Things that are awesome, Vol. 1

Especially after the last post, I need to demonstrate to some of my readers that I can be more than merely a gloomy Gus. I've decided to start a series of occasional posts on things I find awesome. Now, we can all agree that pirates & ninjas & bacon are all awesome, but this list will be a bit more, um, idiosyncratic.















Cheerwine!

Oh, yes. It's a red, super-sweet, cherry-flavored soft drink that you find mostly in the Carolinas. I've had more than one person ask how it is that I complain that regular Coke is too sweet, but I'll guzzle a can of Cheerwine without a second thought, and end with a smile on my face. Well, maybe it's the name: cheer and wine both sound like things that are good, and should make you smile. Well then. And there's the cherryness of the drink, too. No 'cola' to mix up the flavors or anything. And it calls to mind memories of the free Cheerwine stand at the NC State Fair, where they gave out free cups of . . . Cheerwine. And it calls to mind memories of NC, period. If you've not had one, you should do yourself a favor and get ahold of one. Rumor has it that cases of Cheerwine have been seen in grocery stores in middle TN.

I've got a few empty cans proudly on display in my office.