Ridiculous Creature of Habit

The "Get a Grip on the Starbucks Factor" experiment lasted five or six weeks.  It failed for two reasons:

1. I had to remember both to buy more coffee and to bring it to work; and
2. I was right in thinking that the protein of the hot chocolate in the morning made me less hungry

So it was back to the coffee cart run by the deli in our building.  Francisco didn't miss a beat, even my first day back.  Grande hot chocolate, skim milk, no whipped cream.  With peppermint syrup instead of the vanilla when it is in season.  Even on the first day back I didn't have to tell him what I wanted.  Even the peppermint part.  We exchanged "good morning"s, he made the drink for me, I said "thank you" and left.

So.  Every morning we do this.

This morning, I headed downstairs early because I had a meeting at 9am.  Francisco wasn't there yet.  There was a new girl at the coffee cart.  Well - not new, because she has worked at the deli for awhile.  And not a girl.  A lady.  She asked me what I would like.

I was totally dumbfounded for several seconds.  Francisco happened to walk through the door that second, and I nearly said, "He knows!"  But instead: 

"Uhhhh.  Grande.  Hot chocolate, please.  With.  Ummm.  Skim milk.  And..."

I knew there was another high-maintenance thing I always say, but she was halfway through steaming the milk before I remembered.  "And no whipped cream!  Um.  Please."

I had somehow forgotten the words "grande skim no whip hot chocolate".  Technically, Starbucks says "nonfat" instead of "skim", but I haven't adopted that last piece of the lingo.  So rebellious, I am.

(rolls eyes and posts)