Last one standing

I don't know what it is about me, but I'm always the one who gets screwed over in restaurants and cafés. I went out to lunch with Mae today, and we ordered similar items (noodles). She and everyone else in the store got their noodles pretty quickly, but I was left standing around, wandering if they were still milling the flour for my noodles in the kitchen. Actually, this happened the first time I ate at that place, too. And this morning, I ordered my drink at Starbucks, and then stood and watched while three people after me got their drinks and left. I finally asked the barista and apparently, they forgot to order my drink. The upside is that I have a coupon for a free Starbucks drink now. The coupon doesn't specify a value limit, so I'm going to try to concoct and order the most expensive drink possible. I wonder if I'll like it.

I'm not normally a fan of Starbucks. I hate how they've pushed out small, neighborhood coffee shops and have adopted the predatory store-on-every-corner tactic. I also think they over-roast their coffee beans so that the drip coffee is harsh and burnt-tasting. And San Francisco has no dearth of smaller coffee shops that make a delicious, creamy latte. But every fall, Starbucks draws me in, enticing me with holiday flavors and aromas. I am crazy for their gingerbread lattes…spicy, sweet, and mmmm. And now they've introduced a pumpkin-spice latte! How am I supposed to resist this onslaught of seasonal deliciousness? It's a good thing this only lasts for about 2 months, though I dread the gingerbread latte withdrawal that comes in January.