... 7-11, you ... have ... FAILED me.
The rules are pretty simple. If I'm a good boy and sit very still whilst getting a haircut -- and let's face it, I almost *always* do -- then I get to go afterwards to a 7-11 and get myself a half Coke/half cherry slurpee as a reward.
Simple ... until my experience last Saturday morning when I walked into the neighborhood 7-11 on 16th and NE 4th Ave to find the red light blinking to warn me that I could not use that flavor at that time. I drove down to the 7-11 on Federal by the Fresh Market, where the same blinking red light greeted me. I drove up Federal to the 7-11 near the new Best Buy -- and it was the same situation. As it was at the 7-11 on 26th in Wilton Manors. And the 7-11 on Oakland Park and NE 6th Ave. And the 7-11 at Oakland Park and Andrews.
By that time, I only knew of one more choice -- the 7-11 up Andrews by the Dollar Store -- and, sadly, that machine was blinking red as well. I'm not normally one to be broken, but seven 7-11s in, with none of them prepared to give me the Coke side of my slurpee (at most places, most other flavors were ready), and so I caved. I ended up with a horrible tasting fish-flavored Pepsi one instead (signs said something about dolphins, so I'm guessing that was the added ingredient [unless that sign was about the local farm football team that used to play competitively {wink-wink, nudge-nudge} in the NFL]).
My best guess is that there had to have been a Coke shortage in town ... but I was also left wondering why there are so many 7-11s in such a small place. I *will* one day be able to put this behind me and get over it ... but today is not yet that day. The ONLY positive part of the experience was that the last seventh 7-11 was on methhead row, so my horrible tasting slurpee only cost $1.00 (instead of the $2.00 other places were charging).
WHAT DO YOU KNOW -- I ONLY WENT TO 7 OUT OF 23:
https://www.7-eleven.com/locations/fl/fort-lauderdale
YOU CAN'T MAKE THE TOP TWO IF YOU CAN'T MAKE THE TOP TWO:
https://spoonuniversity.com/lifestyle/best-7-eleven-slurpee-flavors-ranked
TURNS OUT THE COLA WARS ARE ALL UP IN THE SLURPEE BUSINESS TOO:
https://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/09/business/cola-wars-take-cold-slushy-turn-pepsi-becomes-latest-addition-7-eleven-slurpee.html
