Forgive me. I’m writing about pies. Again. Which is really rather odd as contrary to what you might believe, I don’t really eat a lot of them. Seriously.
Yes, eagle-eyed keeners could note that I blathered on about them in this post about how I have an inability to grasp the art of pastry. They could also point out that I shared the time I assumed I’d be taking a feed-eight-people pie home from pie class but ended up with a weensy one that fed just two.
Ok. So why yet another pie story? Because of today’s Finish The Sentence Friday prompt of “When I think of an Epic Fail I think of …” Of course, there are SO many examples of Just TypiKel epic fails that I am having a hell of a time choosing which particular gem of an epic fail to share. SO. I’m going with the most recent one. Surprisingly against all odds Happily it turned out to be an epic fail almost.
Epic Fail Almost
This pie story takes place this past weekend at a family reunion across the country. Out of respect for those closest to the event that necessitated the get together I won’t share the reason for it. However, I can share that we’d not seen the likes of such a reunion for many years.
It was therefore with much delight that I found myself sitting next to my cousin’s 22-year-old daughter at breakfast on Sunday morning; we were able to engage in a lovely catch up.
“Are you going to the pie place on your way back into town?” she asked.
Wait. What? She filled me in on the wonder that is “The Pie Plate Bakery and Cafe” a family bakery in Virgil, Ontario. Being a member of the west coast branch I’d never been there, much less heard of it.
At her encouragement I gleaned the following about the founder’s history from their website:
Ruth Anne (Schriefer) learned traditional German-Mennonite recipes from her grandmother who would use the palm of her hand or a coffee cup to measure ingredients.
She went on to baking her own pies and selling them door to door. She also persuaded the roadside farm markets to carry fresh fruit tarts for the tour buses. It wasn’t long before Ruth Anne had orders coming in from local restaurants as well.
Now this was obviously someone who understood the importance of good pies. Magical. We added it to our itinerary.
My car load of five were the first to arrive at the Pie Plate. Which was a good thing. We had the pick of the pies. Knowing my daughter (who cleverly advised me to extend my eastern stay in order to pop up and spend some time with her) is a huge pie fan, I selected an entire pie rather than a slice or two. The strawberry rhubarb had her name on it. She’d also had a pretty special birthday a few days earlier so this was also a celebratory pie. Such a lovely treat to look forward to.
Silly me. Rather than offer it up as a surprise, I texted “Bought pie. Don’t eat dessert” to my daughter who was meeting up with me at my B and B later that evening. I’d now entered the land of potential huge disappointment.
Key words: later that evening. Like six hours later. Four of those hours involved transportation of said pie (thankfully boxed in a cardboard container) via car, taxi, train and another taxi. Not to worry I also had a heavy over the shoulder bag and a small suitcase to look after.
Knowing myself and the fact that I’d been awake since 4:00 AM I resorted to talking to myself. I find that helps my memory. You know, absurdly odd normal, everyday comments (especially when overheard by complete strangers) along the lines of
“Suitcase up above in luggage bay. Don’t forget it. Coat off. Soft bag on floor at feet. Pie box on top of soft bag.”
Yes, comments like that. I’m sure the girl beside me on the train meant to jam her earbuds in the minute the train rolled out of the station. Amazingly good sleeper too.
My chatter worked to lock in suitcase retrieval. I walked off the train with everything as it should be. A quick trip to the station washroom and I was standing out front waiting for a taxi in minutes.
It was a busy night. Only one cab was nearby. A gentleman and I watched as it offloaded its inbound passenger.
“Would you like to share? I don’t bite. My house is really close and you can carry on from there.”
How very kind. I accepted immediately and after passing my suitcase to the driver, hopped into the back with my shoulder bag. The next ten minutes were illuminating. My fellow passenger had spent the last nine days at a boat show. Selling boats was his passion. The Lebanese driver and he engaged in an interesting discussion about the price of gas and the merits of sail power. Soon we were pulling up to his cozy home at the end of an icy driveway.
It was then that it hit me. I’d left the pie by the sink of the train station washroom. Oh McKenzie. How could you? Six careful hours all shot to hell. While I was loath to tell the driver that we needed to go back to the station to check for a pie that in all probability was long gone I absolutely dreaded telling my daughter.
But I did. Here’s proof.
My feet slithered on the frozen sidewalk despite the driver’s cautionary warning. I yanked open the heavy station door and flew into the bathroom. Two girls were crowded around the sink combing their hair and applying yet another layer of lipstick.
It was still there. Yes, 20 minutes had passed after it was abandoned yet no one had touched it.
“I wondered what was in that …” the closest girl smiled.
This has been a Finish The Sentence post. The prompt this week was “Whenever I hear the term “Epic Fail,” I think of the time… ” Many thanks to the marvel that is Kristi Campbell, tonight’s Finish the Sentence Friday host. Tonight’s guest hosts are April Grant and Allison McGrath Smith
Enough about me and my epic fail almost. I’m curious about you. Have you left something pretty special behind? Did you go back and get it? Were you forgiven if you didn’t or are you still eating crow? If you’d care to share, I’d love to hear.
55 Responses
Oh, hurray! I was absolutely holding my breath from the instant you left the train, until you flew back, and it was still there. I didn’t know I could hold my breath for that long!
Was the pie delicious?
Bless you Yvonne. The pie was so delicious. Flaky crust and just the right amount of sweetness. If I’m ever in the area again I’ll pop in for another. Highly recommend it!
Oh dear Kelly – you really are a cut above the rest. Belated bday wishes to your special girl!! With by the way the best taste in birthday treats – step aside cake, pie is the new birthday trend! Strawberry rhubarb – could it get any better!
Glad this story had a happy ending – but as always your life is a typically, typikel adventure.
It is certainly never dull Janice! Lovely seeing you yesterday and am so glad I had the wherewithal to stop in that intersection. Got back late the night before and was on my way to get B and Pops. Hope your January baby’s birthday was good!
Oh my Kelly, I saw that one coming from the beginning of the story ! Can’t blame you for forgetting though, being rather sleep deprived . Glad you got it back and enjoyed it with your daughter !
Thank you Jane. It was really delicious. Just the right amount of sweetness. Bit far perhaps for one of our road trips but you never know …
Oh, Kelly, I SO wanted that pie to still be there – hooray!
“I’d now entered the land of potential huge disappointment.” – Now that is an awesome statement and precisely why I don’t tell people when I get them something. I am bound to screw it up.
I can so relate to the self-conversation. I have to do it just to keep track of myself.
Great story – thanks for sharing. I don’t know why I don’t do these FSF posts. They are really great.
Hop on aboard the FTSF ride. Sentence topics on FB. If you can’t access it, sing out and I’ll look up the topic.
Yes it was a huge relief to see that lonely box sitting on the counter. Couldn’t believe it. And yes I think I’ll hold off telling folks about special surprises until I actually give it to them. Good idea!
I’ll do that, Kelly, thank you! Can I jump in this week?
I would have gone back too! In fact – I had to once, when I left a SUITCASE on a bus!!
A suitcase? Nooooooo. In the luggage bay? I do so hope it was still there.
Oh, Kelly! I’m so glad that the pie tale had a happy ending and that you didn’t have to disappoint your daughter. I also use the “say it out loud and you will remember” technique. And I have just about as much success with it as you do…
I love that you also practice the say it out loud memory technique Mo. I try and get my two to appreciate their youthful retentive memory ability but mostly they just laugh at my efforts. Perhaps I should try and be a bit quieter when I do it …
Oh my gosh Kelly, I can NOT believe it was still there! I once left my airplane ticket (back when we had to have real tickets) in a bathroom in the main concourse in the Atlanta airport and had to take the train back to retrieve it. And I made my flight:)!
Sometimes I really do think angels are looking after us Allie. Your ticket story is another example. Wow. The fact that you made the flight only confirms it! Wonderful. How long did it take for your heart to stop racing?
OMG I was holding my breath and then disappointed. I thought that was the end of the story. I am so glad you went back for it and that it was still there. It was beautiful too! I can’t think of quite a comparison. We did leave Christopher’s carry-on on the plane once before when he was too young to be in charge of his own stuff. Of course you can’t go back to get it. I was already calculating the value of it’s contents and that at least his weekend of clothes would be easy to replace. If it had been mine just trying to find one perfect pair of jeans again would have been a disaster. They brought it to us. It put us 30 mins behind schedule waiting for them to bring it. Fortunately we were at our destination and not catching another plane.
How very kind of them to go back and get the carry on. Wow. You’ve reminded me of the time I was flying to New Zealand with my two when they were babies and I left my daughter’s “blankie”in the car. Noooo. She couldn’t get to sleep without it. Happily my son loaned her his. Hers arrived by very expensive air mail a few days late.
I have to ask if you really ate that pie that had public restroom cooties….
Hahahaha! My daughter is the Queen of germ awareness. If she didn’t mention it I sure as hll wasn’t going to.
No one ate it?!?! That kind of restores my faith in humanity!
Nope. The best part? The seal on the box was still intact! Huge.
I’m SO glad you put the word ‘almost’ in the title….while I was reading II figured the story had a happy ending. Glad it turned out the way I thought it would.
Thanks Kathy. It was rather dicey for a bit there. Couldn’t believe it when it was still sitting there so innocently.
Hooray for the pie still being there!! Hope it was the best pie ever after all of that!!!
Glad you are able to see your daughter and eat your pie, too!
Yes we had a lovely catchup over the pie. It still would have been grand but not the same had the pie been picked up by another.
NO WAY. What a fun story. This made me think of a fail. I made my one year old (who is now 21) a birthday cake. I tried to frost it too soon. The layers slide to and fro trying to drive it to his grandparents for the party. We stopped at a grocery and got a cake halfway there. Oh well. I was probably crushed at the time. Mom fail with cake at son’s first birthday. But thinking about it 20 years later, it just makes me smile.
My daughter is 21! Oh how your story made me smile. The dog ate half of my son’s first birthday cake before I could ice it. Of course.
I adore you Kelly and not just for your masterful storytelling abilities! Everything about this story is awesome – that you bought the pie, texted your daughter about it, talked to yourself so you wouldn’t forget key steps, shared the cab, WENT BACK! Of course it was still there – you put such great karma out in the world, it must come back around to you.
This does remind me of the time I left my ENGAGEMENT ring in a hotel room in Las Vegas, and only realized when I was at the departure gate about to fly home! My husband raced to that hotel so fast, found the housekeeping staff, and retrieved it. I have not worn my engagement ring since. I’d rather walk around bare-handed than endure that stress (because it would definitely happen again!) :).
Nooooooooo … ok we must be sisters of a different mother. I would not wear the ring either. No way. It is much safer tucked away than spending time on my finger. It’d be left behind in a blink. Or the stress of thinking that would leave me flat.
YAY for pie that we don’t have to make ourselves and yay for it still being there! I’m shocked that it was! HAHA to the girl on the train next to you being such a good sleeper. Totally cracks me up. Once, I left my very favorite swim suits (2 of them) in a hotel room. I still miss them even though they would never fit now.
By the way, you tell the BEST stories!! 🙂
Aw thanks Kristi. Sorry about your bathing suits. One would be bad enough but two? Yikes. My son left a suit at a hotel and he still talks about it 5 years later …
Phew! glad the pie was there!
but on a side note…you travelled miles, Kelly. I would still give you a rain check over this moment 🙂
Aw thank you. That is very kind of you to offer up the rain check.
But how was the pie??!!!
I can’t believe you went back for it! That is awesome!
(I probably would have too) You did such a good job helping it arrive in tact!
Had to go back for it Jen. The difficult part was the concept of informing the cab driver! Sheesh. However once I spilled the news that we had to go alllll the way back to where we started he was lovely about it. As for the pie? It was absolutely delicious. Just the right amount of sweetness. And the crust? Perfection. If I’m ever back in Virgil I’m popping in for another.
My husband and I spent two lovely vacations in Canada almost ten years ago, checking out Isle Madam, Halifax and Cape Breton, among other places. And there were a few take-aways on Canada for me. Your Oreos are not the same as ours, they’re better; your “lobster” season is shamefully short; and someone shooting a gun and hitting nothing other than a car in Halifax made the news three hours drive away. We were like, “Wait. No one is dead and this is making the news?! Was the Prime Minister in the car?! Was Celine Dion holding the gun?! Is there no other newsworthy crime in Canada?!” Because that pie left in a train station in Philadelphia or Boston or New Haven or (heaven forbid) NYC… blown up by a bomb squad or eaten by the homeless guy who was sleeping in the women’s bathroom within five minutes. Guaranteed.
Way to go, Canada! (And way to go, you! Great story and a delicious looking pie.)
Oh you’ve got me grinning here. Thanks for such a great comment on a Monday morning. We are a pretty special country. However, considering our population is similar to that of California’s and 1/10 of your entire country I think that plays into it. Things are changing though and we are having to be more on guard here. Had I left the pie in the Vancouver/Toronto/Montreal train station I suspect the outcome would have been very different. Isn’t Nova Scotia great? I was there 20 years ago and am forever spoiled by their lobster. All others are cardboard to me now.
WOW – You really had to pay and pay and pay for that pie! I hope it was worth it, of course it was ’cause we all got a great story fro it too. Yea!!!!
I am delighted to report that it was worth it! We got three nights worth of dessert and one breakfast (my daughter’s – honest) out of it. And it was delicious because it had just the right amount of sweetness. Thank you for popping by and leaving a comment Mardra. Have a great week.
The Perils of Strawberry Rhubarb Pie. I well understand them. I’m planning to bake pumpkins pies this morning (yes I know that it is out of season…has to do with very busy Fall, and snow storms today), and I’ll have to be sure that I’m careful about where I put them! Hope that your daughter enjoyed the pie as much as the story behind it!
Yes, my daughter took the story in stride – she grew up with me as her mother after all – and I am delighted to report we got three nights of dessert and a breakfast (hers-promise!) out of it. Good on you Anna. I adore pumpkin pie. How many did you make?
I can’t believe the pie was still there! What luck. And it looks delish. I also love how having that pie in tow was all about having your daughter in tow and your wish to make your time with her so special. Super sweet.
Thanks Lisa. I was grateful for the tiny town train station. Had it been Vancouver/Toronto/ Montreal I suspect we would have had a much different outcome.
Hardly an almost-fail Kelly – I totally celebrate that as an epic pie retrieval adventure! And I have to say news of this Pie Plate Bakery and Café has me ready to pack my bags and head up North. I’ll be bringing an empty suitcase. 🙂
Oh if you can swing the trip up Deborah you surely must. It’s a lovely area not far from Niagara Falls. The bakery cafe is teensy and my cousin knows the owners and by all reports they are wonderful. My suggestion? An empty suitcase AND backpack.
Oh Kelly you do seem to get your self in a bit of trouble,glad you went back,glad the pie was still there.Quite the adventure over pie.Glad to hear it was so good after all the shenanigans.
Thanks Barb. My daughter thought I had left the pie in the Toronto train station. She was delighted to learn where it actually was left and told me later that she was confident it would still be there. And yes. My life is never dull. Hence “Just TypiKel.” Delighted you popped by. It was really special that you left a comment too. Thank you.
I really thought the girls would be found EATING the pie in the bathroom. But that would be weird, huh? Hooray for you and your dedication to pie! Now if you could please help me find stuff – last year we somehow lost my daughter’s fleece coat and in an unrelated incident her Disney Princess thermos. I’m still driving myself batty trying to figure out where they went!!
Oh Katy you make me smile. When my daughter was six my pal and I signed on to run the Sparks program. We had the girls make a lovely wreath in September and then put it away to bring out in June. Could we ever find that wreath? Nope. Hid it in a very special spot. From then on whenever something went missing we’d say “it’s with the wreath.” Did I tell you about losing my visa card in my house? Just a day before going on a trip. Yep. In my house. Had it in my hand one minute and not the next. Had to cancel it and use cash on the trip. Haven’t found it to this day. Must be with the fleece coat, Disney Princess thermos and of course, the wreath.
I just knew you were going to sit on this pie. So glad I was wrong.
I forgot my poncho at work, and didn’t go back for it. It’s too bad, because my girls wore theirs all weekend. We would have looked like Pancho Villa’s posse.
Hahahaha – grinning over your comment Eli. Pancho Villa’s posse! Very cute.
For me it’s the whole deal over the moment when you realise you’ve left something behind and whether it’s worth all the hastle of going back for it. The biggest deal for me was thinking about telling the driver. What would he say about having to go back? Would he go back? Was it worth it to tell him? Then I thought about my daughter’s reaction to me showing up empty handed. Of course she’d just roll her eyes and go “Just TypiKel” but damn it I’d schlepped that pie all day long. I had to go back and see if it was there.
Is poncho lost forever? Or is there a hope of a reunion?
Poncho is sitting right here at my desk, where I left it. We shall ride again!
(We’ll transport your pie, too, at a two-slice tax. That’s not really that bad.)
Splendid! On all fronts. Should I ever leave a pie behind in a train station washroom you’ll be the first person I’ll alert! Bless you.
Oh what a wonderful story…..I had quite the chuckle thank you very much! The whole ‘bathroom’ thing took me by surprise. I thought for sure you would have left it on top of your car as you drove away from the pie shop! I see a lot of that here in the rv park, people put their trash on top of the car, planning on dropping it off on their way out of the park. BUT…there they go down the road, garbage bag a blowing in the wind. I applaud your courage and fortitude….going back to get the pie and so glad you were rewarded with it still being right where ya left it!!! AWESOME!
Thanks Debbie. The hardest thing really was having to tell the driver I’d left the pie behind. Oops. He was a lovely man though and it didn’t phase him one bit. I can well imagine folks putting their trash on top of the car and then forgetting it. My brother-in-law once did that with the baby carseat – yes baby inside. He heard us shouting and didn’t turn on the car thankfully …