Saturday night, NancyTW and I did a little shopping, and we make it our habit to check whatever store we’re in for a clearance section. This time, our target was Target, and we were in luck.

They set up the stuff they’re trying to get rid of on a few narrow shelves at the tail end of various aisles so that the blowout items are exposed to shopper traffic in the main, wider aisles. From several yards away, I spotted a familiar package and moved in to investigate. You just never know what you’ll find, so imagine my surprise to see four 3-packs of Dex4 glucose gels calling my name amidst the odd brand toothpaste, scented candles, and multi-colored dog leashes.

Looking over the boxes gave me no reason to think there was anything wrong with them. They were marked down to less than $5/pack, and the expiration date was still far enough away, so I loaded up. That’s 12 tubes of Tropical Blast at about half the regular price! And given my propensity to walk around with fewer milligrams per deciliter than days in February, they ought to last me about a week.

No, really, I don’t have to break out the gel that often, thankfully. But when I go to sleep, I take the precaution of putting some tubes on my nightstand.  Anyone who's ever enjoyed the experience of a nighttime insulin reaction knows that some form of sugar absolutely, positively, has to be there overnight, to steal a phrase. The last thing I want at 2am is a severe low. The second last thing I want is to be searching the bedroom in a fog of virtual unconsciousness for an elusive source of glucose.

Now I have enough of them to keep several at all times in the car, by the bed, and in a fanny pack (yup, the same fanny pack from that infamous experience at the theater a few years ago) that we use every day for our pre-dawn walks.

So it was good to stock up at a discount, and I no longer need to remember where I put them before driving off somewhere, going to sleep, or leaving the house on foot.

I'll let you all know when test strips go on clearance, but don't hold your breath waiting.

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Over the weekend, three new names were added to the Missing Diabetics section on the same day. It saddens me to think that this kind of thing happens as frequently as it does. Along with names and ages over there on the left, you can see that there is also a location -- state, province, and/or country abbreviation.

What really hit home for me in the last few days is that two of these people are from my state, and one is just a stone’s throw from my own town. Some of these folks are from as far away as Australia, but it’s not too much of a stretch to think that Soleme Bernard of Lehigh Acres could be wandering the streets between my house and the nearest grocery store.

So as a humble reminder, if you think of it, please shoot a quick glance at the listings every once in a while simply to see if there is someone from your vicinity waiting to be spotted.

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In response to a friendly suggestion, there’s now an “About Today’s Banner . . .” link in the Features section that provides a brief explanation or a bit of relevant info on images and themes appearing in the GDAT!! banner.

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I hope everyone has a great week, and a warm welcome back if you’re just now returning after a lengthy absence.