Spindrift away ...

I've made significant cuts to my Diet Coke consumption since July.  I am no longer purchasing cans of Diet Coke for my home refrigerator* and have thus eliminated 3-5 cans a day from my daily intake.  I am still allowing myself 1-2 Diet Cokes per day, mostly fountain drinks.  I'm nowhere close to giving it up (the very thought makes me feel unsteady), but I'm drinking less and savoring more.

Before you ask ... yes, I am drinking more water.  I am also seeking out low calorie beverages without artificial sweeteners.  There are a few flavors of LaCroix that I don't mind so that's entered the rotation.

Then, Modern Mrs. Darcy mentioned Spindrift a couple months ago, and I decided to track some down.  I found the four varieties featured above at Trader Joe's.  Blackberry was the best, followed by Orange Mango, followed by Lemon and Raspberry Lime (those two tie).  The fruit flavor is very vibrant, but I would appreciate just a bit more fizz.  All in all though, it's a decent, pleasant beverage even if it doesn't fill the Diet Coke-sized hole in my heart.

Here's the song I'm singing.
Give me a beat, boy, to free my soul, I sorta feel lost without my Diet Coke so I'll SpinDRIFT away.  

Any beverages to recommend?  


*The only exception to this rule is hospitality.  I am not going to invite people into my home without being able to offer Diet Coke.

Reading Roundup -- My Getaway Books!

Each October, I get away with my husband on an annual business gathering that includes spouses.  These gatherings are always in great locations and offer me rare and cherished moments of alone time to read and rest.  I read on the plane, in the hotel room, at the pool or beach, at lunch, and whenever else I feel like it.  Tis glorious.

Sometimes I feel guilty for not exploring and experiencing more, but in late October, after the stress
and craziness of back to school and fall youth athletics, I crave the relaxation time.  I'll leave the energetic exploring for the empty nesters.

Here's what I read...

My library hold for Winter Solstice rolled in five days before departure.  I managed to wait until we got to our airport gate before cracking the spine.  This book, the fourth in Hilderbrand's Winter/Christmas in Nantucket/Quinn Family series, was even better than I anticipated.  It's been a pleasure visiting Nantucket in winter and getting to know the Quinn family over these four books.  I teared up several times at the end.  My only regret?  That I couldn't hold out and read it by the Christmas tree.

I'm just going to say it ... a lot of my Book of the Month Club selections have been either underwhelming or disappointing.  I loved the cover of this one and the title (advice I've never been able to live by).  I liked Hunter's writing but, man oh man, I found this story depressing, which is okay--books with Little Debbies on the cover aren't obligated to be hopeful and fun--but not my best choice for vacation reading.  (BTW, the glass in this photo held Dr. Pepper because the very lovely hotel where we stayed offers the underwhelming, disappointing, practically detestable beverage called Diet Pepsi: Drink Only When You're Really, Really, Really Thirsty). 

I've been making my way through Angela Thirkell's Barsetshire books for about five years now.  I've purchased quite a few because of the gorgeous covers on these Virago editions.  I'd been warned that the books set in World War II have a different feel.  That's true and how could they not?  But even when it's wartime in Barsetshire, it's such a pleasure to see Thirkell's wit and powers of observation.

I love it when I learn about intriguing titles, especially "vintage reads," via #bookstagram.  Angela Brazil's The Fortunes of Philippa came to my attention thanks to the awesome bookstagrammer, les_livres_.  Could her photo above be any more inviting?  Sadly, I couldn't secure a copy of the book as beautiful as hers, but how cool is it that could I learn about a tempting book and find a 99 cent ebook edition of it within minutes?  It's a boarding school/growing up story, set in Britain.  Very sweet, very innocent, a little bit boring but still I was tickled to go from #bookstagram to #bookinhand within minutes.

And, if you can believe it, I left my ipod at home and thus did not take any long walks on my getaway.  A solitary walk without the option of an audiobook companion?  Didn't tempt me.

I will be making my yearly attempt to participate in NaBloPoMo and post every day in November.  Come back tomorrow if you can.

Breaking Sam's Club Beverage News

I joined Sam's Club two years ago and have been very pleased with the selection of merchandise, the hours (Plus members can get in during the 7 o'clock hour instead of waiting until 10 freaking a.m. as at Costco), the proximity to my home (five minutes), and their Coca-Cola fountain (with good ice!).  The latter is important as I like to end my shopping trip with a large, cheap drink -- a pleasure that Costco robbed from me when they switched their fountain over to Pepsi.

I scooted over to Sam's early this morning and, as ever, held up a styrofoam cup to be scanned at checkout.  "Oh, did you know we switched over to Pepsi?" said the cashier in a very nonchalant way, as if that news would be either positive or neutral.  The most fitting word for my feelings in that moment:  despair.  Despair that would have turned into the fiery anger born of betrayal had I not looked over at the fountain and determined that Diet Coke was still on offer, along with a bevy of new beverage choices.

Excuse the blurry pics.  As I've said before, photographing soda fountains makes me feel like a creep.  Sam's Club is now offering Your Club. Your Choice as the signage above illustrates.  

Here's what I'm feeling...
Relief.  Diet Coke is still available and my addict's heart can rest easy.

Admiration.  I respect Sam's for not fully selling out by accepting whatever enormous incentives Pepsi seems to be offering these days.  (Ahem, Costco.  Ahem, Frisch's Big Boy).  Also, even though I don't drink them, I know of many who passionately love Diet Mountain Dew and Diet Dr. Pepper.  Glad to see those choices included.

Confusion.  There are some wacky offerings on this fountain that I would never drink.  Two varieties of Tropicana.  Sunkist Orange.  Sobe Lifewater.  Canada Dry.  A Raspberry Brisk Iced Tea (is that necessary with the regular iced teas in their own dispensers?).  A specialty Mountain Dew.  Something I can't recognize and that the photo is too blurry to make out.  I'm scratching my head at these choices, but not necessarily complaining since they have not replaced any standards.

Also, I said to myself, "Megan, you are perhaps out of touch.  Living in your bubble in the neighboring town of Pleasantville, you shouldn't assume that everyone has a loving/addictive relationship with Diet Coke just because you and many of your peers do."

I did some research.  A 2010 NBC News piece lists the top three sodas as Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, and Pepsi (in that order),  A 2016-17 list from top101news.com (can't attest to reliability of this source) ranks them Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Diet Coke with Diet Pepsi in the seventh spot.

So, yes, Diet Coke is incredibly popular, right up there with the perennially loved full-sugar colas.

The other feeling, then, is Suspicion.  Regular Pepsi fills 3/24 spots on the Sam's Club fountain.  Diet Pepsi fills 1/24.  Caffeine-Free Diet Pepsi (?!?!) fills 1/24.  Whereas, Regular Coke fills 2/24 spots and Diet Coke, the second or third most popular soft drink, fills a mere 1/24 of the fountain. Hmmm.

Concern.  If after one shopping trip, I find that the Diet Coke tap has run dry and I can't get my 89 cents worth ... I don't know how to finish that without looking like a complete psycho.

I'm curious if each spot on a 24-tap fountain is carefully planned and negotiated on the corporate level or if it varies by store.  Or, if it's kind of haphazard arrangement.  Was my Sam's Club arranged on the whim of some Pepsi-loving beverage distributor?

There's another Sam's Club about twenty minutes away so I'll check out their fountain next time I'm in that area.  I'll be asking my parents and sisters to check their respective Sam's Clubs and will follow up with another edition of fountain drink dissertating when I have something to report.

Fountain Drink Dissertating: Freestylin'

 

We had lunch on the road today and, whadya know, there was a Coca-Cola Freestyle machine at Wendy's.  I am familiar with the Freestyle machine from our favorite local chain, Meatheads, and a few other restaurants.*  If you're not familiar with the concept, it's a fountain drink machine where you can do a lot of mixing and matching.  I've not done the math (as if I could) but there are likely hundreds of possible flavor combinations. 

Positives:

- It's a Coca-Cola Freestyle machine so that means that one of the options is Diet Coke which, as I've noted before, is the only option that matters to me.

- There are a lot of choices.  Most beverage bases (sprite, coke, diet, root beer, minute maid, and many, many more) come in regular, diet, and often in caffeine free versions. 

- There are feelings of power and excitement that go along with these choices.

- Your kids will love it.

Negatives:

- There are a lot of choices.  Usually there are two machines in an establishment, but if you're behind an amateur mixologist or a really indecisive soda drinker, you might wish there were fewer options or more machines.

- Your kids will love it.  They will want to mix their own drinks and whatever rules you have about specialty sugary drinks will be more challenging to enforce. 

- Decision fatigue could set in.

What do I drink when I encounter a Coca-Cola Freestyle machine?  I am choosing a beverage to go with my meal and for me, a regular Diet Coke is all I want.  When (not if), I refill my cup to go, I sometimes top off my regular Diet Coke with a bit of Vanilla Diet Coke.  That's it.  Boring.

Sure, if I had a Freestyle machine in my home (husband assures me this is not happening), I could likely come up with some other exciting flavor combinations, but when out to lunch, I play it safe.

How is the Diet Coke in the Freestyle machine?  Not bad, but not as good a the McDonald's or Chick-fil-A blends.

I was going to list "smaller cups" on the Freestyle negatives list, but I've realized that it's just Meatheads, where I most often do my Freestylin', that does not offer big cups.  Obviously, today's Wendy's cup was plenty large.

Before I close, I'd just like to shout out to the staff at the Joliet Street Wendy's in Dyer, IN.  We've eaten at this Wendy's on several road trips.  The workers there are very friendly and efficient, memorably so. 

Thoughts on Freestylin'?  I'd love to hear them.

*Other Freestyle machine spots include Pie Five and Noodles & Company

More Fountain Drink Dissertating

It's time for some more fountain drink dissertating.  Remember, I'm posting every day this month so have to pace myself in terms of providing quality content.  Ha.

This summer, our town welcomed a Thorntons, which, if you're not familiar, is a gas station with a fairly comprehensive convenience store.  I had visited Thorntons locations on the road and was thrilled to have one so close.  Why?  Because Thorntons is a fountain drink pilgrimage place.

I won't offer an in-depth analysis here, except to say that this fountain offers most every option a person would desire.  All I need is Diet Coke and a Dr. Pepper (for when I'm splurging).  For the sake of my loved ones, I am glad to see Diet Mountain Dew and Diet Dr. Pepper.  Sorry for such a blurry photo, but it's hard to take photos inside a convenience store without looking like a total creep.

The drinks are 99 cents (cheaper if you are a Refreshing Rewards member) and were 79 cents during the grand opening period.  I didn't photograph it but Thorntons has their own Slurpee product called FizzFreeze that comes in about a dozen varieties for, again, 99 cents.  If you are a rewards member, something like every sixth drink is free.  Since I've treated my kids to FizzFreezes a few times (end of a tough school week, treat on way home from pool), I've earned several free drinks.

Best of all, look at this ice.  This is high-quality, small-pellet ice.  The gift that keeps on giving even after you've finished your beverage.

Keep in mind, Thorntons also sells gas, which I need for my vehicle.

Welcome to Elmhurst, Thorntons.  Glad you're here.

The Stories Behind the Sign

It's time for another edition of Fountain Drink Dissertating, but with a twist.

We spent the weekend in St. Louis and pit-stopped at a McDonald's on the way home.  I won't share the town's name, but I will tell you I've lived in Illinois since 2001 and have never heard of it before.  Not a ton going on at the exit.  I don't know what this town has to offer in any potential town square/downtown area, but McDonald's was pretty much the only game in town near the highway.

I am not at all a McDonald's hater.  Love their fountain drinks, and get a large Diet Coke from there almost every single day.  I enjoy their fries, their cheeseburgers, and breakfast burritos too.  These days, we usually only eat food from McDonald's when traveling and *maybe* one other time a month.  But again, I'm not a hater.  McDonald's has been good to me and was the location of many happy family post-mass Sunday meals during my childhood.*

On to the fountain drink dissertating...

This fountain is excellent.  First of all, it offers Coca-Cola products, which is the first requirement of an excellent fountain.  Second, it offers both Dr. Pepper AND Diet Dr. Pepper, which is thrilling to many.  Hi-C is there as a nod to the McD's "orange drink" of old.  Barq's is a solid option.  There has to be a white fizzy like Sprite.  No need for any flavored waters or strange teas (sweet and unsweet offered to the left).  I like that WATER has its own tap instead of a smaller stream from the Hi-C. 

The real story here though is not the fountain and its solid offerings, but the crazily thorough sign outlining the Drink/Refill Rules.  These rules seem reasonable (and implicit) to me, but the fact that they are so prominently displayed is intriguing.  What kind of violations were happening?  The pop in the water cup violation is an old trick.  Unfortunate, but nothing new there.  Were commuters stopping every morning to refill the same old cup?  Large families sharing a large bottomless soda among themselves?  Were people bringing in large cups or pitchers from home and bellying up to the fountain?  Enjoying their coffee in the store and then taking a Coca Cola for the road?

I'm not critiquing McDonald's for outlining this policy, more scratching my head that such a sign might be necessary!

This sign gave me something to think about for the next ten minutes of endless highway on our road trip home.  I'd love to hear your thoughts on this sign.


*The Nilles Road McDonald's in Fairfield, OH still sets the curve for service and friendliness!  When I visit my parents this summer, I will check to see if this location has instituted any such signage.  I don't even think drinks were self-serve there last time I was actually inside, but I will report back.

Waterlogue-ing by the water...

I avoided clearing the crap off my phone for over a year, leaving myself unable to update its operating system and thus unable to download cool new apps or update the ones I already had.  When I finally cleaned the slate and updated in August, the first thing I did was install the Waterlogue app.

I had seen amazing #waterlogue images on Instagram and was ready to give it a whirl.  My own early attempts were kind of pathetic, and my enthusiasm faded.  A recent post by Jenny at Dinner: A Love Story reminded me of all the cool things I had planned for Waterlogue.  Jenny photographed and waterlogued her daughters' favorite childhood toys.

We're on vacation for the long weekend, and I decided to try some waterlogue-ing by the water.

Sunshine, warmish breeze, good book, comfortable chair, kids playing in the sand, ocean view, and cold Diet Coke.*  Waterlogue-worthy.

I'll save my list of future Waterlogue projects for another day.

*You know you're a DC addict when your reaction to a snazzy new design on the can is not "How cool!" but rather, "Shit, did someone buy Diet Coke Lime?"

Fountain Drink Dissertating

Sometimes when you attempt to write daily blog posts after months of barely writing a thing, you have to dig deep for inspiration ... deep into the bottom of your crowded, messy pit of a purse where your phone is always hiding.*  Then you find that phone, scroll through the 1,362 photos saved there since August and look for some images to use as blog fodder.

May I suggest a writing prompt?  Ahem, here goes:  What sort of soda fountain are you most happy/unhappy to see in dining establishments you frequent?

Fountain A

 

I captured this photo of Fountain A at a Potbelly near Northgate Mall in Cincinnati, OH in July of 2015.  I would characterize Fountain A as a "people pleaser fountain."  First things first, Diet Coke is available.  That's all that is needed for me to be happy about the fountain drinks on offer.  I don't share the passionate feelings of some about Diet Dr. Pepper (I'm a regular Pepper, all the way -- the only non-diet soda I will drink), but two people dear to me are DDP-lovers so I like to see a fountain that they'd be really excited about.  A bold move would be a Diet Mountain Dew tap.  I wouldn't touch it, but another someone I love would be thrilled.  I don't want to drink Diet Pepsi, obviously, but I can respect, if not understand, that there is a population that loves Diet Pepsi in the same way that I love Diet Coke.  Potbelly wants to please them, which is nice, but they're not fools at Potbelly.  They know that Pepsi/Diet Pepsi can't anchor a fountain.  The food has to be pretty awesome for me to purposely dine at an establishment that only serves Pepsi products.

Fountain B

Fountain B is not in the "people pleaser" category.  Fountain B is "curated with conviction."  I snapped this pic in October at an In-N-Out Burger in Petaluma, CA.  I don't know the ins-in-outs of beverage distributorship in California, but it seems like some party lines were crossed to gather these fountain offerings.  Someone was like, "Well, for sure we need Coke and Diet Coke.  We'll go with 7-Up for our clear beverage and Dr. Pepper because it's freaking fantastic."  Now, notice that Coke and Diet Coke each take up two spots, a choice that I suspect reflects more than just response to demand.  This move says, sure we could use those two spots for something inferior (like an orange soda), something disgusting (like a blue sports drink), or something trendy (like a fruit-flavored ice tea or a flavored water), but we privilege quality over variety.  Boom.

The discussion of the ice on offer on each fountain is really its own separate topic.

Well, that was fun.  Email me a pic of a fountain that makes you happy/unhappy, and I'd be eager to offer my analysis and impressions. 


*No, I don't have a special spot for my phone in my purse, even though my husband has made the suggestion several times.