Charlotte – Lauren Warnecke

Starbucks Around the World: Charlotte, NC

Yes, the airport in Charlotte, NC gets a thumbs up, but it took a pair of Starbucks-es to make it happen. In a layover en route to Gainsville, there had to be a coffee run (naturally). But our first stop had to have been the slowest Starbucks on the face of the planet. I’m all about southern hospitality and taking your time, but not if you’re not going to talk to me and mess up my drink. After receiving a not-so-hazelnut Hazelnut Misto, I made the decision to stop at another Starbucks about 50 yards further into the terminal. THIS Starbucks was friendly, fast, apologetic, and didn’t ask any questions when I took my cup to the bar and asked for a new one.

Legendary.

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p.s. You can possibly see that my weight is inflated in this picture. Hey, you know, it was the holidays. But fear not, the diet is back in order and 2013 is looking like the year Lauren goes to the beach without a mumu. More on that later…

Um, Welcome Back, Charlotte…? Or… Huh???

After the traumatic loss of Charlotte the spider, I was astonished to make my way out to the car a few days ago and find this remarkably familiar spider hanging out on the side mirror.

Charlotte? Is that you?

OMG! You didn’t die!

Ok, but here’s the weird part: After that awesome reassurance that I hadn’t let our spider friend plunge to her death on Roosevelt Road, I haven’t seen her since.

Was it her ghost? Or perhaps she is alive and was calling on me to stick out her spider tongue and say, “Ha! I lived and now I found a better place to reside than your stinkin’ side mirror!”

I’m now fairly confident that Charlotte is either in a better abode, or stuck in some sort of spider purgatory where she can occasionally come by and stick it to me.

Either way, I’m satisfied.

So long, Charlotte.

For the past month, there’s been a spider living in the side mirror.

After about a week, she earned a name, Charlotte (naturally).

She grew larger and spun intricate webs. Sometimes she would enjoy a breezy ride down Lake Shore Drive in the mornings. Other times she would hang out in the mirror, only to reappear days later. Yesterday as I was driving with the window down she managed to get inside the car, and, thinking we were tight I placed her on my pen to coax her back to the mirror. With two inches to go, Charlotte feel off my pen and I haven’t seen her since.

Ok, so I got attached to a spider. Whatever.

I can just only hope that she’s in a better side mirror now.

So, so long, Charlotte, wherever you are.