A Commoner Gives Up On A Boycott

I was looking through the stats to my blog this week to see what everyone was reading when I noticed that my Starbuck's boycott had suddenly spurned some interest and I thought -hmm  I need to update this one so people know where I stand now.

I gave up-well sort of.

Here's how it works, if I'm running late I just make an extra cup at home.  That's easy , I have a Keruig and I have disposable cups with the covers-so I'll do that.  (sorry green folk, but know I reuse the cup all day.)

If I'm not running late I drive to Starbucks.  It's not out of the way, but it is a little further than if I go directly to school.  I park, I get out of the car, I open the door to Starbucks, I look in.  If there are more than two people on line (that means three)  I don't even go in.  

I'm not sure what people have thought I'm doing all these times I walk out.  I walk out typically three times a week.

If I don't go in I have plan C.  I go to work, where I have a hot pot, lots of via packs, creamer, and more disposable cups with lids and I make my coffee there.

Yes I totally understand that my coffee routine is complicated.  I'm always out there concerned about that second cup of coffee.  Whether it's from home, Starbucks, or work.

I started going back because one weekend I was in there with my husband and they said they missed me and why didn't I come in in the mornings anymore.  Was something wrong?  My husband -sensing a scene- left the store.  I just replied that I am trying to manage my mornings more effectively, but don't worry I use Via.  I felt a little bad.


Somehow on Facebook I have a friend named Matthew Keys.  He's one of those people I don't really know but he's a friend and he works for Reuters as a reporter.  His job is very  exciting.  This is a cut and paste from his page today, which I'm telling you so hopefully my dear life long friend Matthew won't sue me.


Starbucks has started using cochineal dye to color some of its beverages; the dye is made from ground up insects. When questioned about whether or not Starbucks uses bugs in its drinks, it didn't exactly deny the report...

That's right INSECTS-the boycott has just started again.  

The commoner has a case of OCD.  Now, I've never been diagnosed formally, but I know I have this. One of my most vivid childhood memories is my mother getting out of the car and going back in the house to check the coffee pot.  Every time.

 One thing about being OCD is that you never really lose anything because you usually check where you put them all the time and have a set routine-you always know where things are.  For this reason, it takes me 2 hours to get ready every morning.  


Well Tuesday morning was an average morning.  I was getting ready to go on a field trip to Farm Day-yes that's right Farm Day.  I was dressed down as much as you can be for work because we were going to Farm Day.  I was ready for a stop at Nob Hill to buy a sandwich to get me through my day of nature-I was ready to leave and then......


Work bag-check, lunch-check, purse-check, jacket-check, dogs in-check, iron unplugged-check-let's go.  Wait-where are the keys-and thus it begins.  

I look on the table, I look on the counter, I look upstairs, I call Rob-who works an hour away and what can he do?  He says he saw them on the table.  

Okay so I look again, on the table, in the street, in the car on the counter, on the floor.  Yes I was crawling around on the floor and actually sweating at this point.  So I called Rob again.


This time my conversation went something like this.  If I can never find my keys again what happens?  He doesn't know.  So I'm thinking i can never use my car again, it will sit there forever and I'll need yet another new car with a car loan.  At this point I go through the recyclables and the real garbage because I've surely thrown them away.

  I'm at my lowest for sure and sweating.  I call my neighbor Lou Ann who works with me and she says she can drive me so that's something.  But now I have visions of walking home from work for the rest of the school year.


I'm frazzled, I'm freaking out, and I'm sweating, I have nothing for lunch, no car to drive EVER I'm sure-there is no spare-and a field trip  FOR FARM DAY-when I decide to call AAA.


AAA assured me that when I was ready they could send someone out and they would make me a key.  You mean I didn't have to buy a new car?  I could have a key when I got home and the only price was a lunchless field trip to a farm!  


By now I feel calm.  I picked myself up off the floor, handed the lost key problem off to St Anthony and made one last call to  Rob to let him know that I won't need to buy a new car and that AAA can help me.  Rob says you know you changed the table cloth last night, check under the table cloth.


With that-I  started banging on the table like it was bongo drums. And there it was- There all along -was a little lump under the cloth-that lump-my keys.


So I got to drive myself to work, get a lunch, I didn't need a new car-I went off to work a little sweaty, and a little frazzled.  But I made it.

What else can I say