Chocolate surprises

Amongst the vast quantity of chocolates in the apartment after Christmas (there are still some left, god help us) was a box of brandy-filled chocolates.

Specifically, these.

I think I was somehow expecting them to be solid chocolates with some kind of subtle brandy flavor. Ohhh no. These things had liquid brandy in the center. If we'd split the entire box at once we would have been hammered.

One of my coworkers brought in a box of similar chocolates, only filled with different flavors of vodka. Those were eye-openers, certainly, but really they just weren't as potent as the Asbach ones.

I wonder if there are Scottish single malt-filled chocolates! Glenmorangie, perhaps? Hmm ...

And in a shop down the street ...

... I heard the delicious and sinister "Secret" by The Pierces. All the customers were clearly listening to it and grinning. It's that kind of song.

Walked into a random boutique the other evening ...

To my amazement, the song that was just starting as I walked in was "Home By the Sea", from Genesis' self-titled album from 1983.

I was stunned; not only is that song 30 years old and on the obscure side ... it is one of my favorite songs of all time.

I looked around to see who might have been responsible for this song being played, but saw only two 20-something women hanging out behind the counter, clearly not paying attention. Maybe Pandora was being used behind the scenes. Maybe it was a completely random aberration on someone's playlist.

Either way, it was a really nice surprise.