Some poeple should take their own advice

Which, in this case, is: Always read the label.

And I mean read the big print, not just the small print--like those lengthy lists of ingredients wherein you find coffee listed. Oh wait, that's me.

I found coffee listed in the ingredients of the Atkins protein shake I bought. The flavor was Cafe Caramel, as shown on the four-drink carton. You might be thinking, Duh, because you probably know that I know what cafe means in Spanish. Two things, actually: 1) brown; 2) coffee.

What I thought was that there might be some coffee flavor in the drink. And I love caramel.

The truth was that there might have been some caramel flavor in the drink, but I couldn't find it. It went like this.

I tore the carton open, put the four little drinks in my fridge to chill, as instructed on the label. Later, I opened one and took a swig and said, "Whoa! That is coffee." Which is when I read the ingredient list, after which I actually looked at the name of the flavor on the front of the container. Cafe Caramel. And directly above that in fairly big letters, MADE WITH REAL COFFEE.

The thing is, I read a lot of the label, like the part that said 13 grams of protein, 1 gram sugar, and so on. That information was in biggish letters on the front of the container and had influenced my purchase.

How I missed the coffee part, like an inch away, I don't know.

My age?

So now I'm going to give away or throw away the other three containers. (I don't know what to call them. They are not cans or bottles. But who cares?)

And it's not just the money--the $5.78 plus tax--but that's in there. It's that I feel like, Duh, Carol.