Whipped Cream
It's no secret I'm a bit fanatical about my coffee. Ok, a lot fanatical. We all have our quirks. For the past two days I've picked up morning coffee from Starbucks. It's not a normal thing but after a week away at a conference, my coffee cream in the work fridge expired and I haven't had a chance to pick up more, so Starbucks it is.
The one closest to my office is ridiculously busy. I think the whole mobile order/drive thru thing has just made it worse. The order line is short. The waiting to pick up line is more of a crowd. Yesterday it took nearly half an hour to place my order and get my coffee. AND they forgot the whipped cream. Today, I placed my very first mobile order ten minutes before I got to the store and STILL had to wait almost 15 before my coffee was ready (AGAIN no whipped cream). It's OK Starbucks--I still love you.
I've been at my job now just over a year and have two conferences under my belt. I love work conferences. In addition to a week in a hotel with no children, it's great to spend time with people across the country who do what I do for the same organization and we can share and commiserate and become fast friends.
My first Junior Achievement conference was last September in Rehoboth, DE when I was just a few months in and still figuring it all out. By this time, my co-workers had gotten used to my weird coffee habits and some even ask to "borrow" a K-Cup or some cream here and there (it's no problem--I share). The rest of the conference goers, not so much. I came prepared for the week and brought a full container of whipped cream and coffee cream. Bonus--there was a full fridge in the room so no need to get creative with ice buckets!
Now, I've been traveling with coffee cream for YEARS. This is not unusual for me. But, if I'm honest, I will admit it's a little odd. I've been known to call hotels ahead of time to ask what kind of coffee pots are in the room so I know what kind of pods, grounds or whatever to bring with me (hotel coffee is almost NEVER up to par). When I was in Phoenix, I was especially obnoxious and often asked my assistant to call my hotels for me and find out. He generally found it amusing (I think). Given that it was September on the beach in Delaware and hurricane season, it was a bit chilly so I expected to be drinking lots of coffee at this conference, so, when we went down from our rooms to the conference rooms, naturally I brought my supplies with me. Fortunately for me, the coffee cream that the hotel had made available was more or less exactly what I had brought with me to no need to carry that around. Whipped cream, however, was something else all together.
For me, coffee without whipped cream is like peanut butter with no jelly. French fries with no ketchup. Soup with no crackers. Bread with no butter. Sure, you CAN, but really, why? Especially if you don't have to. And I don't have to. So, for the entire length of the conference, I would take advantage of the coffee breaks and pull out my whipped cream for a tasty dollop on every cup.
People were confused. People were surprised. People were in awe of my genius!
"Is that whipped cream???" they would ask in shock.
"It is." I would say.
"Where did you get that?"
"I brought it with me."
"That's so great!" I would offer to share and on many occasions, my offer was accepted and the entire mood of the table would shift. It was particularly great during those 3pm slumps when everyone needed coffee and what was available was just...ok. THIS made it GREAT!
So, last week in Milwaukee there was never any question of whether or not I would be checking a bag on the plane. How else can I get 32 ounces of coffee cream and a full canister of whipped cream on the plane? Simply, I can't. Now, I know what you're thinking. Are you even allowed to do that? What if it explodes? Doesn't TSA go through your bag? Don't worry--I've researched this. You CAN bring whipped cream--the regulations say no compressed gas--not no compressed CREAM. I carefully pack both containers in gallon sized zip lock bags in case they explode (which they never have). And TSA goes through my bag EVERY SINGLE TIME. What's the big deal?
I won't say I was the talk of the conference, because I wasn't. But someone I'd met briefly in Delaware didn't remember me until I pulled the whipped cream out of my bag. "Oh, I remember YOU!" She said delightfully.
Others would stop short when passing my table. "You travel with whipped CREAM?"
"I do. And I share. Want some?"
Some people won't travel without their bedroom slippers or their own pillow. This is just my travel thing. I don't travel without an adequate supply of coffee and all necessary accessories. If that makes me weird, I'm ok with it.
The one closest to my office is ridiculously busy. I think the whole mobile order/drive thru thing has just made it worse. The order line is short. The waiting to pick up line is more of a crowd. Yesterday it took nearly half an hour to place my order and get my coffee. AND they forgot the whipped cream. Today, I placed my very first mobile order ten minutes before I got to the store and STILL had to wait almost 15 before my coffee was ready (AGAIN no whipped cream). It's OK Starbucks--I still love you.I've been at my job now just over a year and have two conferences under my belt. I love work conferences. In addition to a week in a hotel with no children, it's great to spend time with people across the country who do what I do for the same organization and we can share and commiserate and become fast friends.
My first Junior Achievement conference was last September in Rehoboth, DE when I was just a few months in and still figuring it all out. By this time, my co-workers had gotten used to my weird coffee habits and some even ask to "borrow" a K-Cup or some cream here and there (it's no problem--I share). The rest of the conference goers, not so much. I came prepared for the week and brought a full container of whipped cream and coffee cream. Bonus--there was a full fridge in the room so no need to get creative with ice buckets!
Now, I've been traveling with coffee cream for YEARS. This is not unusual for me. But, if I'm honest, I will admit it's a little odd. I've been known to call hotels ahead of time to ask what kind of coffee pots are in the room so I know what kind of pods, grounds or whatever to bring with me (hotel coffee is almost NEVER up to par). When I was in Phoenix, I was especially obnoxious and often asked my assistant to call my hotels for me and find out. He generally found it amusing (I think). Given that it was September on the beach in Delaware and hurricane season, it was a bit chilly so I expected to be drinking lots of coffee at this conference, so, when we went down from our rooms to the conference rooms, naturally I brought my supplies with me. Fortunately for me, the coffee cream that the hotel had made available was more or less exactly what I had brought with me to no need to carry that around. Whipped cream, however, was something else all together.
For me, coffee without whipped cream is like peanut butter with no jelly. French fries with no ketchup. Soup with no crackers. Bread with no butter. Sure, you CAN, but really, why? Especially if you don't have to. And I don't have to. So, for the entire length of the conference, I would take advantage of the coffee breaks and pull out my whipped cream for a tasty dollop on every cup.
People were confused. People were surprised. People were in awe of my genius!
"Is that whipped cream???" they would ask in shock.
"It is." I would say.
"Where did you get that?"
"I brought it with me."
"That's so great!" I would offer to share and on many occasions, my offer was accepted and the entire mood of the table would shift. It was particularly great during those 3pm slumps when everyone needed coffee and what was available was just...ok. THIS made it GREAT!
So, last week in Milwaukee there was never any question of whether or not I would be checking a bag on the plane. How else can I get 32 ounces of coffee cream and a full canister of whipped cream on the plane? Simply, I can't. Now, I know what you're thinking. Are you even allowed to do that? What if it explodes? Doesn't TSA go through your bag? Don't worry--I've researched this. You CAN bring whipped cream--the regulations say no compressed gas--not no compressed CREAM. I carefully pack both containers in gallon sized zip lock bags in case they explode (which they never have). And TSA goes through my bag EVERY SINGLE TIME. What's the big deal?
I won't say I was the talk of the conference, because I wasn't. But someone I'd met briefly in Delaware didn't remember me until I pulled the whipped cream out of my bag. "Oh, I remember YOU!" She said delightfully.
Others would stop short when passing my table. "You travel with whipped CREAM?"
"I do. And I share. Want some?"
Some people won't travel without their bedroom slippers or their own pillow. This is just my travel thing. I don't travel without an adequate supply of coffee and all necessary accessories. If that makes me weird, I'm ok with it.
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