Thursday, April 29, 2004
"It was the milk."
Paul Buchanan told us the Milk Story in my Creative Writing Class at Biola. I don't remember if it was originally a Tim Caron story or a Walt the Stalker story. (Kristy--do you remember?) But anyway, it was about a guy who was paranoid about drinking milk once the date on the carton had arrived. One night, he inadvertently drank some milk on the sell-by date and, very worried about what might happen to him, he left a note on the fridge that read "It was the milk," so that all would be clear should he die in the night from food poisoning.
But really, the question is: How long does milk stay good after the sell-by date passes? Because if the store must sell it by that date, it follows that there is a grace period, so to speak, following that date, during which the milk is still good. At least, that's the logic I have always used. Until now.
Last night at about 9pm I got hungry and decided to have some cereal. In the process, I finished off the milk, and threw the carton in the trash. That was when I noticed the sell-by date: April 22. For some reason, I thought yesterday was the 25th. So I figured the milk was still good--it didn't smell bad, it didn't look weird, so everything is fine, right? Maybe not. As I went to bed later, I glanced at the calendar on my desk, which read April 27. Urgh. 5 days past the sell-by date, not so good. Suddenly the cereal seemed like not such a great idea. Indeed, something didn't agree with me last night. I didn't leave a note on the fridge, but I'm pretty darn sure it was the milk.
But really, the question is: How long does milk stay good after the sell-by date passes? Because if the store must sell it by that date, it follows that there is a grace period, so to speak, following that date, during which the milk is still good. At least, that's the logic I have always used. Until now.
Last night at about 9pm I got hungry and decided to have some cereal. In the process, I finished off the milk, and threw the carton in the trash. That was when I noticed the sell-by date: April 22. For some reason, I thought yesterday was the 25th. So I figured the milk was still good--it didn't smell bad, it didn't look weird, so everything is fine, right? Maybe not. As I went to bed later, I glanced at the calendar on my desk, which read April 27. Urgh. 5 days past the sell-by date, not so good. Suddenly the cereal seemed like not such a great idea. Indeed, something didn't agree with me last night. I didn't leave a note on the fridge, but I'm pretty darn sure it was the milk.
| posted by Barbara | 12:45 AM