Goji Juice & Wine

It's Friday afternoon in Ambler. I've felt brilliant lately but this morning I woke up and immediately wanted to take a nap. Happily I only drank a few glasses of wine last night. Happily I'm not hung-over. But still.

Lately I've been drinking Goji juice.

Let me say, I've been reading about Goji for years and I've been suspicious. I never doubted, for example, that Goji was a tiny berry native to the Himalayan regions, that it had a long historical use in Traditional Chinese Medicine, but I was doubtful of the claim that Goji juice could cure toenail fungus (toenail fungus being one of the hardest things to cure) and cancer.

It took me about five years of study before my curiosity overcame my skepticism. I was willing to try Goji. Then, finally, a few weeks ago I found a product that met my personal, idiosyncratic standards and I brought a bottle home.

I take one ounce in the morning on an empty stomach.

The Goji is my new drug. I obsess over it. I think about it when I go out for a run. I think about doubling my dosage, taking an extra ounce in the afternoon, and I actually have this debate with myself, the sort of debate an addict might have: Should I?

I really want to.

But I shouldn't!

I need to.

No!

Why do I debate? Well, I've promised to limit my intake. One ounce a day is sufficient (if the afternoon poses a dire need then I'm open for an additional shot.) The thing is, Goji is super-expensive: $17.99 for a 16 ounce bottle. That's about $1 a day. Goji, seemingly, is a better habit then say, coffee or cigarettes, but I didn't have a coffee or cigarette habit to begin with. The worst habits I've had recently are a NYTimes habit and, of course, my insufferable wine habit.

Now I have a Goji habit and my wife is telling me that we need to cut down on our wine expenses.

She asks: How else do we fund the Goji?

I say: Panhandle.

The Goji has me all ecstatic. I envision a beautiful summer day, standing on the corner, cordially asking people for money to support my Goji habit. It actually sounds like fun.

I also say: Steal.

The Goji has me out of my mind.

Here's what complicates matters: The time I brought home the Goji I also brought home a bottle of Açaí home for my wife.

She's hooked. She does double up, without dilemma. She prances around the place, happily cleaning. She's glowing. It's weird.

In fact, I took a shot of Açaí the other day, just to see. I was feeling sluggish, very bored. Well, I took the shot and I immediately felt like hugging someone. It didn't take a few minutes to work; it didn't take a few seconds: It was instantaneous. I was full of energy, verve, and happiness. I was due to go to my brother's house to see my sister, fresh off her flight from California. I happily drove into traffic! I happily waited in traffic for an hour!

So, we'll make some concessions. It appears, for now, that the tonics are working too well. I suppose my wine intake must be curtailed. I've had at least one or two glasses every night since returning home from Asheville, mid-July. Actually, who am I kidding? I've basically had at least one or two glasses every night since July 2005.

Wine being another tonic that I can not live without.