I just submitted a new word to the Urban Dictionary. I came up with it the other morning when I woke up angry, but really didn’t know why? I went for our normal weekend morning run with the dogs, wrote for a half-hour, and got ready to go look at new kitchen counter-tops. I told my wife I would go if she would stop at a McDonald’s drive-thru for me to get a Diet Coke. She rolled her eyes, but agreed to my terms. They have the best syrup-mix I’ve found, and so it’s a frequent favorite. As it turned out, there was not a convenient McDonald’s on our route, and we ended up going directly to the Precision Countertops showroom, spending about an hour with a salesperson to compare styles and prices. I had started to get a bit edgy just before we arrived and was in an argumentative mood. My wife often gets “hangry” when she doesn’t get something to eat. I was not hungry – just craving caffeine. I was caffangry! #needyofdietcoke #caffiend #caffeinecrazy 

I’ve never been a coffee drinker, but I am definitely hooked on Diet Coke. It became quite obvious when my wife suggested Panera Bread for an after-shopping lunch stop, with my snippy reply being, “they only serve Pepsi.” Also, I was not very attentive at the showroom, undoubtedly pouting about not getting my sweet, syrupy Diet Coke-way. It’s clear that without that precious fix of mid-day caffeine I can quickly exude a powerful, negative energy. As I think about it, the salesperson even asked me if I was retired. Honestly, most people judge my age as much younger than what I am, but apparently the dark side of me looks much older. Could this mean that Diet Coke keeps me young? It certainly keeps me from getting caffangry!

We ended up on the Oswego Grill patio for food and when I ordered my Diet Coke, I could almost hear the server reply, “Would Diet Pepsi be alright?” That might have put me over the edge. Instead, I finally got my fix. On our way home afterwards, my wife stopped at the market and bought me a twelve-pack. It was a good thing, because the next day she wanted to go to the World’s Largest Antiques and Collectibles Show. I had already been there two days before and knew it was a Pepsi-only venue. It’s interesting that I am never picky about food and claim faulty taste-buds, but can somehow clearly distinguish the flavor of Diet Coke when compared to Diet Pepsi. It must be more than just the caffeine that affects my addiction. Could Pepangry also be a word? “Open Happiness. Open a Coke.”

The only other word that I’ve ever submitted to the Urban Dictionary is “Rubberware,” the generic term for sealed packaging. (See Post #147). As you can see, I even wrote a poem about it. Unfortunately, the word did not generate much interest with a rating of four thumbs down. I did, however, buy a commemorative “Rubberware” mug and presented it to my friend who inspired its creation. “Caffangry” and its definition of “anger associated with the lack of caffeine.” is certainly appropriate for a coffee mug. Perhaps, it will achieve more notoriety than my first “wordvention,” defined in the Urban Dictionary as “the unknowing invention of a new word. Normally alcohol induced.” Mine was clearly soda-pop induced.

It’s unlikely that I will change my bad habit of drinking Diet Coke anytime soon, but I have drastically improved my dining habits. I started a low-carb diet in support of my wife, but I’ve found that it makes me feel better. We both now choose to avoid white-foods like pasta, potatoes, bread, rice, crackers, flour, sugar, cereal, and baked goods. It used to be that I judged my restaurants based solely on the bread they served (See Post #178). After just a month on this new plan, I stepped on the scale yesterday morning and found myself below the 190 pound mark for the first time since I can remember. Also, a few weeks ago when I gave blood, I found my blood pressure to be markedly down. This, too, could be a benefit of this lifestyle change, although I still get caffangry!