The Barnes & Noble Cafe Proudly Serving Starbucks Coffee

Some days I have less patience than others when I work.  Tonight, I had a stinging impatience with customers and their orders.

One customer ordered two venti Peppermint Mochas.  I thought, "Are you proud of yourself for ordering that?"

I've been working at Starbucks or this cafe for over six years.  I've made thousands of drinks.  At first, I felt disgusted by the enormous caffeine intake customers have.  I felt culpable, my hands bloody as I steamed milk and pumped syrup.

Now I feel culpable about sugar intake.  Venti Peppermint Mochas have a total of ten pumps of syrup.  This takes up half the cup.  It's sickeningly sweet and hardly possible to taste the coffee.  They're the most popular of the holiday beverages.

What has helped my own disgust was a recent article I read in Mother Jones.  I include the link so you may become as revolted as I am.

I understand that everyone is responsible for their own health and well-being.  But I still feel like one of the gunmen in a firing squad.

We should be glad we can't ever eat Twinkies again.