In a League of Its Own 2

A couple of weeks ago I featured a League of Legends Coca-Cola can.  Last week I got a second can in the series:

This can features the character Ezreal.  I think there are 5 cans in the series, so I'll keep watching for more to feature on the blog.

But for now I'm going to go work on a puzzle...

A Puzzling Gift

This evening some family and friends met at a restaurant for a going-away meal for my daughter.  She's headed back to college tomorrow.

Someone told me they had something for me in their car.  So after we ate we went to the car and this is what I was given:

It's a 1000-piece retro can puzzle!  It combines two of my favorite things; cans and puzzles.

Once the puzzle is together I plan on framing it and hanging it near my can collection.  Maybe I could use it as a checklist to collect all the cans pictured.  I already have some of them.

In a League of Its Own

This can found its way to me:

League of Legends is an online video game known as a MOBA, a Multiplayer Online Battle Arena, where teams of players try to destroy each other's base.  I've dabbled in it, but I prefer the digital card game set in the same universe called Legends of Runeterra.

This can features Yasuo, just one of the over 160 characters you can choose to play as.  

The game community won't win any awards for being friendly, but it's a great game to play if you feel your blood pressure is too low and it's time to shed some of your happiness.

Bucked Up Blood

A new can for my collection was recently given to me.  It's an energy drink called Bucked Up.

The reason I chose this can for this week's post is because I live in the Midwest and a lot of fields are being harvested and that stirs up the deer.  It's not unusual to see 3-5 deer every morning on my commute to work.  And those in this area know you have to watch out for deer because when they see a car coming they may run out in front of you or actually run into the side of your vehicle.  So you always have to watch for deer!

This one is called Blood Raz.  It has a raspberry taste and the flavor is reported to be delicious.  And it's zero calories.

So maybe it's time to down one of these cans to have the reflexes to avoid hitting a deer with your vehicle.  I've been lucky so far without having to drink it.  Just be careful out there!

Very Cherry

I've featured Polar seltzer on this blog before, but this week I tried a new flavor:  Tart Cherry Limeade.

This is known as "seltzerade", a combination of seltzer water and limeade.  And as a fan of seltzer water, this flavor was good.  

I don't know many people who like sparkling seltzer water, but that just means there's more for me.

Strawberry Ghost?

I hadn't heard of this brand until someone gave me their empty can last week.

Ghost Energy Drink.  Looking at their website, they sure do have some delicious-sounding flavors and the can designs are so colorful!  

This particular flavor is strawberry Bubblicious, one of the main chewing gum brands from my childhood.  The person who drank this said after just one drink their taste buds thought they had an actual piece of Bubblicious in their mouth.  The flavor was that good.

This one came very highly-rated, so I recommend you go out and try it for yourself... unless you're afraid of Ghosts...

Pac-Can

In last week's post I explained someone brought a couple of souvenirs to me from their vacation.  The first one was a Bob Ross Positive Energy Drink.  The other was this... Pac-Man can.

And this isn't my first Pac-Man can.  I did a post way back in 2012 about some cans I was given at a Christmas party at work.  Fortunately my two Pac-Man cans have different designs on them.

But how do these two cans relate to each other in regards to my younger years?  When I was turning 13 and stepping into the shoes of being a teenager, there were two items I wanted more than anything but had to choose only one of them.  One was a set of oil paints because one of my favorite shows growing up was The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross.  I wanted to paint like him.  The other gift I wanted was Donkey Kong for the Atari 2600.  I left the decision up to fate (and my parents).  On the big day I opened the present and got... Donkey Kong.  I believe going down that path at the fork in the road led to my eternal video game addiction.  What would I be today if I'd have received the oil paints?  It's hard to tell, but I know my hair would be a lot bigger than it is now.

happy

Happy Little Brakes

The brakes on my car were replaced yesterday.  The guy who did it knows I collect cans and said he got me a couple souvenirs from his last vacation.

The first one was this Bob Ross energy drink.  He said it was pretty good, but I forgot to ask what flavor it was.  One of my favorite things about this can is that it's called a "Positive Energy Drink".

Next week I'll feature the other souvenir he got for me.  I'll give one hint about it... it's a can!

Strawberries & Cream 2

Earlier this year I reported that my daughter brought some Strawberries & Cream Dr Pepper home from college.

The flavor has now hit my area and also includes this variant:

This is the Zero Sugar version of the flavor.  The pink and black design really stands out on the grocery store shelf.

Maybe a diet version will land in my lap next?  We'll see...

With This Ring...

A couple of months ago I featured a Ryse Fuel energy drink... Country Time Lemonade.  The person who gave me that can also gave me this one.

This one is Berry Blast... in nostalgic Ring Pop flavor!  Sure sounds sweet to me, but it contained zero sugar and the person said it was really good without tasting too sweet.

So next time you need a little extra bling, consider the Ring.  Pop.

A Peachy Keen Find

At work a couple of months ago I saw something I couldn't believe.

Someone had thrown away a perfectly good Monster Energy Drink can.

After a careful and germ-free removal of the can from the trash, I cleaned it up and removed the small dents and ended up with a new treasure.

An Ultra Peachy Keen find indeed.

I Have a New Crush

And this one is grape.

There's nothing special about Crush, it's a well-known brand.  But I didn't have this can design yet.

It just goes to show that people of any age can still have a Crush.

1919

A group of us went to my daughter's college yesterday to help her move home for the summer.  While there I was given this can:

While I've never heard of 1919 before, along the top edge it claims "America's Original Brewery Made Root Beer".

This must have been good, it has real sugar (not high fructose corn syrup) and real vanilla.  High in calories at 228, it's also high in taste so I'm told.

A new Classic American can for my collection.

Summer Here Already?

For years Coca-Cola has had a series of cans with summery catchwords on the side.  Last week I got my first one of this season:

This is a Coca-Cola Zero Sugar can.  Btw, I love the black/red/white scheme of Zero cans).

And the message is "Grillmaster".  

While that may not exactly describe me, I doubt I'll find one that says "Can Collector".

Country Time Energy

The weather is getting warmer.  Soon it'll be time to sit on the front porch sipping a tall glass of iced lemonade.

Eh, nobody's got time for that!  But if you need a little extra energy this summer to get everything done then here's the answer...  Ryse Fuel Country Time lemonade energy drink.  Someone else drank this and saved the can for me, but they said it was really good!

Summer's coming.  Don't forget to stay hydrated!

Tokidoki

For Spring Break last month, my daughter went to Branson, Missouri, with a few other people.  As with most trips, some souvenirs were brought back.

My souvenir was this can of Tokidoki Stellina Star Pop soda.  And the flavor?  Well, if the unicorn doesn't give it away I'll just tell you... blue cotton candy.

Did I already have this can in my collection?  Certainly not.  Does the Tokidoki logo near the top of the can look like a poison symbol?  Maybe a Love Poison based on the heart?  Kind of.

But it's a great novelty can to have.  And I think I'll let one of the kids drink this one.  This unicorn poison may be a little too sweet for my blood.

It's the Easter Peepsi

Another holiday and another new can.

This is the newest limited edition flavor from Pepsi.  This one is Peeps.  The person who drank this said it had more of a caramel taste than marshmallow, but regardless of the flavor it was good!

H A P P Y

E A S T E R

Arctic White

Along with last week's Rocket Pop flavor, my daughter also brought an Alani Arctic White energy drink can to me from college.

I'm not even sure what flavor this would have had because she didn't think to ask her friend who drank it.  The important thing is she thought to get the can and bring it to me.  haha

Now that spring break is over, she has returned to college to continue looking for cans for my collection her education for a great, rewarding future career in a field she really enjoys.

It's the Bomb!... Pop

Another treasure my daughter brought to me on a recent visit home from college is this Alani energy drink can.

One of her friends drinks Alani and my daughter is going to try to get more cans for me.

But this one is called Rocket Pop.  And the flavor is obviously Bomb Pop, as hinted at by the design of the rocket ship.

Her friend said this was delicious!  I can only imagine the taste must have been out of this world!

Coca-Cola Move

Ok, so there's a lot of information on this little 7.5 fl oz can and I had to Google it to figure out what it all meant.  

By the way, I'm fish-sitting this week while my daughter is on a trip for Spring Break.  Leo is eyeing the can, maybe he wants to try this new limited edition flavor of Coca-Cola called Move.

Move is the flavor and I've been told it tastes like Pina colada, it has kind of a coconut taste.  This is the zero sugar variant.  The regular one is white on the right side of the can where this one is black.

Rosalia is a Grammy Award-winning artist Coca-Cola teamed up with for this flavor.  The can design is taken from sketches Rosalia made while sampling Coca-Cola Move at a creative workshop.  The drink also inspired her new single, "LLYLM".  

This is part of Coca-Cola's Creations line of drinks, including Marshmello, Dreamworld, and others.  

Leo is a betta, a tropical fish.  He's probably imagining himself on a beach holding a can of Coca-Cola Move in hand.  Well, in fin.  And maybe not ON the beach but swimming near it.  On second thought he's probably just nervous about that big pink and black thing near his tank.  Either way he's been transformed, I'm sure!

Ginger Lime

A while back Diet Coke released a series of flavored sodas.  

This was one of them.  Ginger Lime.  I'm not a fan of ginger, nor am I a big fan of lime, so I didn't try this but someone else was nice enough to drink it so I could have the can.

Now to get back to cleaning out the pantry of empty cans...

Sweet Watermelon

The weather's been warmer here lately and I'm ready for spring.  On second thought, I'm ready for summer.  My sister put in and underground pool last year and I'm ready to go swimming.

And this can of watermelon soda makes me want it to be summer even more.  This is Kroger brand Mercado Sandia.  A quick Google translation shows this means "watermelon market".  Weird.

My daughter brought this to me from college on her last visit home.  Even hours away from home she's always on the lookout for a new can for me.  I guess I raised her right.

And in the background is a painting she did a few summers ago.  Que apropiada.

Another Code Red

I really like the new Mtn Dew can designs from the last few years.  This one is no exception.

It's the newest Code Red design.  And the can kind of tells a story.  On the left side of the logo there's a huge red dinosaur-beast monster that looks like he's about to attack with a giant cherry.  Or is he stealing them?

On the other side are the good guys coming to defend the cherry-laden city.  A red emergency light is flashing and air support is on its way in the form of a jet and helicopter.

It's obvious Code Red is a cherry-flavored soda, something you couldn't tell in previous designs (here and here).

I hate to say it, but I think the "monster" cherry taste is going to win this time.  (What?  I'm a dad)

Strawberries & Cream

My daughter came home from college for the weekend.  She brought a few cases of this because it's at the college she attends but not in this area yet.

Strawberries & Cream Dr Pepper.  Everyone who's had it so far has said it's very good.

There are some things they don't teach you in college, such as watching for new cans your dad may not have in his collection.  Looks I've taught her well...

Monster Trash

A while back I looked in a trash can at work and saw this heart-wrenching scene:

It was a Monster energy drink can I didn't have in my collection.  After putting on some gloves and making sure the coast was clear, I saved the can from it's terrible fate at the bottom of some landfill.  

The combination of black and yellow is one of my favorite color combos, so after a good cleaning at home this is the treasure I ended up with:

How funny is it that the top of the can says "Recover"?  I literally recovered it from the trash.  And it certainly went thru a "Rehab" on its journey from trash pile to can collection.

The back of the can is full of good information.  Most cans don't have this many icons.

And that's my Monster Trash story.  Inspiring, isn't it?  Go save a can today!

Stocking Stuffer

I usually don't collect bottles for my can collection, but I made an exception for this one.  

This was one of the items in my Christmas stocking last month.  It's Jelly Belly brand 7UP jelly beans.  It's a nice companion to the Jelly Belly drinks from last summer.

I could use a little snack.  Bottoms up!!

Fruit Quake

Yeah, I'm dragging Christmas out too long, but here's another new can I got during the holidays.

Mtn Dew has been releasing limited edition holiday flavors for a few years, and this year's flavor was Fruit Quake.  Yeah, a fruitcake-flavored drink.  I didn't try this, but I'm half-intrigued by the thought of it and half-disgusted.

And in case no one's said it lately... Merry Christmas!!!

Mtndew Christmas!

Another of the Christmas gifts I got this year was a Mtn Dew ornament.

And to show its size:

It's not a new addition to my can collection, but it's a good addition to my ornament collection.

Hello Christmas

Many posts for this blog can come from the gifts I received this year for Christmas, and I'm going to start with this one.

It was rather obvious this present was of the aluminum can variety, but who knew what was inside that wrapping paper?  My kids.  This was one of the gifts from them.

Hello Christmas!  I love novelty cans, and this Hello Kitty certainly falls into that category.  I don't drink soda, so not only did the kids have the pleasure of giving me a good gift but they'll also be the ones to drink it and let me know what they think.  The can will be bottom-opened, of course!

And this was just the beginning.  I look forward to dragging this holiday out for a few more weeks here on the blog.  It's the gift from me that keeps on giving...

M E R R Y

C H R I S T MA S

Polar Winter is Here

The weather here in the Midwest has turned a bit cooler lately, but in another week the temperature is supposed to drop to the single digits.  Not only is the first day of winter close, now it's feeling polar!

Speaking of Polar, this week I saw this delicious-looking can of raspberry pink lemonade Polar sparkling seltzer'ade and had to buy it!  It's a fancy can with its simplistic design, and the vibrant colors breathe a little warmth into the otherwise chilly feel of this season.

But most importantly, it tastes good!  

Low Sodium Trash

The annual inventory is currently underway where I work.  It involves a team of people (including myself) counting every piece of equipment and stock in the building.  And depending on what items I'm counting it may take me to areas I've never been before.

It was in one such new area that I glanced in the trash can and saw a pile of these earth-tone beauties:

This is definitely a newer design from the V8 cans I have in my collection, so with my gloves on I picked up the can on top of the pile and cleaned it thoroughly in the nearest restroom.

I am not a fan of vegetable juice, so there's no way I would even see this in the store and buy one.  But as a reward for doing such a great job during inventory, I'll take it!

The Yellow Wingcan

Mmmm, another yummy flavor of bubly sparkling water.

This one is pineapple and comes in an attention-grabbing bright yellow can.  I saw this at the store yesterday and realized I hadn't tried pineapple yet.  So now I've tried it and it's as good as I expected.

And as with all bubly flavors, there's a witty little saying on the side of this can.

"I feel the need, the need for speed bubly!"

Diet Thanksgiving

A few days ago it was Thanksgiving in the United States.  At one of the meals I noticed this:

A 16oz. Diet Coke can out in the wild.  I was quick to ask if they were going to keep the can.  And they were even quicker to reply, "No".

So I walked away with a full belly and a new can for my collection.

Anyone Want Ice Coffee?

We woke up yesterday to our first snow of the season, which provided a nice backdrop for this week's new can.

This is my second Coca-Cola coffee can, the first one being Vanilla-flavored.  This one is Dark Blend.  And as with the first, I didn't drink this but someone just saved their empty can for me.

There is a third flavor, Caramel.  So now I'll just wait till someone drinks that and gives me the can since I don't care for flavored coffee.  I prefer my coffee like a Coke Zero can... black!

Winter Spiced Can

I stopped by someone's house a few days ago and noticed this can on their table.  And now the can is mine.

Halloween was just a couple of days past when this holiday-themed can already appeared in stores.  This is winter spiced cranberry Sprite.  I'm not a fan of cranberry so I didn't taste this one, but I've heard this has great flavor.

And with this limited edition can already in my hands, the holiday season of can collecting is off to a good start.  Now to watch for those cans with turkeys on them!

AHA, A Good Treat

My family holds an annual autumn weenie roast and this year's was just a couple days ago.

It was good food and a good time.  And I walked away with a bowl of good candy.

I also got a new can of AHA sparkling water; Pineapple + Passionfruit.

This is another good flavor from AHA.  No trick here, only a good treat.

Dreamworld

I gave someone a ride yesterday and when they got in the car they handed this to me:

It's the new limited edition Coca-Cola Creations drink called Dreamworld.  This is the small 7.5oz version.  Although the can claims it's "dream flavored" they didn't think so.  And they aren't the first person to tell me they're not a fan.

Google says it has a fruity candy smell, like Skittles mixed with Coca-Cola, but the taste is more of a citrus flavor.  I read one comment online that said they thought it was similar to Marshmello's limited edition Coke.

Regardless of whether the taste is a dream or a nightmare, the can is cool!

AHA, I've Discovered a Great Flavor

This was found at a local store:

And it's good.  This is AHA brand of sparkling water.  And the flavor is a delicious blackberry lemon.  What caught my attention are the complementary colors of yellow and purple, you don't see those on a can very often.

I'm a big fan of lemonade, especially when other flavors are combined with it.  There are a few flavors that shouldn't be mixed with lemonade, but this is one that works.  And I don't think I have many blackberry-flavored beverage cans in my collection.

Plus, with no sweeteners and no sodium this is a no-brainer of a drink.  Try it.