WHAT THE???

Yesterday, I visited a bar I have neglected for years... Fado! (http://www.fadoirishpub.com/atlanta/) I love the feel of the old Irish pub and the World Cup is a perfect time to join in the festivities. As you may or may not know, the original Atlanta Fado was directly on Peachtree Street in Buckhead, but a developer with big plans and unfortunate timing (didn't see the economy tanking) bought the strip to make the Rodeo Drive of the South (but I digress).

Fado Atlanta moved only a block away and reopened. However, due to the aforementioned economy issues, the construction site is still blocked by fencing and tarp - if you peer through the gate, you might also see tumbleweed. Yesterday, I parked next to the tarped fencing and stepped out of my car. And, here's where it got a little strange...

I saw a woman, in no way looking homeless or crazy, walking down the crumbled remains of sidewalk near my car. She was about 8 feet away when she knelt down next to the construction fence and began digging in a small hill of sand. Odd, so, I stood there for a minute and watched. She picked up something and turned her back... I could not see for sure what happened next. However, since I was of no consequence to her and she clearly had a mission, she didn't even look my way before crouching again at the sand pile.

This time, I had a better angle...she grabbed a fistful of sand and - no lie - put it in her mouth. She proceeded across the street to another sand pile and repeated. I was (and, truthfully AM) astonished. Had she looked like the average street person, I may not have questioned it, but she didn't.

I relayed the story to a friend and we researched on the iPhone. It seems there is a condition that drives people to eat things like Sand, Gravel, Drywall, Coal, Chalk, etc. The condition is called Pica. The condition's name comes from the Latin word for magpie, a bird which is reputed to eat almost anything. (from Wikipedia, so take it with a grain of...in this case, sand).