But that is true of everything that doesn't taste salty, sweet, sour or bitter - those are the only things the tongue is good for tasting. Everything else is smell and why you "can't taste anything"* when you have a cold.

* You can, but only salt, sweet, sour, or bitter!

I'll tell you what you can taste when you have a cold.

Sprouts.

OMFG, I nearly bought some deodorant scented with cassia. A lucky escape!

On the subject of deodorant, is aerosol/spray deodorant not really favoured here (California and/or US in general), or is it not allowed, as I can barely find any in the obvious stores?? I've tried two different brands of stuff that smell like something my grandmother would have used, and seem to be spray talc judging by the amount of thick white powder which coats the room after their use!

I was going to say Axe (aka Lynx) - but then noticed your gender symbol!

Might need to settle for some of that if I can't find anything better!

Sounds like you are finding antiperspirant (stops you sweating) rather than deodorant (stops you smelling). The latter is more common for men, the former for women. Must be a cultural thing.

I get the natural deo's from The Body Shop. They don't stop me sweating, but it does cover the smell. They don't have a spray though. You're right that spray deo's just are not that common here. In fact, I've never known a woman that uses them. Although, I thought Secret made a spray.

ETA: Yep, just checked Amazon and Secret makes a spray. Not sure which stores are out your way in CA, but just keep shopping around. It should be common in a grocery store or someplace like Target.

Secret is the only one I ever see.
I've switched to the solid stuff Dove is nice.

Damn Satnavs, sorry GPSs. I took a turn too early this morning and spotted a Bev Mo! What an, ahem, unfortunate turn to make! I would guess they had about a dozen choices of bottled cider, maybe a few more actually. The sales assistant kept referring to it as "cider beer" though . Nearly half were British imports, albeit some with dedicated US labels and some with stuck over US labels. Besides the cider there was also Strongbow and something else that should have been banned from import that my brain has conveniently wiped. But at an average of $6 per US pint bottle, it wasn't cheap. Still, if needs must... hic.


Had you not mentioned Bev Mo I would have had no idea that it sold alcohol as I drove past - and then slammed on the brakes, and pulled into a parking spot, much to the bewilderment of the wife and kids. Cheers!

(On a related note, also went to a World Market, which wasn't quite what I expected, but walked out with half a dozen jars of curry sauce/paste (at $3.50-$4.50 each ) but didn't think much of their "world" beer selection (Mexican and Belgian mostly)).

Hah, the only place we can buy alcoholic cider here is the state liquor stores, unless there's some around under 4% ABV - which is possible with cider - in which case the grocery stores will stock it. No Magners here though - the DABC don't bring it in.

I do remember getting some nice 10-yo apple brandy from a cider farm near my home town in Somerset a few years ago when I lived on the Isle of Man - that went down quite well



Cinnamon I've started to get used to - the Stephen's Mexican Chocolate cocoa has it in there, so I'll take it, but not by choice.

Nutmeg on the other hand

I'll have to get my mum's recipe for apple pie and inflict it on Gin and her family - I've already tried them on Marmite and that went down well - not!

Cinnamon makes me want to retch too. I just don't get why it's in so many products here. Cost? Otoh, none of my American friends can understand why I so dislike it; they all love it?

'Hard' cider sales have increased by 65% this year. Apparently. 65% of what I don't know.

I haven't been able to drink the stuff since I was about 16 when a friend and I bought some from the offie...

I think Americans grow up on it, that's why. Cinnamon-sugar toast and cinnamon applesauce as little kiddies. Cinnamon rolls are so popular here (as in Cinnabon, but every American family seems to have their own recipe too), as well as cinnamon-spiced (American) apple cider, cinnamon herbal teas, and cinnamon sweets like Fireballs.

I think there's even cinnamon toothpaste here that I've run across.

the flavors i want to 'die' are Grape and Bubble gum.

and i can get magners in the supermarket here