On Sunday afternoon, I found myself at Starbucks ordering one of their shaken iced tea lemonades. The barista, who looks a bit like Dave Grohl, is my absolute favorite local Starbucks barista. (Wait. It’s not like I know all of them well enough to proclaim a favorite. I don’t. In fact, I rarely do the Starbucks thing anymore. I used to go every stinking day. Now? Maybe once a week. Why am I defending myself to you?) Anyway, this is the barista who yelled “Muffin Down!” when I was there a few months back. And I would link to that story, but now I can’t find it. Wait. Are you still here? Whitey Herzog!
Anyway, as I waited for my lemonade, I stood within earshot of a sixteenish-year-old girl who was trying her absolute hardest to flirt with the Dave Grohl barista. For the sake of convenience, let’s refer to the girl as Tawdry.
Tawdry: So, I was at the mall the other day and I saw a Starbucks shirt but the mermaid wasn’t in the middle. It was a photograph of Jesus and it said something like “Jesus loves you a latte.” And I was like, “How stupid is that?!” If you love Jesus, just get your ass to church and stop wearing shirts that advertise it. I don’t want to know that you’re a Jesus lover.
Barista: I’ve heard about that shirt, but I haven’t seen it.
Tawdry: Yeah, and I couldn’t even look at the other shirts because some lady was there with her screaming kid and she wouldn’t do anything about the screaming. And I was like, “Why don’t you beat his ass and make him sit on a bench until he shuts up?!” That’s what my mom used to do, and I turned out fine.
With that, Dave Grohl handed her drink over and waited until she had walked out before looking at me and declaring, “Ahhh. Fine is such a subjective term, isn’t it?”
Me: It’s a really large and confusing blanket. Also, did you hear that the shirt had a photograph of Jesus on it?
Barista: I didn’t realize they had cameras back then! I have a lot to learn. Wait. Did you want me to sweeten the lemonade?
Me: Nope. It’s fine. Slightly bitter. Just the way I like it.
27 responses so far ↓
1 Ceece // Jul 22, 2009 at 12:04 pm
‘Slightly bitter. just the way I like it’. that needs to be on a FluidPudding.com t-shirt!
2 Alyce // Jul 22, 2009 at 12:14 pm
I love Dave Grohl barista, too.
3 Timothy // Jul 22, 2009 at 1:35 pm
That’s one of the funniest things I’ve read in a while :)
4 Kelly // Jul 22, 2009 at 1:52 pm
I LOVE barista bonding.
5 Joan // Jul 22, 2009 at 2:19 pm
This post epitomizes why I <3 you – lol! (Still laughing about “Whitey Herzog!” Think I’ll thrown that into dinnertime conversation tonight just for the WTF expression it’s sure to elicit from my poor husband.)
And hey, Angela, I’m sure Jesus loves YOU a latte, too, even if you don’t wear his shirt. ;o)
6 Alex in OC // Jul 22, 2009 at 3:31 pm
Thank you. I needed that story today!
7 Alex in OC // Jul 22, 2009 at 3:33 pm
Thank you. I needed that story today. Those damn people at the hearing aid store left me on eternal hold. Also, I dig your utensil skirt. I like to have clothes with pictures of nonflower Stuff.
8 Alex in OC // Jul 22, 2009 at 3:37 pm
Oops. Apparently I Really, Really needed that story today.
9 Amy in KC // Jul 22, 2009 at 4:17 pm
I also love lattes. So does that shirt imply that I have something in common with Jesus? Because I don’t go to church, but knowing this might make my mom happy.
Also, one day I am driving to St. Louis and buying you a latte at Dave’s store. Please.
10 JP // Jul 22, 2009 at 4:28 pm
Um…I totally have a favorite barista. Well, in truth, I have to. Be serious!
I’ve decided Starbucks is like my Cheers. Where (most) baristas know my name.
I do believe I just overshared my addictions.
11 JP // Jul 22, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Um…wow. I mean I have TWO favorite baristas.
Wow again.
12 Suzy Voices // Jul 22, 2009 at 4:42 pm
“Whitey Herzog!” cracked me up, being from STL and all ;-)
So, which Starbucks is this???
13 Jaye @ canadian-mom.ca // Jul 22, 2009 at 6:25 pm
OMG best post I’ve read in a while. Love it!
14 Chookooloonks // Jul 22, 2009 at 10:41 pm
Flirt.
15 Lori // Jul 23, 2009 at 7:50 am
so funny!!! Dave Grohl Barista sounds awesome. I don’t have a regular starbucks habit (that I will admit to), but there are a couple of baristas at the one closest to me who crack me up everytime. None of them are rockstar look-alikes though…
16 liz // Jul 23, 2009 at 8:51 am
I love you.
17 The Coffee Lady // Jul 23, 2009 at 10:23 am
See he is my favourite barista now, too.
18 Stacie // Jul 23, 2009 at 12:15 pm
I do believe that barista was flirting with YOU…again!!! ;o)
19 RzDrms // Jul 23, 2009 at 1:14 pm
wait! was the barista a girl that looked like dave grohl (some girls look like dudes) (wait! is dave grohl a dude? where’s google?), or is the barista a guy? i’m all confused. isn’t “barista” feminine? and “baristo” would be the term for a guy bartisa? am i asking too many questions?
20 Brinski // Jul 23, 2009 at 1:49 pm
Brilliant! (the sound of me opening a Guinness in your honor)
21 Joy @ Big Time Fancy // Jul 23, 2009 at 1:54 pm
This is so amazing, my head might explode.
22 mommymae // Jul 23, 2009 at 4:27 pm
don’t you love being in on the joke when an idiot is involved?
…whitey herzog…heh
23 krista // Jul 24, 2009 at 12:48 am
jesus loves dave grohl.
24 Isabella Golightly // Jul 24, 2009 at 5:29 am
Dave Grohl IS jesus.
25 Keyona // Jul 24, 2009 at 9:30 am
How awesome was that! LOL!
26 Laur // Jul 25, 2009 at 11:20 pm
Love the REM ref. Was it the end of the world as you know it, or just another chapter in the barista story?
27 Meg // Jul 27, 2009 at 7:41 pm
which starbucks? can I marry him?