Edward J. Pluchar - The Blogsplitter

Today has been on my mental calendar for quite some time -  Lewisburg’s 3rd annual Chocolate Festival.

What a splendid idea!  I say that like the idea of a chocolate festival is novel because I was here before the CF was, and if you had asked me whether it would be successful I would have said, “Yes, absolutely.”

Let me temper the discussion by saying that the CF is pretty great, but not all that chocoholics might dream it up to be.  There could be a more cohesive assortment of chocolates among the stores dishing out samples.  There could also be a stronger push for more exotic and more imaginative chocolates, really stretching the abilities of the cacao bean product.

Nevertheless, armed with palate cleansers (unsalted crackers, apples, and water), Marcy and I hit the streets and ended up consuming 15 samples of chocolate between the two of us.  I like to get a good breakfast in, but today, I’ve only eaten chocolate and crackers.

Not a bad day.

I hoped to take more pictures of the chocolates, but I didn’t remember my camera until it was almost too late.  So, below, a picture of our final sample.  This brownie, a no-bake cookie smoothie, and a chocolate-caramel covered pretzel were my favorites.

UPDATE:  Shortly after I finished this post, I drove home.  Near the end of the drive, my field of vision began to narrow - I was seeing lights in my periphery.  Then more or less right in front of me.

That’s right - a chocolate induced migraine headache was coming on!  Been a while since that happened…

Our big splurge, from The Wild Bean.

I haven’t been to the doctor for at least three years.  While it’s not critical to go regularly at my age, I still want to be proactive.  I’d rather establish a pattern of vigilance than not.

So I went in, had the doctor look at my bumps and talk to me about allergies and such.  Got some free steroids out of it (nasal spray for allergies).

The doctor reiterated that regular check-ups aren’t very important right now, although there are things to keep an eye on.  One of them is cholesterol, so he wrote me up to have my blood tested, because it never has been (that I know of).

The other is testicular cancer.  I was vaguely aware of this, but it’s helpful to be reminded.

Check for bumps, gents!  The doc says the testicles should feel like two smooth hen’s eggs.  I asked, “Just two?”

No I didn’t.

As he spoke about checking, however, he quickly and vaguely said something like, “We may as well check now.”  Yet it wasn’t clear to me that he actually said those words.  It sounded more like, “Blah blah may Ho-hum check now.”  What?

It’s been a while since the checks for hernia, but I mentally prepared myself to drop trow before the appointment.  So, when I heard “…check now,” I quickly jumped off the table and reached to undo my belt.

Then I reflected on the words I thought I heard, in my brain.  I realized, in that instant, that I wasn’t completely sure he was asking me to drop my pants.

So here I am, springing off the examination bed and reaching for my belt, the doctor sitting in a chair in front of me, and suddenly I have to give him a look that says, “Wait - this is what you asked me to do, right?”

He still was not crystal clear about it, but clear enough in his gestures that I followed the standard procedure, and was examined.

(”Gestures” should not be read as though he moved his two hands, palms up, as though miming a juggler).

The, uh, eggs - they’re smooth.

This link will bring you to the SnorgTees website, notably a design that made me laugh.

Plenty of good ones.