Suspicious

Today was a good day to stay home and bake cookies.  Even before the blizzard was predicted baking cookies was my plan. I stocked up on almonds, flour, orange extract and pistachios on Friday so I was all set.  In the middle of one recipe I found I was out of cream of tartar.  I've had this can of cream of tartar forever.  Who knew it would run out?  And how many recipes call for two teaspoons of cream of tartar?  And just what is cream of tartar anyway?  It's nothing like tartar sauce.  And nothing like the stuff that sticks to your teeth.  I suspect it has some chemical property that makes food rise.  I looked in my food bible, The Joy of Cooking for  a substitution for cream of tartar.  There isn't one.  So I called a neighbor and asked if they had any cream of tartar.   They did and were willing to share.  I said I'd be right over.  No, they said, we will come to you.  These neighbors are truly wonderful people but this is a freaking blizzard.  I insisted on coming over.  They said they would meet me half way.  So I dressed up and trudged over to their house.  We met almost halfway.  He got a little farther.  He didn't stop to put snow pants on like I did.  Neighbors across the street were shoveling out what the plow put in.  I opened my empty can of cream of tartar.  He opened his full can and shook some of the white powder into my can.  We talked for a minute and parted ways.  I have to wonder just what the shoveling neighbors thought we were doing.  We had to look suspicious.  So on my way back, in an effort to allay their suspicion look friendly I said, "Enough snow for you?"  They agreed it was enough snow.