Exile On Mainstream

I’m a ridiculously-versed music junkie. It’s been established. But not in a cultural or intellectual way. No, I’ve always been a fan of pop, pop-rock, and other processed and acoustically-appealing, unoriginal music. There’s nothing wrong with any of it (with the exception of a few of the new unlistenable bubblegum pop and urban songs). I could easily be a great radio DJ for a any station that plays popular stuff from the past twenty years with all the mainstream stuff I like. But that’s not all there is to the music scene, and I’ve turned a blind eye to the rest of it for way too long.

First off, I’ve just gotten sick of this type of music and hearing the same songs over and over again. I have 200-some channels on my XM Radio in the car, and only listened, until recently, to three or four. How sad is that? So last week I started exploring other stations, and my new favorite is channel 45. It’s called Starbucks XM Cafe. There are many names for the music they play. Some call it coffeehouse music, some call it Triple-A (adult album alternative), and there are others.

Anyway, this station has just gotten me started. There’s so much good stuff out there that’s more down to earth, genuine, original, and appealing. I’ve listened to similar stuff as that station and gotten hooked on the refreshing stream of unprocessed or doctored music. I guess the main thing is I just wanna discover some new artists. If you have a particular favorite alternative artist, comment this post and pass them along! I’m done with this pop crap. There’s so much more to life, musically speaking.

Isn’t Life Funny?

Have you ever stopped to think about how you got to where you are? I’m a firm believer that there are no coincidences in life whatsoever. The people we meet, the things that happen to us, the experiences we have, they all happen for a reason. They’re all part of God’s plan for our lives. But do you ever think about how many small things could have lead to big things in your life?

Most people never think about this, but the thought struck me today. Suppose you’re going down the road. You reach a stop sign. You can go left or right. Think about all of the different implications that could have. I’m just fabricating scenarios here, but if you turn left, you could end up going to a gas station and meet your future spouse. If you turn right, you might be in a car accident and die. It’s just so interesting how the smallest decisions that we don’t even process as even being decisive things can end up changing so much.

The decision to open your mouth and say something before you think could end up costing you your good name and reputation. Choosing to exchange small talk with the person behind you at Starbucks could lead to making a new friend, which in turn could lead to meeting other people, new opportunities, or even a different lifestyle.

Once again these are just random scenarios, but you get the idea. It’s just so amazing how the smallest of small decisions can change your life in such dramatic ways. Isn’t life funny?

Starbucks Goes Retro

So if you’ve been to Starbucks anytime in the past week, you probably noticed that the cup that holds your favorite beverage is sporting a new look. Or old. Depends on how you look at it.

Last month, Starbucks closed its doors for a couple hours at all stores nationwide for mandatory employee training, in an effort to get the popular coffee chain back to its roots: serving great coffee. In the past few years, they felt they had strayed from their core vision and focused more on their store merchandise, private music label, and other things.

What came of this training initiative? First, Starbucks will come out with a dollar cup of coffee soon, in response to McDonald’s new fresh roast coffee (I don’t drink coffee; I go to Starbucks for their chai tea, but apparently McDonald’s roast is pretty good according to many people I know). They’ve been giving them a run for their money lately (I know, whodathunk it?).

The new cup is actually their old cup design, sporting the original brown logo from their Pike’s Place location. It’s not here to stay, either. It’s just a promotion for their Pike’s Place coffee roast. The old cups will apparently be back in May from what I’ve read.

A Grande Nonfat Chai Tea Latte For Thomas?

Well this is a new one. I can’t count how many times people have thought my name was Travis (though I still don’t understand why that’s such a common thing that happens to me, because honestly I haven’t really met any more people named Travis than Trevor in my lifetime, but I digress). Well this morning at the Cabell Library Starbucks at VCU, I ordered my usual pick-me-up, a grande nonfat Chai Tea Latte. They ask for your name with your order at this particular location because it’s so incredibly busy, and the lady asked mine twice because I guess she couldn’t hear me. But I ended up with Thomas on my cup. I don’t know I just found that interesting. How in the world do you get Thomas from Trevor? Yet more proof that I really don’t exist, especially at VCU, like I posted about a few weeks earlier. Thought I’d snap a quick picture of it. Too funny.

Questioning My Own Existence

I’m really starting to question my own existence. Yesterday was just my final proof that I don’t really live in this world. I guess I’m in some alternate reality or some crap like that. Okay, so I’m just being a tad bit sarcastic as usual, but it always seemed funny to me how I was left off of any and all lists that my name could be on. It’s not that no one thinks I exist, just anyone related to any educational establishment, apparently. Deep Run and VCU.

It started my Freshman year of high school. I had purchased a yearbook, but for some reason the lists at the end of the year had absolutely no indication that I had ever paid for one. The next year, when the student information sheets that everyone in the entire Henrico County Public Schools system receives to verify and update name, address, and other contact information, I didn’t get one, and they said they weren’t sure if there was a record of me in their information database. They had one somewhere and finally figured it out, but how’s that for strange?

Well, yesterday was my final indication in case I needed any more proof that I do not exist on this earth, at least according to any educational entity. I was at the Alpine Bagel Company inside the commons at VCU trying to grab a bagel before class. Not so much to ask, right? Well I guess I was wrong. The girl looked me straight in the face and took my order, I paid for it, and then she forgot she was supposed to make mine. After waiting for ten minutes while seemingly fifty more people were served who were in line behind me, she apologized and said my bagel was coming right up. Well, apparently it slipped her mind again and she served a few more people before I walked up to the counter and watched her make the freaking thing. I was like one of those dumb magic shows on prime time TV where they’re like “Watch closely as Veronica is sawed in half; this camera will not cut away…”. I barely blinked as she smeared cream cheese on my bagel until it was nestled safely in my hands.

So I wanted my typical Chai Tea Latte from Starbucks to go with it. I walked over to the Cabell Library to get my fix of my favorite drink, and, yep you guessed it, repeat situation. They forgot me once there, which I guess is a better track record than the bagel place, but wow. I’m gonna have to start lighting traffic flares from on top of my head and wave around sparklers or something to make sure people know I’m around I guess. Maybe a flashing LED “Trevor needs food just like everyone else in line” wouldn’t hurt, either. I’ll just wear it around my forehead or something.