so sue me...

I used to be a Diet Soda Slut. Now, I am the "food coloring, food additive, 'natural flavoring' and packaged food phobe" your parents warned you about. I never drink diet sodas. In fact, I find myself shaking my head when I see people drinking them: Yep, I find myself judging people, the same people who, like me, only buy organic produce, for drinking diet soda... It is sick, me judging, because I have to admit, I am not 100% chemical free: On occasion, on SPECIAL OCCASION, diet sodas are consumed on solo road trips* between Dallas and Austin: Those are the only times I 'allow' myself to have them. To be honest, when I drink one, the taste of all of the chemicals is stunning in a "bad, bad, bad, I know I am killing myself" kind of way and that feeling is reason alone to avoid them. HOWEVER, today was the 4th day this week that I craved a Diet Coke by the halfway point of a workout...I know! WTF?!

The first two times, Tuesday and Thursday, I wrote it off, thinking 'Holy Mary, mother of Christ, I must REALLY be thirsty if I am craving a Diet Coke'.

Yesterday, the craving reached a new height. I found myself VERY jealous when I passed a lady with a Wendy's cup on the trail. Now, I didn't know that it was a Diet Coke, I can only assume... And assuming it was diet coke, I was immediately overcome with a wistful longing so disturbing and unfamiliar to me it freaked me out.

So TODAY, when Mr.G and I stopped to "ice up" [his terminology, not mine...], I found myself marching resolvedly to the cooler in the back of the Stop&Shop, picking up a Diet Coke, and popping the top...and with no second thought.

As we walked out, I said to G: 'I cant remember the last time I drank a diet soda..."

I dont drink that shit," snapped G.

For a split second, and I really mean it, it was only a split second, I felt like an idiot because I KNOW DIET SODAS ARE EVIL nutritionally void, chemically laden, toxic, pathetic excuses for a beverage. 

I continued to pour it into my water bottle...and you know what?

Every chemically swallow was like drinking the sweet sweet nectar of the gods...

Now, that? That's some SCARY s***...

*I've never really taken a 'true road trip': This is something 'bama is hell bent on changing when we are in Spain next month...And I am really excited, even thought it means we will be paying through the nose for fuel. And we think it's disgusting to pay 4$ a gallon while Europeans are paying at least double per LITRE?!?....Yowsers!