It was fun reading all of this, especially since it goes back to '06. That first post of Lars with the cherry cream soda...yummmy. I only consume coffee if it's ice cream, Kahlua or some other dessert. I like tea, black, green, but not any spiced teas. Really dislike mint too. Mostly I drink flavored unsweetened seltzer, iced tea or lemonade. Occasionally I'll have a fruit soda, but I find them too sweet these days so I mix them with my seltzer. Alcohol? Not really. Don't like wine as a rule. I can deal with a little champagne or Asti. Will drink vodka, that Kahlua making it a Black Russian. Smiles. I can go several years or more without having any alcohol. Last year I turned my current [at the time] vodka into vanilla. This fall an old friend from high school came to visit and brought a bottle of vodka. I had 2 light Cape Cods and when he left I turned the Svedka into vanilla. LOL. In winter in the evening we either have hot tea or hot cocoa often. I do love hot chocolate made with cocoa or even a nice chocolate bar.

Kaismom, I had the exact same path as you Pelligrino > Isi seltzer bottle > Penguin. Agreed the Isi bottle was a total waste, and as soon as I saw the Penguin I knew I had to have it! If you buy their soda flavors, buy small ones at first because they may or may not be to your liking. I didn't like them and I returned them all. But now it looks like they have better flavors and ingredients, like real sugar. But I like to make my own concoctions, with sugar syrup, ginger juice concentrate (just found that one!), frozen lemonade mix, mint leaves, etc. Yum. I like hearing recipes that others are using. Bobbbeig, (I like all the Bs, was tempted to add a few more...), I considered a setup like yours. Agreed it is far cheaper. In the end, once the Penguin came on the market, it was too easy to resist. Plus, I only go through a CO2 canister about every 6 months. But it's a good way to go if you are a high volume consumer of bubbly drinks.

Those knocker/clacker things - I was really good at these, mine were purple and never broke or put out an eye. Do you remember....skip a ball? - Ours was called "Lemon Twist, it was so fun and great exercise too. - Green and Blue Chip stamps - My grandparents got these as winnings on their bowling league then they would go to a special store to cash them in. So cool Don Kirchner's Rock Concert - How about The Soouuulll Train? Your First Kiss? - Trevor Captain Kangaroo along with Mr. Green Jeans and the Banana Man - Don't forget the Dancing Bear Romper Room and the Magic Mirror - I always thought this was a Bay Area show only (I see Cindy, I see Billy...They never said Danielle) When Bubble Yum made it's debut and you were lucky to find it - Grape was my favorite!! This list is too long for me to keep that up so I'll just add my own; Grape Tang Stretch Armstrong Drive-ins this was already mentioned - Double features with a cartoon Ice rinks in the mall sin-sin - grampa always had some to hide his cigar smoke smell from my grandma Zots candy The milk man brought egg-nog during the holidays and sometimes chocolate milk. my mom swabbing me in rubbing alcohol and giving me ice baths because I had night fevers when I was really small - GASP The Jack Lelane show (sp?) he had a big white dog named Happy and so did we. so many more...

Just commenting on the part about using Poland Spring water. It's not spring water at all. The trucks pull up to Moose Pond in Maine which is a large body of water and I watch them, from my sun porch, take thousands of gallons of water out at least three times a week. Mind you, the water is suctioned out right next to the boat ramp which is disgusting with oil. Four towns are fighting to have it ceased but, because of the tax revenue on Poland Springs, they have hit one barrier after another. I make it a point to tell people the truth about Poland Springs and many many other bottled waters. They then transmit it to a cleansing factory which is based on the cleansing process that cleans ocean water. Yes it began with springs which are rampant in Maine and that water is potable as I've stopped and had it on occasion but it's natural. So essentially you are drinking water that has been cleansed with chemicals, just so you know.