E. Coli!!!!!

Yes, I know I haven't posted in forever, but this was too entertaining not to share it with the few readers that I have . . .

So, as you've probably heard, Germany is in the headlines for having and mysteriously spreading a potentially fatal strain of the E. Coli virus. We've been warned to avoid all lettuce, tomatoes and especially cucumbers! This is very sad for me because I CRAVE salads all summer long. Tomatoes are my absolute favorite vegetable. But, because I'm afraid to have an "it can't happen to me" attitude right now, I am

obediently complying with the warnings.

Of course, I didn't even hear about the virus until a few people had died from it and was eating local tomatoes from a farm stand near my house every single day (in salads with lettuce and cucumbers). Once I heard about it though, I gave up my beloved vegetables cold turkey. :-(

On Sundays, my co-workers and I usually go out to McDonald's after church. This Sunday, I ordered a "Hamburger Royal TS" and asked for no lettuce or tomato (not realizing quickly enough that the TS stands for tomato and lettuce). The guy looked at me puzzled.

"Hasn't anyone else asked you to hold the lettuce and tomato?" I asked him.

"Nope, you're the first," he replied.

He probably meant that particular burger, since any person with a working brain would've simply ordered a cheese burger, which is what I was ultimately served.

Feeling dumb and a little paranoid, I went out to brunch today with a friend at a really nice, kind of posh, French cafe. Usually, they serve little salads with every entrée, but today no salads were served. That made me feel better. It's not just me taking this seriously.

This morning on CNN, it was reported that the source seems to be German-grown bean sprouts. I was skeptical. Who eats bean sprouts??? Surely they are not popular enough to make thousands sick! I was right. Later today, the tests came back negative. It's not bean sprouts.

I bought bell peppers and onions this evening to make chicken fajitas. They are on the supposed "safe list", but so were bean sprouts a few days ago. Fingers crossed. Maybe soon the government will be encouraging us to eat junk food and avoid anything fresh . . . :-)