I Did A $tarbuck$

A very short "Every Wednesday" post on a Thursday. Happy Thanksgiving!!!

The other day I did "A $tarbuck$". Not that I haven't been to a $tarbuck$. Every now and then I get an urge for a "Mocha". I do a pop in and pop out in a coffee bean moment.

But on this day the internet was down in the building and I knew the Starbucks up the street has WiFi. Tablet in hand off I went to have a couple of unexpected experiences.

The first was while I was waiting for my name to be called by the barrista. A guy heard me speak to the cashier and says to me: "American?". My usual reply: "Yup. From Oregon. Know where Oregon is?" Most foreigners don't, but they do know California, so the conversation usually from me: "Know where California is?" Usually a positive reply. I then say something like: "Oregon is right above California on the western coast of the U.S."

The guy was from Sao Paulo and curious about why I was in Sao Paulo, etc. A very friendly guy and we had an entertaining conversation.

"John?" Yells the barrista. No John shows up. "Is that a mocha?" Mine. The cashier spelled "Joe" as J O H N. Close enuff.

Off to sit at a table. The Starbuck$ thing I've never really done.

Can't get linked to the WiFi. Noticed a guy working away at a computer. Maybe he speaks some English. Sure enough. Fluent English. Plus he knows A LOT about Android systems and proceeds to clear my overload memory, delete a bunch of streaming not needed apps, and set me up to log in. An offer to buy him a coffee is graciously turned down.

So now I'm doing the Starbuck$ thing: Sitting at a table with my tablet, sipping my mocha and kicking back.

There are seven tables occupied: Six of them have someone either on an electronic device of some type. Is everyone's internet off at their home? No I realize because whenever I'm in a Starbuck$ there's always a lot of people sitting with a drink and working on a computer of sorts.

I do the same catching up on email and reading some of my favorite blogs. I also people watch.

A mother and daughter sit with the mom having a small demitasse while the daughter downs a frapa.....yup one of those.

A man and woman spread out a huge pile of index cards and open what looks like identical iPads. They are obviously working on something and I'm wondering: With today's programs why do they have hundreds of index cards instead of having all that data stored at the flick of a key?

A guy opens what is obviously a Kindle and begins reading.

My table faces a window opening onto the street where I can watch a stream of humanity passing by and I'm instantly guessing what each is doing and of course forming stereotypical opinions, even though I try to not do that.

After awhile I realize I'm actually "doing a Starbuck$".

I enjoyed it almost as much as the Mocha, which by the way I ordered as a "small". I still can't get used to Tall, Grande, etc. A Tall can't be a small. Can it?