Back to Normal

The Starbucks on Kuhio Avenue is crowded at 6AM with tourists, hotel workers, and early rising old people (cough). After three days on Oahu it's the first time I've been able to resume my normal routine of walking here before sunrise and ordering the morning cuppa.

Then I'll head over to Kalakaua Ave. for the one mile walk back. Can't get too comfortable because there are some family obligations with immutable deadlines--I know, you're in Hawaii--for goodness' sake.

But for now normal feels good.

The Day of Departure

The cup leaked badly

On the day before my return to San Francisco I cleaned out the fridge, reviewed Mom's tax records, and filled up the gas tank. The next morning was scheduled for laundry, packing the suitcase, and visiting Mom.

But the first thing on the agenda was to walk to the Waikiki Starbucks, which had become part of the daily routine.

That part didn't go well. After a few minutes coffee dripped down my hands and onto my shoes. I checked the lid several times, but it turns out that there was a pinhole leak on the bottom. Auwe!

From the McCully 7-Eleven

After dumping the rest of the cup I stopped by a 7-Eleven to buy an Azuki Bean scone, regretting briefly the enthusiasm for disposing of some tasty leftovers the night before.

Departure day had a few more hiccups: Mom was fast asleep when I stopped at the assisted living facility (we talked on FaceTime the next day, but it wasn't the same), the airport Agricultural-Inspection conveyor belt was broken, causing thousands of pieces of luggage to back up, and not coincidentally my flight was delayed an hour.

It was 45 °F when I arrived at SFO, and out came the jacket that had last been worn when I left San Francisco. I was home.

The Rut That I Fall Into

Waikiki's Kalakaua Avenue, like the Las Vegas Strip, is quiet in the early morning. Most of the tourists are still in bed; a few athletic souls under the age of 40 are running along the sidewalks that were packed just ten hours ago.

The Starbucks on Kuhio Avenue opens at 4:30 a.m. It has a steady stream of customers--hotel workers, tourists, and policemen.

One of my favorite pastimes is to stroll the mile from my parents' home to the Starbucks, pick up a coffee, then take a different, longer return route. I'm back by eight, and the whole day is in front of me.

Such is the rut that I fall into when I'm in the Islands, and I've lost the urge to be busier. Don't criticize, dear reader, if you haven't tried it.

Tanforan Shopping Mall - Last Gasp

No spacing problem here.

In 2018 the decline of retail and the growing homelessness in San Bruno were warning signs for the Tanforan Mall.

The coronavirus lockdown was the death blow, and in November, 2020 the property was acquired by Alexandria Real Estate Equities for an eventual tear-down and conversion to a biotech campus / housing development.

But it would be a slow death, with designs and permits requiring years to process. Alexandria Real Estate Equities was in no hurry to buy out the leases, so tenants were running out their contracts.

In 2012 the Food Court bustled.

It was my first visit to the shopping center in four years. It was nearly empty. The once-bustling Food Court had a few diners, quietly picking at their food. Starbucks, Jollibee, and Burger King were already gone, while Chipotle, the movie theater, and Target were hanging on.

I ordered a teriyaki chicken lunch from Sarku, Japan, for old times sake. It was as good as I remembered but cost $3 more. Well, they have to make ends meet during the next year or two until construction begins.

The Tanforan Mall has been the site of a Peninsula race track, an internment camp for Japanese-Americans during World War II, and a shopping center. The recent 200-bp spike in interest rates and migration of people and business out of the Bay Area makes the biotech campus / residential housing plan by Alexandria Real Estate anything but a sure-fire moneymaker.

I wish them well.

Starbucks May be Slightly Woke, But It Isn't Crazy

Your humble blogger enjoys a peaceful
cuppa joe outside the Foster City Starbucks

Starbucks is closing 16 stores not for revenue or profitability reasons but because of employee endangerment:

Starbucks said it would permanently close six stores each in the Seattle and Los Angeles areas, two in Portland, Ore., and single locations in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. by the end of the month.

The company said it received reports from workers about incidents that they said involved drug use by some customers and in some cases, members of the public, in certain locations. Starbucks said it would transfer employees to other locations when it permanently closes the stores.

Clearly, calling in law enforcement didn't help, and writing off 16 stores for a wealthy corporation like Starbucks shows how dire the safety problems were.

By the way, do these locations have anything in common?

City                              When Last Republican
                                          Mayor Left Office

Los Angeles                             2001
Philadelphia                             1954
Portland                                   1980
Seattle                                     1980
Washington, DC              Zero GOP Mayors

Meanwhile, I continue to enjoy our crime-free suburban Starbucks, where the police officers arrest people for misdemeanors and which is a five-minute walk from the police station.

Day of Rest

Only eight were in attendance at 8:30.

If there are no after-church meetings, I prefer to go to the early service at 8:30.

Being done by 9:15 leaves the remainder of Sunday for chores, recreation, and family activities.

With all that freed time I stopped at Starbucks for a blackeye (coffee plus 2 shots of Espresso). The caffeine forestalled fatigue.

Sunday is the day of rest, but I didn't want to waste it on a nap. Naps are for weekdays.

The Meanness of an Urban Setting

The office is a mile from downtown San Jose.

My opthalmologist whom I liked very much, retired a few years ago, and the doctor who took over his practice seems to be competent.

However, lacking the personal connection with the new fellow, I find it hard to justify driving 30 miles to San Jose when there are other skilled opthalmologists nearby.

Our visit yesterday tipped the balance. We asked to use the restroom, and the receptionist told us to go to the Starbucks a mile away. At Starbucks the baristas said that the restrooms were not for customers (we offered to purchase something) but for employees only. They directed us to a Chipotle across the street, where we bought a burrito and used the facilities

A half an hour later we were back for the eye exam, which went as expected.

We don't blame the opthalmologist or Starbucks for the unhappy experience. The responsibility rests with COVID-19, public health regulations, and most significantly the homeless population that makes it difficult to find a restroom in an urban setting.

The businesses in the suburbs are far more relaxed about these things, which is why we will be changing doctors.

Looks Like Wood

An iron horse that looks like wood

A cool Tuesday morning was an excellent time for a stroll to Starbucks. I had always driven past the new condo developments and had not noticed the sculpture by the side entrance to one of the buildings.

The seahorse had been placed without any attempt to show it off; the brown fence wasn't the optimal background, IMHO, but what does this left-brained numbers guy know about esthetics?

There was no sign, hence no name for the work or clue who the artist was. The seahorse itself was an iron alloy painted brown, which is an inspired choice as the creeping rust blends with the fading color.

Finishing his coffee and rumination about unimportant questions that he will never seek the answers to, the humble blogger rises from the outdoor table at Starbucks to head home.

Thank Goodness I Got Through Friday

Friday started off promisingly.

I dashed off a letter to Mom, then used the Starbucks app to order a blackeye (two shots of espresso added to a regular coffee). I grabbed the car keys, iPhone, wallet, and letter before heading out the door.

The first hitch in the plan for a beautiful Friday was the discovery of a flat tire on the Camry. Changing it would take some time, so as a temporary fix the cigarette-lighter-powered air pump reinflated the tire. The leak could be a one-off occurrence, but 9 times out of 10 the cause is a nail and repair or replacement will be necessary.

Forget esthetics, I want protection

What happened next can only be excused by too many distractions--mailing the letter, picking up the coffee, and worries about the tire--for the aging mind. I had earlier put the iPhone on the car roof and forgot to remove it.

At Starbucks the realization dawned that the phone was missing. Hurrying home, I walked the car's path for the first couple of blocks without success. (Having bought a "military grade drop tested" case, the phone probably survived.)

I returned to the car and drove slowly along the entire route, glancing at the Apple Watch to see if the iPhone was within bluetooth range. Again, no luck, maybe somebody had picked it up.

The "Find My" app on the Mac showed the iPhone to be a half-mile from the house. That was good news, because it meant that the phone was intact.

I'll save you the litany of false steps that were made, dear reader, including getting back in the car for one more search. Suffice it to say that your humble blogger was not aware of all the alert and messaging features of the "Find My" app. The man who found the iPhone showed up at my door. He was tall, ruddy, masked, and middle-aged, with a baseball cap and walking shorts.

How did you know my address?

"It popped up briefly." [After reading the "Find My" instructions, I still don't see how that happened.]

Here, let me give you something.

"Oh, no," he said, waving his hands.

Thank you sir.

And with that, he was gone, and I don't even know his name.

I do have a picture of his shadow (right), which the camera took while he was looking at the display.

Lessons learned:

Kind strangers still exist;

Flat tires are minor compared to other problems;

Never put stuff on the roof of your car.

St. Patrick's Day, 2021

Brisket is a tough, inexpensive cut, and slow-cooking at a low temperature--my oven works best at 225 °F (107.2 °C)--tenderizes adequately if I can roast it for at least eight hours.

Corned beef, which has always been made in our kitchen on St. Patrick's Day through the traditional boiling method, is simply seasoned brisket. Slow-roasting should work (at least that's what food bloggers claim).

And so it was that I began prepping the corned beef at 5:30 a.m. The spices from the seasoning packet were rubbed into the fatty half, and each slab was wrapped in aluminum foil.

(We need leftovers for sandwiches tomorrow, I bought two 3½-pound pieces.)

Into the oven at 6 a.m., and the rest of the day is free. That's another advantage of slow-roasting; you don't have to rush back to the kitchen because over-cooking the dish won't ruin it.

I stopped by Starbucks at 6:15 for an extra jolt of caffeine, which will be desperately needed to tackle a couple of tax returns today.

Don't forget to wear something green!

Early on a Sunday Morning

After running an errand, I stopped by Starbucks at 5:30. I was happy that they were open early on a Sunday morning, though with no other customers but me I wondered about their business savvy.

Two baristas were busily wiping the surfaces and tuning up sundry machines.

My order, a "black eye" (large coffee with two shots of espresso), was ready. "Good morning," I said, "Thank you."

The parking lot was deserted except for my 17-year-old Camry. As I departed, another customer arrived. He seemed to be in a hurry. Golfer? Fisherman? Work? The old reasons for rushing about haven't applied for nearly a year.

When it's quiet, dark, and lonely, being with strangers is better than just ourselves.

Edward Hopper, Nighthawks (1942), Art Institute of Chicago

Live to Recycle Another Day

I'd rather be in a car. (NY Daily News)

Two months ago we noted how environmental measures are now less important to the general public:

Washing hands frequently with soap and hot water for at least 20 seconds is recommended by State and Federal authorities, with nary a peep from local water districts, and everyone does this 10 to 20 times a day.

Chemical wipes are used all the time on public surfaces, and no one disapproves. No one frowns at the extra amount of trash.

If driving a car to work or school is at all an option, have you seen anyone choosing to put themselves or their kids on a filthy bus or train?

For years Starbucks and other coffee shops offered discounts to customers who bring in reusable (hard plastic, ceramic, metal) cups to reduce trash. The coronavirus has caused Starbucks to suspend this policy for sanitary reasons.

Now it's business' turn. Corporations who have touted their Environmental, Social, and Governance cred realize that ESG is secondary to survival: [bold added]

Today, every occupant of every C-suite is trying to figure out what they’re willing to throw overboard as the economic storm spawned by the pandemic is swamping their ships. Businesses that were planning to help save the world are now simply saving themselves...

“Belief in a new ‘sustainability’ model of capitalism is growing but will it endure?” Paul Pellizzari, the sustainability chief for Hard Rock International, wrote in a piece published Monday on the environmental media site GreenBiz. “Will mad scrambles to save profitability and market capitalization stall or kill a new paradigm?”

History suggests this new paradigm is probably on the back burner.

“Depend upon it, sir, when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully."---Samuel Johnson

Okay, This is Getting Serious

In the least important story of the weekend, Starbucks gave up on its to-go-only model and closed its two stores in Foster City.

On the Starbucks app nearby stores just vanished from the map, like half the world's population in the last two Avengers movies. Disbelieving, I drove by the closest store to see for myself.

Someone who really wants a cuppa joe can go to the kiosk in Safeway or the outlets in nearby San Mateo.

Okay, this is getting serious...

Life is Full of Disappointments, Kid

Waiting for lattes: what social distancing?

Exactly one week ago the Foster City Starbucks was packed with youngsters on their computers, tablets, and phones.

A freshman Ivy leaguer said that his college sent everyone home. He preferred to take his online classes in a social setting like Starbucks, but that option only lasted through the weekend.

He said his father is not happy about his being home.

I’d be upset, too, if I'd spent $thousands on room and board and hadn't heard a word about refunds. They'll make good eventually, but refunds can't be high on the list of priorities.

Coronavirus Cloud Doesn't Have a Green Lining

(BBC image)

Like many Americans, unfortunate circumstances have caused me to become familiar with hospitals, long-term care homes, medical clinics, and other facilities where cleanliness can be the difference between life and death.

When minimizing infection is paramount, no one cares about the rubbish that is generated every day: paper towels, disposable wipes, diapers, bed liners, booties, and plastic bags, straws, cups, utensils, gloves, and medical paraphernalia. And no one sorts that detritus into green, blue, and black bins--which by the way are all dumped into landfill in many jurisdictions.

The use of clean water for a sick individual's laundry, bathing, toilet, and housecleaning dwarfs any savings from using a low-flow shower head.

Now that everyone's worried about the coronavirus these medical protocols have spread to the general population, where, to no one's surprise, green priorities are ignored:

Washing hands frequently with soap and hot water for at least 20 seconds is recommended by State and Federal authorities, with nary a peep from local water districts, and everyone does this 10 to 20 times a day.

Chemical wipes are used all the time on public surfaces, and no one disapproves. No one frowns at the extra amount of trash.

If driving a car to work or school is at all an option, have you seen anyone choosing to put themselves or their kids on a filthy bus or train? Maybe some of them will notice the nanny state "nudges" to move everyone out of their cars.

For years Starbucks and other coffee shops offered discounts to customers who bring in reusable (hard plastic, ceramic, metal) cups to reduce trash. The coronavirus has caused Starbucks to suspend this policy for sanitary reasons. (Horrors, do you mean it wasn't sanitary in the first place?)

IMHO, we all would be impressed by greens who walk the walk by using eco-friendly organic cleaners to wipe down surfaces and dispose of trash in biodegradable bags. True, they would have to scrub more often than if they used inorganic chemicals, but that's a small price to pay for saving the planet.

When the coronavirus becomes manageable, I wonder if we'll pay as much attention to the greens as we did before.

Not Impartial

The flagship branch of the Honolulu Coffee Company at Kalakaua and Kapiolani is a convenient quarter-mile walk from my parents' house. (Or one can drive...there's ample free parking, a distinguishing feature in congested Honolulu.)

At HCC the walls are plastered with information about coffee--its history, sourcing, roasting, and brewing. The owners' love of the business is shared by the employees, who eagerly explain the workings of the roasting equipment in the center of the room.

Sure, the Honolulu Coffee Company is more expensive than Starbucks, but the paneled room is pleasantly spacious, and the WiFi is clear.

I'm not impartial; my nephew works here and this is one of Dad's favorite places. Perhaps I should have led with that?

Stunt Foods, Stunted Values

At $100/cup, sip Elida Geisha slowly (Chron photo)

I've been cutting back on my Starbucks visits to 1-2 times per week because $5 for a coffee seems uncomfortably sybaritic.

By Bay Area standards, however, there's no reason to feel guilty; the definition of extravagance has long moved past your humble blogger's.

The latest trend is stunt foods:

In recent years, the Bay Area has had a $43 martini made with vodka that comes from San Francisco fog; multiple $50 burgers made with luxury ingredients like Wagyu beef and foie gras; a $100 pizza topped with white truffles; a $150 truffle-filled macaroni and cheese dish; and even $700 shots.

The late Herb Caen referred to his beloved City as Baghdad-by-the-Bay.

With legions of homeless barred from using the restrooms of establishments that serve $100 coffee, San Francisco seems more like Sodom, Gomorrah, or once-beautiful, decadent Rome before it fell to the barbarians.

Green for Show, Analytics for Dough

Being green: I re-use them at home.

Starbucks is often mocked for its responsiveness to the directional changes in progressive winds, but we need to give credit where it's due. We like the redesign of its cold drink lids, all to eliminate the plastic straws that comprise 0.03% of plastic waste.

[Digression: the straw-waste percentage is about the same as the percentage of carbon dioxide (.039%) in the atmosphere. One of the wonders of our time is the belief that the future of life on earth rests on eliminating the last speck of these "dangerous" substances. For perspective, getting rid of plastic straws would be like ordering a 200-pound person to lose 1/16th of a pound.]

(From imgflip)

Anyway, credit to Starbucks for finding a new use for sippy cups.

Mock them all you want, but Starbucks stock is on fire:

The world’s largest coffee chain posted adjusted earnings of 78 cents a share for its fiscal third quarter, a 26% increase compared with a year earlier. Analysts polled by FactSet had expected earnings of 72 cents a share, excluding certain items.

Starbucks’s sales of $6.8 billion were up 8%, also beating expectations. Global same-store sales growth of 6% was the strongest in three years. U.S. same-store sales rose 7%. Cold beverages helped drive growth in the afternoon, the company said, a time when Starbucks has struggled to boost sales...

Starbucks also remains focused on expanding its business in China. Net store growth there was 16% during the quarter, bringing the chain’s total to more than 30,000 locations world-wide.

FWIW, I think much of Starbucks' growth is due to collecting and analyzing data on its customers. The iPhone app knows my food and drink favorites, the stores I go to most frequently, and the promotions that I respond to. Starbucks also knows how often I do a grab-and-go and how long I linger when I use its WiFi.

With privacy all the rage, Starbucks has to downplay the role of data analysis:

Data collected by Starbucks’s digital programs is helping the company better understand what beverages customers want, said Chief Operating Officer Roz Brewer. “We know a lot more about our customers now,” she said.

I agree. I don't think the sippy cups are why the stock has a 30 PE.

SBUX has nearly doubled the past year.

Slip Me a Slug of the Wonderful Mug

Perhaps you missed the latest tempest-in-a-latte-cup when Sunday's episode of Game of Thrones showed what appeared to be a Starbucks drink next to one of the leading characters. (Starbucks, not to mention electricity and paper cups, does not exist in the Game of Thrones fantasy universe.)

The accidental product placement has garnered free social-media publicity for the Seattle-based coffee company:

Plenty of brands would like to find a way into an ad-free smash TV show like HBO’s “Game of Thrones.” On Sunday night, Starbucks Corp. seemed to have lucked its way there...the apparent anachronism handed Starbucks a big share of the voluminous “Game of Thrones” social-media conversation that follows every episode.

In the middle of its final season, over 17 million viewers (across all platforms) have been watching Game of Thrones. That's a lot of eyeballs.

Note: in an alternative universe it's possible that the Starbucks cup could have existed, for example:

After a day of slaughter, Daenerys really needed to stop at a bathroom. Her code of ethics forbade her from using the Starbucks facilities without buying anything--though she didn't have to (cut to image of the Philadelphia 911 incident)--so she ordered the venti, triple-shot non-fat latte, no sugar. When the barista asks if she needed a cardboard sleeve, the camera pans to her calloused hands, toughened by the fire of dragons that she rides all day. Daenerys smiles faintly and takes the cup without the sleeve and pops in the green swizzle stick that seals the top for transport. She enters the gender-neutral bathroom. Fade to black...

Note: at last night's Warriors-Rockets game actress Emilia Clarke, the subject of all the social-media fun, was spotted by the mascot. You cannot escape, Daenerys!

Fancy Designs

Beans are roasted in the facility and shipped to other locations in Hawaii.

Honolulu Coffee Company is the latest resident of the site formerly occupied by Coco's, the 1960's 24-hour coffee shop at the corner of Kapiolani and Kalakaua.

Their fare is pricier than Starbucks or Peet's, but if you are a 93-year-old customer, why count a few pennies?

Besides, Starbucks or Peet's don't bother sculpting the foam into fancy designs.