My Love/Hate Relationship with Starbucks (D171)

It’s not my fault really.

It was my senior year in college at the University of Washington and I had an 8 am business writing class. On top of that, I was a single mom and my daughter’s daycare was 45 minutes from school. You do the math (because I prefer not to). Basically it meant I had to get up really early and if you’ve read this blog for any length of time, you know that I am a confirmed night owl (and avoid mornings whenever possible).

The only coffee I had tasted up to that point was the bitter stuff my mom brewed at home in the coffeepot. So I never had a taste for it. Until one particularly cold Seattle morning, when everything went wrong…

THE PERFECT COFFEE STORM
I had been up all night writing a final paper and sitting with my daughter who was getting sick (turned out to be chicken pox). Literally no sleep and an early schedule and morning commute left me at my 8 am class needing a charge of energy and fast. During our class break I wandered over to the coffee cart and ordered my first “real” cup of joe. (It wasn’t Starbucks, that addiction came later.) I think the kid who worked there recommended a mocha after I said I liked chocolate and needed something to keep me awake.

That was it. That one cup of coffee, my first mocha, was all it took to hook me for good. Living in Seattle, you have to know it was only a matter of time before I was a Starbucks junkie convert.

Here’s the HATE side of it…

I hate thinking about how much money I’ve spent at Starbucks over the last fifteen years.
I hate that I have anything that I’m remotely addicted to.
I hate that I think about Starbucks nearly every single day, even if I’m not drinking it.
I hate that drinking too much of it, not eating enough food, and being too stressed led to an ulcer.
I hate that I have to get decaf and they stopped making my favorite decaf coffee frappuccino.
I hate that they’ve hooked me so much that I’ll drive ridiculous lengths just to get to them.

And the LOVE (which is our theme today)…

I love the smell of my clothes even after a few minutes in the store.
I love spending time alone in the store reading a good book and nursing my fave decaf cinnamon dolce.
I love how friendly 99% of their staff across the nation are.
I love that I can go into nearly any location and know what I’m going to get.
I love that I share my affinity for Starbucks with so many of my closest friends.
I love that it started in Seattle, my hometown and alma mater.
I love that my husband and I spent one of our first dates at a Starbucks and many more after that.
I love that it’s a great place to work or have business meetings.
I love… okay, we could go on all night so I’ll stop here.

CONFESSION TIME
Can you relate? Either with Starbucks or some other beverage or brand? I want to hear about it. Won’t you share in the comments?

Manual: Page 49—White Balance

Images: Looked at images by George Hurrell, MGM portrait photographer in the 20s & 30s.

February 18, 2010

http://www.facebook.com/heidy.sutherland Heidy Sutherland

Oh how I can relate and I have to say it is to Satrbucks. The Venti is my killer fancy being able to get that much coffee in one cup.
And they closed the one close to me about a year ago and yes I find really funny reasons to travel to the City to be able to still get them from time to time.
But the worst thing because they are so far away I will often have three in the one day, of well it is only about once a month so I guess that is all right, right?
http://lydiaphotography.com/ Lydia

I've promised myself to never get addicted to coffee, but boy, that stuff sure is good! My favorite place is a little local bakery owned by the sweetest, friendliest lady ever!
Judy

Unfortunately I am a Pepsi junkie- I drink it for breakfast & then all day- sometimes as many as 10 a day- so bad for me! People always tell me to switch to coffee for my caffeine, but I can't seem to do it…I have never even tried coffee…
mdorothy

What a fun post. It confirms my theory about food: For some of us food is an adventure; for others food is a comfort. I fall into the first category; you seem to fall into the later. You like that you always get just what you expect — beverage, service, atmosphere — no matter where you visit a Starbucks. And that's what I don't particularly value. I'd rather try the small, unknown coffee place (or restaurant) to see what I find. Sometimes I have a recommendation — a personal one, or one from the interwebz. But sometimes I just stop someplace that looks, well, interesting.

I'm in the process of moving from Houston to South Carolina, so I have to develop a whole new set of regular haunts. But I'm known among my friends for persuading them to try new places — particularly I try to get workmates to try something new for lunch — pho (the Vietnamese noodle soup), Persian food, Pakistani food, etc. I always tell them, “It's just one meal of your life. If you really don't care for it, we'll drive through McDonalds on the way back to work.” And usually, they have fun. Even if it's food they won't seek out for themselves in future, they can pat themselves on the back for trying grilled goat or tacos from a truck!
http://www.thenichethinktank.com The Niche Think Tank

You should continue to look at images by George Hurrell. He was one great photographer.
Melissa Lindley

I can completely relate because I myself am totally addicted to coffee.

And Starbucks is pretty much the most amazing thing to ever exist on the planet.

Keep blogging Tasra…this is such a great post!
http://www.bloggingbistro.com/ Laura Christianson

Tasra,
I am a Starbucks stockholder — feel free to keep right on feeding your addiction. Just consider that you're helping fund my child's future college education.
mdorothy

What a fun post. It confirms my theory about food: For some of us food is an adventure; for others food is a comfort. I fall into the first category; you seem to fall into the later. You like that you always get just what you expect — beverage, service, atmosphere — no matter where you visit a Starbucks. And that's what I don't particularly value. I'd rather try the small, unknown coffee place (or restaurant) to see what I find. Sometimes I have a recommendation — a personal one, or one from the interwebz. But sometimes I just stop someplace that looks, well, interesting.

I'm in the process of moving from Houston to South Carolina, so I have to develop a whole new set of regular haunts. But I'm known among my friends for persuading them to try new places — particularly I try to get workmates to try something new for lunch — pho (the Vietnamese noodle soup), Persian food, Pakistani food, etc. I always tell them, “It's just one meal of your life. If you really don't care for it, we'll drive through McDonalds on the way back to work.” And usually, they have fun. Even if it's food they won't seek out for themselves in future, they can pat themselves on the back for trying grilled goat or tacos from a truck!
http://www.thenichethinktank.com The Niche Think Tank

You should continue to look at images by George Hurrell. He was one great photographer.
Melissa Lindley

I can completely relate because I myself am totally addicted to coffee.

And Starbucks is pretty much the most amazing thing to ever exist on the planet.

Keep blogging Tasra…this is such a great post!
http://www.bloggingbistro.com/ Laura Christianson

Tasra,
I am a Starbucks stockholder — feel free to keep right on feeding your addiction. Just consider that you're helping fund my child's future college education.
http://tasramar.com/2010/04/find-friendship-fun-freebies-at-the-ultimate-blog-party/ Find Friendship, Fun & Freebies at the Ultimate Blog Party | tasra mar | transform — your images, your albums, your life ™

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