Non-Fat Latte: The New Diet Coke

Morning time for most people in this city is the same: shower, blah blah, coffee. I'm not unlike any of you. I ride the metro, I go green, I try hard to avoid the 'duck' and the underground tour, I get my A.M. caffeine.

I noticed late last year that this whole "non-fat" phenomenon is getting to be a staple in coffee shops. I'm also not going to lie:

I order non-fat.

Behind the woman on her cell phone, ordering a non-fat, no foam, three pump vanilla iced grande latte. Directly in front of the all too modern man, dashing into starbucks on his break from picking out Balenciaga bags from Barney's for his "girlfriend", to order his iced venti quad non-fat mocha. I've yet to sound that cool. I order simply a tall non-fat. You can't really say: "I'd like to have a tall please". There is no question that the barista would then ask "a tall what?". You would feel stupid.

It just sounds cool.

You also don't want to be the fat kid in elementary school. The fat kid in elementary school's Mom knows that their kid is 'the fat kid' and gives them the biggest lunch ever. And they eat it. Ordering regular milk in coffee is pretty much the equivalent. If you do it long enough, you get to like the taste.

Well, sort of.

A question to my fellow non-fatters out there: Do you really buy non-fat milk at home? I know you're proud of it. The loudest word in your order is non-fat. You make it known. But do you really eat your granola with non-fat milk? It's sort of watered down.

Maybe next season let's make the new trend a bit more tastey.

Running (and the art of competition)

Ah springtime....

Birds chirping, open windows, iced Americanos.

It seems like Seattle rejoices like no other city when it comes to springtime. What felt like a year of dismal rain filled days, was really winter. Now is when people come out of hibernation and come outside. I jumped on the bandwagon of people who decided to get fit again. Time to dust of your running shoes and join the rest of the young people who also work and live downtown and like showing off their highly metabolized bodies. We're young and fit and enjoy the adrenalin rush of going for a run by the waterfront.

Right?

Running in the city is awkward.

There are tons of lights to stop at. So you're "that guy" or "that girl". Running in place like a lunatic. Clutching your iPod for dear life. Then you're "that girl" who trips over every curb. Catches herself, but is sure that the two bums sitting on the curb are laughing at her.

Or is that just me?

Regardless, I feel like running should be like riding a boat. Other people in their other boats should wave. You have something in common! Hooray! Let's celebrate by nodding, not talking of course, but a quick nod. You should just be able to cruise around and relax.

Fellow Seattleites, I'd like to just say this: don't take it so seriously. I know that you're running faster than me, and that your shorts are made for running and my American Apparel shorts are made for looking hip at the beach.

But.

It's running. That's it. Highschool is over.