the necessity of straws

I heard on the radio recently that a "quick and easy" way to go green is to refrain from using a straw when you have a drink. It, like, saves plastic and decreases refuse and costs the company less money to make, etc. etc.

Well my first thought was somewhat of a startling ah-ha! moment and I thought, Good grief-- I could save the whole freakin' planet if I quit using straws. This is because I drink a lot of Diet Coke, as referenced recently here, here, and especially here. The truth is that I use upwards of three, four, five straws a day. I also use three, four, five, ten cups/bottles/cans a day. I could make a serious dent in waste management if I kept this under control.

The problem is this: I hate drinking soda from a cup without a straw. I hate it the most. I like me some Diet Coke straight from the can, and a plastic bottle will do okay, but I hate drinking soda from a cup without a straw. Hate it.

This evening, I stopped at McDonald's and spent $1.08 on a large Diet Coke (light ice) and in my eagerness to slurp it down, I sped off (not really, parents, I don't speed) without realizing the girl at the drive-thru window didn't give me a straw. Of course I couldn't drink it while driving! When I got to school, waiting in my car for Mr. Ames to be finished with his show, I literally sat staring at the cup in my cup holder, positively dazed. I finally managed to take off the lid and I took a hesitant sip.

You guys, it tastes different without a straw. It literally does not taste the same. Not to mention it's all chilly and hurts my teeth so I can't just sluuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurp. Those 32oz suckers are usually gone within a half hour-- just sucked right up through that straw in a half hour!

I didn't even finish those 32oz last night. I could not even finish, not even in the three hours I had that cup sitting in my cup holder on my desk on my kitchen table next to my bed. Couldn't even do it.

AH-HA! moment: Since I'd like to cut down the Diet Coke consumption, apparently the best way to do it would be to forget that straws even exist.

No straw = no desire to drink it = my stomach shrinks = my pants fit better.

Now there's an idea.