Catching Some Waves

Like many, I have been riveted by the late night talk show drama that is currently taking place on NBC. Not riveted enough to stay up past my 10 pm bedtime to actually watch any of the shows mind you, but at least enough to read the latest headlines and check out the YouTube clips of David Letterman and Jimmy Kimmel unloading both barrels on Jay Leno. But that's not what this post is about.

As I have been pondering Leno's "hallowed" career, I was reminded of a time before he hosted the Tonight Show—the late '80s and early '90s—when he was a spokesman for Doritos. Yes, the so-called "King of Late Night" honed his impeccable comedic timing hawking bright orange, MSG-laced tortilla chips. But that's not what this post is about either.

You see, those old Doritos commercials got me thinking about other prominent snack foods of the early '90s, such as the purest of all soft drinks, Crystal Pepsi. Soon I was pulling up its Wikipedia page and something I read jogged my memory:

In 1992 PepsiCo introduced Crystal Pepsi to test markets in Denver, Colorado; Sacramento, California; Dallas, Texas; and Providence, Rhode Island and had a positive response.

I actually remember when some friends from Colorado came to visit us in the summer of '92. When they told us how they had tried Crystal Pepsi, I was insanely jealous. A few months later, when I started the odyssey that is Junior High School, I was in for a few surprises. One being that I was now being forced to shower after gym class, but another was soda machines at school... and they were stocked with Crystal Pepsi!

That night I cracked open my Tootsie Roll bank in search of a few quarters. As the next school day ended I ran to the Pepsi machine so I could enjoy a ice cold can of crystal gold on the school bus ride home, but it was all sold out. I continued this pilgrimage for days (DAYS!) until it was finally restocked and my very own can came rolling out. I boarded the bus, pulled back the tab, and took my first swig. It tasted like... like... regular Pepsi.

Alas, the world wasn't ready for Crystal Pepsi. Or Crystal Gravy for that matter. But that's not really what this post is about either. So what the heck is it about? Oh, nothing really. Just another productive day surfing the web.