Who Used My Salad Dressing?

Seriously...who?

Apparently, I'm not the only one at my office that has a thing for Trader Joe's Low-Fat Italian Dressing. Especially from bottles labeled "Clarice" in Sharpie!

Ok, so I know that I assume a healthy amount of risk by leaving things in the communal office fridge. But, I feel that I take appropriate measures to guard against potential food thieves. I use the less visited (and less communal) fridge. And of course, I label.

Exhibit A



See that scribble right above "Italian Style"? That would be me claiming this dressing as my very own.

But I guess writing my name on it didn't have quite the effect I had hoped for. Like...the effect of deterring people from using it. As in almost all of it! I brought this dressing to work last Monday and used it about 5 times...1 tsp at a time. These are small salads. So you can imagine my surprise this past Monday circa 12:30PM when I saw that my dressing was almost gone!

So I took matters into my own hands.



I mean, just in case it wasn't clear the first time. I know it's not mean or intimidating...but that bright yellow post it note is by design. Eye-catching isn't it? It's from my Lakers post-it note collection. The purple post it note is up next if this yellow one doesn't do the trick.

And before you criticize me for being selfish and petty because it's "just salad dressing", I need to tell you that this is so much more than salad dressing. So. Much. More. Trader Joe's has actually discontinued this dressing. As in I can't buy more! This bottle is one of my last bottles that I searched for once I heard of this tragic discontinuation. Sighhh.

To add insult to injury, this is not the first time I have been food-jacked at work. The first time was a few months ago. I had a lunch meeting and was given a boxed lunch from Pacific Whey. My fav boxed lunch spot. Why? Not for the sandwiches or fruit salad, which are very nice by the way, but the cookies are fantastic. I luv a good cookie. And these are seriously good cookies. I like them so much, that I try to spread out the cookie over two days. Half today, half tomorrow. So I left half of my peanut butter (also my fav) cookie in my boxed lunch box. Along with half my sandwich and an apple.

At cookie time the next day, I dove into my boxed lunch only to find that my cookie was gone! Gone! And I very obvioulsy bit the cookie. Someone ate my half-eaten cookie! My apple and sandwich was still there. But no cookie. Awful afternoon. I was salty for the rest of the day.

First cookies...now salad dressing...I better keep an eye on my oatmeal.