So, I sent a follow up email to the school district including the link that Michelle left in the comments. The link was to an article that showed that a school district not too far from ours had adopted some very healthy practices in their schools. Here is my original post.  This is my follow up email:

To Whom it May Concern:

The other day I wrote an email about the current state of the school lunches in the our school district. I was able to find the article below showing that a change can be made without too much additional cost involved. The cost of school lunches will only go up $.10 next year, a cost that I know I would be more than willing to pay if my child were being served much healthier, homemade foods. Please read the article. The school district in the article is Granville in Licking County.

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/05/10/tater-tots-i-think-not.html

I just received a response from our district’s Superintendent:

Kimberly:

Thanks for the info – I am forwarding your original email on to food service. We will be in touch.

I removed his name from the email for privacy. I had sent the email to food service initially, but it is good to see he is forwarding it on from him. I will keep you all posted.

As most of you are aware, I ran my first full marathon on Sunday, May 16, 2010 in Cleveland. I had run 2 half marathons previously, with my first one being in October 2009. I have had so many emotions from the time I crossed the starting line, I can’t even begin to go through them all here. I went from “Yeah, I am rocking this race!” to “OMG, what the heck was I thinking 18 weeks ago when I started this journey?”. I encountered obstacles that I didn’t realize I would face on this day. I fought through a foot injury and overcame that only to be faced with a stomach and intestinal issue during the race. I have learned so much over the past 18 weeks and know that this experience has made me stronger.

The morning started out beautifully. I got up at 4:00 AM and ate an Udi’s Gluten-Free Bagel with peanut butter & fruit spread. I took my allergy medicine & started to prepare. I got dressed & geared up. I was ready to kick some marathon butt!

I had my Clif Shots (gluten-free) and water. I could not drink the PowerAde on the course, as it is not gluten-free. That was fine by me, as I did not train drinking any sports drink other than Vita Coco coconut water after I finished to replenish electrolytes. I wore my Zensah compression sleeves that I have worn on every run since I bought them in January. Seriously, if you have shin or calf issues, go buy these today. I got a massage yesterday & the massage therapist was amazed at how good of shape my calves were in after running a marathon the day before. My quads, hamstrings & feet were not so lucky, but Zensah has no control over that! 😉 LOL!

The weather was around 50, so I just tossed a sweatshirt on to head down to the start. Before starting the race, I had the opportunity to meet Sam from Operation Jack. Sam is the father of 3 kids. Sam’s middle child, Jack, has autism. Jack is 6 and a half and was diagnosed just after he turned 3. Sam is running 60 marathons this year in an effort to generate attention that will raise funds and awareness for Train 4 Autism. Truly an inspirational guy. Sam rocked the marathon & finished in 3:08:32! WTG Sam!

Getting to the starting line proved to be tough. I had stopped to use the rest room in the Marriott at about 6:45 AM to hopefully avoid using the porta-pots on the course (little did I know….). There was a wall of people, half spectators & half runners trying to get to the course. There were fences blocking off the road to keep spectators back, but they were keeping the runners off the course! Someone must have moved them because all of a sudden things opened up and we were on the road. I hopped in right by the 3:50 pacer. I had no intention of running that pace, but figured it would be better than trying to work my way back further.

Miles 1-2 flew by. We ran through the city and headed west.

Miles 2-3 included a huge hill. Seriously, I thought this hill would never end. It didn’t slow me down too much at this point in time, but I was trying not to exert myself too much, as I wanted to conserve my energy.

Miles 3-11 went relatively smoothly. Not having any pain really, unless I was on an uneven surface and then my plantar fasciitis in my right foot was not happy with me. I was taking Clif Shots every 3 miles, as recommended by Clif on the pace band for a 4:15 finish. I was doing well and was on pace to finish at 4:12 at this point and had planned on picking up the pace after the half point or once I was closer to 20.

Miles 11-13.1 included that hill again. It seemed a little longer this time, though I am sure that had a lot to do with the fact that I now had 10 miles under my belt! HA! I was feeling strong at this point.

Miles 13.1 – 17 sucked. I wasn’t feeling bad, but there was a stong head wind along the lake and we were running right there. This slowed me down considerably. I couldn’t settle into a pace because the wind was really strong. The view was gorgeous, but I really didn’t have a chance to appreciate it at this point. My Mom asked me later on if I saw the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and many other things and I didn’t because I was just focusing on the run.

Miles 18 – 22 were not fun. My intestines were acting up and I thought I was going to puke. I had taken my last Clif Shot at mile 15 (I had 5 total) and could not do anymore. I had to find a porta-pot twice and almost didn’t make it once. I don’t think I have ever considered going in the woods before, but I did that day. You gotta do what you gotta do, right? LOL! I am glad I can laugh about it now. These miles were so long b/c I was constantly looking for a bathroom. I continued to drink small amounts of water, but that is all I could handle. Taking in any more Clif Shots would have made me puke and I was worried about losing fluids. I was passed by the 4:15 pace group.

Miles 22 -26.5 (long course – thanks Cleveland) weren’t much better, but I had some support. I saw my aunt and step dad at mile 22 and about had a breakdown. I was so frustrated that my legs & feet were fine at this point but my stomach & intestines were not cooperating. I felt so nauseated. In hindsight I should have just puked & I probably would have felt somewhat better. My aunt walked with me for a block or so and then 2 girls came up, cheered me on and asked me to run with them. Debbie & Colleen were their names and I am forever grateful. Debbie has run 57 marathons!!! Colleen was running her first. I ran slowly with them for a mile or 2 and then had to walk some more. I did a lot of walk/running at this point. I was passed by the 4:30 pace group and started to get teary eyed. Then I remembered how far I had come. I was running a marathon and I was going to finish and my time did not matter. I am so darn competitive with myself! I needed to let go of that and concentrate on the one task at hand – finishing. My Garmin beeped & said we hit 26.2, yet we were not at the finish! NOT FAIR!!! LOL! I ran across that finish line with my head held high! I did it! I completed a marathon!!! My time was 4:37:41.

Looking back I am pleased with my time given all of the obstacles that I faced. Just coming off of an injury in the past 3 weeks and then the head winds and then the stomach and intestines having a mind of their own and I still finished under 4:45. I know that I can do whatever I put my mind to and the obstacles that I face along the way will only make me stronger and smarter. I am now armed with more knowledge to carry into my next marathon that I hope to run in October.

Getting my feet taped after the race. Both were killing me at this point. I grabbed some potato chips (gluten-free, THANK GOD) and my Vita Coco and plopped down in this chair as soon as I saw the “Foot Care Tent” sign.

Yesterday was a day of rest. I got out of bed and couldn’t really walk. No surprise there, right? LOL! I knew I was going to hurt, but I had no idea. I had run 20 miles and not felt this bad. I guess that extra 6.5 really did a number on me! I scheduled a massage and made an appointment with my sports dr to check out my foot. I knew that my foot would hurt, however I was having some pain in other areas of the same foot and wanted to make sure that I didn’t have a new injury. The doctor said that he sees this pain a lot in marathoners and that I should just take it really easy this week – no exercise, ice aggressively and stretch. If it is not better by Monday than I have to go back in. It could be a tiny stress fracture, but he said the majority of the cases like this he sees end up going away on their own. I am already noticing a small improvement over yesterday, so let’s hope it keeps up.

Sign that my mom & sister made to motivate me. I have been a Bon Jovi fan since I was a teen, so they used “She’s OUR Little Runaway” for the one side:

And the flip side:

I want to thank everyone for all of the amazing support. The people in my life who made this possible, I couldn’t have done it without you!! The friends I have on Twitter, Facebook, Daily Mile have been wonderful as well. I can never thank you all enough. 🙂

This blog is normally all about living life gluten-free, but today I am going to stray a bit. Not much, though, as healthy eating has always been one of my main focuses whether it be gluten-free or not. I have been questioning for years the menus that are served by the schools to our children. I started to notice this problem when Jon was in preschool and the school made a big deal about lunches that were packed by parents. The lunches had to have the correct servings of meat, dairy, carbs, fruits & veggies, even if they came from home. I had no problems with that. My concerns started when Jon chose to start buying lunch a few days a week. Tater tots & potato chips were considered “veggies”. I was in disbelief that anyone could consider a tater tot a veggie. Not only that, but how dare the school question the quality of the food I was choosing to feed my child all while serving the types of lunches they were serving.

I noticed the trend continuing as Jon entered grade school and then Hannah later on. I always just shook my head and then chose to pack their lunches most days of the week and let them buy once a week, as a treat. I never spoke up before because I knew I was just one voice in a sea of thousands. However, after Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, I couldn’t keep quiet any longer. I had lunch with Hannah at school yesterday (I ate before I went as I knew that eating gluten-free would be hard) and was so upset by what I saw. I decided that now was the time for a letter. Will it make any difference? I have no idea, but I will never find out if I don’t try, right? Here is the letter I sent:

To Whom it May Concern:

I had the pleasure of eating lunch with my 2nd grader at school today. I enjoyed her company, as well as the other children. However, I was appalled at the food served in the cafeteria.

Also having an 8th grade son in the district, I have questioned the menus over the years, but never bothered to speak up, until now. I have often wondered how fries, tater tots and hash browns are considered vegetables and how fruit flavored sherbet, juice bars and fruited gelatin are considered fruits. After watching Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, I can’t keep quiet any longer. This man went on a crusade that I have been preaching in my house for years. Kudos to him for doing what he is doing. What I wonder is why aren’t more schools across the country doing this already or making changes to implement healthier food in our schools?

While eating lunch today I observed a lot. Out of my daughter’s class, one child had white milk and the rest had chocolate & strawberry. The flavored milks have more sugar than a soda! Would you serve the children a soda for lunch in school? I think not. It is no wonder these kids can’t sit still in school! It is no wonder they can’t focus. I also caught sight of some red flavored, Kool-Aid like liquid being sold in a bottle. The meal consisted of fish shaped nuggets (processed & high in sodium, no doubt), “chips”/French fries, Goldfish crackers and lime flavored sherbet. There was no fruit or veggie in that meal. In addition, children who opted for the “meat-free” version received Trix yogurt (loaded with sugar), string cheese, graham crackers & lime flavored sherbet. There was no fruit and not even what the schools classify as a veggie in that meal. Several children ate the main course (fish nuggets), left the rest & then went back for seconds of the fish nuggets. There was no supervision over the eating. Nothing besides reminders to quiet down and get silverware, napkins or ketchup for the kids.

What saddens me most about this is that a lot of this children don’t have a choice. They eat what is served to them. Either mom or dad doesn’t pack their lunch for whatever reason and the children end up depending on the school to nourish them, and I use the term “nourish” loosely. The menus show pictures of whole apples, broccoli, carrots, corn & strawberries, yet they don’t seem to be a staple on the menus. The menu states “Students must select at least three of the meal components daily, but are not required to take all five”. So, what stops a child from taking the Hot Dog, Baked beans & Frito Lay Snack or the Waffle Sticks, Sausage & Donut Hole? I didn’t see anyone checking the children’s trays. It has been reported that children often have to try a food 10 – 12 times before they like it. If a switch were to be made to healthier choices, the children may balk at first, but they will adjust and most likely be a lot healthier in the long run.

I am sure that I am not the only parent that has brought this to your attention, but on the off chance that I am, think about this: “Our mission is to facilitate maximum learning for every student”. I am not sure how the district’s mission statement can be upheld when children aren’t being offered proper nutrition in the lunchroom.

I will make sure to share any follow-ups that I receive. I am not holding my breath, but rest assured, this will not be the last time I will address this. The health of my children, the children of the US, our future teachers, doctors and leaders are at stake.

By the time this posts, I should be in the middle of running my first marathon! YAY!!! I will update later with a recap.

In the meantime, I got an email about some gluten-free sales at Amazon.com. Make sure to check them out! 25% off and more! Add in another 15% if you use the “Subscribe & Save” program and there are some great deals!

Catch ya later! 🙂

I received some frozen entrees from CedarLane to review a couple of weeks back. While I was excited to try the products, all 6 of the entrees had onions in them, so I passed them along to a friend, Lindsey to sample & review. These reviews will be in Lindsey’s words. Lindsey started her gluten-free journey just about a year ago. Here is some background on Lindsey:

“I remember my GI symptoms starting in high school. The doctors wrote this off as IBS over several years and chalked it up to me being stressed. About a year ago, my problems got exponentially worse. I found myself in the hospital 3 times with Gastroenteritis. The doctors gave me pain medicine and IV’s and I wasn’t allowed to eat solid foods for a few days until my stomach lining repaired itself. I got to the point where almost every time I ate, I was sick. I ended up trying to eat as little as possible so I could avoid the stomach pains and the other issues! In less than 3 weeks, I lost 18 pounds. I had seen my family doctor, my Ob-GYN and was then referred to a GI specialist. He too said my problems were merely stress induced and gave me some medicine to basically slow down my digestion so my body had a chance to absorb some of the nutrients in my food. Well that obviously had no effect and did nothing to help! After talking to Aaron and Megan about my symptoms, even the ugly ones :, they both recommended that I get tested for Celiac. I asked my doctor and he did a blood test which was inconclusive and sent me to a different specialist for an endoscopy and colonoscopy – ugh no fun! They found evidence of gastroenteritis but did not positively confirm Celiac as the two are apparently similar “looking” in the intestine. He did suggest trying a GF diet to just try it as it could just be an intolerance or allergy, not Celiac, especially since none of the other meds he tried had worked. So I gave it a shot (but was a little skeptical about trying something that they didn’t actually diagnose). But at this point, I could barely get up to go to work so I had to try anything I could! I was miserable.

I messed up a LOT at first but have gotten much better at grocery shopping and eating out. I have YOU to thank for that – I have learned so much from you and following your blogs and reading your Examiner articles. I don’t know where I would have even started if it weren’t for you and Aaron. Now, I have no IBS, my Iron is back to normal and I feel like absolutely, totally, 100% a new person. I actually have energy and don’t need a nap every day after work. I always felt like why am I always tired and my friends and family would have to drag me to do stuff because all I wanted to do was nap – and be within eyeshot of a bathroom! Now, I feel totally free! Even if I’m never diagnosed as Celiac, eating Gluten Free seems to be the best, healthiest decision, I’ve made.”

Garden Vegetable Enchiladas: I picked the enchiladas because when I tried the Amy’s brand, I was really grossed out by the weird smell! So I thought these might be similar…but I was pleasantly surprised. It was really good. I heated it in the microwave and it actually looked very similar to the picture on the outside (which usually doesn’t happen!). The inside was great with crunchy veggies and melted cheese. I think the part the impressed me the most is the sauce on the outside. It had a great flavor but wasn’t too strong – and it didn’t smell strong either. I’m especially impressed that the sauce was so rich & flavorful since it’s low fat!

Three Layer Enchilada Pie: This was the three layer dip. I brought in some tortilla chips and made a lunch out of it and it filled me up. This would be good for a meal or a snack. You could even put it on corn tortillas and make a little enchilada out of it. But I liked it as the dip on chips. The only thing about this that wasn’t appetizing was the overload of refried beans. I can’t usually eat a lot of them any way but I felt like there was a LOT in this. Some people may like it more than me but it seemed overpowering. The cream cheese was a really nice touch to the traditional cheeses and salsa. It was very tasty and Mexican! Just the right amount of green chiles too. Very good flavor. 🙂 I did this in the microwave and when it was done, the edges had burnt. This is the only one that really burned so much. I’m guessing putting them in the oven would be a good way to prevent that!

Egg White Omelette Spinach & Mushroom:I had this for lunch and it was really good. The best way to describe it was like spinach artichoke dip with egg whites. There was a bunch of cheese which really complimented the taste of all the spinach. They really packed it full of the “filling”. The mushrooms were good too – they had a nice texture despite being microwaved. I was super impressed with this one. I thought it would be hard to beat the enchiladas but I think this might be my favorite. I didn’t think to compare the calories but this one “felt” more healthy : Delicious – definitely one I will buy on a regular basis!!

Egg White Omelette – Turkey Bacon, Vegetable and Cheese: I was not super impressed with this meal. The bell peppers were overpowering compared to everything else, and I typically like peppers. The egg whites and potatoes were very bland which would have been better if the pepper wasn’t so much. And the turkey bacon was kind of chewy/tough. I think the dish would be better either with some other flavors/veggies (or no veggies at all) just because the peppers were all that you really tasted. I didn’t even finish the whole thing – which is highly unlike me!! 🙁

Egg White Omelette – Green Chile, Cheese and Ranchero Sauce: Ok – they did MUCH better on this one. It had lots of flavor (good flavor)! The egg whites were fluffy and the filling was the perfect mix of cheese with chile and cheeses…gooey and yummy inside. The ranchero sauce was very good! Pretty similar to the enchilada I had the other day. This was like a little Mexican breakfast for lunch. There were quite a bit of chiles in there but surprisingly they weren’t overpowering. This was so much better than the turkey bacon omelette! Maybe I’m just a sucker for Mexican dishes…??

Five Layer Enchilada Pie: I liked the way they stacked up the layers – it seemed more hearty than a regular enchilada for some reason. I put a little bit of sour cream on top and loved it. The sauce tasted different than the enchiladas but I’m not sure if it was that, or the different ingredients that made it taste different. I loved the black beans and the green chiles. I’m a little leary of frozen tomatoes for some reason usually they just have no taste but these were really good and actually had some flavor. I think the only thing that wasn’t great was the tortilla got a little mushy. I think that could have been my fault for heating in the microwave though. I’m guessing if I did it in the oven, it would have baked more evenly!

Thank you Lindsey for such a wonderful & thorough review of CedarLane products! For my readers – Lindsey is a frequent taster/sampler for some of the products I receive or food that I bake or cook. Megan, who I have also mentioned in the past, also works with Lindsey & Aaron and has been gluten-free for 12+ years. I will have to see if she would like to share her story here, too. Megan also has 2 sons with Celiac Disease.

Thank you CedarLane for the products! Lindsey thoroughly enjoyed them! CedarLane products can be found by entering your zip code here. Cedar Lane is having a contest right now. Enter here to win free CedarLane food for one year for your family!

I had the pleasure of sampling 2 of French Meadow’s gluten-free products that I had not sampled previously. I love their brownies and cinnamon raisin bread, so I was really excited to try the blueberry muffins and pizza crust.

The blueberry muffins are life-changing. Seriously. I would not lie about something of this magnitude. I thought Jon was just gushing per usual when he tried a new product that he liked, but then I took a bite. I almost fell out of my chair. I could not believe how moist & fresh these muffins tasted! I got up to read the ingredients because I really did not think that these could be gluten-free. I assure you, they are, and they rock!

Now, check out the inside:

I love that there are so many blueberries in these babies! Another hit from French Meadow Bakery!

Now, the pizza crust. I loved the individual size. The package says that there are 3 servings per small pizza at 130 calories per serving – making the crust just under 400 calories. I added Prego Three Cheese (which now says “gluten-free” on the side) and mozzarella. I followed the baking instructions and it came out fantastic!

The crust comes on a foil pan, which is what you actually bake the pizza on. Very simple and quick. Jon really enjoyed the pizza & crust. I also snuck a bite and was impressed.

French Meadow is having a recipe contest! The Grand Prize is a one-year supply of French Meadow products and a $250 grocery gift card! The Runner Up prize is $100 grocery gift card. Some more details:

Send us your best gluten-free recipes featuring French Meadow Bakery Gluten-Free products for a chance to win one of many great prizes. Whatever your preference, sweet or savory, we’re looking forward to tasting your favorite recipes.

We’re searching for the best Gluten-Free recipes and need your help. Simply send us your favorite Gluten-Free dishes featuring French Meadow Gluten-Free products for a chance to win one of many great prizes.
Entries will be judged by French Meadow Bakery’s chief culinarian, Chef Mark. The contest will be judged in two categories: sweet and savory, with recipe scoring based on taste, nutritional value, ease of preparation and originality.

Click here to enter your recipe!

Thank you to Mary Eva for the complimentary samples! We really enjoyed them! We still have Italian rolls to work on next week! I will make sure to review those once I get them tested.

There was some question about the dairy status of the Light Frappaccino mix brought up in the comment section of my post on Starbuck’s the other day. To get clarification, I emailed Starbuck’s and this is the response that I received:

Hello Kimberly,

Thank you for contacting Starbucks Coffee Company.

None of our Frappuccino bases contain dairy as an ingredient. However, the Light Frappuccino Syrup base contains a milk allergen warning on the label because dairy is used as a processing aid during manufacturing. There are no dairy proteins in the Light Frappuccino Syrup base.

There is gluten in the Coffee Light Frappuccino Syrup base. There is no gluten in the Coffee Frappuccino Syrup base and the Crème Frappuccino Syrup base.

If you have any further questions or concerns that I was unable to address, please feel free to let me know.

Warm Regards,

Jennifer I.
Customer Relations
Starbucks Coffee Company
800 23-LATTE (235-2883)
Monday through Friday, 5AM to 6PM (PST)

Just wanted to make sure that I pass along any information that I have.

Brace yourselves for a post full of oohing, aahhing and gushing over a product. I was sent a complimentary sample of Glutino Chocolate Covered Pretzels by Mambo Sprouts last week. It didn’t take Jon and I long to dig into this product.

Glutino just recently debuted Chocolate Covered & Yogurt Covered Pretzels. I found them available for purchase on glutenfreemall.com, but after paying the $5.99/bag price, the shipping is $12! I decided to bide my time and wait until they hit local stores. Mambo Sprouts surprised me and came to the rescue with a sample box of gluten-free foods, which just happened to include the chocolate covered pretzels. I used to eat yogurt & chocolate covered pretzels growing up, so this was such a nice treat.

I can’t even begin to describe how good these pretzels were! I even had family & friends sample them at our Mother’s Day function and they were a huge hit! There was no telling that these were gluten-free. The chocolate complimented the salty pretzel perfectly! Jon was a little irritated that we got into “his” pretzels. LOL! I did allow him to finish them off – that, my friends, is real love. You know, the kind of love a mother has for their child.

The only bad thing about these pretzels, aside from the price and there not being more in the bag, were that they were kind of melted together from shipping. This didn’t alter the taste one bit, or didn’t seem to.

I can’t wait to get my hands on the yogurt covered pretzels now. Perhaps $12 in shipping doesn’t seem so bad now. 😉

Have you tried the yogurt or chocolate covered pretzels? If so, where did you find them?

As mentioned in my review on Crunchmaster Crackers, I received some complimentary samples courtesy of Mambo Sprouts to review for Celiac Awareness month. Glutino Strawberry Breakfast Bars were next on my list to sample.

I had tried the breakfast bars a couple years back and was not impressed with them in the least. I think I may have had a hard time even finishing the Blueberry Breakfast Bar. However, there have been some major improvements to this bar. I was suspired when I first bit into this bar. The bar was reminiscent of a Nutri-Grain cereal bar! The outside was soft, thought not as soft as a gluten-filled cereal bar. The filling was flavorful and does not contain HFCS (high fructose corn syrup), as Nutri-Grain bars do. Jon and I fought over the remaining bars in the box. Notice I used the past tense. They are all gone 🙁 These were a huge hit! The ingredient list:

Strawberry filling (sugar, glucose, apple powder [calcium stearate], white grape juice concentrate, water, strawberries, glycerine, canola oil, citric acid, pectin, sodium citrate, fruit and vegetable extract for colour, calcium chloride, flavour), chick pea flour, corn flour, fructose, pear juice concentrate, raisin paste, inulin, canola oil, tapioca starch, white rice flour, water, cinnamon, sodium bicarbonate.

If there was a negative about these bars, it would be the price. $6.19/box of 5 bars is pricey. However, when compared to purchasing individual Lara Bars (Usually at least $1.29+/each), the cost is comparable. Each bar contains 160 calories, 3 grams of fat, 3 grams of fiber and 3 grams of protein. Glutino Strawberry Breakfast Bars can be found in grocery stores around the US or online here.

I wasn’t going to blog about this. I was simply going to tweet, post on my FB page and move on. But, the more I think about it, the more it angers me. Starbucks removed dairy from their Frappaccino Light base mix, but then added gluten in place of it. So, it is dairy-free now, though still not considered vegan due to potential cross-contamination. I didn’t drink this specific drink before, so it is not going to affect me personally, but it will affect many others. This from a company that rolled out a gluten-free cake last year, though it was short-lived, and carries numerous gluten-free snacks. It just doesn’t make sense to me, though I am sure it makes sense to someone at Starbucks.

According to Starbucks, gluten-free customers can still order a regular frappaccino and ask for non-fat milk to make it light. However, there is potential for cross-contamination. Seems the reason for the change is to make the drinks more customizable, like other Starbuck’s drinks. There is now the option of using soy milk instead of cow’s milk. More information on the change can be found here.

I was already less than pleased with Starbucks due to them charging for wireless when most places offer it for free. As if their coffee didn’t already cost enough, please, let me pay for wireless while I am drinking my liquid gold. And, not only do you have to pay for the wireless, but if don’t have a “Starbucks card or account”, you can’t just sign up from the store. You have to do it in advance because they send a confirmation to your email, which you can’t access without wireless.

Okay, vent over. Thank you for allowing me to get that out. I will be patronizing coffee shops that care about their customers (ahem, Caribou), not chase them away.