Tag: Starbucks

The Daily EO: February 25th, 2016

Today I walked to a chiropractor appointment, Granville Island and back again to Gastown.  If I had just walked to the appointment and back again, it would have been about 6 kms – an early morning walk on a gorgeous day (is 8 am early to people? – I’m unemployed, its early to me).  Instead, the walk was about 11 kms because I needed a chai tea – after an embarrassing incident at one of our Starbucks (without any caffeine) about their lack of chai tea bags.  (manage your inventory Starbucks – isn’t there a million stores in the city? – walk down the street and borrow some tea bags).

I was on Broadway about 5 blocks from the Granville Street bridge when I realized that I could get the best chai tea served in the city with a walk down to the Granville Island Market.  What am I doing futzing around with Starbucks when I could go to the Granville Island Tea Company for a Masala Chai tea with ginger and cayenne?

And as I left the house prior to feeling like eating, I knew the perfect pair with a masala chai is a traditional Jewish farmer’s cheese bagel from Siegal’s Bagels.  I even bought 2 extras for “later” and a smoked meat stuffed bagel for Emile.

In the nearly empty market – and that doesn’t happen often, loving this freedom – I watched the boats and water drift by, only leaving after getting attacked by a flock of bold pigeons (people! – stop feeding the the bloody birds!)  That 5 km detour was so worth it.

February 25, 2016 Extra-Ordinary:  That Bright Spot, just starting to illuminate the dark.

IMG_0004Almost-everything-will-work-again-if-you-unplug-i*quote by Anne Lamott

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The Daily EO: March 25rd, 2013

I am usually in my car at 7 am every morning to head to work.  Maybe a little later, but around that time.  I have spent a lot of time in my car in the last 12 months.  Mostly reading maps and and figuring how long we were from our next stop in Saskatchewan.

And now I spent about an hour a day in that car as I commute to work.

Of late, I have spent too little time in bed before getting into the car again, so that has caused me to spent too much time wasting money in the Starbucks drive-thru line at Cordova and Powell.

I hate sitting in that line for 3 reasons:

  1. I am wasting money on tea that I could easily have made at home, but was too lazy to do so
  2. I am burning minutes that I could be in transit to work which is why I got up so early in the morning in the first place
  3. My car has an annoying rattle when it idles, and I am embarrassed by it

On this Monday when I got in, I blearily mentally reviewed what I was tackling when I got into work this week.

Despite my best intentions, my occupied brain didn’t notice when my hands turned left into the Starbucks.  Again.  Sigh.

March 25th, 2013 Extra-Ordinary:  No rattle in my car because my husband fixed it on Saturday.  Ah, the Sounds of Silence.

The Daily EO: March 21st, 2013

I’ve never really got into the Groupon, Wagjag and other social savings things.  I am not sure what it is, perhaps I don’t like being part of a crowd.  And really, when you live in a small town, the offerings are pretty slim.  Emile convinced me to sign up for Groupon, and every day I get some mostly ignored email telling me about Indian food or fitness classes or facials.  Which usually goes right into garbage.

It had not been one of my best weeks, or best days for that matter, so I decided to read my “exclusive” Groupon mail to distract me from the fact that it was 5:15 pm – on a day I was planning to sneak out early – waiting for the customs broker to find the FDA import number for a critical shipment.  It was “spend $5 to get a $10 gift certificate at Starbucks”.  Now, I go to Starbucks.   I also go to Tim Horton’s.  The difference to me is that Starbucks is for when I am trying to aspire to something (what, I don’t know yet) and Tim Horton’s is for when I realize I don’t need to aspire.

And I am also Starbuck’s worst customer – never buy food, always insist on saying large (not Starbucks made up language), and always buy the cheapest item – a tea for $2.18.

So, when I read the fine print and all seemed on the up and up, I decided that this purchase would probably be the most satisfying thing I do all week.  Saving my $5 and topping up my Starbucks card. So I went for it.

Over the weekend I went into a Starbucks to buy one of my cheap – and 50% off – tea.  I was then asked to do a survey.  If I went home and completed the survey, I would get a drink code good for one tall small beverage.  Okay.  So I did.

But I am not a dummy – no no!  I gave the coupon to my husband to spend on a more premium item  – like a hot chocolate – because don’t waste it on tea!

March 21st, 2013 Extra-Ordinary:  Converted $1.09 into $5.00.  And I was right, it was one of the few satisfying items from that weekend.