In the spring of 2002, my mom's health forced her to retire from teaching kindergarten. Because of crazy Social Security rules, she would not be able to draw her own retirement benefits and her spousal Social Security benefits unless she retired from a SS school district. Because of that, she (and hundreds of other teachers that summer) resigned from her home school system and worked two days for Coleman ISD so she could retire from that district.
That whole injustice deserves its own post, but I mention it only because on our way to Coleman, my mom, the kids and I stopped in Dublin to tour the Dr Pepper plant there. Of course, true Dr Pepper aficionados know that Dublin Dr Pepper is still made with sugar cane, so it has a special sweetness (and gives its drinkers a real energy buzz!). While we waited for the tour to begin, the kids and I shared a bottle of the stuff. Were we surprised when we got ANOTHER bottle at the end of the tour! Wow, was that SWEET!
My sweet Mom bought me the T-shirt, and I've hardly worn it for a couple of reasons.
For one, the drink's traditional 10-2-4 logo is supposed to represent 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. (the times when blood sugar levels are at their lowest). So why aren't they closer to the positions they'd be in on a clock? It's not 10-4-2! (I know, I know. I'm weird that way.)
For another, while we were at the plant, we saw a friend's husband there with a female companion, and it was horribly awkward. Every time I look at the shirt, I remember that chance encounter and shudder (right after I "tsk-tsk" about the 10-2-4 thing).
4 comments:
Hey, my grandparents used to have a peanut farm in Comanche County and the attended church in Dublin. We went to the Dr. Pepper factory several times and we love the taste of the pure sugar cane. Nothing like a cold can of Dublin DP!!
Would you be willing to sell that shirt? I wouldn't have bad memories associated with it.
It's yours if you want it, Jenna!
Excellent!
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