Okay. So I admit it. I have issues with expiration dates. It drives my Geek-Man
nuts. An example: If my potato chips have an expiration date of, say, August
23rd, I will stop eating them by August 21st. Sometimes, I may push it to the
actual date on the bag, but that is rare. I need to be very hungry without many
options. (Not that I am eating chips and cheating on my diet or anything. No
sirree! Well, maybe a few now and then, but don’t tell on me, okay?) Milk (or
any such dairy product) falls into an area where there is no grey…it is black
and white. No drinking milk or eating anything dairy within 3 days of an
expiration date. Why am I like this? I totally blame my sister. Growing up as
her little sister and pretty much wanting to do anything I could to please her,
I would do just about anything she asked me to do. So, starting young, it was a
very common thing in my house to hear the phrase “Taste this and see if it is
stale/fresh/tastes funny.” And ~duh~ I always would. Worse yet, I never thought
anything of it! How lucky for her, though, to have her own personal food tester.
Geek-Man has tried on several occassions to explain to me that “Best used by…”
really means best used by and not “you will wither up and die a horrible death
that includes much vomitting if you eat this”. Whatever, dear, I am not eating
it. It didn’t really hit me until last night when I heard Kidlet Sr say to
Kidlet Jr “Taste this and see if it is still good” that I realized how
ridiculous it seems. Even more so when I heard Kidlet Jr say “Okay” and then eat
the offered “test-food”. I guess sibling issues aren’t new, they are just
recycled. Oh, and for those of you who are wondering, no, I will not taste
anything you offer to see if it is still good, but it seems that Kidlet Jr will
and on occassion, just to shut me up, so will Geek-Man.

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