Yes, a childhood taste memory. I was at the supermarket the other day. I bought some small frozen pizza's that I can cook on the stove (I do not have an oven). Use to the Hungarian practice of ketchup on pizza (and spaghetti - yuck!) I picked up a glass bottle of Heinz Tomato Ketchup to go with it. Took it home, tasted it, and voila! the ketchup I ate with Shoestring Potatoes at The Front Page. The ketchup on all the restaurant tables... pouring slowly,.. sometimes needed a knife to edge it out.... the kind that was at least 1/2 weight in sugar. Yes, sugar, real sugar. Real, white, refined sugar from sugar- cane or beets.

Que? You say? Your ketchup threw out sugar for the dirt cheep high fructose corn syrup in the 1980s,,, as did you coke, you frozen pizza, your.... EVERYTHING! This is what has led to the ability for fast food companies to sell you a gallon of cola for .25 cents... not to mention the body's adverse reaction to this unnatural industrial product, and the irreparable harm to farming, the environment, and economy.

If you know me, then you know my obsession knowledge and disgust of the American government funded corn industry.

Read the definitive article by Michael Pollan here:
http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/1031/p17s01-lihc.html

I had a good birthday. As per Spanish tradition, I took my friends out. In this case, Pedro and Elizabeth for Mexican food on Calle Sevilla. Then then treated me to a film. Before that they took me to a pastelaria where his abula used to buy "malagx?3$4/..." - donut type pastries with almond paste inside. They dropped me off and I got ready for Rich and Marcia's "Red" party. I only got there at 11:30, so only had to endure 1/2 hour of pure boredom! (What's wrong with these people!!!) I did chat with a nice Spanish girl who'd lived in Boston and was very hip, importing African fabrics and designing cloths. She also remembered clove cigarettes. Also, after midnight, and my official B-day, my French date did not show up. Stood-up again, I wrote a drunken list of my dismal dating life in Madrid so far. I, out of good humor, and hope, reprint right here.

• DELETED as things have improved greatly

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!

As is the tradition in Spain, I will take out Pedro and Elizabeth for a nice Mexican lunch today. Tonight there is a "red" party with Marcie and Rich... pretty much the only cool people at school. This is good because I will be out in a semi festive atmosphere, without me having any birthday pressure:-)

I tell you, it only gets better with age:-))))