July 14, 2017 - News Post

I broke my soda-free streak earlier this week. It’s been since late March that I last had one any sort of acidic liquid candy bar.

I didn’t really want one. But I was in a restaurant, surrounded by my peers, and they were pressuring me. I cried a little, but it was worth it for the coolness factor.

Actually, I made a quick 48-hour trip down to Central FL to visit relatives. While there, I stopped at my favorite local Taco chain, Tijuana Flats. I haven't lived near one in years, so it's nice to go when I can. If you haven’t been, the place is a tribute to salty goodness and features a hot sauce bar. The food is acceptable, but the hot sauce is the restaurant's main gimmick and selling point.

On this visit, I figured I would embrace the nostalgia and get what I used to eat all the time: tacos, chips, and a large array of hot sauces. The food and hot sauces I picked ranged in spiciness and flavor, but they all paired well with a Mellow Yellow and crushed ice. This is a fact, not an opinion. Since I'm not made of stone, I broke down and bought a soda with my lunch. Following a particularly spicy taste of hot sauce, I drank my first sip of Mellow Yellow in months.

After all this time without soda, it was stunningly sweet. I was genuinely surprised by how powerful the flavor was. I felt like I had been kicked in the teeth by someone wearing sugar shoes (a product idea that, if it doesn’t exist, is my gift to you, America).

This isn’t a complaint, merely an observation.

Still, I think I regret drinking soda again. I didn't finish my drink, and I didn't crave more, yet I believe I'll see if I can avoid it a little longer. I can’t say I’ll stop drinking soda forever, but it didn't feel great. I’m hoping this one Mellow Yellow was a fluke. Drinking soda is a hard habit to break, and there’s something unsettling about that much sweetness. The last thing I want is to become addicted to soda. That's a thing, right?

In unrelated news, I may have become addicted hot sauce.

-Jeff