I suppose I should let the secret out.

The secret to the world's best soda.

I've had this secret for about five years now, and the big commercial outfits are getting close to finding it. Inevitable, I guess.

Blue 7-Up.

You take an ordinary glass of iced 7-Up, and shoot in one full pump of the Blue Raspberry syrup used in Sno-Cones.

Wonderful.

Tiger's Blood works okay, too.

Been sipping this mixture every Fair week for the past four to five years, hoarding my secret.

But now they have Blue Pepsi. Tried a bottle after our shift this evening.

Couldn't take more than two or three swigs. Too sweet, too much artificial berry. The rest of the bottle will sit in the fridge until the wife gets tired of it and throws it out. Youngest son was apparently less than thrilled with it, as well.

County Fair is over. Our last shift, until next year.

Head bookkeeper says we did well. Costs down, sales up. Each unit should see more in their share this year.

Bearing in mind his instructions, I resisted the urge to run to the store to resupply when we ran out of jalape�o cheese sauce this afternoon. Like I did last year. Remembering our primary function on this last day was to sell off the inventory, not acquire more. But, as expected, sales of fries dropped off immediately thereafter.

On the drive home, we saw a big-wheeled truck trying to pass itself on the Bypass. Really. That's how the wife described it.

A truck sufficiently damaged that the rear wheels are no longer behind the front. I've had that happen with a couple rigs, but never to the extent of this kid's truck. Those rear wheels had to be a full foot or more out of alignment. Looking like they were trying to pull out and pass the front.

A casualty of the mud bogs, no doubt.

And now it is almost a year before I get to taste the perfect soda again.