Gotta Love Sonic

Four mornings ago Roy woke up and said, completely out of the blue, "I'm giving up tea as of today."

Now this may not sound that monumental...but...one of my classic sayings about Roy is that if they ever draw blood from his body, they're going to get tea instead.

When Roy and I started dating, we discovered Sonic. Interestingly enough, the Sonic chain started in Oklahoma, and we discovered it in Edmond--a suburb of Oklahoma City where I grew up. Occasionally we would visit there and get a drink. We quickly learned that we love Sonic ice. It's like little pellets and it's fun to crunch; it keeps your drink ice-cold; and the drinks come in styrofoam cups so they are naturally insulated. All of these factors came together for us and a Sonic tradition was born before we even married.

When we moved to Colorado, a Sonic was a few miles away from the campus where we worked. Though we certainly didn't visit it every day, we probably went weekly, grabbing a two-for-one Sonic burger and half-price drinks. I can still remember bringing home a bulging brown bag, sitting in our living room, and devouring all of that. It was so good.

When we moved to Wisconsin, they didn't have Sonics there, but every time we would go home to Oklahoma, we learned what exit had a Sonic and we planned our trip around it. Every single trip. We indulged ourselves as much as possible on the road because once we hit Wisconsin, that was it.

I always loved Sonic Dr. Pepper as well and it was a vice I enjoyed to the fullest. But when we moved here to North Carolina, I didn't like the way they mixed it. Roy always says I am a connoisseur of Dr. Pepper and he's right. I can tell the difference between a can and a fountain drink, much preferring the latter. But Sonics in the South don't use as much syrup so...it wasn't long after we moved here that I just quit drinking it. (Mom, be proud.)

But not so for Roy. In fact, he discovered tea with cranberry syrup. That added a new dimension to his tea experience and so, almost daily, Roy would go to Sonic and get his tea. And though this sounds like it must be really expensive, he would visit during half-price drinks or use a coupon which makes it significantly cheaper.

In fact, the students here laugh, saying that a Sonic cup is permanently fixed to Roy's hand as usually, when you see him, he has one nearby. Of course, the cup is not always filled with Sonic tea. We also keep tea in the refrigerator at home. And to be fair, sometimes he fills that cup with water as well. He just really likes Sonic cups.

And so, when he woke up and said that he was quitting tea, I laughed.

Riiiiiightttt.....

But he said what he meant and meant what he said: Roy was faithful 100 percent. (Horton Hears a Whoo...)

This past week? Roy often looks like he is going to fall asleep, especially mid-afternoon. And when we pass Sonic in the car, I half-expect him to turn in and order his tea; but he doesn't--eyes straight ahead. A half-used gallon of tea still sits in the refrigerator and as of yet? It hasn't tempted him.

He is on a mission.

They say it takes two weeks to cut the caffeine habit so I guess I should wait before I proudly proclaim that he has conquered and won. But Roy is one determined guy. When he decides to do something? Watch out.

I am proud of him. And it won't be long, I'm thinkin', before his veins are filled with blood instead of tea.

Good job, hon.