The obsession is still strong

My years as a barista are over, and I've traded my green apron for a running outfit (to work at a running store, there's no uniform so I couldn't really make an analogy there). Still, I've been obsessed with Starbucks since before I could even drive myself there, and the obsession is still strong.

Here's an iPhone photo of an photo from my Starbucks heyday in 2005.

Side note - isn't it weird to look through a box of photos to find an old picture rather than Facebook timeline?

Last week Starbucks was giving out double stars after 2pm to celebrate labor day and it felt more like Christmas. This semester my grad class is right across the street from a Starbucks and that makes my life infinitely better. I'm pretty sure my classmates now think I'm crazy (ha, kidding, I'm sure they started thinking that the day we met) because I sent an email out reminding everyone to go and get their extra star (no one did, not sure they even knew what I was talking about). Everyone continued the email chain about, you know, the actual class we were taking and I somehow found a way to drop another mention of the extra star (which I got, btw).

 

Thanks to that, I've now accomplished another milestone in my life.

 

I will now save this for at least 6 months waiting for the exact perfect time to use it,
and go to Starbucks and pay at least 45 times.

In other news, I've reached a blog high point. Or low point. I'm not sure.

 

Yesterday, schools closed early for heat, and no one better say one word about "lucky" or "jealous" because I'd trade two hours off for AC every single day in a heartbeat. Some fellow teachers and I decided to cool down at an air conditioned establishment. If you're a blogger, you know how you always wonder who in your "real life" reads your blog? Suddenly everyone started quoting mine and imitating it, but in a really funny way so I couldn't get mad and was secretly flattered.

 

It feels so good to have the secret out about the Stone Mill 50! Next step: training plan. Or at least schedule my long runs. One thing at a time.

 

Monday, I ran 10 miles before work. I don't have a training plan yet, but I know for a 50 mile race I need to get in a double digit run after a long run (and mine was Sunday last week) to practice running on tired legs. Surprisingly, my legs felt decent on Monday. Not surprisingly, eating about a half pound of candy (a combination of candy corn and chocolate) in bed Sunday night didn't leave me feeling great for a 5am run Monday. It ended up being a 9:40 pace. Not impressive, but it got the job done.

 

Tuesday was a rest day. My legs were sore from trail running. Sad but true.

 

I left my running store job at 9:30pm Tuesday and the temperature was still well into the 90s, so I didn't even consider running outside and looked forward to a morning date with my treadmill and Buffy. It was a good call. Wednesday was like living on the sun's surface. I did 7 miles at a 9:03 pace. Thursday was more of the same, except I hit snooze a little more and only had time for 5 miles (8:50 pace).

 

Do you have an obsession that you find yourself talking to other people about and making yourself look like a weirdo?

 

Bloggers: Do you wonder who reads your blog from your real life? Is it weird when you find out?