frosted Flakes”*** and with enough sugar will suffice if that is all that remains. No amount of sugar will magically transform “All Bran” to “Frosted All Bran”. (Note: I like “All Bran” now. Not all the time, but it’s a keeper)

So, when I am grocery shopping, I’ll always pick up a box if the price isn’t stupid (have you noticed that cereal prices have got up a lot?) or a few boxes (sometimes four) if they are on sale. I’m not that picky if the price is right. I do tend to avoid the overly sweet varieties, though. I’m happy with good ol’ Cheerios or Corn Flakes.

I did, on a whim, buy a box of Captain Crunch recently. I thought that by this time he should be an admiral, but there he was, still a captain. After solving the maze (and the word jumble) on the back of the box—in record time I might add—I proceeded to have myself a bowl.

Did they change the recipe? Oh, it was still sweet, but the famous “crunch” that used to last through the thorough soaking of milk seemed…well, less brutal-to-the-roof-of-your-mouth than I remembered. I’m not complaining. It was delightfully crunchy, just different. The leftover milk tasted the same, though.

Cereal is often my desert when I need that little extra filler.

Do you have any cereal stories?

-Leon

^{*Just like calling sandwiches “sammiches”. We all know someone who does.}

^{**Name that movie reference.}.

^{*** If I am using quotes improperly to denote name brands, let me know.}

Leon Stevens is a blogger, composer, artist, and an author of four books (so far): Lines by Leon: Poems, Prose, and Pictures, Journeys: Eight Original Pieces for Classical Guitar, The Knot at the End of the Rope and Other Short Stories, and The View from Here, his first science fiction novella.