Stephanie crammed a couple of the soggy pretzels into her mouth, making only minimal grossed-out faces, before reminding herself that she should probably spare some for the others and putting the bag down with an abashed look on her face.

"Well, may you have better luck than I've been having, when you do," she told Kitty. "I might take another stab -- no pun intended, for once in my life -- at it myself later, just in case I do get lucky for once."

". . . not like . . . never mind."