I have become unfortunately addicted to the chicken schnitzel sandwiches sold by a little sandwich place around the corner � not a participant in the sandwich wars.

I�m not sure of the status of the old chicken schnitzel sandwiches in other countries, but here they�re a lunch time staple. An evil lunch time staple. Especially when you add the cheese and mayonnaise. The warm and large chicken with the golden crispy crummy crust. The race to eat it before the bread totally disintegrates around it. Yum. Evil. Yum.

I generally save the chicken schnitzel sandwich, with mayo, lettuce, onion and sometimes cheese, for those days when I really need and deserve some fatty goodness for lunch. Those days, once every couple of months or so, when the morning is just so crappy, or so cold, or so something, than a substantial and junky lunch is required.

If it only happens once every couple of months it�s not nearly so evil, and totally justifiable.

So a few weeks ago I had been having one of those mornings, and I headed off to this little sandwich place that one of the girls in the office had recommended, and ordered a chicken schnitzel sandwich. Now, in the defence of the person who turned me on to this place, she did warn of the addictive nature. I still think she understated it a bit though. I�ve had some chicken schnitzel sandwiches in my time, but this one left them all for dead.

The freshest of fresh white bread. Juicy on the inside, crunchy on the outside chicken, good quality mayonnaise, fresh non-shredded lettuce, Spanish onions.

I went back for four within the first week. And the quality did not diminish. The first one was not a one-off freak, it�s the standard. Dammit.

And then I discovered an additional problem. On Fridays they sell them for half price. That�s right, all that evil yummy goodness for $3.00. Now, I�m not a penny-pincher at lunch (or any other time, really) but even I cannot resist a half price lunch. Especially on the Friday when it�s not pay day.

It�s only been a few weeks, but I�m already thinking about going cold turkey � well, chicken - so I don�t have to send myself to sandwich rehab.

You�ll note I�m only thinking about going cold chicken, I�m not actually doing it yet. I just finished my $3.00 Friday sandwich and it was delicious as usual. But my jeans are tight enough already, and it only has to be a matter of time when I hit that epiphany-inducing moment when I can�t actually do them up and still breathe and will return to eating only salads for lunch and dinner until they�re comfortable again.

With the sandwich addiction I have a feeling that moment is coming sooner rather than later.

* * *

I have a hair appointment tomorrow and I�m seriously thinking about having it all chopped off. Well, not all. But a good chunk. It�s currently quite long, bra strap length, and I�m thinking it might be time to go up to shoulder length again. That is, from the longest it ever really grows, to the shortest I�ll ever allow it to be.

I swore when I turned fourteen and was finally allowed to grow it long after about seven years of keeping it short because it was so fine that the hairdresser recommended cutting it super short � i.e. short enough for me to be often mistaken for a boy before I grew boobs � that I would never again allow my hair to be shorter than sitting on my shoulders. I cannot wear my hair any shorter than that and still look reasonable, and so I don�t ever intend to again. Not even when I�m 90.

But it might just be time to return it to my shoulders and see how long I last before I want long hair again. Of course, I might still change my mind when I sit in the chair. We�ll see.