The Day I Nearly Ate and Swam in Lobster Flavored Ice

ice. pellets.

I have wanted them.

bad.

for weeks.

The kind you get in the hospital.

I jokingly told my visiting teacher, who happens to be a nurse, that I would give her an ice chest to sneak in during her shift to get me some of that ice.  I told her it was her duty as my visiting teacher to bring me a cup of that ice when she left work. I joked and joked about it.  But guess what --- I wasn't joking.

I needed that ice.

She told me it might be a sign of dehydration.

I drank more.

I racked my brain trying to think of where I could get that ice.  I didn't know one restaurant that had it. Where is a darn Sonic when you NEED one??  Should I start calling around to restaurants I hadn't gone to to see if they had some?  I did know a few nurses and people with hospital hookups -- I needed to sound more convincing. I remembered that athletic trainers use that ice for icing sprains and injuries -- did I know any coaches or trainers at any schools locally?  no.

did you know they have countertop ice pellet machines?  
(happy mother's day?)

A couple weeks had gone by and without having found my heart's desire, I settled for Target Rocket Pops.  very delicious.  but not ice pellets.

Imagine my absolute incredulousness when I found it today and wasn't even looking for it!  You see, I was just walking along in a grassy flowered meadow when I saw a rainbow and at the end of that rainbow was a pot and in that pot I found ice pellets.

ICE PELLETS!

Just kidding, it was in Shoprite - a grocery store in Aberdeen, MD.  no rainbow pot.  Just a lot of shellfish bathed in the most delicious looking ice nuggety-pellets.  My mouth watered.  a lot.

Would it taste fishy if I grabbed a handful and ate it?

Would it LOOK fishy if I grabbed a handful and ate it?

I didn't care about looking fishy, but I did care about the taste.
I looked for help.  No seafood attendant people.  I ring the service bell.

A seafood man walks out from the swinging double doors holding a fishing pole and a large net.  Just kidding. But he does say,

"Can I help you?"

and I say,

"Uhmmm... this is going to sound crazy but is there any way, I mean, is it possible for me to......do you think I could have some....  ice?  Like, do you have a cup and I can have some ice in it?  I will pay you.  Like, I will pay you lots."

"You want ice?"

"Yes.  that's what I want." (was I panting? maybe.)

"You can just have it"

He gives me one of those deli size containers you get potato salad in -- like a pound of potato salad. And he also gives me HEAVEN.

Oliver and I chomped and chomped while we picked up the last three things on our list -- red wine vinegar, pecans and lemonade (delicious).

I was a very happy girl.

So, a little bit more to add to the story - I went to google a couple nights ago and wanted to figure out what craving ice could mean -- dehydration? something else?

yes, something else.  anemia.

hmm.... I thought.  interesting.  Especially because I was told this last fall. But I was only borderline.

So, after finally finding the end of the rainbow at SHOPRITE this morning, I get a call this afternoon from Stacy, the OBGYN nurse.

"We got your pregnancy blood work back from the lab --- you're anemic"

I wasn't surprised.  Especially because I have loco crazy meat aversion while pregnant and especially because I come to find out that all of the loads and loads of iron rich spinach I had been eating is actually not a good source of iron after all. It is an iron deplete-r.

whatever popeye!

So I need to go to the store to get some OTC iron supplements.

And I think I will choose to get those at Shoprite.

And take the long way to the Pharmacy.