Hippie Soap and the Bummer Hiccups

So Ashley and I went to Oktoberfest 2008 in Banner Elk, NC last weekend. We had been looking forward to this for a few reasons: the amazing weather, the arts and crafts they sell, the amazing changing of the leaves, and good beer. Or maybe that last reason was just me. Anyway, we went on Saturday and it did not dissapoint! In fact the pictures at the bottom of this page are from it. But one experience made me laugh, and potentially changed my life: the encounter with the hippie.

There was a soap stand among the arts and crafts at the fair portion of Oktoberfest. I have bought some home-and handmade soaps before, and really like them. They smell good and you are supporting local economy. But they didn't just sell soap. They sold deodorant, perfume, and of all things tooth soap. All handmade! So the guy who was running this joint was a hippie, and we got to talking. Turns out he was the most normal guy in the world. Used to work in Information Technology and is now a hippie. He and his wife had six kids and are now making soap and selling it for a living.

However during our conversation I couldn't stop thinking about the Tooth Soap that was hiding in the corner. I asked him about it. He went on to explain all of the bad and tooth damaging things that are in Crest and all of the other toothpastes out there, and that Tooth Soap is not only all natural, but are actually better for your teeth. I said, really? He said, Yes, there are things in toothpaste that don't protect your teeth and actually damage them. My wife and six kids have been using the same bar for over a year. It is amazing. I thought, Gross, same bar, 8 people, but said, Wow, how much does it cost? Like $500 bucks? He said, No, $4. I looked at his teeth. They were amazingly white and shiny. I mean, really white. Especially for a hippie!

So Ashley and I thought about it for a minute, and pulled the trigger. I am officialy now a user of Tooth Soap. Aka Hippie Soap. (Litch, are you reading this? Any thoughts?) So far, so good. My teeth feel cleaner than they ever have! I do have to say that brushing your teeth with soap is strange. It reminds me of the time my dad washed my mouth out with a bar of Zest for cussing at Mike Long when I was 4. It was gross and scarred me for life.

Upon returning from the Fest (beer was great, riding the ski lift to the top of Sugar Mountain was sweet, and the weather was amazing), we went to the Boone Saloon with some of Ashley's friends who were in town for the night. We were sitting around drinking beer when friend Megan noticed a guy sulking in the corner. She looked at him for a few seconds, and then walked straight up to him and said, You are trying to get rid of the hiccups, aren't you?

How she knew this I have no idea. I was amazed. He said, Yes I am. She said, I know how to get rid of the hiccups. Do you trust me? Dangerous question from a stranger, I might add. He said, Yes.

Picture this if you will: One girl plugging his nose. Another girl with a finger in each of his ears. And the Hiccup man chugging an entire bottle of water. And Ashley and I falling out of our chairs laughing. But as you can probably guess by now, it worked. He no longer had the hiccups.

He came over to our table and said, Man, I'm not drunk or anything. I have only had 3 beers and f***ing got the bummer hiccups!!! I probably look like a dumbass but I'm not even drunk! I hate the bummer hiccups! I thought to myself, Well no, you looked like a dumbass with 2 girls plugging your ears and nose, but that's neither here nor there. Point in fact, he actually was not drunk. I asked, Bummer hiccups? He said, Yeah, you know, when the hiccups sneak up on you when you aren't even drunk.

Bummer hiccups. New term, folks. Has that ever happened to you? I can relate. I hate the bummer hiccups. They suck bigtime.

But I love hippie soap!