Today, I reunited with an old flame of mine named Starbucks.
I don’t remember when our relationship lost its luster but I think it was when three of them opened in my town in the course of a year. Starbucks had always been a rare treat to be happened upon in a far off city. That meant it was usually a happy occasion:
- a trip with my husband exploring a new city.
- a trip to visit BFF in a region spattered with Starbucks.
- a college visit with my beloved first born, where campuses in progressive regions grabbed up Starbucks for each corner.
- breathing the big city air of the Windy City where the warmth and breath of Starbucks welcomed me in from the cold.
But then the extraordinary became the available, and frankly I lost interest.
I never lost my love of the aroma though, and so on a recent trip with lots of time on my hands I wandered over to the local Starbucks. It was early so in the midst of a touristy mecca, this little shop seemed a haven for local business people. The line was long, but the servers ever cheerful and expedient, so I queued up. And here’s what happened:
Two words: Perfect Oatmeal, and I fell all over again for Starbucks.
How does this spell romance you may ask? Here’s why I love Perfect Oatmeal:
- Healthful – I am weary of coffee shops where my only option is a carb-loaded, calorie laden bagel that I don’t enjoy enough to warrant the indulgence.
- Affordable – After pondering ordering an $8 bowl of oats at my tourist-laden sky rise hotel yesterday, I was thrilled to pay $2.49 for Perfect Oatmeal.
- Customizable – let me elaborate:
- dried fruit – yes please
- nut medley – yes, please (by the way, this one made each mouthful a surprise treat – will it be a pecan, an almond, a walnut? All three are involved!)
- skim, low fat or half and half
- brown sugar – pre-portioned and labeled at 50 calories, thank you very much
- shakers of deliciousness – cinnamon (pour it on), nutmeg (just a dash), vanilla (mysterious but tasty)
- packaging – my Perfect Oatmeal came in a perfect little cup with a perfect perforated lid
I was in love. Oh, and did I mention:
IT WAS INSTANT OATMEAL.
I guess what I really love is the genius of making what is everyday stuff spectacularly extraordinary.
More examples:
- My coffee was named “Thanksgiving Harvest” and while I am sure it tasted like strong home brewed grocery store pre-ground, to me it was all pumpkins and cornstalks, and grandparents, and over the river and through the woodsyness.
- They play music at Starbucks. Where don’t they play music? But at Starbucks they tell me what they are playing. It’s like XM only on a lovely flat screen TV hanging on a wall the exact green of my foyer. What was the greatest feature of this? For me it was the solution to a problem which has plagued me since the WLS Big 89 Countdown of my childhood (heard on the incomparable sound of my Panasonic Ball and Chair transistor radio in bright turquoise). They tell you who the last song was AFTER IT IS OVER!! Incidentally they also tell you by whom the next song will be performed. Genius! I want to by every CD they sell from YoYo Ma to Bob Marley. Heck, I wanted to by an Alison Kraus CD I already own.
Oh…and don’t even get me started on all the lovely merchandise. Yes the old flame is a spark rekindled. Tomorrow, I will reintroduce my husband as we explore this city together fueled by our Perfect Oatmeal. During the holidays I will sip the magic with by beloved first born home from her senior year in college and my BFF who will grace the prairie once again. And the Windy City does have a certain sparkle this time of year…
And, yes, I will enjoy Thanksgiving with pumpkin pie and homegrown sweet corn and when we head over the river and through the woods, there will be a cup of freshly brewed Starbucks in a least one cupholder.
