The Starbucks Ritual…

Richard and I walk to Starbucks each morning to get a coffee and the Chicago Tribune…it has become our morning walk where we get out of the apartment for an hour or so and get some exercise and we usually talk about our day…what we have planned for the rest of the work day.

The other day Richard was intently staring off into the direction behind us as if in deep thought. I asked him what he was thinking about…he laughed and said nothing really but have you ever noticed the ritual of people fixing their coffee? The bar where you get just the right combination of sugar, cinnamon, half and half, etc. was positioned right behind me.  

So for the next 10-15 minutes we watched people prepare their coffee. Now I have to laugh as I watch some of these people…some pour out just a little bit of coffee to make room for just the right amount of half and half. Some give an quick shake of cinnamon or maybe two to top of their coffee before they put the lid on and yet the man that grabbed two wooden stir sticks and created a tepee effect with them…small on the top but large on the bottom in order to give a full sweeping stir to his coffee was probably the best.

But who am I to judge on how people make their coffee…as Richard will tell you I am probably the most obnoxious when it comes to making my Starbucks coffee. I am so bad that I can’t even do coffee through the Starbucks drive through because…they just don’t quite do it like I want it.

I order my standard, Venti Pike with four pumps of Vanilla and ask them to leave room for cream. (Now they never leave me enough room so I always have to dump just a little in the garbage in order to make room for the perfect amount of cream) Then you add (4) packets of Sweet N Low and then the half and half. Stir and then put the top on…now here is where my OCD kicks in and Richard will just look at me, shake his head and laugh! (He is a no fuss black coffee drinker!)



Venti Pike!

The top has to be put on in a specific way…the opening must be directly across from the seam of the cup. (Did you know that if you put the opening directly on the seam of your cup it will leak? Well it does! Usually down the front of a white top on your way to an important meeting.) So listen up…make sure you don’t put the opening on the seam of the cup or you will be sorry! Just a fair warning…Okay but that is not the end of my OCD…the cup sleeve that keeps your hand from getting burned when you hold the cup should also be put on the cup with both seams aligned. There is really no reason for this…it’s just the way I want it!


So there you have it…I don’t think Richard thinks I am so weird now that he has witnessed the Starbucks Ritual. It’s not just me…I would venture to say that all people who drink Starbucks coffee have their own quirky way of making their coffee. It is all very normal…but knowing Richard…he probably still thinks we all have issues!