Seasons Change And So Does Starbucks

If you haven't seen me on twitter today, this is what I looked like this morning:

Yes. It has arrived. My true sign that Fall is on its way, and my favorite flavor is in the houzzzzeeee. Word up to my Pumpkin Spice Latte. Sure I am wearing a tank top, and sunglasses. Yes it is true that it is 90 degree's out, but low and behold, my people, I am drinking it with pure, down to the soul, "yey Fall is coming", happiness. I almost made out with the barista when she changed my original order of a Dulce Cinnamon latte to the Pumpkin Spice, after she informed me "it's here". It was pretty close to a birth of one of my babies. I think there may be a few other signs of Fall on the way (like ...say... being stuck behind school buses again), but this is by far my favorite. It made me want to stand out near the drive through speaker and tell everyone that rolled up that "It's Here, and it tastes like PUMPKIN" (since those Starbucks jerk off's DID NOT HAVE IT ON THE SIGN YET!!!!!! HORROR I KNOW!). I wanted to make someone elses day by telling them. And then I wondered... am I just weird? Has my relationship with Starbucks crossed over the line to just creepy?

When I was little my "sign" for Fall was when the ice cream shop across the street boarded up for the Winter, and the church diagonal from my house, was hosting their annual October Fest. I thought it was such a major deal. I put on my best stretch pants with the lace on the bottom, and the biggest, brightest, long shirt, and jelly bracelets (how sad that I am buying the same sort of thing now!), and fluffed my hair to Snookie standards (she SO did not make the "puff"--Rhode Island made the "puff"--it is an Ocean State original), and marched over there. Everyone in town attended, and the fact that they even had a stand which offered fried dough, was big. Since, actually looking back, it was just a glorified yard sale with a small "pumpkin patch"(which wasn't a patch at all. It was a piece of lawn someone tossed pumpkins on and called it a "patch"), the local dance studio in town performing, and lots of peoples junk for sale. Certainly not something that should be called a "fest", but maybe a "church yard sale with free entertainment". Either way it was something I looked forward to yearly, and it marked for me the essence of Fall.

After hitting up a country fair this weekend I realized how minuscule and lame that old October Fest was. I kept thinking about all the cool things that would signify for my kids the start and end of seasons. Things my little old child brain would have never dreamed of. The lame hometown October Fest certainly did what it was meant to do which was provide memories, and mark a season, however I am blessed to have seen more as an adult, and the ability to share them with my kids. We are already signed up from the North Pole train ride, we already have a scheduled date to cut our tree down, a date to pick apples and pumpkins, we have vacations marked, costumes picked, a possible plan to go to Boo at the Zoo in the Bronx, and we are even tossing around the idea of spending Easter in Aruba.

I love the seasons. I live for the signs of seasons changing through Starbucks. I know it sounds incredibly sad but my "Fall" equals this latte, and the start of the Christmas season equals their cups changing. Spring/Summer is when their cups change back to the "normal" version. And for me, a full grown adult, I lap it all up. Starbucks to me, just happens to be more then caffeine, and I just might have a problem. It's creepy I know.

So as I was driving, sipping my Pumpkin Spice Latte, and listening to my all time favorite song (U2 Beautiful Day), on a sunny August day while wearing a tank top. I wondered, is it time to break out the Fall decor? I'll give it at least another week.

Goodbye Summer. Peace out homes, we will see your hot ass in about 180 days! Hello Fall, I love you, but you always lead us into that never ending, long, dark, cold Winter.

What do you do that signifies Seasons changing? Am I the only loser in the Internet world that lives through Starbucks? Do you have traditions you hope your kids will remember fondly of when they are a big grown adults that don't include Starbucks? Tell me. I love seasonal talk, it is just as good as pillow talk to me.