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Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Go Ahead, Make My Day.

I love coffee.
We brew strong coffee. Starbucks. House Blend.
I have successfully hooked my mate into loving strong House Blend too. With cream.
Half and Half. It's crucial.
There can be no flavored creamers in this house. No. No. No. My love affair with flavored creamers ended years ago, when I got wise.

I know I've just hurt someone's feelings. I'm sorry.

Here, it's about good, strong, creamy coffee, tasting like excellent coffee.

As far as out-of-the-house coffee, I love a Peppermint Mocha, or a Pumpkin Spice Latte like anyone. I even afford myself one, maybe two a season, for pure recreation. But I'm not swayed or attracted to you, you expensive, caloric lattes. I know how easy you are to make, and frankly, I'd rather have a cute new pair of earrings from Target than you any day. I've made my peace. I'm moving on.

I grab a Starbucks every once in a while, though, when I'm out for me, or in between freezing photo shoots. You know what I get? The only thing I want- Brewed Coffee. Whatever you've got that's not decaff. That's what I want. It's what I love.

I always order a Tall, in a Grande cup. That way, I get all the coffee I paid for, and still have room for cream. Because the Half and Half is crucial. Healthy amounts of it.

Savvy baristas know I'm doing this for the cream-room. Half the time I order in this fashion, though, I get a Grande cup with a Grande amount of coffee at a Tall price and it's served with a smile. Because they know and I know it costs Starbucks nothing to pour a couple more ounces in. And they want to bless me. Make me happy. Make my day. Make me want to come back.

I appreciate the gesture, thank them, and hide. I hide that I'm unhappy. I go to the cream counter around the corner and hide.

Because now there's no room for cream. The crucial cream.

And the brew is so hot there's no way I can just sip off the top to make it right.

So I pour just a tad of Half and Half in my cup, to the brim, throw on a lid, and thank them and smile and tell them "Have a great day!" on my way out.

I love that they were trying to make my day.

8 comments:

anne said...

YAY.
Starbucks hires some pretty awesome people :)

Flavored Creamers?
EW. SICK. GROSS.
Sorry if I offend.
My husband HEARTS them very much...but because of the calories he cut them out of his am coffee too.

I used to be a straight-up black coffee kinda gal.
Now I add a smidge of SKIM MILK. I DON'T do half and half....too thick for my blood. I think whole milk is too much.

You don't even want to KNOW how many free drinks I gave away. Our manger was pretty cool about it and WAY BACK THEN :} the rules weren't as strict as they are now.

It KILLS me to pay upwards of $3 for a drink now. The fresh brewed, I can handle...it's the fancy smancy ones.

Sigh.

That was a good job.

A Crafty Mom said...

Were we separated at birth, lol?? I totally do that!!! And I can't stand those blecky flavoured creamers either - so rich and fake-tasting. And of course you would smile and tell the barista "have a great day" . . . b/c you're so awesome :)

Mandy said...

I heart Starbucks. I love the Peppermint Mocha.

Rachel said...

We just left the bookstore and I splurged and had a mint chocolate iced mocha. It was yummy but I only do it occasionally...I paid more for the drink than the book I bought for Maddox.

I worked at a coffee shop back in college and I too gave away a lot of coffee. It was worth it to make my fellow sleep deprived, caffeine loving classmates smile :)

Danielle said...

My favorite way is to put a shot or two of vanilla syrup in my coffee and froth some milk. Yum. I don't do this everyday because of the effort. Time is at a premium most mornings and I'm in a hurry to just get my coffee and time with the Lord in before the littles awake! But I like strong coffee, like Colombian or French Roast. Hmmmm.

Rachel said...

Someone's gotta stand up for the flavored creamers. I never realized how much I loved them until I couldn't have them for two long years. I can now easily go without, but a little flavored creamer makes MY day. :)

And I'm with ya on the peppermint mocha. But when it gets to the bottom and you're drinking pure syrup, I start to get sick. But I drink it anyway. Once or twice a season.

Kiki said...

You offended me.



Just kidding. But I do love my flavored creamers. Normally, french vanilla but for the holiday season, peppermint mocha. Not everyday for the peppermint mocha though. And I use plenty of flavored creamer! I like my coffee to taste less like coffee and more like candy. I love Starbucks. And I love my mother in law who so generously supports my habit through gift cards!

Shelby-Grace said...

I like a strong coffee too, but I have to have soy milk and some kind of syrup in it. Although I don't have nearly as much syrup in my coffee as I used to!

I'm trying to wean myself from the extras and go to just straight coffee with a bit of soy...I'm not there yet. But I'm working on it...cup by cup:)