Don't Look At Me That Way, It Was An Honest Mistake

Sixty-three days ago, I stopped drinking soda. It didn't figure to be easy, breaking a fifteen-year-old addiction, but for over two months I've managed to stay the course and steer clear of Mountain Dew, Pepsi, and other bubbly beverages. (Regrettably, my chocolate milk consumption has risen exponentially in the same time period.)

It's toughest to watch what I drink during the day, at work, when I'm often tired to the point of exhaustion and know that the caffeine and sugar found in a 20-ounce bottle of Dew would provide enough of a pick-me-up to make it through the day.

Today, after a particularly rough morning, I stopped in at the Shell station and started looking at the energy drinks. Soda is off my grid, caffeine is not. After much deliberation and reading of labels, I bought a can of Rockstar and immediately texted my wife to tell her that I hoped it wasn't in violation of my personal Prohibition. When I got to the car, I popped open the can and drank some. It was bubblier than I expected (not a good sign) and fruity tasting. The can was about half-gone when the following exchange text exchange took place between Vicki and I:

"I hope this doesn't qualify as soda. I feel like I'm cheating."
"You're crazy! :-) is it bubbly?"
"It's a little bubbly. It's made with carbonated water."
"aka soda water?"
"Am I breaking my rule?! :-("
"I think you might be...but it was an honest mistake..."
"I'm crushed :-("

Talk about major suckage. I don't know if my back-to-back sad-face emoticons truly convey the desparation of the situation, but it was depressing. I felt like a recovering alcoholic who drank two cups of punch before anyone told him it was spiked.

In the end, though, I was pleased with my ultimate reaction. Whereas once I might have used this as an excuse to "fall off the wagon" and partake in whatever contraband items I wanted, today was different. After talking with Vicki, I didn't drink another drop, soda or not, and threw away the rest of the can. That's progress, right?