Sunny @ Starbucks

Just got back from my local Starbucks. "Local" is a relative term when referring to Starbucks, because if you're like most people I know your "local" Starbucks could be any of the 5 that are within a 3 mile radius of your location. I went to the Starbucks that's located 5 minutes from my house, as opposed to the Starbucks that are 7 minutes, 7 minutes, 10 minutes and 15 minutes from my house.

I had made up my mind before I had even stepped into the joint that I was going to buy a New York Times newspaper. Not necessarily just to read, but I also use newspaper to cover the bathroom counter and sink when I cut my hair and I am planning on cutting my hair this weekend.

I noticed that Starbucks is offering a Honey Frappucino. Coffee & Honey aren't necessarily two flavors I think complement each other. I asked the girl at the register how long they've been offering this new frappucino and she offered, "About a month." About a month too long in my opinion.

I was slightly tempted to sample the Honey Frap, but I didn't for 2 reasons:

1. I didn't want to waste my money on something I knew I wouldn't like. Trying something new just for the sake of it is something I like to do, but not if I know I'm not going to like it.
2. Because of my sinus problems I can't taste anything. Again, it would be a waste of money.

I settled for my new fav instead, the Java Chip Frappucino. Medium Grande size.

The weather is fantastic here in Roseville today so I decided to take my coffee and newspaper outside to enjoy the weather. Joining me were the male-female couple who were in front of me in line. I don't really mean "joining me" in the sense that we all sat together and spent time together, we just both happened to want to enjoy our coffees outside.

The male-female couple consisted of a white male in his 50's and a white female in her 50's. Ethnic and cultural diversity is not really to be found in Roseville, so coming across a white couple in their 50's is as easy to find as it is to find air to breathe.

The couple seemed to be friends who hadn't spoke in awhile based on the content of their conversation. Quite frankly their conversation was not very interesting (sunglasses, iPods, meth addicts breaking in someone's house, blah blah blah).

About 10 minutes into reading my newspaper and enjoying my Java Chip Frap we were joined by a local bum. I really don't like using that word, but that's the best word I can use to describe him for someone who wasn't there. Not a bum in the sense that he was a "Lazy Bum" (I have no idea or desire to try and gauge his level of industriousness), not a bum in the sense that he was pushing a shopping cart full of all his earthly possessions (a "Homeless Bum," although he could well be homeless, who knows?), more of a "Hobo" without the train to illegally hop across the country.

He was dressed in slate gray corduroy pants, a tan corduroy long sleeved jacket, black shoes and black socks. He had salt & pepper graying hair and leathery wrinkled skin, obviously weathered by the elements. He may have been a bum/hobo, but he had enough money to be smoking cigarettes and to buy a coffee.

I read through the entire "A" section of the NY Times, finished my coffee and got up to leave. The boring male-female couple had got up to leave a few minutes before I did, but I would find them in the parking lot on the way out to my car. They were hugging on each other like they were more than casual acquaintances and kissed each other on the lips so who really knows what the hell I was witnessing?