Sometimes I suspect that other people are trying to make my life stranger. At the extruded office product I knew and expected there'd be food to take home after the Christmas party, although I never actually did get around to taking any home. I also didn't use the leftover Diet Pepsi in the fridge because it felt like I'd be letting the guy at the deli down if I didn't buy a soda with my sandwich for a couple days. What I didn't expect was that someone would bring in a box of grapefruit. I don't know why she did, because it turns out she doesn't eat grapefruit and doesn't particularly like them. She invited everyone to take home as many grapefruit as they wanted, and it turns out the grapefruit demand in the office is a very steady, very stable, and only infinitesimally positive one.
The first time I was offered grapefruits I was mildly interested, although I had to expect my father would do most of the actual grapefruit-eating. I like grapefruit, but in modest quantities. But after a couple of suggestions that I take as many as I like, I settled on four, which seemed to be reasonable. My father was enthusiastic, and said they were really very good grapefruits, and I should get more. My mother had none of them because she hates grapefruits. (She also hates bananas, and was surprised to learn that I moderately like them.)
The next day the person who'd brought in the grapefruits complained that I didn't take any. I protested that I had. Her thought was that I should take all the grapefruits, and I had better take them now, because if they sat around much longer they'd spoil. So, I got to take advantage of the cold for a change and let them refrigerate in my car until the end of the day, when I delighted my father with a small box full of grapefruits. And so, somehow, the major result of my working in an office recently has been to surround myself with citrus.
As it happens, I haven't had any yet, but I hear they're great.
Trivia: Mare's milk has twice as much Vitamin C as human milk does, and four times as much as cow's milk does. Source: Food In History, Reay Tannahill.
Currently Reading: A Wonderful Welcome to Oz, L Frank Baum.