A New Year's Query, Take Two

I realized another option you dear readers could request is weird little slices of my life like this:

Tonight after returning a video my sister had lent us, I went into Roth's IGA to see whether they had any Diet Mountain Dew in stock. For some reason grocers in our area haven't been stocking it in two-liters, which has caused a bit of panic in our household.

But, joy of joys, Roth's had some in stock. And it was on sale, $1 each plus deposit.

I put 20 in the cart.

At the checkout, the cashier's eyes widened.

"Are you... going to a party?" she asked.

"Nope. Just stocking up while it's on sale," I said.

"I know!" she laughed. "A dollar five each; that's a great price."

I nodded agreement and pulled $21 from my wallet.

"WHOA!"

I looked up to see two teenagers clutching bakery boxes and bags, grinning and staring at my cart.

"That is a LOT of Mountain Dew," the guy said.

"Yep," I agreed.

He called to another friend, commenting that "this is how much you'd buy!"

The cashier asked whether I knew I'd get this much attention just for buying soda. I told her I usually stock up like this, and people usually comment.

"Are you going to a party?" the girl asked.

"Just stocking up," I said. Apparently that's hysterically funny.

"Do you, like, only drink Mountain Dew?" the guy asked.

"My husband does."

"Oh. Gotta bump to that," he said, and held up his knuckles. His girl friend and the cashier both giggled as I bumped fists with him.

"I'll pass it along to him when I get home," I promised.

"Right on," the kid grinned.

I smiled good-bye and pushed my cart toward the door, but not before a few other customers glanced at the soda &mdash and then at me &mdash to see what was so fascinating.