On 11/08/2014 09:28 AM, [email protected] [FairfieldLife] wrote:
---In [email protected], <noozguru@...> wrote :
On 11/07/2014 07:34 PM, awoelflebater@... <mailto:awoelflebater@...>
[FairfieldLife] wrote:
---In [email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>, <noozguru@...>
<mailto:noozguru@...> wrote :
Caffeine is my current drug of choice. Without it kapha loves to
go high and I feel like sleeping all day. Unfortunately my
espresso machine broke and it is a bear to fix if I can at all.
The company seems to think that I should just buy a new one.
What a "throwaway" society we are. And it was not one of my
"Starbucks" days. :-D
Good for you, I would rather fix than throw away even if it costs
more. It is my way of protesting. And also, that you have a
certain amount of times per week that you go to Starbucks. It is
very expensive - plus, I like to frequent my local independent
rather than Starbucks.
Problem with the independent places is they often cost as much or
more than Starbucks and some just use a restaurant supplier grind
which isn't that bold. Also they often aren't very friendly
places. I know the folks at the downtown Starbucks and there is a
nice patio outside the place. Also I stopped drinking Americanos
and have their Clover brew instead. That's an inverse press
machine and the drink is much stronger. You can also call out
which beans to use in it. When I get my freebie I get the most
expensive beans and the Venti size. You'll only find those in
certain newly remodeled Starbucks.
The cold and soggy NW indeed has much better independent run
coffee bars. Though when I lived in Redmond I would go to
Starbucks then walk two door down to a bakery that did all whole
grains and had killer blueberry cinnamon rolls. Yum! And I often
ate breakfast at a locally run restaurant that made real British
scones.
You have made a careful study and made some finely-tuned decisions
as to your coffee and your place to drink that coffee. I love
that. Discrimination is a good thing. My little independent has
one location and makes all their soups and baked goods on site.
They are about the same price as Starbucks but I don't mind. They
are always friendly and their chai latte is alway consistently the
same and very good. Starbucks varies from location to location.
Not that chai tea is some sort of exotic drink but boy can they be
all over the map in terms of taste and consistency.
One of the funny things about Starbucks was when they introduced their
"chai tea latte" back in the late 1990s. I told them chai means tea in
Hindi so they were calling it a tea tea latte. I have a lactose
intolerance so I never drink lattes.
I also used to go to Indian restaurants and order "garam pani" to drink
and get a grin from the Indian servers. It means "hot water".
