i've-never-purchased-a-fountain-drink-at-maverick-before

me: i'm going to the post office

lady at office: it's by maverik you know. 

(pause. i know that's where they buy the beloved diet coke, and i never have participated in such rendezvous, at this job. . . or any job before this)

me: yes...i could stop and get it. (sweat start beading down my forehead)

lady at office: okay, its 95 cents, i like my ice filled to this line, here's my maverick card and thank you.

me: okay, that's some serious instructions

walking. . . . 

me to other lady at office:  i'm going to maverik, do you want something?

shock from other lady at office then: are you actually getting something?

me: um no, just going to the post office.

once the shock dissipates, she says: ok, let me get my cup. 

(all of these ladies already have maverick cups they save, many cups in fact.)

i start to walk out, realize, i didn't ask other lady in the office what she drinks...which i should have known was diet coke.  so off i go, feeling as foreign as can be.  first the post office, where i have to ship this internationally for my etsy shop.  again, a new adventure for me to try on this glorious friday morning.  then i drive up to maverik and this is where i get kind of nervous. 

first, there is only a tight parking spot, because really, how, HOW are there sooo many people at maverik at 9:45 am? i pull out the cups, make sure i have the punch cards, realize i have already forgotten who's cup is who's (shhhh.) and proceed into the giant rugged interior of maverik. 

i stand there. i've only been to maverick for gas, red box and the restrooms. where is the stupid drinking fountain at? so i slowly begin to shuffle around, trying not to look like a i've-never-purchased-a-fountain-drink-at-maverick-before. 

finally, FINALLY, i find the 20 foot wall of gloried carbonated sugar free/sugared/highly caffeinated  beverages. once again, i stand there.  now where is the dang diet coke?  we lock eyes and i proceed to the ice dispenser.  with the ice amount properly accounted for, i do a double take, just to make sure that this is yes, indeed diet coke. i slowly fill it up, not wanting to spill, then begin to search for the lids.  (they sure have fancy lid dispensers)

so i make my way up to pay.  d. coke and maverick cards in hand, i stand once again, not sure which register to go too, both cashiers are extremely busy looking at pictures on a green phone.  don't they realize there's a newbie in town?  help a girl out for pete's sake.  finally, one turns to me, rings up the elixirs and tells me the total.  now to find the change. . . i start counting out, realizing it's been years since i last counted coinage.  she starts getting impatient, i try counting faster...i can't count fast enough and she erupts into a giant dragon blowing a raging fire of death!  (okay, not really, but sheesh.)  

you guys may not realize this, but once upon a time...like when i was twelve, i couldn't even order pizza over the phone.  my mother would force me to do it.  it took years to overcome this.  i'm not sure why this little shy version of harmony stopped by to say hello.   but now, when I find one of those checklists where you check off all the things you've done in your life, i will now be able to check off i've-have-purchased-a-fountain-drink-at-maverick-before.

ps don't judge. i don't drink pop very often and yes for some reason i call it pop. also, i really am that cheap, i'd like to save my 95 cents for a $5 pair of shoes.