In some recent posts, I alluded to falling off the wagon in terms of Coke (the drink, not the drug). My soda consumption has gone way up during the summer, especially in the last few weeks.
Unfortunately, for someone who only really drinks Coke products, this was a bad time to start chasing the dragon again. Coca-Cola workers in British Columbia are on strike and have been for about four weeks now. Coke products have been difficult to find on store shelves.
At first, the residual supply was enough to keep shelves stocked, but when that all dried up, it was slim pickings. That lasted for a few weeks. Then Coke management brought in “replacement workers” and now you can see a few more products back in stores. The issue is that bottling capacity seems to be still limited. As such, they’re only making the most popular products. In stores, all I see is regular Coke, which I do not drink. I have made the decision to trade diabetes for cancer and thus I attempt to only drink sugar-free Coke products, name Coke Zero or Coke with Coffee. These products are still in short supply.
Like an addict looking for a fix though, the need for cola outweighs my brand loyalty, so in the last week or so, I’ve purchased several bottles of Pepsi Zero. I feel a tiny bit of shame when I’m at the register but once that cold cola splashes into my mouth, that shame is long forgotten.
I can tell you one thing though, this still hasn’t made me into a regular Pepsi drinker. Once this strike is over, I’ll go back to Coke immediately. Better yet, I’m hoping to kick this cola habit way before the strike ends.