Q: I’m from New York and I’ve been living in Atlanta since 1994. My sister and I fell in love with Drake’s cakes as youngsters, especially the Yankee Doodles and Yodels. When we go back to NYC to visit, we have a hard time finding them. Is there any way to get our favorites in the Atlanta area? We are willing to purchase out of state if they can be found. Thanks for your help. Brian James, email
A: Well, James, I'm glad you're willing to purchase Drake's out of state because they're not readily available in stores outside of the northeast, where the snack cake company was founded. However, you won't have to go that far. Drake's now is owned by the company that makes Little Debbie snacks, McKee, which has its corporate headquarters in Tennessee — just a few miles over the Georgia-Tennessee line. The company offers a bakery store that sells both Little Debbie snacks and Drake's cakes, including Yodels. You can visit the McKee Bakery Store, 9515 Apison Pike, Collegedale, Tenn., 423-238-2205, from Sunday through Friday. I also found an online source, but it's not affiliated with McKee. Check out www.drakescakesonline.com or call 631-663-5297. Scroll through the site and you'll find vintage Yodel television commercials.
Q: I truly hope you can help me find my favorite toothpaste, Crest Pro-Health Clean cinnamon in the 6-ounce tube. It has a unique gentle type of grittiness and abrasion that enhances brushing, and makes my teeth feel like I’ve visited the dental hygienist. This came highly recommended to me by my dentist years ago, and I do swear by the results. Frankly, I can’t live without it. I used to buy it online and, of course, I buy a ton and load up. But when I went to buy it this past week, it was no longer available online at Wal-Mart. I am writing to you since it appears this is a discontinued item in the Crest lineup of toothpastes, and this is the only one in the world that I like because it performs like a professional-grade toothpaste. I hope you can help me as this is an emergency in my home since we only have one tube left! Thank you. Linda Garland, Milton
A: Not to worry, Linda, your favorite cinnamon toothpaste hasn't been discontinued, and if you want to order it online, you have several options. You can still order the toothpaste from www.walmart.com for $4.97, including shipping. At www.jet.com, you can buy the 6-ounce tube for $4.49, free shipping. Those are the options I found with the lowest prices. It's also available at www.amazon.com, where you'll find a pack of four tubes priced at $15.65 if you use Amazon Prime.
Q: I have an unusual request. I am trying to locate someone local who can replace the nib of a Waterman Hemisphere fountain pen. I have searched the Internet with no result. The Waterman website is kind of murky, and it is unclear whether they will repair it. It doesn’t appear that the company is interested. This pen is not overly expensive, but I have had it for several years. It has a nice feel. I broke the nib while filling it. Can you help me find someone locally who can replace the nib at a reasonable price? Tom Lewis, email
A: Tom, Waterman is definitely interested in replacing your pen's nib, but not locally. I spoke with several people who deal with Waterman pens in their stores and they all said that they have to send the pens to Waterman for repair. However, I spoke to someone at the Waterman-Parker service center, 800-237-8736, and was told that you can simply call customer service, let the representative know whether your pen has a wide or thin band where the section and barrel meet, then order a new nib. It'll take about two weeks to get, and will cost $30.60. You also can try to get it repaired locally rather than replaced, but that could be more costly. Pendleton Brown, www.pendletonspens.com, located in Cumming, repairs nibs and also performs custom nib work. To determine whether he can repair your pen's nib, he would need a detailed photo. You can email it to him at pb@pendletonspens.com.
Q: I really hope you can help me locate a laundry cleaner that I can’t seem to find anymore. It was called White Brite. Thank you. A. Stewart, Stone Mountain
A: Formulated as an additive to your regular laundry detergent, White Brite boasts that it removes yellow and dinginess more safely than bleach. It’s available at Handy Ace Hardware, 3969 Lawrenceville Hwy., Tucker, 770-939-6842. A 28-ounce jug costs $5.99. You’ll find it on the second aisle to your left as you enter the store.
