Daydreaming In Traffic

No thanks! Already am!

We all have things in life that we can't live without. Food. Shelter. Love. 7-11 coke slurpees.

Okay maybe not everyone has the same list as me.

7-11 coke slurpees have been a part of my life for about 25 years. Not frosters or slushies. Not pepsi or any other flavour. 7-11. Coke. Slurpees.

Oh the lengths I would go to for that sweet mixture of sugar and ice. If the machine at the 7-11 closest to me was broken, or was empty, I would drive to the next one. Sometimes going to three or four 7-11s until I found what I needed. One particular day I was driving down Highway 2 in Alberta. Saw a sign for High River that said there was a 7-11. Pulled into the town. Couldn't find it, which isn't surprising since I have discovered most 7-11s to be very inconvenient convenience stores! Went to the tourist office just to ask where it was. I eventually found it and got my prize!

And let me tell you that not every 7-11 coke slurpee is created equal. Every store has it's distinct flavour and consistency. And when you get used to "your" store, it's hard to move on. And don't even get me started on the slurpees in the States!

There have been very few days during those 25 years that I went without a slurpee by my side. Starting back in the days when a group of us would spend afterschool in 7-11 trying desperately to beat the dragon in Dragon's Lair (which I eventually did! Athankyouverymuch!) Most of my friends grew out of slurpees. But not me.

I realize that a slurpee almost every day for years has not been the most positive thing I could do for my health. And I have tried many times to just let them go. Always promising myself, and my wife, that "this is the week!" And always coming up with some lame excuse the next day to get one. "Oh we need milk!" Of course, why bother going to the supermarket down the street when 7-11 is a 12 minute drive away and the milk costs more!

I thought when I turned 40, that would be it. Time to move on. That was 3 months ago now. And the slurpees are still there.

This may be the time. Not only just for my health, but because coke slurpees are getting harder to find! Four out of the five 7-11s in Victoria don't even have coke slurpees. And the one that does, is in the heart of downtown. Tourist central! So much hassle for a cup of flavoured ice.

While I make no promises (I have been down this road before), this does feel different. Like I'm ready. The slurpee I just finished, will definitely be my last.

Probably.

Maybe.

No no! It's the last!

Definitelyprobablymaybe...

Oh look! We're out of milk! Be right back!