Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Angels and Peppers

I was in a meeting with loud breather yesterday and my mind started to wander. I work in the radio pharmaceutical/nuclear medicine business and so my thoughts are quite often about cancer. I wondered about poor loud breather and what was going on inside of him that made him breathe so loud. I decided I really didn't want to know. Then I thought about peppers.

Mmmm....delicious yellow peppers. I HATED them when I was a child. Actually, I hated pretty much all food other than brown sugar sandwiches and bacon. (My grandmother's French... and I'm a Gemini, remember? I don't think I need to say anymore about that.) Since I only had those things once in a while and pretty much didn't eat anything more than a few tablespoons of food a day when I was younger, maybe that's why I never had weight issues. Of course, I know that peppers didn't make me the chunkster I am today but the discovery of food in general definitely has. Anyway, that's not what this is about. *sigh*

This is about my obsession with things I can't explain. NOTE: I said things "I" cannot explain. There very well could be an explanation, I just haven't bothered to search it out because then I would deflate the pleasure of fantasizing about what "I" think it is. It's like reading the answers to the sudoku or crossword puzzle before you start it.

Have you ever cut open a pepper and found more than just seeds. I don't mean bugs or anything like that, but more like a growth. A tumour perhaps? Something like this:



I plucked it out for further investigation.


Do you suppose this could be pepper cancer? It's an abnormal growth. Cancer starts with abnormal cell growth. Cells are born and die constantly but sometimes they don't die. Instead, they mutate and you end up with abnormal growths... tumours. Do you think this is the vegetable equivalent to a tumour? Is it safe for us to eat something that's had a tumour? More questions popped into my head. Thoughts of how to treat the poor little pepper did too but I decided it's not in my best career interests to pursue that further.

What do you think?

You know, it kind of looked like a heart when it was still attached. OH NO! I ripped it's little heart out with my bare fingers! Oh well, I'm sure if it actually did have feelings, they pretty much stopped the instant I cut it's body in half.

Other than that, the vegetarian thing is going along nicely. Mr. B left a comment stating that "salad is what food eats". As you have probably guessed already, he's one of the carnivores I mentioned. He'll be home tomorrow. I'll be sure to let the world know if vegetables kill him. ;)

I've discovered that the Little Prince is happy if salmon is on the menu. Apparently it satisfies his meatetarian needs... so far. Tonight we had herb crusted salmon, rice cooked in vegetable broth, and pan roasted green beans. Yummy! Photos will be added to the new site. Fruit juice and soft drinks are officially off the menu. I just might die without my Coke Zero but I'm going to give it the old college try. What in the world does that mean anyway? Water with lots of ice and a splash of lime cordial has been accepted by all as a soda replacement. A teaspoon of cordial is a lot less unhealthy than a soda with ounces of sugar and chemicals. Progress!

That's all for now. I have to get to bed. I leave you with one more question. Below is another photo of myself and the Magpie. Don't we look positively angelic? ;)

Meat sweats have been replaced by an organic glow. So lovely.

5 comments:

  1. I bet loud breather has allergies. Even if they are consistent throughout all seasons, it could be that. I was a loud breather until I found Allegra. Yay, Allegra!

    Actually, a high school teacher once made cruel fun of me during French class for breathing through my mouth. At the time I just cringed in that kind of embarrassment that only happens to teens, but now I wish I had screamed at him "I can't breathe through my nose AT ALL, you big meanie butt!"

    Anyway. Do vegetarians eat fish?

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  2. Oh Ellen, that's terrible. What teachers get away with is truly horrible. We've had to complain to the school board about a couple of teachers. My daughter's math teacher has one last chance and then I'll be unleashing my dark side. ;)

    Mr. B couldn't breathe through his nose for years either... until we found new homes for the kitties. This fella sounds like he's got an extra part in his nose or something. I would NEVER say anything to him of course but you know when something is just different and you can't help but wonder why? That's totally where I'm at. I hope I haven't offended you with my loud breather stories.

    What we are trying is referred to as being a Pesco vegetarian. Basically you avoid red meat and poultry and choose fish, seafood, eggs, and milk products as well as plant-based foods. Many would argue that one has no right to use the word vegetarian since fish is still part of the diet so I guess to avoid any confusion or upsetting the true herbivores I should simply say we're giving up red meat and poultry. We (the Magpie and I) only plan on adding fish once or twice a week, if at all. I don't think I could ever go totally veg - I love sushi too much.

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  3. You are so sweet! I'm sorry if I phrased my comment badly, you did not offend me at all. I hope the dude with the extra part in his nose is okay. Maybe he put a bean or something in there when he was little (kids always stick things in their noses, right?) and no one ever took it back out.

    Oh, ick, that might be the grossest possibility of all. Yuck!

    I admire your desire to avoid red meat and poultry. I was a vegetarian for a couple of years, and it can be difficult. But very healthy. Go, you! :)

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  4. You know what, you're right! Kids do put stick things in their noses all the time. Maybe he's got a pebble stuck in there. That's what I shoved up my nose when I was a kid. ;)

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