The call came from the UK the other day, "Do you have Scotland?"

Well, heck yes, I have Scotland. Had just left the UK, Starbucks issued the damn thing, and so I went to eBay where I could have bought a car for the same price I paid for my Starbucks Scotland mug. Ah, the Starbucks collection.

One of my favorites, really. And you'll point out to me that I say that about them all and while that's true, I do that say that about them all, I don't say it at the same time. At the moment I say it, it really is my favorite collection.

My first international acquisition was the Tokyo mug. Tiffeny Milbrett was playing in Japan and used to go around the corner from her apartment to Starbucks for tea because it was a comforting bit of home, Tiff hailing from Portland,Oregon. I don't remember how she remembered I collected Starbucks mug but she made the catch, as the athletes say, and schlepped it back and presented it to me on the sidelines one Saturday afternoon. I was speechless with thrill and joy. I shoulda had her autograph it, come to think of it. I never worried about Tiff much after that because she told me she bought two; put the other one on eBay for some walking around money. She's little, but that one has a kick. She now plays in Sweden. She will always bleed royal purple.

One of my favorite groupings in the Starbucks mug collection, now numbered at roughly 400, is the Denver collection. Yees, we have triple Denver. I picked up the first one at the Denver airport, when reloading for somewhere or another. Not a remarkable mug, but Denver just the same and an important piece commemorating the neighborhood crossroads if you fly United. Was glad to have Denver.

A year or so later, a client from Denver brought me Denver when in the office to conspire over his business affairs. I was so delighted and assured him that Double Denver was harbinger of good multiples to come. He was delighted too. Who knew? Finally, shortly after that, and this is the bad part, somebody gave me another Denver. I just don't rememer who! Because by this time, people were bringing me mugs from literally all over the world. I separated the collection between those that I acquired and those that were gifts so I could remember these poignant stories but several years ago, I had a particularly self-possessed employee who insisted on curating the Starbucks mug collection to her own liking. Forgetting that they were MINE and my pleasure, she had her own ideas on their presentation and let's just say, she's a person that will always be alone for really good reasons. Obviously, because she hasn't a clue about presentation.

So a few of the details are lost; and to the collection afflicted such as me, that's a messy detail better thought about another day. We plan to move the office soon and at that time, I will personally relocate and reposition Skagway, Honolulu, West LA, Jerusalem, United Arab Emirates and Austin to name a very, very few and reacquaint myself with the most wonderful things to play with, these coffee cups, and with the most wonderful memories of darling, darling people who liked it that I loved it.

JBelle
Bellemaison, where Blogger won't let us post pictures no more
The 'Kan EWA