Snow Caps


In high school, I weighed about 100 pounds. I used to think it was just my metabolism, but looking back, I probably didn't eat that much excess junk considering I was only eating whatever my mother gave me for breakfast and dinner, and whatever the meager $1.65 school lunch was every day. I always had ice cream after school, but still, it wasn't like I had the money or time to buy my own snackage. There was one year when I had no friends in my lunch period, so instead of even eating lunch, I went to the library every day, bent into a carrel where the librarians couldn't see me eating, and pulled out a granola bar.

But I digress.


I got into college and signed up for the standard freshman three-meal-a-day meal plan.

Suddenly, not only were a full range of hot foods, sandwiches and cereals at my disposal, but for lunch and dinner, the "ice cream bar" was out. Besides hot fudge and the like, it featured such toppings as Heath bar crunch and Snow-Caps.


Clearly, draconian measures had to be instituted. I decided that I would allow myself to have "ice cream days" and "chocolate days" only two days a week. I made them the same days: Tuesday and Thursday, because I had my hardest classes those days. Ice cream and chocolate could ease the pain.

"You girls are crazy," this kid across the hall said to me once, "With your ice cream days." (I wasn't the only one.)

One Monday, I snuck a cup full of those delicious dark-chocolate Snow Caps out of the cafeteria and placed it on my dresser. I wanted it, but I couldn't eat it yet. After all, it was Monday.

That night, I had to study for my Calculus 141 exam. I sat Indian-style on my bed and started studying. My roommate sat on the bed across from mine, studying too. She knew I was salivating over those Snow-Caps, just a few feet away.

The red numbers on my clock radio changed. 11:48. 11:49.

At precisely 12:01 a.m., I put my Calc book down and plunged my mouth into the cup full of delicious Snow-Caps.

That anticipation really got me through.

I don't think this story goes very far to dispel the notion that women have food issues, does it?