Uncle JB Reads to Enoh

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Acerphobia - The Fear of Sour Milk

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At the risk of downplaying the trepidation with which some who have been diagnosed with acerphobia pour their milk, I would suggest that many Americans who have experienced the shocking zing of sour milk would admit that the next few times they see the milk out on the counter they exert a phobia-like reflex to get it back in the fridge ASAP.  At least I do. Not so in Eastern Europe.  Here in Croatia, most milk cartons, like the ones below, have the words "trajno mlijeko" written somewhere on it.  The adjective "trajno" means "lasting" or "permanent".  Pretty revolutionary when it comes to describing milk huh? So what does this mean? It means that when you go to the grocery store all of the milk is unrefrigerated.  It also means that once you buy the milk, it has a long shelf life. The stamp on the milk I opened this morning indicated that it would be just as good on October 12th as it is on June 1st. And that's s...
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Addendum: An Unexpected Trip

Since we moved to Croatia, many people have asked me what I miss most about the States. My response is #1: Family and friends, and #2: Baseball.  Of course the former makes a lot of sense. The latter, on the other hand, in a culture where baseball is just in the movies, takes most off guard.  Regardless, my most recent trips to the States represent these two reasons. Last year I went to western New York to celebrate my grandparents’ 70 years of marriage . This year, in fact, right now , I am arriving in Boston to enjoy the Cubs' first trip to the World Series in 71 years. That may sound like a trivial reason to cross the Atlantic, but this is where I come back to reason #1. Having gained a love for the Cubs from my father and having shared it with my brother, it will be a joy to watch several games with them. I'll also be able to visit close friends in Chicago, whom I haven’t seen in three years, and whose children I’ve never met. I will be able to have my cake a...
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