Girl Scout Cookies

First off, I'd like to apologize for my site having been a bit messed up the past two days. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank my webmaster, Jeff Trovato, for fixing the issue.
Secondly, I'd like to wish everyone a very blazin' 420. Hope you had some great times.

Tonight, I have Zlata Thoughts about Girl Scout Cookies. I'll be the first to admit that I'm not quite well-versed on the topic. I don't know the varieties by name and I don't know when it's "Girl Scout Cookie Season." True, I was a Girl Scout for several years of my youth, but I'll be darned if I remember anything except that Jodi Foy was my troop leader and I really got along well with Laura Ianuzzi.

In any event, my fascination with Girl Scout Cookies happened earlier this year, when a co-worker of mine, Suzanne Lyons, sent out a mass email titled "It's that time again!!" with a Girl Scout Cookie order form attached. At the time, I decided that I a) spend enough money on food as it is; no need to buy cookies on top of that, and 2) Need cookies like the Duggars need another baby; um, like - not at all.

Well, after Easter, my roommate brought back a few boxes of these infamous cookies, courtesy of her mom. Obviously, we're all very thankful. As I said, I'm not a big Girl Scout Cookie eater, but I have to tell you .... these things are AMAZING! I began asking a lot of questions about Girl Scout Cookies (partly because I'm inquisitive by nature and partly because it's the eve of April 20th) and found out that they are really only sold ONCE during the year. I hadn't known that before tonight. So, the cookie is like really coveted. Moreover, I cannot believe they've been in existance for SO many years. I mean, I can't remember a time when they didn't exist in my life. It's almost as if each box is like a collector's item, especially given that a year will go by before you can order them again! Like, do crazy cookie lovers just buy a whole shit ton of cookies so they can last a full year? Like, dedicate the whole left side of their pantry to just Girl Scout Cookies??
AND I found out they discontinue some kinds. I mean, WHAT? If you're all about committment Girl Scouts of America - then don't disappoint. Why would they discontinue cookie varieties? These things are sought after and are in high demand...how dare you?

While all of my questions were thoroughly answered by roommates, I felt like I still had to learn more about these craved delights. So, here I am - just out of the shower and snuggled into bed. Here I go...straight I to the most reliable source I could think of: Wikipedia.
And, Here's what I JUST learned:

• The first record of cookie sales dates back to 1917. That's um, 92 years ago?
• Starting in 2009, several of the cookie varieties were either made smaller or had fewer cookies per box, without a corresponding drop in price. In particular, there are now fewer cookies in a box of Thin Mints, Do-si-dos, and Tagalongs, and the Lemon Chalet Creme cookies are now smaller. The Girl Scouts have suggested that this change was necessary to compensate for rising cost of ingredients. Um, that's just utterly ridiculous. Why would someone pay more for fewer cookies? That shouldn't be the Girl Scouts way. Where is the honor and morality in that? Even the Girl Scouts during the time of WWII didn't do that. Yea, that's right. According to my source, they sold calendars instead of cookies, since there wasn't enough butter, milk and eggs around to bake. Tsk, Tsk Girl Scouts '09.
• There is actually a website launched in 2007, dedicated to finding out where and when you can purchase Girl Scout Cookies in your area. Yea, I went there...so? Apparently, in the 07030 location, the cookies were sold in January. That's all. Only 30 days. People only had from January 1 to January 31 to buy these cookies.
  
• The varieties of cookies can change from year to year, though there is a grand total of 28 different kinds. The three that MUST be sold each year are: Thin Mints, Do-Si-Dos (Peanut Butter Sandwiches) and Trefoils (Shortbreads.)
• Each baking company names its own cookies. Thus the exact kinds, names, and composition of the cookies may vary from year to year, depending on which baking companies have been licensed, and what they have proposed.
• The top two sellars are Thin Mints and Samoas, respectively.

And there you have it people. Zlata's Thoughts on Girl Scout Cookies.