Starbucks to Stater Brothers - Thursday 4/9/209

I have been reading a lot about food lately. And I listen to KCRW's Good Food every week. And like most of you I eat food every day.

But it sure seems like it's popping up on my blog more and more.

Anyway, I tried Starbucks' "Perfect Oatmeal" this morning, along with a latte. They're promoting these $3.95 breakfast combos to offset the popular belief that all coffee at Starbucks is $4.00 a cup.

No, that's only if you don't really like coffee and are really looking for hot Baskin-Robbins-like fare. Which is completely legitimate. I like a Carmel Machiatto, a Chai Tea Latte or a Green Tea Frappucino now and again myself.

But I don't go complaining about paying $1.60 for a 12 ounce cup of coffee (that's a short, which you can order, but which is not on the menu.) At most stores, all the sizes are under $2.00. It costs that much for my cuppa joe at Andrew's every day (though there are admittedly--usually--free refills).

Anyway, the oatmeal was pretty good. I added all the provided additives: brown sugar, mixed dried fruit and nuts in separate little packets. Oh, and milk. Mmm.

And no, I'm not a huge fan of the show on the cup. I work on it, and they gave me a travel mug.



I'm not sure whether to be charmed or slightly repulsed by the addition of cucumber fish and boats to the newly refurbished seafood counter at the Stater Brothers grocery in Canyon Country, but I do like to see people being creative in the work place.

It was hard to get a shot with my camera phne that wasn't obscured by the overhead lights.

Eh? - Saturday 3/21/2009

Yeah, yeah. It's a beautiful day in Heritage Valley, but I didn't take any pictures of the oranges and orange blossoms on the trees, or the mountains wreathed in clouds.

I took a photo of this bizarre egg salad sandwich Hydra bought at Starbucks. There was a whole danged egg in the middle of it.

Yeah, I don't have any illusions that those sandwiches at the 'Bucks are made with a lot of care, but you'd think someone would have noticed a whole egg getting into a sandwich unchopped.

Starbucks is in trouble, and it's not just because they've saturated the market.

Men in Shirt Sleeves, with Guns

A big black Lincoln Towncar parked on the far side of the Starbuck's lot and three men got out. Men with well-maintained haircuts and unconcealed weapons, chatting amiably as they crossed the asphalt.

The guns were attached to their bodies via various bits of leather. The biggest gun was in a classic black hip holster. There was one on a belt clip, reminiscent of a cell phone case--but the wrong shape. The third guy used a criss-crossed rig that allowed a firearm to dangle underneath each armpit.

Probably FBI.

Yikes, it's weird to have people strolling around with any kind of obvious firepower.

Nothing happened, of course.

They ordered their coffee and were gone like the scent of freshly ground beans out the side door.

Are you kidding? You expected a photo of the men with guns? It was spooky enough just to have my little pocket Canon out in the same room with them! (This ain't no Mervyn's lingerie department, after all.)