I've been Tussied!

Once upon a time (about four years ago), my friend Ashley was shopping at Wal-Mart when she discovered the cheapest deodorant on the planet. The deodorant came in a bright red and white container, smelled faintly like bug spray and cost a mere 99 cents. Ashley wondered about the person who would claim Tussy as her deodorant of choice.

At the time, I lived with three girls with whom I also worked: Sarah, Johanna and Krishana. Ashley, also from work, was an honorary member of our house. Shortly after Ashley told us about Tussy, sticks and tubs of it began to mysteriously appear in odd places: on windowsills, nestled in shower caddies, stashed in glove compartments. I would even occasionally receive one through interoffice mail. There were only a handful of Tussy products, but they circulated quickly as we developed sneakier and sneakier ways to pass them off.

A classic Tussy moment was the time Krish successfully stowed a stick in Johanna’s luggage when she went to Europe. We ended up with a fantastic picture of Tussy in front of the Eiffel Tower. Perhaps Tussy loved Johanna best, for when she got married last year in Nebraska, Tussy attended the event. Among wedding snapshots was a photo of bride and groom Tussy at the altar. In fact, every Tussy product ended up in Nebraska. And then we forgot.

Two weeks ago, Johanna and her husband Paul were in town for a visit. Sarah and Ashley have moved away, but Johanna, Krish and I were able to spend some time together and reminisce about our delightful days at the “Old Ranch House.” Johanna even came into work that Monday to say hello to former co-workers. After she left, Krish summoned me over to her cubicle. “Look what was in my mail slot,” she said, holding up a familiar red and white cylinder.

“You’ve been Tussied!” I exclaimed. Krish had already e-mailed Sarah and Ashley and received a response back from Sarah. The message contained a line drawing of the U.S. and a picture of the “Tussy Tub.” Her message said: “I love that we are in Arkansas, Colorado and Washington and Tussy continues to strengthen the bond of our friendship! Together we cover half of the continental U.S. Pretty impressive!!”

I walked back to my cubicle grinning. Yep, Johanna had pulled a good one. Krish never saw it coming. I walked over to the coffee pot to replenish my cup, and there among the creamers and sugar I found…you guessed it. I’d been Tussied. And I really didn’t mind.