Secrets of Starbucks: Part Doppio

If I could post all of the things I would want Starbucks customers to know it might take me 1,098 points. Let's start it up!

one. If you're wondering about the title above, Starbucks likes to speak in Italian, and it's a reference to one of the Italian names. Here's your basic Italian phrases you might come across in a store:

• Short: 10 oz cup/Kids, Tall: 12 oz cup/Small, Grande: 16 oz cup/Medium, Venti: 20 oz cup/Large
• Breve: with half and half cream
• Macchiato: "marked on," meaning with foam.
• Solo: 1 shot, Doppio: 2 shots, Triple: 3 shots, Quad: 4 shots
• Con Panna: with whipped cream (only for things that don't normally get whip cream)
• Latte: "With milk," espresso, steamed (or cold) milk, light foam.
• Cappuccino: Espresso, lots of foam/less milk.
• Americano: Espresso and water, supposed to substitute brewed coffee.
• Red Eye: coffee with one shot of espresso; Black Eye: coffee with two shots of espresso.
• Misto: Half brewed coffee and half steamed milk.
• Double blended: blending frappucuinos twice so all of the ice is broken up.

two. Starbucks is a genius concept in that it provides a place where people stay for hours, but this is also its greatest downfall. It is true that many people "squat" at Starbucks, but I will let you know this-- I never notice anyone in the lobby. Maybe I should. I have a laundry list of things I need to do in the next five minutes usually and looking around the cafe is one of the last. So yes, you could probably stay in the cafe for the entire day and nobody would probably know/care.

three. The three phrases I say most:

1. Would you like a receipt? (Some people legitimately freak out-- so it's better to just ask)
2. Would you like whip cream on that? (If you're getting nonfat or soy milk in your drink, ya better believe I will ask you if you want those extra 100 calories or lactose filled whip)
3. Room for cream in your coffee? (I don't want to short you and I don't want to fill it up so much that you have to pour liquid in the garbage).

four. We re-brew each coffee every 30 mins, keep the pastries for only a day (most of them), "hand-make" the mocha, hand-make the drinks, recycle papers and milk cartons, use free-trade coffee beans (aka: they're from sustainable sources and used to enhance the community they come from by giving them a stable economy)--- so Dunkin Donuts, what now?!

four and four quarters. Calorie count--yayy!

• Lowest calorie drink: Brewed coffee, black (It's zero calories without cream or sugar, yes sir). P.S. The lowest calorie actual latte would be a short skinny vanilla/cinnamon dolce.
• Highest calorie drink: Venti Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha, 700 calories (white chocolate is the fat of dark chocolate)
• Lowest calorie pastry (excluding the bite size pastries): Marshmallow Dream Bar (210 calories), aka: Rice Krispie Treat.
• Highest calorie pastry: Banana Nut Loaf (490 calories) -- what a shame, that's the best thing on the menu.

Lies My Parents and the World Told Me

one. Toys are alive. I'm pretty sure everyone from my generation can blame Toy Story for their ruined spirit. After watching this movie I went home and told Jasmine and Simba that they could come to life and I wouldn't tell anyone. Yeah Pixar, it never happened.

two. When I was a youngin', I would receive Christmas presents from my cats and/or dog (aka: Murphy, dog; Amos, cat). One year, Amos, being a practical cat and all, got me some Fruit of the Loom from Target (note: I was four-ish, so F of the L is totally excusable). Now let me back up for a second and let all of you know that Amos' leg was messed up and he dragged it everywhere. Anyway, I asked my mom how Amos got the Loom and she said (get ready for the lie!), "Amos dragged himself to Target and wrapped it for you." And then I said, "Well Amos doesn't have a job, how did he pay for it? (see how smart I was...still cheap!)" Mom said, "We loaned him some." I have no words for this. My parents let that cripple drag himself to Target to get me some Loom...terrible.

three. The "D" from the Disney logo (see below) is supposed to be a "D," not a backwards "G." Yeah, Gisney.

four. Animals can talk. After seeing the movie Cats and Dogs I believed that my animals could talk. I told Maggie (dog) and Murphy (dog) if they wanted to talk to me, I wouldn't tell anyone. Little did they know that if this actually happened, I would've told anyone that would've listened. But anyway, did this ever happen? No. And now they will never talk because they're dead.

four and four quarters. One time my mom and I were in line at the pharmacy to pick up some drugs. As many of you know, they keep hmm..adult stuff... in that glass casing under the counter. So I asked my mom, "What are those colorful things with the people in the sunset?" She replied, "Oh, those are vitamins for adults." Mom, I'm an adult now and I should probably start taking my vitamins.

Awkward Circumstances

I'm all about the awkward, and I'll make it awkward just for the sake of being awkward. Here are some ways to make things awkward (and I just used "awkward" 4 times in 2 sentences).

one. Join Facebook groups that you shouldn't leave, and then leave them. For example, join the "I have never had sex with a goat" group and then leave it a few months later.

two. Pee in sinks. (see Baby Mama)

three. Lift up children and/or small animals and start singing "The Circle of Life."

four. Wear see-through swimsuits.

four and four quarters. Post unheard of words on Urban Dictionary that do not make any sense. For example, "Centaubear," or a mix between a Bear and a Centaur (half horse, half man). (See "Pegasus Hair").

Random, random. Read all about it.

Here are the most obscure facts I could come up with about myself. Enjoy.

one. Every time I am at one of those events where you have to "tell something random about yourself' I tend to choose one of two things to say:
1. My sister's name is Mary Kate Olson. Of course, no one ever believes me and then they ask if I'm Ashley Olson. No, not last time I checked. Oh right, have you ever gotten that before? I bet you get that all the time!
Note: This is not actually a fact about me..bahahaha, success!
2. All of my fingers are double jointed. I am not quite sure how this will ever help me in life, but hey, I've gotten something going for me.

two. The reason I do not like country music is not because of the sound of it. In fact, I enjoy a good bluegrass. The reason I avoid this music is because it is essentially pop music with God, drinking, and an ex lover somehow blended together. For kicks, let's add a slide guitar!

three. I correct people's grammar in my head. Grammar Judger Anonymous.
Note: You're doing well, not good. :)

four. I'm wearing my pajamas that I got from the guys department at Walmart and they are my favorite. I wear them when I'm really tired, as if they have magical deep sleep powers.

four and four quarters. I have no idea what I want to with my degree or my life for that matter. I just want to have fun and get paid for it (haha, I know, such a great life goal). I guess I will figure it out when I need to, but I'll just have to live in the unknown for awhile. Sometimes I wonder if I'm making a bad choice by majoring (Psychology) in something that is not pre-professional (like Business, Education, etc.), but I know I would regret it for the rest of my life if I didn't do something I really wanted to do.

Shuffle

So here's the deal, I'm doing something so fresh, so clean. I'm going to shuffle my massive ipod library and whatever four and four quarters song come up, I'll try explain the significance of that song to my life.
For clarification, I'm skipping over songs that I have no idea what they are.

one. "Control" by Moses Mayfield. Back in my freshmen year of high school, I went to a Switchfoot concert. My friends Lindsay, Kelida, and I were all chilling outside Switchfoot's bus before (well, and after) the show in hopes of getting to meet them (success, by the way). This family came up and started talking to us, and they mentioned that they were the family of the lead singer of Moses Mayfield (the opening band). They were actually pretty nice and had this conversation with us about the band. When Moses Mayfield actually played, they sounded good to my immature 14 year old ears. Now, I probably wouldn't listen to them...but hey, I met the lead singer's family!

two. "Misery Business (Live)" by Paramore. This band reached their peak as I was a junior in high school. I tried so hard to not like them since everyone else did, but they're actually pretty decent. I laugh at my youthful attempts to be cool. I still listen to them, and it just gets me all pumped up for the day. Plus, Hayley (lead singer)-- I may be a tad jealous of those vocals.

three. "Clocks" by Coldplay. This song...goodness, it's a bit overplayed. Back in either my freshmen or sophomore year of high school, we played this in one of our band shows. I got the solo/lead part, which was pretty tight. I would get SO nervous before I had to play, but overall I think it turned out okay. Playing this song was the first time I had solo-ed in front of a large group (2-3k).

four. "Stay (Wasting Time) (Live at Piedmont Park)" by Dave Matthews Band. Once upon a time I went to the Dave concert at Piedmont Park. It was up there with one of the best days of my life. You hear those people clapping in the background of this track? Yeah, that's me, Amy, and Regan. There was so much smoke (from cigarettes, of course!) that there really was a purple haze and my nose bled from the secondhand smoke. Party!

four and four quarters. "Day Tripper" by The Beatles. My mama always said I needed to be cultured, so we listened to Rubber Soul and other Beatles albums in the car. But all jokes aside, one things my parents really pushed was that I knew the history and culture of where I came from so I could understand the world and it's people better. Every time we would drive around, my mom would be our historical tour guide (whether it was about her life or actual history). If nothing else, it's helped in trivia. Needless to say, The Beatles reminds me of my parents and their attempts to culture me.

Passtimes with the Feline

I love me some Feline (and Fellini's pizza for that matter). The best thing about cats is that they try to just mind their own biznatch and be all cool, and then you just come in there and mess everything up. These are the best tricks i have for annoying and messing with your cats:

one. Put that sucka on a leash. You can't just have that thing running lose like some lion. I love watching them trying to defy it like they think really have an option.

two. Give it a bath. Did you know that cats love water? Better yet, serenade it with a harmonica. Cats love the sound of harmonicas.

three. Read it "Garfield has Feline Leukemia" before it goes to sleep. Sweet dreams.

four. Cat-a-poult it. Yes, that was pun. Someone please stab me for saying it. But anyway, test out the theory. They always land on their feet.

four and four quarters. I used to live with this girl who had a Hello Kitty waffle maker. Isn't that where you put cats to warm them up? Guess that explains what happened to Jasper.

Dear Atlanta: Here's What You Can Improve On

Dearest Atlanta,
Do you want me to call you Hotlanta? I hear that's the nickname with the kids. Atl, though I love thee, you have some things that would make you the best city ever.

one. Transportation. Marta, CCT, GCT, CTRAN...all of you were over before you ever started. That's right aliens to the atlantan, we have FOUR transportation systems. How dare I be this bold, but these four transit systems are because of the racism that resides in Hotlanta (insert history lesson here). Georgia DOT, the beltline may be your saving grace if you can pull it off. My solution: fuse this already dying system into a getting-there profitable solo system. Maybe all these transit systems wouldn't be suffering right now if they didn't lead to nowhere.

two. Land lock. My-lanta (clever points), please make yourself a moat. This city would be much better if it were landlocked by some body of water. You're going to keep stretching yourself out into oblivion. My solution: start digging.

three. Bipolar weather. I'm pretty much a psychologist, and Atlanta, you have bipolar disorder. I love you in the early fall and late spring, but the rest of the time you just go on mood swings. Let's make a plan to stick to a weather plan (poetry points). My solution: no more rain dances.

four. Safety in Numbers. Atl, I never want to hear you being referred to as the Detroit of the South. That just isn't cool. Take a shower; clean yourself up. My solution: If you have a great option, then go for it.

four and four quarters. Own it. Big A, you've got a lot to offer. You may not be as cool as say, New York City or Los Angeles, but you could get there. I don't want to peer pressure you, but be bold and confident. Try some new things. You have the potential to be great. Clearly you're never going to be a place of big tourism. It doesn't have to be your speciality; leave it to Orlando and Washington DC. Consider yourself the land of Chick-fil-a, Waffle House, and Gucci Mane. Who wouldn't be proud of that? You go, Hotlanta.

Best Local Slice Pizza

I'm a thin-crust-cheap-slice-cheesy-hole-in-the-wall kind of pizza girl. One of my biggest pet peeves ever is when pizza joints don't offer slice pizza. Have you seen how big my stomach is...do you really think I could eat an entire pie? No, just no. Other than that tangent, here are the best places I've found for slice pizza in the Metro Atlanta area:

one. Fellini's (originally in Buckhead). The pizza place combines everything I love about pie spots: cheap, high quality, and delicious. A slice will be around $2, and they're pretty big. My favorite part of Fellini's (or Felines, as I thought it was called when I was young) is that you're given a framed postcard when you order so the server can bring it out to you. If you've ever been, you know that most of the post cards are random things. Fellini's wins for best atmosphere, hands down.

two. Rosa's (Five Points). This takes the prize for greasiest, but oh so delicious. I don't really want to know what goes on in the kitchen; I can only imagine based on the outward appearance. Therefore, it fails on atmosphere and health, but shines on taste.

three. Mellow Mushroom (originally in Druid Hills). I almost did not include Mellow on my list. Although I absolutely love the taste of the Shroom, they do not offer slices during dinner (it may be different for other stores, though). Besides that, their dough has been kissed by the gods.

four. Everybody's Pizza (Virginia Highlands). There are two locations for Everybody's, but I have only been to the one in ViHi. It's right in the middle of town, and boasts a great menu. It can get a little pricey, but the mini pizzas are a perfect size (they don't serve slices to my knowledge).

four and four quarters. Alessio's (Alpharetta). Alessio's is most "neighborhood" pizza place I know of. Though it's in Alpharetta, relinquishing all rights to best atmosphere (sorry to all die hard alphas), it's a cheap place to grab a slice. The rest of their menu isn't too shabby either. If you're in alpha town, it's a diamond in the rough.

Next up: I want to try Pie in the Sky in Kennesaw to see if it can beat some of these.
Anyone have any suggestions?

Best iPhone Apps

I'm always searching for new apps for my phone that will make life easier. They really aren't kidding when they say "there's an app for that." The following are the most useful apps, not necessarily the most fun (like cat piano).

one. Where. This in one of those all-in-one apps. It tells you the cheapest gas prices in your area, current traffic, movie times, and lots of other stuff. It's most def my most used app.

two. RepairPal. If my car breaks down or I need work done, I can find what I should expect to pay, where to go (based on user reviews), and emergency numbers (like towing services).

three. DCCU or your personal bank's app. I can transfer money from my savings and look at my balance. Most banks have their own banking app.

four. Urbanspoon. This app is great if you want to find a restaurant within your budget, area, and liking. It gives user reviews and is available wherever you are (aka: doesn't only have restaurants for big cities like Atlanta).

four and four quarters. EveryTrail. This app gives you information about hiking trails. It finds one in your area and shows you pictures and personal notes from other members about the trail.

Best neighborhoods in Atlanta

I love Atlanta. The southern charm fuses with city life, which makes it different from any other city. I feel like I know a good bit about Atlanta, and the following are my favorite neighborhoods:

one. Dunwoody. Well of course, this is the best place I've ever lived! If you know me, you know I'm a big advocate for Dunwoody. It's like a big, small town. I constantly see people I know, but there are also 50,000ish residents within the city limits. There are only two main grocery stores, a handful of big churches, one middle school, and one high school. There isn't too much traffic (relative to most other parts of Atlanta), and the big city is only 20ish minutes away. It has it's own "downtown" district where you can find the best mall in Georgia (in my opinion), and any store you could possibly want. Overall, I think it's a great place to raise families and great if you want a safe area to live in.

two. Inman Park. For those who don't know, the story behind Inman Park is that when Atlanta was being built up, Inman Park was one of the first suburbs. People loved this new radical idea, because they could live in a "country" home with a yard just outside the city, but take public transportation into Atlanta for work. Later on, Inman Park became a poor area that was overrun with violence and crime. In the 1970s, there was a big push to change the image. Now it has parks and a wonderful festival every spring in order to revive the area. You'll notice that their "logo" is the butterfly, to denote their death to life transition. The homes are beautiful and I think it's great that they saw the potential for this neighborhood. It's a true testament to what city revitalization can do.

three. Downtown Norcross. This place is such a secret, but a really neat place. If you keep going back on Holcomb Bridge you eventually run into a cute trackside town known as Norcross. The houses are historic bungalows that have also been revitalized. The city center has a park, shops, and the best coffee shop ever (Northern Star--sorry sbux!).

four. Piedmont Park. I realize this is rather close to Inman Park, but I love this area too. The park is so beautiful and the side streets are fun to explore. The best part is, the students who live around there go to Grady (which is right across from the park). I can't even imagine being able to walk out of class and just go over to the park. If you've never been to the park, I highly suggest it! It's a great place for walking or enjoying a concert.

four and four quarters. Downtown Decatur. Between all the great restaurants, Eddie's Attic, and all the festivals that go on in the square, Decatur is fun place. They've done a nice job of mixing in old architecture with new. Though the main square is mainly older, they have several new commercial and corporate buildings that line the streets. The best part is, marta goes right into the center of the square.

Things I'm glad I did this past year

I was thinking about it this morning, and my life has changed so dramatically in the past year. I wouldn't change it for anything!

one. Gone to Kennesaw. Somehow God always finds a way to get things done that He wants to. Though KSU was not even in my radar when applying to schools, I am so glad I went. It really ended up being far past my expectations and I've met some great people. I've been able to rise to my full potential, academically and socially. If you told me a year ago where I'd be this year, there's no way I would have believed you.

two. Went to Echo. Once upon a time, I kept getting invited to this campus ministry at ksu. I finally caved in and went, and I'm so glad I did! It has been a tool to grow me spiritually. It's a great time of fellowship, which I think is so important at a school like ksu (since most commute). Along with that, I'm happy I/we started Thursday night dinner before Echo. It keeps growing and I'm excited to see what God will do with it!

three. Worked and Quit. I started working a real job this year at Starbucks, and I learned so much about responsibility. I'm thankful for my time at the Dunwoody Village Starbucks (Chastain, not so much...), and I don't regret quitting. Now I'm doing work that better suits my skills.

four. Doing stupid stuff. This year I did a lot of stupid things, like the time I went road tripping the night before an exam. These things defined my year and will be ever-present memories for me. That stupid stuff ended up shaping me to become better.

four and four quarters. Realization. This year I came to cognizant of how I really know nothing, and that life just is. Every ounce of planning I could do would never matter. God has a far greater plan then anything I could ever even write about.

Movies that pepper my speech

If I ever had creepers following me, it would be movie scripts. They always seem to creep into my conversations so nicely and at inopportune times. For example, when I am in the car sometimes I get an overwhelming urge to quote the opening lines to Pulp Fiction (or listen to Misirilou by Dick Dale for clarification). So in honor of this feeling, here are the movie scripts that I use in most of my conversation, and the quotes I use most:

one. First and foremost, Mean Girls. Is that really a question for anyone?
-I cannot stop this car, I have a curfew!
-You go Glen Cocoa!
-Oh heck no, I did not leave the south side for this!
-Don't have sex because you will get pregnant and die!
-She's a life ruiner, she ruins people's lives.
-You cannot do that. That is social suicide.
-I'm from Michigan...great!
-She doesn't even go here!

two. She's the Man. I love Amanda Bynes, and hey she unretired! Partay!
-Screw you guys, I hate high school.
-Welcome to Illyria, Welcome welcome welcome welcome welcome welcome welcome welcome welcome to Illyria!
-What up bro? (pronounced brahhh)
-My favorite's gouda.
-Word, g money.
-She's got a little somethin' somethin'.
-I'm brilliant, shh.
-My intensity scares people.

three. Baby Mama. Clearly I think Tina Fey is hilarious....
-Biscuit, I don't know your life! (biscuit replaces the other word...)
-Can I just spray a little pam down there? You have to admit, it's a valid suggestion.
-Oh that's just Hellboy. (ps, Hellboy is the name of my car as well)
-Cats can do this!
-What is this??? It's water.... It's disgusting!!
-Uhhh, I don't know.... I DON'T KNOW.
-That don't make no sense. I don't have time to explain arithmetic to you!
-Your stupid space car locked me in!
-It's in the thing!
-This one's for the ladies! Alright, a slow jam!

four. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Yes, I'll even put a sensitive one in hurr.
-It's going to be gone soon... what do we do? Enjoy it.
-Paaatttrickkk, babbbyy boy.
-I prefer to be Ruth, but I'm flexible.

four and four quarters. Garden State.
-Good luck exploring the infinite abyss.
-Can I have something to chew on? F, bamboo! Whatever!

Passtimes in Classes

We all get to a point where we want to shank the professor and everyone in the class because we're so bored. Though that is a great idea, here are a few alternatives:

one. Download the cat piano app on your iPhone or iTouch. It's an app that makes cat meows. Just set that sucka off during the middle of lecture and act like nothing happened. People will be scratching their heads as they try to find this invisible cat.

two. Bring a typewriter to class to type your notes. That's just plain entertaining.

three. When asked what your major is say something classy like "baby making" or "lion taming."

four. Serenade your teacher with showtunes. Why not?

four and four quarters. Speak in a British accent all semester and then confess to everyone your actually from America. Nothing like lying to a group of people.

Secrets to ordering at Starbucks

one. Modifications: There are so many modifications that you would never know about. Some of the useful ones: no whip, half a shot (ristretto), types of milk (nonfat, 1%, whole, soy, cream, etc), upside down (putting the shots on the bottom of a macchiato), con panna (with whip cream- for straight espresso), and decaf (yes ALL drinks can be decaf).

two. Bring your own cup and you get 10 cents off, and usually more drink.

three. Always ask for your drink in the next size up. An example would be a grande coffee in a venti cup. That way you have more room for cream. Many times the barista will forget and give you a venti amount of coffee for the grande price. Either way, you have more drink for a cheaper price.

four. Always say the size of your drink first. The barista can't put in your order until they have a size. Chances are, you're drink could be wrong because they've been trying to memorize the order until you say the size.

four and four quarters. Get a gift card and register it on Starbucks.com (and it's free to register). You get some nice rewards: free refills, free syrups, free milk (soy and cream is extra) and free wifi. Though they act like you can always get free wifi, the only way to get it is through a registered Starbucks card or an AT&T internet account. If you use it a lot then you'll be invited to get a gold card. You get tons of rewards like free birthday drinks.

Songs I wouldn't want anyone know I listen to

one. "Party in the USA" by Miley Cyrus. I know, it's shocking, but it's just so dang catchy. Between her unrealistic lyrics and moving her hips and head to the word "yeah," I can't help but not my head along.

two. "Can't Fight the Moonlight" by LeAnn Rimes. Next time you find yourself in a bar full of coyotes, you'll know exactly why this song fits into your current environment. Not only do I want to be best friends with Piper Perabo (Violet in Coyote Ugly), but I want this to be playing at all times.

three. "The Power of Love" by Celine Dion. When those violins start going in those insane in the membrane (another song that I "don't like) sixteenth notes, I can't help but wanting to rave. Celine, you can be my lady and I'll be your....fan, any day.

four. "4ever" by the Veronicas. Though this song is slightly graphic when read aloud, it's utterly addicting. It's in She's the Man so maybe I'm a little biased, but hey random news: anyone hear that Amanda Bynes retired? I cried.

four and four quarters. "Mayberry" by Rascal Flatts. I was obligated to choose at least one country song. Truth is, Rascal Flatts isn't too terrible. I just love stuttering by saying "cherry...ccccoke." Just a question RF, are you an animal, cause there is NO way you can just see things in black and white. Ebony and Ivory (another solid song) isn't always the way to see things.

Time for some Change

Hello all,
I have decided to redo my blog. I believe I can talk about much more if it's in jest and in a list. I mean, who doesn't like that anyway? Essentially, I will be posting the top four and four quarters about things (ex: top four and four quarter songs I don't tell people I like). I hope you all enjoy the changes!