Kat,

I never want to experience the unpleasantness of Teavana again. No retail location will get me back.

There was a male teacher at our school sleeping with a female student, but I don't think anything ever happened to him at all. I think they never got provably caught.

I've found it reasonably easy in Teavana to control the topic of conversation. They want to talk, fine. It won't be about me buying tea, though, and they're sufficiently trained that none of them have been rude enough to cut me off or delay me to get their bit in past me yammering about the film I just saw or the hard time I had parking or other really heavy subjects.

In case anyone was wondering, this week's peaches became cobbler, and it is also fucking delicious.

I'm going to try eggplant dip tomorrow and see if it's sufficiently disguised.... In Turkey, I definitely had some that I liked, and I don't generally like eggplant.

I don't want to talk to them though. I just want to buy tea and get the fuck out. I also don't want to fight them multiple times about giving me the exact amount I requested. I don't want tins, I don't want teapots, I don't want any other teas besides the one I requested.

Period.

But this is why I belong at Costco and not in any mall.

Try roasting the eggplant and mixing it with feta, olive oil, and peppers. Nom.

Oh, good one -- I will totally add feta. Also yogurt.

I had some lovely babaganoush at a place near Sparky's. That's eggplant, right? Otherwise I avoid it. Just not a fan. It's pretty, raw.

Youngest nephew just called. T's 5. His dad didn't know he'd called. First time he's called to talk to me (he calls my parents all the time.) I now know that D got in trouble at school, how Sadie Mae (new kitten) sleeps, how to make mac& cheese in the microwave, the colors of all his cars (he is so used to skype, he kept forgetting I couldn't see,) a five year old's directions on how to use skype, how to pour mommy's wine (ahahaha. He's a helper, that one!) and that when he gets a strike bowling he does this: [insert silence as he demonstrates.] God, five is fun. This one is just such an extrovert and enthusiastic. D was just rarely one for the phone, and while I thought he was an extroverted doozy, he's a quiet, sensitive little mouse compared to T.

Got to talk to the brother some too. It's been too long.

OMG, that's adorable.

That's eggplant, right?

Yep.

They've never tried to sell me teapots, I either buy a pound (of the jasmine) so they don't need to upsell me to it, or much less than one, so there's no upsell, and I tell them I already have tins (which is true), so there's not much angle. I maintain three minutes of conversation, and I have immediate tea, cheaper than online. Since it's no skin off my nose, and I often walk right past their store, I'm good.

I've also found I really haven't missed anything about Costco other than cheap gas in 6 or 7 years. I don't wear their clothes, I always spent too much on food that went to waste or electronics I didn't need...no pull these days.