Wednesday, September 30, 2009

the day of the bean


"Good morning Mary!" my favorite Barista called out to me as I happily, oh so happily walked into Starbucks. Starbucks serves as my office and place of study. I am a regular at several around town. In fact when I go to the Starbucks on Clover and Monroe.... I am called a cheater if I haven't been seen there in a week. When I lived in Buffalo I was such a regular that if they saw my car drive around the corner my drink would be ready by the time I stepped through the door.

Good to be popular. Good to know the right people.

What I like about John the barista is that he doesn't have a seizure if I ask for Green Tea. He respects that I have cut down but here on the National Day of Coffee...... I wasn't about to play light.

I ordered my Grande Verona....... FYI I am not into the fluff drinks. If I want whipped cream I will have a hot cocoa. I take it bold, dark and straight up. I drink it hot even when it's 99 degrees out. Coffee should not involve ice, chocolate or sugar. Those my friends are dilutants! For the record you can give caffeine IV, I once held a vial in my hand as I gave it to a girl with a migraine. I felt insanely jealous .... but that's just wrong so let's not talk about that.

John asked me if I had tried the instant coffee yet, and would I like a free sample? Would I? Free is my favorite four letter word! Free + coffee= HEAVEN! Of course I would. I instantly fell in love and had a flash forward...... there would be no more hotel style pre race coffee ever again! EVER AGAIN!

In NOLA Donna and I bought coffee the night before and vowed to drink it cold. On our way to the race we found an OPEN GAS STATION! It was like seeing the white light of heaven. The coffee was bad but in that moment we'd have drunk gasoline.

Not that we are addicts. Not there is anything wrong with that. There are worse things to be addicted to and as you know I have cut my consumption down significantly.


But today was national coffee day! Christmas for Coffee! A day to celebrate! A day to drink up! A day to experience supra ventricular tachycardia like there is no tomorrow! Anyhow..... I bought a good stash of the instant. Dissolves immediately, is BOLD, is smooth, all I need now is a portable hot water tank and I am golden.


I settled in at my table with my Verona and my instant and my pathophysiology books. Ahhhh, life is good. As I submerged myself in the strangely fascinating world of neurotransmitters and the nervous system I blamed the coffee for my strange fascination with it. At least I was not debating aborting like in all of the other classes I seem to take.


About a half hour later I realized that Starbucks was crowded with Oriental men. All speaking either Chinese or Japanese. I don't' know the difference. They were having a ball! Laughing, shouting, all in their native language. They were really excited!

I found myself irritated. What's so exciting? What's so fun? Why can't I understand this language? Should I ask them what they are so jolly about? I feel left out! (I blame that on having middle child syndrome). Maybe they were just as excited about National Coffee day as I was.

When I finally left they all bid me goodbye like we were old friends.

Things like that happen in coffee shops. Spend a few hours with people you don't know.... no need for conversation but you walk out BFF. Necklace halves and all.

Ahhhh.... and as I sit here this morning I feel sad. It's like the day after Christmas. National coffee day is over. Come and gone. Like those who frequent Irish bars and see the countdown to St Patty's Day.... I have rolled the countdown to National Coffee Day back to 364. I wiped a tear from my eye just now.

I have a wonderful day ahead. An interview for some media thing at Trispot the new training center in Buffalo NY! And then a swim in the Endless Pool, a bike and a run while Will works on my bike. A little shopping to gather all of the important things I will need for Clearwater and a little chat with Kevin Patterson, the brainchild of the whole place. It's a pretty intense week of training from today through Sunday, I need all the mojo I can get.

And of course, a good cup of joe for the ride home. Don't tell my coach.

But guess what? Jen and ELF will each be bringing me a bag of Brach's Pumpkins to Clearwater. To be given to me after the race...... bring me a bag too and I will be your BFF!







3 comments:

Unknown said...

I think Starbucks had to develop their instant coffee to make up for the revenue lost when you switched to the Core!

Trigirlpink said...

I bet a steamin' cup o joe and some Brachs Pumpkins are a good combo.

Can you move closer so I can come to YOOOOGA too????

Unknown said...

My Starbucks drink of choice is a grande nonfat latte. gotta have some milk in there for me!!! I loved the instant too. Couldn't believe how good it tasted. Great post, Mary!