It all started with chocolate cake and a funeral...

I thought that most of you would know the chocolate cake story. But since I've had a few requests, and it is one I really should write down, here it is (keeping in mind that it is much better told in person).

It all started with chocolate cake. And a funeral.

A few years ago I was helping with a funeral luncheon. I was a counselor in the Relief Society Presidency and the Relief Society President's husband had passed away after a long illness. It was a sad day, but in some ways a relief, as she had been caring for him for a long time. After the funeral, the Relief Society was providing a luncheon for the family and I was helping prepare and serve the food with other women from church. Lots of different people had brought in food. One person brought in this amazing several layer decadent-looking chocolate cake. The idea was that if there was any food left over at the end after all the family had eaten, those of us in the kitchen would get to have a meal too, since we had been there for several hours. After the cake was delivered we all started talking about how we were really hoping there would be some of the cake left over since it looked so delicious.

As happens when you get a bunch of women together in a room, we all started joking and laughing and having a pretty good time while we were working. When it was all said and done, there was some food left, so we ate a bit and cleaned up the kitchen and split up the few remaining slices of chocolate cake for each of us. As I left the church I contemplated the piece of cake I was holding on a napkin. If I took it home, the kids would eat it all, and that wasn't a good option since I really wanted it--I had been looking forward to enjoying this amazing piece of cake for the past few hours. So of course I decided the best option would be to eat it on the way home. We'd all been laughing, and I was feeling pretty silly as I got in my car and adjusted the radio to some fun music.

I started driving--and finally took a bite of the cake. And it was good. So rich and chocolately. Definitely worth waiting for. But it is a bit difficult to drive while eating a piece of cake. With only one hand to hold the cake, it was hard not to bite the napkin, and not get the frosting all over my upper lip. I realized I was sort of making a mess, so I tried to reach into the glove box to get a napkin--even more difficult to do at the same time I was driving and holding a piece of cake. Oh well. I could always get that napkin at the next stoplight, or when I was done with the cake all together. I was alone in my car, no one to see even if I did have frosting on my face. I was driving on a long straight two-lane road. One lane each way, so no one was passing me. Just a steady stream of traffic. It was dark and kind of rainy. All of a sudden, police lights flipped on right behind me. I hadn't realized a police car was following me. It was dark and I couldn't see past the headlights. I wasn't sure if the flashing lights were for me. I glanced at my speedometer. No, I wasn't speeding. I was going the same speed as all the cars in front of me. I then assumed the police car just needed to get past all of us for some reason--you never know what the officer might be hearing on his scanner--so I pulled over. Amazingly enough the police car pulled over behind me.

At this point I realize I have a mostly eaten piece of chocolate cake in one hand and frosting on my face and a policeman is walking toward my car. I had a few seconds to grab a napkin and try to clean myself up and pick the crumbs off my dress. It made me laugh that I had thought it wouldn't matter if I had frosting on my face while I was alone in the car--I made a mental note to self at that point that good manners matter all the time, not just when you think someone is watching. So I am already kind of laughing when the policeman came to my window. Not good.

As I rolled down my window, I think I was a bit too cheerful. He asked me what I had been up to, and I told him I had just come from a funeral and I was eating this piece of chocolate cake (I showed him the remainder of my piece). At this point, I realized how ridiculous that sounded. Here I was in a really good mood, laughing and telling him I had been to a funeral. I started explaining to him how I had been helping in the kitchen and why I was eating this piece of cake. I'm sure what I was saying didn't make a lot of sense to someone who doesn't understand how LDS funerals are done. He then asked me if I had been drinking. He said he had been following me and it seemed like I was having trouble staying in my lane. It was at that point that I finally realized why he had pulled me over. It had never occurred to me that he thought I had been drinking, since of course I have never drank in my life, and the thought of it was just so absurd that I laughed right out loud, all the while denying it. As you can imagine, this just made things worse, so he had me get out and "walk the line." The whole thing was still so funny to me. I never felt like I was in any danger of getting into trouble since I hadn't done anything wrong and I figured a breathelizer test would solve things in my favor if necessary. So I couldn't stop laughing. (Word of advice: Don't laugh if you get pulled over for drunk driving. It doesn't help your case). After a fit of uncontrolled laughter, I decided I better pull it together and get this over before someone I knew saw me on the side of the road. I eventually walked the line successfully, and was sent away with a word of caution to avoid eating while I was driving.

Was the piece of cake worth it? Definitely.