"Skippy" Bonus Content

Skippy was drinking Dr Peppers and eating a chocolate ice cream cone...

I’m a lifetime Dr Pepper lover. It’s the “Friendly Pepper Upper,” y’all. That’s why I put it in Skippy Fairweather and the Two-Headed Calf.

Ten, Two and Four. 10 O’clock, 2 O’clock, 4 O’clock. Words to live by.

Diet Dr Pepper in the bottle came out in 1963. Just in time for a 60-lb. grade schooler to prepare for a lifetime of yoyo dieting!

Stereotypically, I put on my first weight in my freshman year of college: 15 pounds. Panic! Naturally, I cracked out the Diet Dr Pepper Calorie Counter Booklet.

This well-used little booklet came on a six-pack of Diet Dr Peppers, and I’ve made full use of it. On the inside cover, I’ve prominently marked the acceptable weight of a 5-foot 3-inch small-framed woman. 105-113 lbs. Period. Anything above that, and I figured I might as well just open my veins.

So, you may ask how I survived the years when I was over that weight—by a lot! Alcohol helped. Note I have prominently dog-eared the page listing the calorie count of alcohol, adding in the margin, “Use Diet Coke.” That was for the ocean of Cuba Libres I used to drink. Lime juice is almost calorie-free, btw.

Over the years, there’s been Jazzercise, spinning, kickboxing, pool aerobics. I remember in junior high, our gym teacher introduced her 7th graders to the record “Chicken Fat.” And we worked like Trojans, practicing how to exercise off weight once it caught up with us. Already we were anticipating our worthless fat asses. “Go, you Chicken Fat, go away. Go, you Chicken Fat, go!”

I remember I reached 5’3” that year and for the first time tipped the scales at 100 pounds—I felt the world crumble around my head.

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In high school, they had Dr Pepper Icees at the drive-in. Just about the most delicious thing ever! A large Dr Pepper Icee was 35 cents.

A few years ago, I switched from Diet Dr Peppers to seltzers. My friend William VIDEO-TEXTED ME URGENTLY from the grocery store with a picture of Kroger brand seltzers in the “Dr” flavor, and I switched immediately.

I’ve given up Cuba Libres because moderation is not in my vocabulary. And, alas, Kroger has discontinued the Dr flavored seltzer. So, I’ve moved on to Dr Pepper Zero. Black coffee and Dr Pepper Zeros are my key to happiness.

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Now that I’m older, I’ve been fat, I’ve been thin, I’ve been happy, I’ve been down, I’ve experienced great loss and profound grief, I’ve survived terrible betrayals of trust from family members, and I’ve had love, support, true friendship, yoga and a good therapist to offset those bad times. I’ve lived enough to know that finding and following your bliss is really the most important thing in life. Do you remember Joseph Campbell’s book Following Your Bliss? It was from him I first heard the Sanskrit combination of words Saccidānanda.

Writing satisfies me in many ways, makes me happy, makes me remember, process, exorcize, celebrate. And having a way to share what I write is Bliss for me.

Thank you for listening/reading/sharing. Let’s all try to Follow our Bliss.

Namaste, y'all. And Yakoke. (Thank You in the Choctaw language of my ancestors)

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