Pop-SICK-els

After a month of unnecessary panic attacks, two weeks of working overtime, and a full weekend of hard concentrated partying, I finally got one hell of cold. It started Sunday evening, I was at a BBQ eating the standard sad ass veggie burger at the meat party and I could feel something wasn't right. It was that dull scratchy tickle at the back of my throat that didn't hurt quite yet, but it was only a matter of time. I was well aware that later when my head hit the coolness of my pillow and I fell asleep, I'd be giving my body carte blanche to go tear that shit up - Freddy style. Sure enough, I woke up with an aching throat, chills, fever, and a cloudy head of resentment.

Eating when sick is boring and pretty much sucks because everything just tastes like hair. Not to mention swallowing anything not made of liquid or fluff feels like one thousand fiery knives searing down my tender throat. This, however, is where popsicles come in to save the day. The most amazing of all treats, popsicles can somehow magically transform themselves when illness strikes from dessert, to healthy entree. My parents, who did not really believe in things that tasted good to children, would be the first ones to shove a dozen popsicles at me when I was down and out - no solid foods, just frozen sugar juice on a stick. Back then I was one hundred percent for Flintstones Push Pops, they were pure sweetness, mushy to the point that it was impossible to eat, and they always made your hands sticky to the max, yet eating one was to know heaven. As a kid, the only thing better than oddly packaged push pops, was when the ice cream truck would jingle along offering it's goldmine of hard to find novelty treats. The music would float up to my bedroom, and I would practically jump out of my two story window to ensure my ownership of the specialty Pink Panther pop with the bubble gum eyes (!), popsicle royalty.

Now that I live in DC and "Turkey in the Straw" has since become but a whispered memory, I get most of my frozen pops from Trader Joe's. They have a good line of the "real fruit" ones including the more elusive flavors of Mango, Lime, and Coconut. Though nothing beats the Edy's bars with the hunks of actual strawberry buried inside. When I eat those, there's no doubt in my mind that I'm having at least two servings of my daily fruit, and that my weakened body will have no choice but to mend itself.

I guess you know you're getting older when you stop looking for your food to have gumball body parts, and just hope whatever you're eating makes you feel less sickly and with some luck may also contribute to the food pyramid.