Monday, 30 March 2009

What's The Worst That Can Happen?

There was this particular ice-cream available in Ireland when I was growing up. I can't for the life of me remember what it was called but it was in a cornet shaped see-through container, the pointy end of which was actually rounded because it held an unexpected "delight" - when you'd got through all the ice-cream and delicious dribbly sauces there was a big red bubblegum ball at the end. This particular ice-cream was quite expensive so it took a long time before I actually got to buy one of my own. Sometimes I pooled resources with a friend or sibling but when I shared one I never got the bubblegum! I remember the first time I got to the bottom of that container and scooped out the bubblegum - and it was mine. I eagerly popped it into my mouth expecting it to be filled with raspberry yumminess like the gumballs you could buy 2 for a penny. But this was twice their size so it was going to be extra YUMMY!

Can you imagine how disappointed I was when I realised it was cherry flavoured. I hate cherries. I particularly hate cherry flavoured things. YUCK! From then on I just spent my pocket money on ordinary tubs of ice-cream and, if I felt so inclined, a penny-worth of bubblegum. Raspberry flavour.

The other day I decided to try an new experience. Our good friends Kiersten, Natalie and Renee (otherwise known as the MoMos) are always banging on about how fantastic this drink is. I was absolutely sure that each bottle contained the nectar of the gods (whoever they were). According to the MoMos a bottle of this (preferably with full caffeine) and a bag of M&Ms were the only things I'd ever need to chase the blues away or rescue me from writer's block or possibly fend off an alien invasion. So when I was picking up a sandwich for lunch at the supermarket, and I saw it there in the chiller cabinet I thought "why not? What's the worst that can happen?"

It was cherry flavoured.

17 comments:

fairyhedgehog said...

Oh dear. Life can be full of these grave disappointments.

Aine said...

Oh no! So sorry no one told you that Dr Pepper is the same flavor as Cherry Coke! :O

I'm not a fan of anything that tastes like cherry flavoring. I like real cherries, cherry pie, cherry tarts, etc. But that artificial flavoring is so strongly associated with the cherry-flavored medicines I was given as a child. Yuck! It all tastes like cough syrup to me.

Lisa said...

Hi came to visit about your hero. If you will copy and paste your HTML for your hero and paste in the contact portion in my website www.lisanevin.com I'll create the jog for you. It IS a pain. Yours sounds fun.
Sorry to hear snout the cola trauma!

PJD said...

I thought I was picking up a Diet Dr. Pepper once and got back to the office and found to my horror (after the first sip) that the label for Diet Dr. Pepper and the label for cherry-chocolate diet Dr. Pepper are very similar.

Unfortunately, the taste of cherry-chocolate diet Dr. Pepper is abysmal. Why anyone would think that was a good idea is beyond me.

Renee Collins said...

Oh Janey, Janey. You have to give it a second chance! You must!

It might interest you to know that the formula for Dr. Pepper is a unique blend of 23 different flavors! 23! So, yes, presumably, cherry might be one of the 23. And yet, what about the other 22 flavors? Will you discriminate against 22 hard working flavors, just because of one lousy cherry flavor?????

I am proud that you at least tried it once, Janey, but I implore you to try it again.

;)

Whirlochre said...

I remember seeing Dr Pepper advertised in every Marvel comic I bought, and when it came out in the UK, I gladly spent my 16p on a can.

To date, this is the only can of Dr Pepper I've ever drunk.

Sorry to be brutal, but it tasted like Benylin cough mixture watered down with pee.

fairyhedgehog said...

You can report spamBloggers here.

If we all do this, maybe it will have some effect.

Sara Raasch said...

But M&Ms are not cherry flavored. They are pure, unadulterated goodness. You're safe there.

Spy Scribbler said...

Dr. Pepper is cherry flavored? I had no idea! I love Dr. Pepper, but... I'm not much for pop. I'll have a sip once or twice a year.

I always loved fake grape flavor, like the cold medicine I took as a child.

Kiersten White said...

Oh no. I'm bitterly disappointed.

Kidding--you didn't like it, no big deal!

My true love is Vanilla Coke. I never buy it because I love it too much.

McKoala said...

"it tasted like Benylin cough mixture watered down with pee."

I agree! Maybe it's our celtic tastebuds.

But to get back to the ice cream - do you remember Lord Toffinghams?

Aniket Thakkar said...

I am sorry but I couldn't help but laugh there at the end. :-)

For the record, I hate cherry too. :P

Sarah Laurenson said...

I used to drink Dr. Pepper all the time. I hardly touch carbonated stuff these days. Root Beer and Sasparilla are my faves when I do indulge.

We had waffle cones with a gumball at the bottom. Don't remember ever eating the gumball. With cold sensitive teeth, I hardly ever ate ice cream.

Unknown said...

I'm with you - eurgh, yuck and ick to all things cherry flavoured! I'm sure cherry flavours should only be the preserve of cough mixtures - which are revolting by default (or perhaps that's because they are inevitably cherry flavoured...)
Talk about disappointing.

Barrie said...

I'm guessing you're not a fan of chocolate covered cherries. :)

Angela said...

Is it cherry? The same as cherry coke, really?

I've never liked Dr. Pepper but DIET DR PEPPER is not the same. It is good (though very sweet).

I remember those ice creams with gum at the bottom. YUM!

Well, at least you can stick with m&ms!!

(BTW I found your fun blog from your friend who likes to write poems in your honor!)

Amy Jane (Untangling Tales) said...

Huzzah! Another Dr P hater!

I've never understood the appeal of it, and it bugged the living daylights out of me when my dad would get this for his drink.

(We didn't do soda much-- and this way he knew he wouldn't have to share. My brother learned to drink it just because he wanted soda.)