Cheers!

Remember that old television show, Cheers? My favorite part was always when one of the regulars would arrive in the bar while everyone shouted, "Norm!". He'd grunt and give a perfunctory wave or make a pithy comment and plop onto his bar stool just as Sam sent his mug of beer sliding down the bar.

Call me weird, but it cracked me up every time.

Well, alert the media. Today I had my first Norm experience.

Our local convenience store, just five minutes from my house, sells a soda card. When you buy it, it is redeemable for several fountain drinks at a big discount, plus free refills if you use their original cavernous plastic cup.

You may recall that last year, I vowed that I would have a soda free summer. I failed miserably. This year I am attempting to have a sugar soda free summer. Diet soda doesn't count. Wish me luck.

So today as I breezed into the station for my diet Coke, the gal behind the cash register greeted me with, "Julia!" as I filled my cup with fizzy stuff. Oh yeah. We're on a first-name basis now. Feels good.

I need to develop a repertoire of pithy comments.