March 2026 SOLC–Day 18
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I’ve promised myself that I’m not going to write any more complaining posts about my school year. (Though I do think the tone sneaks through time and again…sorry!) So, Reader Beware! This one feels complaint-adjacent, but it’s what I’ve got this morning. #Truestory
I sit down at the table and pull my lunch out of my bag. First, a Tupperware dish filled with chopped fruit, next the small container of granola, and finally, a vanilla Greek yogurt. This is my work-day lunch every day. Seriously, I’ve been eating this for 113 days now. (Or 114? I’ve lost track!) Anyway, it’s healthy and easy. There’s no need to think about it in advance or to take a time-wasting trip to the microwave for any reheating. I appreciate the efficiency of it.
I grasp the foil tab and pull the lid off the yogurt, watching the thick white surface appear.
But wait…that looks a little off.
Instead of the smooth creamy surface I expected, this one looks sort of…lumpy? Curdled, maybe? (Can yogurt even be curdled? Isn’t it maybe already curdled? Where does Greek yogurt come from anyway? File that thought under “Things I think I used to know…” )
I lean closer and take a deep sniff. It smells fine.
I give it another concerned glance. It definitely looks different than usual.
I check the date, wondering if somehow I’ve pulled a random yogurt from the dead zone at the back of the fridge.. April 16, 2026
Hmmmm… so it should be okay. I guess I’ll know it’s bad if it tastes funny.
I dump the yogurt on my fruit and stir it in, then top the mixture with a generous sprinkle of granola. As I begin to tentatively dip my spoon in for a trial taste, I pause, my motion arrested by a sudden (somewhat unhinged?) thought:
Oh! If it’s off, you can get a mild case of food poisoning and not be able to come to school tomorrow!
I dig my spoon in and take a big bite.
It tastes fine.
Totally normal.
I’m not sure if I’m happy about that or a bit disappointed.
Nix the comfort zone 
Oh! This is funny but not funny. I wish it were easier to get a break from teaching when you need it.
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Sheer perfection at the lunch table – – I’m laughing and sharing your feelings about the lumpy yogurt consequences. I think if I were you, I’d have to err on the side of caution and stay home. You wouldn’t want a surprise sour stomach to suddenly present itself once you’re there because then it might take a minute to get a sub to come in. And counting the days? Yes, I’m there too.
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Take a huge bite, right?!!! That was great the way you shared the same steps I go through when I’m not quite sure, and then you delved in for a huge bite, not necessarily to ease your lunch time hunger pangs.
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When you described the yoghurt, I pictured cottage cheese. Brave decision. Or hunger directed decision. Then again the food passed the sniff test.
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