No regrets, though.  Except for maybe that last box of pop tarts on the drive home.  I sort of regret that.

Anyway!

I was sitting here, minding my own business, editing photos, eating almonds and drinking my (always-present) Diet Dr. Pepper in a Sonic cup, when Blaine walked in the room and asked if I had an extra Sonic cup sitting around.

My first response was “Well, duh, when do I not?”, and my second was, “Why?”

Blaine replied, rather sheepishly, “I’ve started drinking my Cokes out of them.”

“Seriously?” I asked.

“Yeah, you were right, it’s better in a Sonic cup with crushed ice.”

I’ve been telling him for 23 years that I am ALWAYS right.

Now, if only I could convince him of that, we’d be on the right track.

Wednesday night we were sitting at our table waiting for our food to arrive when the waitress walked over to the table.  She took our drink orders, but looked at me funny for just a minute, sort of cocking her head to one side, like I looked familiar.

“You go to Sonic a lot, don’t you?” she asked.

“Uhhhhhhhhhh, yeah.” I replied, wondering how on earth the waitress from Swadleys would know that I go to Sonic.  I mean, sure, the two restaurants are right next door to one another, but its not like I think she sits and stares out the window at the cars that go by each day.

“You drive a tan mini-van, right?” she asked.

“How do you *know* this??” I wondered out loud, suddenly worried that I had rear-ended her in the Sonic parking lot or something, and had no memory of the event.

“Oh, I work at Sonic during the day and here at night.  I recognize you from the drive in window.”  she said with a smile.

Blaine just looked at me and shook his head, rolling his eyes all the while. 

Its pretty bad when the wait staff at OTHER restaurants can place you, just by your face, according to how many times a day you drive through Sonic. 

::sheepish embarrassment::

This is the conversation I had with my sister today:

Me: “You know, you can suspect you live in a small town when you drive through Sonic and the girl in the drive through window asks you why you’re driving that truck and what happened to your van….”

Kelly: “What did you tell her?”

Me: “I told her that my van was in the body shop and I had borrowed the truck from my brother in law. But wait. It gets better. But you KNOW you’re in a small town when you drive through Sonic the next day and the same girl in the same drive through window asks ‘so how long do you have to drive your brother in law’s truck?’ Ha-ha-ha!!! Isn’t that funny???”

Kelly: “I don’t think that says you live in a small town as much as it says you go to Sonic way too often.”

So I went to my local Sonic and drove through the drive-through. I reached the window, paid, and then sat there while the girl handed me my drink. I waited, and she looked at me and smiled politely, saying, “Have a great day!”

“Um, my mozarella sticks?” I asked.

“Oh!” she replied. “I’m sorry, I’m so used to you getting just a Diet Dr. Pepper that I forgot about them.” Then she hurried around and handed them to me through the window.

And at first I thought, you know, when the car hops at Sonic know your drink order by heart, perhaps that’s a sign that you spend too much time there.

And then I thought ….. naaaawwwwwwwww, it just means they’re good at their jobs. I drive through there practically every day (shamefully, sometimes more than once a day) so it only goes to figure they would recognize the hot mom in the mini-van and know what she usually orders, right? (you know I’m being tongue-in-cheek about the hot mom part, right?)

Then today I drove through like I do every Monday on the way to piano lessons to get the kids happy-hour slushes. And when I pulled up to the window, a different car hop looked at me and said, “Oh, you’re the one whose kids like to eat their slushes with a spoon. Hang on and I’ll get you some.”

So you tell me. Am I at Sonic way too much, or do we just have damn talented car hops???

Hmmmm? Can ya? Can ya? Hmmmmm?

(contented sigh) Ahhhh. It’s good to have friends in high places.

Actually, what’s good is to have lunch with an old friend, who you’ve only seen once or twice in the twenty-four years since you graduated high school together, and see for yourself that they are (he is) just as smart, just as funny, just as nice, and just as gracious as they were (he was) in school. It’s very easy to be happy for someone else’s success when you see how they have genuinely lived up to thier potential as successful husband, father, provider, and businessman.

Of course, the fact he agreed not to sue me for telling the extremely unflattering frog dissection story to the internet helped as well.

OK, so maybe it’s not that fabulous, but it is pretty darn good food. And amazingly good drinks. And convenience and cheerfulness, served in a cup by a carhop.

In a nutshell, Sonic is a drive-in fast food restaurant (America’s Drive In!) and I’m proud to say it originated here in Oklahoma, and that their corporate headquarters are based right here in Oklahoma City. I’m sure that has something to do with the fact there is one every few miles around here. And yes, to answer those of you who have asked, I do have one very close to my house. Close enough that if push came to shove, I could walk there. (Not happily, I might add, because the only place I walk happily is to the front of the buffet line, but you know what I mean.) In fact, it’s the same Sonic that we used to walk to in high school for lunch, and the same Sonic we used to park at on Friday and Saturday nights when we were teenagers. Nostalgia AND Diet Dr Pepper with soft ice in a Styrofoam cup — do you SEE why it is the perfect place for me????

According to Wikipedia: Sonic Corporation is an American fast food restaurant chain based in OKC that recreates the drive-in diner feel of the 1950’s, complete with carhops who often wear roller skates. There were 3,290 restaurants in 34 states, plus one in Mexico, as of May 31,2007. The first one opened in Shawnee, OK, in 1953, so to answer the question of the person who wondered if it is a fad, I’d have to say no. Fifty-five years in business means they must be doing something right.

Sonic has always featured unique menu items like hand-made Onion Rings and flavored drinks like Cherry Limeades and Vanilla Cokes, as well as such drive-in staples as hamburgers, Coneys (hot dogs covered with chili and shredded cheese) and corn dogs, shakes and malts. Many different flavors such as vanilla, chocolate, cherry, strawberry, cranberry, apple, etc are available and can be added to drinks. Sonic boasts an impressive 168,894 possible drink combinations, stating that you could have a new drink every day for the next 462 years, a claim that backs up their slogan as “Your Ultimate Drink Stop”. All locations also feature “happy hour” every day from 2-4 pm, in which the customer may buy soft drinks, slushes, limeades and iced tea for half price.

Personally, my favorites are the breakfast burritos, onion rings, and tater tots, although Happy Hour is reason enough to get out of bed most mornings.

It’s convenient, it’s fast, and best of all, you don’t even have to get out of your car to eat if you don’t want to. Although I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Sonic with indoor seating (not counting the ones located in malls) most have patio or picnic tables outside. Many days after school we see lots of other moms and kids from our school, because where else can me and all three kids get a soda for under $3 total? So it’s not only the pure joy and happiness of carbonation in a cup, it’s social-hour as well.

Do I think the food is good enough to wait in line for an hour? No, probably not. But that’s because I’m spoiled and have four Sonics within five minutes of my house. When we lived in Ohio, the nearest Sonic was an hour away and although I never made a special trip, believe me, if we were driving past, we stopped. Now, it’s such a staple of my life that at any given time I have Sonic cups in my office, my car, and the kitchen. I am quite possibly the happiest Sonic customer in the world.

{/end commercial}

OK, but HERE is my burning Sonic mystery — the question that has plagued me for years and years and years … (ok, really, only for a few months since I found out)

See this boy?

This boy right here, standing next to me in this God-Awful picture from my Jr-Prom-that-wasn’t-really-a-prom-because-we-weren’t-allowed-to-dance-at-our-school?**

Although I haven’t talked to him in years, and don’t have his permission, and am probably breaking every internetiquette rule known to mankind, I’m going to tell you a little bit about him (besides the fact he was obviously a genius for taking me to prom ….. no, I’m kidding, he totally didn’t want to take me, I bullied him into it. But that’s another story for another day.)

His name is Steve Vaughan and we went to high school together (duh.) After high school graduation, Steve got an accounting degree, or a finance degree, or something, I’m really not sure. Then, he became a CPA. (He was always a pretty smart cookie.)

Do you want to know what he does for a living now? What is his current job????

He is CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER FOR SONIC CORPORATION!!!

WTF??? Somebody *I* know, somebody *I* went to high school with, is CHIEF FREAKING FINANCIAL OFFICER FOR SONIC, and he’s never so much as tossed me a free gift card???? What is up with that? Doesn’t he know I’m the biggest Sonic fan that ever lived? Hasn’t he heard about all the times I’ve plugged his employer on my blog, and all the free publicity I’ve given them? Doesn’t he know that I single-handedly raise company profits every quarter with my Diet Dr Pepper in a styrofoam cup with soft ice obsession????

Um, no, he probably doesn’t. Because I have’t talked to him in like fifteen years.

But you better believe at next year’s reunion there had better be some cards passed from him to me, is all I’m saying!

Ooooh, or maybe I’ll get lucky and Steve will google himself in the next few days and find this journal entry and read about how much I love Sonic and be nice and send me some gift cards.

Oh, shoot, except maybe he’s not over the fact I bullied him into taking me to the prom.

Dang, Mom always said not to be pushy; looks like she was right.

**No comments about the dress, please. Remember, it was the early 1980′s, and I was actually quite stylish. (shudder)

Too often, would you say?

So often that they got cocky? Over-confident? Too sure of my love?

What else could explain the travesty, the outrage, the grave state of affairs that has just unfolded at my local Sonic? {cue scary tympani drum music}

Why else would they raise the price of their large drinks — not by ten, not by twenty, but by THIRTY cents this week? $1.59, the old price, plus tax is $1.70. I could hand the car hop two dollars and feel generous when I said, “keep the change.” Now, the price of a large beverage has been raised to $1.89. Math isn’t my strong suite, but if I did the sums correctly, once they add tax the total cost just went up to $2.02.

It’s the two pennies. Those two pennies are testing my limits, pushing my boundaries, taunting me to see if it’s still worth it.

Oh, Sonic, what did I ever do but love you, and nuzzle you, and hold you close while I whispered sweet nothings in your straw? And this is how you repay me?

Is my love for the Sonic beverage strong enough to withstand the economics of the penny?

Only time will tell.

I might be forced to drive to the Chick-Fil-A across town, where I can purchase a same size Diet Dr. Pepper, also on tap, also in a Styrofoam cup, also with rabbit pellet ice, for only $1.49 (with tax). Sure, I’ll spend more than the difference in gas, getting to and from. But sweet, sweet vindication could be mine, as I thumb my nose at the corporate greed that has overtaken the Sonic people.

Or maybe I should find something more worthwhile to do than dwell on stupid shit like this. Like the fact my movers will be here in seven days and me ??? Still not ready!

“I nominated you in May as the Sonic customer of the year (the idea came from someone else here, though) and I got a follow-up email today from Sonic!

I think this must mean you are at least being considered! C’mon everybody–write in for Kristie, too! SonicPR@Sonicdrivein.com”

Now, normally, I’m not a big fan of self-promotion … seems a little crass. But who knows? If the grand prize is free rabbit pellet ice and Diet Dr. Pepper for a year, I’ll stand right here and prostitute myself to the Gods of the Styrofoam Cup and not even blink an eye, and ask all of you to do it, too.

Thanks, Lisa, and who-ever gave her the idea to begin with!