I spend a lot of time in coffee shops. I read and write there and I am not sure why this environment offers such a comfortable place to do this. I think it is being part of a social setting without having to be social. I have probably written about this before.
I have a system for classifying coffee shops based on the customers. There are college coffee shops populated mostly by students studying and socializing and academics thinking deep thoughts and discussing topics others probably don’t care much about. These are my favorite. After retirement, I moved to the big city (Minneapolis) and discovered coffee shops that mostly seem to host business functions – people being interviewed for jobs, salespeople trying to make sales, and other types of business meetings. Young people looking for jobs are so adorable in their suits and optimism. I just want to make the world a better place too. There are yuppie shops – customers ordering weird drinks they evidently have customized themselves. These folks are annoying if you are in line behind them and just want a cup of coffee. Here is a related thought – should you tip the same % for someone pouring a cup of coffee as for someone who must take 5 minutes to follow the recipe for some concoction that may not even contain any caffeine? There are also tourist coffee shops. You obviously cannot find them in the places where most people actually live, but I visit them as well.
Today is National Coffee Day. According to USA Today, today is National Coffee Day. This one always sneaks up on me, but I try to write a post when I discover the designation in time. I learned an interesting fact from the USA Today article. The U.S. is way down the list when it comes to coffee consumption. I don’t think of us as tea drinkers and I understand the role of personal biases, but I must say this surprised me. We consume less than half of the 9th place country (Netherlands). Lebanon is #1.
I thought I should recognize the barista in what I consider my “home” shop – Caribou in Lunds and Byerlys. This is probably an unusual choice for a coffee connoisseur, but for actual coffee it is not bad. By the way, I am also annoyed by those who dismiss my thing for McDonald’s coffee. The coffee (not the lattes) may cost you $1 for a 20-ounce coffee that I find just fine. The ambiance is not ideal, but when we are on the road McDonald’s can be trusted for a decent cup.
I told the barista who remembers my name (she has entered my phone number so many times to credit my bonus points the name comes up) about National Coffee Day and the poor performance of the U.S. when it comes to coffee consumption. She was surprised by both facts. I took her picture for this blog. She said she wondered what I always did working on my computer.
Anyway, happy Coffee Day even if you are a tea drinker or must have one of those strange and sugary drinks that takes a long time to order and make. Let’s all just get along.
