If You Give A Mouse A Cup Of Coffee....

I have a mom date this morning.
Kids in preschool, going over to catch up.
Potentially offer advice on how to deal with an enforced "rest", tips around the house, and likely just nice conversation.
"Sooner then later" I requested "If we wait too long, I'll never come by"
"Sooner is good..."

I offered to bring an "outside" coffee. A treat for anyone I hope. An outside coffee is a coffee that you didn't make, that your friend didn't make. It comes hot, in a cup, already prepared, tasting better that what you ever make at home, despite your best efforts and your french press.

"I ... would...love...one" to paraphrase the reply. And she notated a quick, easy, Starbucks order. "...if in fact I was going to Starbucks."

I was...in a word... delighted. Offer accepted, treat in mind, I'm going on a DATE. Or whatever.

And then I thought about it. My daughter’s preschool is loosely a town away from here’s, and the street between the two is a main one. Lights, parallels the highway. My preschool is about 8 streets UP from the main road, her home 3 streets off. Starbucks. Hmmm. Where IS there a Starbucks?

So I go online, find 4 local. All convenient, but of course, none on this straight line towards her house. I start debating.

"Well, if I go HERE, I need to cut over that road. Here puts me in the rotary, too much traffic. Oooh that one is at the grocery store, is their flooding. What about that one? No that lot DEFINATELY flooded." (We've had state of emergency, disaster rain here on the East Coast. Bad bad bad, basement flooding, boiler breaking, houses damaged rain) "There's one less then a mile from my house, north when I'm going south, eminently doable and yet, I can't go WITH Ellie. That'll take too long; she has to get to school. And it'll be cold. What about after I drop Ellie off? No way. That’s two towns NORTH to go 3 towns South. Decisions decisions."

Honestly.
It's coffee.
But it's our first date and I offered.

I start to wonder who else I can call that may know the area and can direct me to a close, convenient, no line, ample parking Starbucks.

insert riotous laughter here

Of course I wake up late today. To be fair, I went to bed at 3 so late is relative, it's early in terms of cumulative sleep.

My husband is up, still home. He has a conference in town and has extra time. His treat, to allow me to sleep. Our daughter is three years old and I have told him ... countless times... "letting me sleep" so I wake up to her awake? Never a good idea. But I love him, so I am not going to remind him today.

I roll over groggy, begging for coffee, milk for her and the tv to be put on.
"I will never ever ever ever ever ask you to do this again.." I frogged out.
And bless his heart, and not in the Southern "fuck you" way, my sweet husband brought me coffee.

" I need" I said swinging my legs over the bed "to finds a Starbucks."
"Do you need me to go online?" he asked.
"No. I went to their website" and we spent 4 minutes triangulating, discussing the relative merits of various locations, my potential ease of access, and timeline.

I KNOW!!! It's COFFEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Finally he said "You know, I'm driving past her school to get into town, do you want me to drop her off??"
me: "OH MY GOD, yes. Would you? Would you?” frantically seizing the opportunity. "Would YOU???"

And of course, it was already late. And of course stressful, because her lunch wasn't packed, breakfast wasn't made, the juice wasn’t poured, where in good god's name are the damn sippy cups, I wasn't fully dressed, the clock was ticking, he was one foot out the door, and she was just wanting a few strawberries, god damnit.

But we rallied.

And with some frenetic moving about, a thrown toothbrush (me), a reprimand (him) and some high-pitched singing (her) we managed to survive. Wrong lunchbox, barely a meal, unsealed cup, no hairclips, no sopare change of clothes, me in flipflops, him looking for a belt, we managed.

So now I'm off.

To get coffee.
Something about a Skinny Cinnamon Latte that I texted my cell the order from my laptop, and maybe a steamed soymilk for me.

And I'm thoroughly delighted to be going over to offer someone else advice on how to be organized.
Um hmm.
Obviously my particular field of expertise.