J-e-l-l-o

In case you don't know, I've been sick for over a week now. I'm feeling mostly better - still achy and still eating the bland, light diet of someone who has gastroenteritis.

The other day I drug myself out for some Jello, knowing that I just couldn't ask Ray to do yet another favor (though he has been a champ, as usual).

In my deluded mind our local QuikTrip would certainly carry those little snack packs of the wiggly treat. It was only a two block trip - and yes, I did take the car.

Good thing I did because they had no such soothing food for my upset system. So off I went to Price Chopper against my better judgment.

Price Chopper had Jello. With or without fruit, sugar-free or sugar-y. Pre-made or make your own. And more flavors than I knew existed. What I was after was peach. I don't know why, but peach Jello was about the only thing that sounded half-way appetizing. I struck out intent on getting it pre-made in nice little portions, so after digging through lots of orange, strawberry, and black cherry and coming up empty handed it was off to the aisle with the "made from scratch" option.

Now this is really why I'm writing. Ray said I had to. Whoever sets up the Jello section needs some basic lessons. When you have limited variations in box design and color, it would make sense to separate the same colors. I'm just saying that peach and apricot look a LOT a like. And both look a lot like orange. When you have 50 different flavors, why not organize them in a way that maximizes CONTRAST. Put cherry next to orange then lime then strawberry followed by peach and berry blue - continue with black cherry, apricot, watermelon, and pineapple. But for crying out loud, don't put the apricot and peach right beside each other!

Here's what happened. I finally spied the peach Jello and grabbed a box. Thinking that I might be on Jello exclusively for a few days, I grabbed a second box only to discover that I did not have peach, but apricot. "Whoa, that was close." I said to myself and put the apricot box back carefully exchanging it for its look-a-like neighbor Peach!

The whole trip exhausted me and left me nauseated from all of the sights and smells one experiences in a grocery store. I went straight to bed. The next day I awoke, determined to care for myself a bit by making my own peach Jello. Thinking it wiser to just double up the batch I reached in the bag and took out my second box of peach Jello - except it was Apricot.

I guess it was a good thing I switched my second box!

PS Peach & apricot mixed together isn't half bad.
PPS I know you're sharp and may be saying that the differences between peach & apricot are obvious and very distinct and that the problem is not with product placement but with this consumer. Well, next time I'm sick I'll call you! :-)