LOVE - the doctor and the penguin.

What can I say? I love me some bubbles. If I had the choice all of my beverages would be carbonated. My favorite wine? Sparkling. My favorite water? Seltzer. My favorite midday pick-me-up? The best soda ever invented - Diet Dr. Pepper (DDP to those in the know).

The problem with my love of bubbles is there are a lot of cans and bottles and waste when my thirst is finally quenched. This makes my yuppy, hippy, raised-on-recycling heart ache.

Short of installing a soda fountain in my house (looked into it btw and it's just not practical) I needed to find a solution for my bubble craving habit (sometimes up to 3 liters of water and 2-4 sodas a day). The solution came in the form of a glorious device called The Penguin. It's a carbonizer - a magic machine that turns regular tap water into fantastic bubbly water. It's kinda like how Jesus turns water into wine but more effervescent.

Now I can embrace my bubble water habit. The shame is lifted. I no longer have to take the recycling out at night so the neighbors don't see all my bottles. Honestly - I felt like some sort of closet drinker and I don't even have a boozy habit. I used to slip plastic Calistoga bottles into my bag because the work recycling bin is already full of my DDP cans. The hiding is over. I feel good - free - bubbly even.

Now let's talk Diet Dr. Pepper. My all time favorite form of soda injection is the fountain drink - lots of ice. The doctor is hard to find in fountain form but luckily my favorite Target store has it on tap. Someone up in the sky must have liked me just enough to put one of my favorite things inside one of my favorite places. Perhaps there is hope for me after all?

Located next to this glorious DDP flowing Target is a Costco. Two of my favorite stores - right next to each other!! Seriously - throw a J Crew in there and I could happily live in the parking lot. At Costco - I pick up a 36 pack of Diet Dr. Pepper and carry it around in the trunk of my car. I drive a Mini Cooper. This ridiculously large box of soda takes up half the space in the trunk but it is absolutely worth it to never be without the DDP. I then use this giant box of soda to restock the mini fridge I keep at work. It's the cutest little shiny orange refrigerator - it holds exactly six sodas. Yes - I have a problem but I embrace it and move on.

I think everyone needs some sort of vice. Being too pure it just boring. You will eventually end up with too many cats or become one of those people that pulls their hair out. I don't do drugs, I don't drink much, I run, I eat (relatively) healthy and I don't enjoy adrenaline sports. My vice is bubble water, Diet Dr. Pepper and sour candy. I'm ok with that.

What's your vice?

B.L.E.