Pumpkin Spice in a place not always nice

One thing that floors me about New England is the dramatic change from small town to small town.  I don't sugar coat jack-the people one town over can be downright snobby.  I grew up hearing about Madison, CT, from my mother actually.  One of her best friends from college lives there, and has always lived there.  (People don't leave the shoreline).  My mom would go visit this "Madison."  It took almost an hour to get there from the airport and they ate chopped up lobster on a hotdog bun. Oh, and they were always going to day spas.  That is what my "twelve year old self" in Greensboro, North Carolina remembers of the place she can semi-call home twenty-five years later.

I moved here three Octobers ago-October is always my personal new year, and the only preschool spot available was in Madison.  Boy was that a way to throw yourself into a cultural immersion.  No, I did not go into labor on my yacht. I went into labor in an IMAX movie theater.  No, I don't shop at the health food store. I shop at the grocery store for my chicken nuggets.  Yoga?  No, I have never been to India.....

Other than preschool, I have a few other reasons for traveling to Madison.  I feel a wave of arrogance go through me when I cross the boarder of the towns, but alas, I am an addict, and Madison has allowed one little piece of commercialism into its stellar little town.

Starbucks

Last Saturday I was getting my usual and it was quite crowded with the usual people placing the most ridiculous orders I have ever heard-non fat, caffeine free, use soy, etc.... but then all of a sudden the baristas were calling the same drink over and over again: Pumpkin Spice, Pumpkin Spice, Pumpkin Spice...at least eight times I heard this called.  What is up here?

When people are doing something, you have to decide: Am I going to do what they do, or am I going to stick with my Skinny Vanilla? The good news about a blog is that you can always say you did it for the blog.

Yesterday, I had a very overwhelming day. I had one too many meetings on my computer and I had thirty minutes to get my boys to school before another meeting. Plus I had made a Halloween blog commitment. I'm in Madison, I have twenty five minutes, and I need a Halloween theme blog topic: Pumpkin Spice anyone?



The particular drink is plastered in posters and signs everywhere: Drink Me!  Drink Me! You are not a true coffee drinker/ Starbucks shopper if you don't order Pumpkin Spice. I should have tried green tea instead.

As a reminder of where I was, a woman whose kids had been in gymnastics with my kids for three years was walking out as I was walking in.  She went right by without so much as a nod. Gone are those days-I turned my head, said Hello-and asked how "Billy and Benny" were doing this year,  just so she knew I took the time to care. Those are fake names, I promise the real names are the top two on the social security website name list.  No, she had not been in a hurry, and no, she did not forget me.  Nobody forgets me.


Back to the line: I ordered the drink. 

This is too funny not to post:

Me: "Grande Pumpkin Spice Latte, please"  Maybe the please threw her off.

Barista: "You want whole milk?"

Me: "Sure, why not, I ran this morning."

Barista: (big round eyes) "Do you want whipped cream?" Oh I am going to mess with her..

Me: "Absolutely!  Why don't you go dust off the can!"

Barista to the other Barista:  Grande Pumpkin Spice Latte all the way!

Other Barista: "All the way?? " (Did I order rat poison? Ladies, I need to take you south!)

I didn't take any pictures but boy did I want to-I was paranoid.  I got in my car to get home to yet another webinar, and took a sip.

YUMMMMMM!  Like a liquid pumpkin pie.

It was worth extra time in Madison for that treat. I'll have to go again, only I'll get a tall, with skim milk, and no whip from now on.

I live on the Shoreline after all....