Lesser of two weevils

There’s been talk about pests on people’s blogs before; rats and headlice have been mentioned. This morning I found weevils in my cereal. I think that’s what they are.

I come from a family who promoted such things as being ultimately healthy. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Dad promoted picking out the weevils/cutting the mould off the cheese or bread or jam and eating it anyway: ‘it won’t do you any harm’ was an oft heard saying in our home. Husband won’t eat cheese at my parents’ place after a particularly nasty anecdote which I refuse to share in public. He’s actually frightened of my Dad’s cheese plate; no, genuinely frightened. It’s quite understandable give the signs of life that have been spotted therein.

Once my Dad, a doctor, gave me some antibiotic eye cream for an eye infection I’d got. Towards the end of the treatment I discovered a paw print on the tube of the cream. Further examination saw the declaration: for animal use only. I must’ve been about 14 and I flounced into the kitchen brandishing my moral high ground in the same hand as the offending animal eye cream. Dad just chuckled ‘it’s gone, though, hasn’t it?’

So I stood in the kitchen this morning, looking at the weevily thing, wondering what to do. They look a bit like linseeds, do weevils, but linseeds don’t have legs and move about the nuts, seeds and grains. I wondered briefly if I picked out the moving ones and eat it anyway would I come to any harm. It might even increase my static iron count; I could probably do with the extra protein. But it was nearly the end of the packet, so I tipped it all into the bin and open up the new pack.

I had a quick check for blunt ended, moving linseeds and then mixed up my muesli with the natural yogurt and crab apple, thinking ‘oh well, it’ll give me something to blog about today.’ I came down to my office to eat my cereal and check out weevils on the internet.

Bugger, I really wish I’d waited until after breakfast.