detox...

Subsequent to the New Year's haze, I was wombling around a local supermarket with an adventurous spirit at heart. Every time I go shopping I try to get outside of 'my envelope' and buy something that I wouldn't normally buy or eat (livin' on the edge eh).

Normally, it is just some sort of weird vegetable or unheard of soup but this habit, combined with a refusal to throw food away (unless it is badly out of date), has happily introduced me to some great new things over the years..

On this furry day, I found myself in the organic section seeing what life-changing products could be found there. After a vague blank stare for a bit, my eyes dropped to the funky drinks department where I couldn't help but notice one little number which sucked me in with it's "I'll change your life" advertising. Picking up one of these bottles I started to read through its ingredients to see what this wondrous elixir may hold.

I read it for a second and then realised that I hadn't taken it in (no big surprise there - this was New Years Day and, unsurprisingly, there were to be no awards won for dynamic brain activity on that day). I re-read it again and realised that I didn't really understand something on it. I looked away for a brief second, to re-focus my eyes, and then looked back at the label again.

With further intensified study, I locked onto one of the main ingredients and confirmed that I had no idea what that ingredient was. I was intrigued by the word and pondered that further because, essentially, it was a straight-forward English word and I figured a brief review of its etymology would solve the problem or, at least, give me a major clue to its origin...

Nope.. nothing.

- I tried to say it in my head... and couldn't even do that.
- I tried to say it out loud and couldn't even do that properly.
- I was still stumped!

It was about then that I had my first true moment of clarity for the New Year and realised that I was speaking out loud - to myself - in a busy supermarket.. (maybe I did wear my pants back to front on my New Years Eve run)!

"What the crap is it" I thought and then menaced my own brain with "gimme an answer now" - where it happily filled in the gap by replying 'Cholera..'

"Mmmm-huh. Nice work brain..!".

A bottle of Cholera indeed. "Well," I thought, "you wanted to try something new - how about a bottle of Cholera then Biggles". Result! So in it went to the shopping basket, to join the rest of the rather eclectic spontaneous shopping clan.

To date, I still have yet to try it - but there is still a while before it expires (and a grace period after that before it becomes bubonic) so plenty of time yet. It has, however, been in and out of the fridge about 3 times to be pondered (and duly replaced) and has even been on a photoshoot – so I can't say I haven't got my moneys worth out of it even if it does taste like seawee.