We're famous.

Oh hey. Remember when my family was the face of AIPAC?

Either we were the most attractive people at the conference (yes), or this picture most embodied "friends and family". The fact that a possible-rabbi/stranger is also in the picture only enhances the "friends" aspect. This picture also works well because we are all already signed up for PC 2013 (although I cannot vouch for possible-rabbi)!

Ew-mint.

Season after season on The Biggest Loser, we have witnessed the weight loss powers of fancy gum. Without fail, almost every episode has one of those awkward ignore-that-this-is-a-commercial meetings between contestant and coach. They discuss the merits of fat free turkey or oatmeal or ziplocs. There has also been more than one non-commercial about Dessert Delights gum. This is low calorie gum that tastes like dessert: apple pie, strawberry shortcake, etc. The contestants go ga-ga for it because you can have the taste of dessert without the calories. Yay! 


I thought I would give the world of fancy gum a try, partially for its potential assistance in weight loss and partially to just give it a go. I like trying new things! This morning at Walgreens while stocking up on my usual snack of Fiji water and almonds, I also grabbed a pack of Trident Layers gum in the mint/melon flavor. As a savory-over-sweet person, I thought this would be a much less offensive flavor than pineapple or strawberry (and definitely not as bad as the Dessert Delights). 


After a team status call and my two cups of coffee, I tried stick #1 (and - spoiler alert - probably stick # last) of Trident Layers. Honestly, the first 3-5 minutes were pretty good. A nice blend of minty and fruity. It almost reminded me of Strawberry flavored Chapstick. That stuff is like an extra special treat when you find a stick of it on sale, or hanging around in a long-lost coat pocket. But similar to the Trident Layers, it loses its oomph after a really short time (WTF is this overly-sweet-strawberry stuff doing on my lips?!). All of a sudden, the gum was not only sweet, but sickeningly sweet for my taste. Even worse, the texture of the gum was mushy and slimey, as if I'd been chewing it for hours. Promptly spat it out. To make matters worse, the awful taste hung around all. Even after more coffee, more water and lunch, this horrible metallic taste still permeated my mouth. 


While I cannot vouch for the other flavors, do not try Trident Layers mint melon gum! Has anyone tried the other flavors with good results? Has anyone tried the Dessert Delights gum? Possibly my new business venture could be no-calorie gum for people with savory preferences. Gum that tastes like chips, cheese or fried chicken?! Sign me up! Sounds like a job for Willy Wonka (in cahoots with Rebloga).