the machines are against me

i wrote this a couple weeks ago for another blog...

a couple weeks ago I went to get a can of Diet Coke from the vending machine. I took exactly the required 65 cents. It didn't like my dime. So, I went and got another quarter. It requested exact change only. So, I'm standing with a downtrodden look on my face with three quarters, and three nickels in my hand and no pop. Another person is at the machine next to me so I turn to them.. ."you don't happen to have a dime for these two nickels, do you?" They dig in their pockets and hand me a dime. I think they'd witnessed me leaving and coming back and still no beverage. To my surprise, this put me on a Diet Coke frenzy!! I had to have one, every day. And usually around 9 or 10 AM. And then I ran out of change. Well, today I started craving one early but put it off. Then a bit ago, my throat started hurting a bit. And nothing helps a sore throat like a Diet Coke :) So, I dig in my desk drawer, purse and gym bag and come up with.... two quarters, a dime and two nickels. It doesn't like my dimes. I go back to my desk and find a dollar bill in my wallet. The pop machine won't take it. But! we have a change machine. Yay! But, what does it give me? A freaking dollar coin! What vending machine in the world takes dollar coins??? So, I take my shiny dollar over to the coffee register and hold it up and say "Is there anyway I can get change? This is what the change machine gave me" She smiles and asks "Four quarters ok?" "Sure" It was not. The damn coke machine wanted exact change only. So, I go over to the Pepsi machine (Desperate times, desperate measures). Yay, at least there's diet. Except it's sold out....WTF??? Luckily, Pepsi is a Dr. Pepper producer or I think I would have had to throw a temper tantrum right there in the cafeteria.