Over the hills and through the woods

First off, I'll admit the title has absolutely nothing to do with the subject...but then I plan on a variety of subjects so technically you will be adventuring over the hills and through the woods of my mind. The hills have eyes and the woods are dark and deep, so watch your step.

I drove home today with the moon roof open. What a treat!!! I am perfectly aware that it is February and very short lived, but I needed the sunshine. My mood was improved just by 30 minutes of sun and warm air...and loud music.

This weekend I participated in a science experiment. There grows in Asia a fruit called the Miracle Berry. It somehow effects the sour/bitter receptors on your tongue. A friend ordered a tablet/freeze dried version and decided we'd give it a try. The pills reminded me for some reason of the dental disclosure tablets you got as a kid to show where you missed brushing. You let the tablet dissolve while swishing it around in your mouth. It had an odd pasty flavor like cornstarch, but not unpleasant.

A table had been prepared for this little experiment...lemon, lime and grapefruit wedges, every type of bitter/sour candy you can imagine and for good measure tequila. At least I think that was included for good measure...some of us had to try it a couple of times. So the first thing I picked up was a section of grapefruit. I love grapefruit, sectioned and sprinkled with sugar. After the Miracle Berry the grapefruit was sweet like an orange...it was amazing and delicious. Next I tried a lemon wedge. It was like the sweetest lemonade, almost too sweet. I regret not trying the lime. The results were the same for all the candies...all sweet, no sour. Cranberry juice was like Kool-aid. That for good measure tequila was now sipable as all the edges had been smoothed out. I wasn't paying attention to my watch so I can't say how long the effect lasted but it seemed to suddenly disappear as I popped a Sour Patch gummy in my mouth and received rebound WOW!There were no ill effects except a mild rough feeling of the tongue which disappeared quickly.

Some people at work were amazed that I would consume some strange pill from Asia purchased over the Internet without more concern. I wonder if they read the labels of their energy drinks or herbal supplements? But then I'm the person that ended up with potentially life threatening reaction from an FDA approved, emergency room doctor prescribed medication. Sometimes you just have to live a little.

I am quickly closing in on the end of my first disc (of 4) from Lost Odyssey...my very first Xbox 360 game. I am enjoying it and slowly learning my way around. It has fallen out of favor the last few days as I picked up a previous love Saturday morning as I headed out the door to get my oil changed...a book. A good book, one that has you sucked into the story in the first few pages and refuses to let go. Sail by James Patterson & Howard Roughan is one of those easy reads that I find myself, well, sailing through. I read 252 pages Saturday and that's with me getting my oil changed, going shopping, playing Xbox and experimenting with strange bizarre food products from Asia. Not bad for a Saturday afternoon.

I think I'll go read.