words of wisdom 03.21.06

So I figure, since I'll be living alone for a couple weeks in the not too distant future, it would bode well with me if I were to learn/ensure that I know how to do some pretty basic things around the house to take care of myself. In the kitchen, I came upon a plastic bag of grapefruits just lying there on the table. Picking one (at random) I proceeded to peel the bugger. I took out a trusty enormo-knife and began attacking the humble citrus paradisii with it. Its skin was a bright yellow, and I disposed of it quite quickly. If any of you, my endeared readers, have ever decided to peel a grapefruit before, you'll know that there is a white... 'inner skin' beneath the thicker outer skin. This is much harder to remove, if you don't know what you're doing. I had no idea what I was doing. Soon enough, having abandoned my knife, I was ripping and tearing away at this thin and elusive barrier between me and the juicy fruit. More on the juiciness later. I was unsuccessful at first, and things never improved. I gave up shortly after and resolved to eating the fruit directly off of the bitter inner skin. Now, I don't know if you know this, but I am someone who does not tend to place very much of my attention/care on my personal wellbeing. As a result, my hands and fingers tend to have many cuts and scratches and sometimes even inexplicable blisters on them. I'm also one who likes to pick and peel, so after cutting my nails in the winter, I will rarely have any skin on the tips of my fingers. I'm not too sure if you are understanding what I am talking about, but yes, all you need to know is that my hands are almost always cut and missing skin. So there I was, standing over the sink with a wholly peeled and slightly bruised and crushed grapefruit in my hands. My cut and blistered (from TC REC this time) hands. Let's just say [citric] acid and open wounds do not "mingle" very kindly. Nevertheless, I finished that cursed grapefruit, juices and all. My wounds are now thoroughly disinfected, though I don't believe they were infected to begin with.
Here's a bit of advice to take for the road: get your mother to peel it next time. It's either that or actually learn how to do it properly yourself.
Yeah. Like that's going to happen.

EDIT: Thanks unthinking. Here's how to prepare a grapefruit for eatage properly.