read at your own risk

Ahhh slumber and sleep. For the next few nights I am batch'ing it. My loving family has seen it fit to abandon the Paternal One (that would be me), and fly the coop to "the ranch"...Highlands Ranch, that is...black gold...texas tea..... We'll you can tell I am already stir crazy with them gone. With work behind me, and the evening in front of me, I wanted to let you in on my one random thought on the day.

The day started unlike any other day. The night was long. Benny was slumbering in his usual position (that is until the first of the year)-firmly anchored next to my side, and somewhat cemented to my arm. This is typically a good feeling, except he had a very pronounced nose-whistle all night long-consistently lodging and dislodging his "nose candy". Trust me we tried saliene solution in the middle of the night, and the vaunted blue, bulbous nose sucker. All we seemed to extract were cries of helplessness and frustration-and that was just from me! Needless to say when morning rolled around Daddy was tired. So in a very unkempt state I loaded up all their "stuff" and went to the airport to drop them off.

When I got back home to get ready for work I fixed a nice warm bowl of maple flavored oatmeal to collect my thoughts and ready myself to face the day. This is where my random thought popped in my pineapple-shaped head. Really it is more of a poll that I gave myself. Feel free to give me your preference, but let me first back up to Christmas' long ago. Many kids grew up getting toys, games, etc... not me. There was a period that every year I got a big jar of Dill Pickles. I love pickles, pickled okra, pretty much pickled anything. It doesn't stop there. When I played football, I used to run home and make a salad with vinegar. I can't get enough of salt/vinegar chips. I still can't get enough of vinegar based food/condiments. My wife says I am missing a "Vitamin V" in my diet. I have a serious problem.

On the other end of the dietary spectrum I can't get enough Recees. I tend not to buy them because my self control is always lacking, and I end up sick. Is it the peanut butter or the tasty chocolate? I can't rightfully tell?

Herein lies my random poll:

If I had to give up either Vinegar or Chocolate for the rest of my life, which would it be?

This stupid question had me pondering for a good moment this morning. I was almost in a state of panic until I realized that I can still have both. What is it? Salty or Sweet? I love the peanut butter/chocolate, but man...vineger? There is no substitute. Equally good on different spectrums of taste. My final conclusion is that I cannot, absolutely cannot, live without Vinegar.

This being said, while I have opted to make-believe live without Chocolate, it is going to be very hard to live without the other sweetness in my life for even a few days. Ben and Geri. Of course a pint of Chunky Monkey might chase away the tears for now.