The soda machine is located on the 4th floor of IBM's building 905 in Austin, Texas. I work just down the hall from it. In a way, I consider it a coworker of mine -- an eccentric coworker. I hadn't been working here long when I discovered how wonderful it truly was.
The soda machine is a Coca Cola machine, and it serves a variety of beverages. For one American dollar you can purchase a twenty ounce bottle of Coke, Diet Coke, Nestea, Sprite, Dr. Pepper, or Diet Dr. Pepper. For a mere eighty cents (again, American currency only, please) you can purchase eleven and a half ounces of Minute Maid Orange Juice. Personally, I always choose Diet Coke.
Why am I devoting a web page to the soda machine? As a tribute to it. I love this soda machine, and this love does not stem from a love of soda. It stems from the quirks of the soda machine. When you deposit your money and request a beverage, the machine begins by making strange mechanical noises. Whirring sounds and clanking sounds issue forth from within the machine. One is almost left with the impression that the machine is creating the beverage right there, on the spot. These noises last anywhere from five to thirty seocnds. Then anywhere from zero to five drinks are given to you, one at a time. These drinks are not necessarily what you requested, and are not always the same type of drink. Sometimes you get nothing, sometimes you luck out and get two or three of the drink you requested. Once my brother asked for a Diet Coke and got instead five Minute Maids. Once when I requested a Diet Coke I got a variety pack of a Diet Coke, a Coke, and a Dr. Pepper. Sometimes you even get exactly what you want!
It's more of a slot machine than it is a soda machine. I always look forward to buying soda from it, because of the mystery of what I will be given. Lately the machine has been out of order more often than I've ever seen it. They fix it when they restock it, but so far they haven't made it behave like other soda machines. I hope they never do.
Starting on November 30, 2000, I decided to record my transactions with the soda machine:
| Date | Time | Requested | Received | Duration of noise |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11/30/00 | 3:45pm | Diet Coke | 3 Diet Cokes | 10 seconds |