Kenya Dig It?
Sunday morning Rebecca and I went into Peet’s for our morning coffee and decided to burn off the last few exposures from an old roll of film. We snapped three pictures of our favorite baristas and then went on down to Walgreens to get the film developed. The camera was one of those “free film for life (of camera)” cameras that I purchased back home from Kaboom!’s Walgreens. Basically you pay ten bucks for a plastic camera and every time you drop it off at any Walgreens they refill it for free with a new roll of film. Walgreens will continue to do this until you or the camera dies. It’s a very clever business idea; it basically ensures that Walgreens will always have your business.
Rebecca and I approached the PHOTO COUNTER inside the Coolidge Corner Walgreens and were greeted by an associate.
Associate: Hello.
Ryan: Hi, I’d like to get this film developed. (Presents film.)
Associate: Okay. Would you like one hour or overnight?
Ryan: One hour please.
Associate: I’m sorry we can’t do one hour today; we don’t have a photo tech working.
Ryan: I see.
Associate: I can have it back in 24 hours.
Rebecca: Why would you offer one hour if you can’t do it?
Associate: We normally do.
Rebecca: Do you do one hour?
Associate: Yes.
Rebecca: Just not today?
Associate: No.
Rebecca: I see-
At this point I had to restrain Rebecca from lunging at the associate; she’s been biting people lately and the state says they might take her away if she can’t learn to control her thirst for immigrant blood.
We left Walgreen’s and headed to the nice CVS in Coolidge Corner. (There are two CVS’ within a block of each other.) Inside there was this old Asian couple playing on the Kodak Picture Maker; the woman was holding a Yorkshire terrier in her arms and the man was frantically punching the soft-touch monitor. I’m not a big fan of CVS, they are extremely overpriced and normally really slow to check you out for something as simple as a pack of gum. Add to that that stupid CVS Extra Care card that they only ask you for when buying something that it can’t be used for (said pack of gum, bottle of water, ect.) but when you’re buying something that you could save money on they don’t ask you. AND then you don’t just get a receipt you get a scroll of parchment saturated in frivolous coupons that have inspecable stipulations. (Save $3 when you buy 9oz. of shampoo.)
Much to my chagrin the CVS photo clerk was very helpful and was actually developing pictures, unlike the EVIL Walgreens. We dropped off the film and went strolling around Coolidge for the hour. After that hour we returned to see if the film was ready, even though he told us it would take a little longer than an hour (I ordered digital prints.) The film wasn’t ready but the old Asian couple was still standing at the Picture Maker with that damn dog.
Another hour passed and we went to reclaim the film and this time it was ready and the Asian couple was now sitting in chairs and that damn dog was in a buggy. Apparently they were going to make a day of cropping and enlarging photos.
Now to the point of the story. Wednesday morning I returned to Peets to show barista Gina the pictures snapped in Peets Sunday morning. That’s when she invited me to join in on a coffee tasting, where she was sampling all sorts of exotic coffees from around Africa. We tried a bitter blend from Ethiopia that smelled like bong water and then a few other African blends. Lastly we sampled the Kenyan blend.
Ryan: This is really smooth.
Coffee Guy: You can really taste all the different flavors coming together.
Gina: I can sort of taste a hint of citrus.
Coffee Guy: There is a little bit of citrus in there. The roasting brings it out beautifully.
Gina: It really does.
Ryan: I like it.
Coffee Guy: Kenya dig it?
It’s gone international!