Random Questions, Ramblings, and Starbucks

Random Tech Question — over the last few months any email I send to a group (Yahoo or Google) from my Gmail accounts doesn’t come back to my Outlook or Webserver. Does anyone know why that would be? Please? Anyone? Is there a setting I don’t know about? It’s very strange to me since it’s only started happening fairly recently.

Random Pet Question/comment — Loki has suddenly taken to whining and barking at thing he hears and/or sees outside the front of the house. Don’t know if someone messed with him through the window, or if he’s just trying to alert us to activity. It’s a new and weird thing he’s doing. Don’t know why. Anyone?

Enjoyed brunch with the husband’s family this morning and a relative expensive ORAC meeting today…the one problem with meeting at a bookstore is that you’re tempted to buy, you know…books. And we did. But the company was enjoyable, so was dinner. And since we have the possibility of SNOW (yes, SNOW) tomorrow, it’s good to know I’ll be able to cuddle in front of a fireplace with good books to read (Rachel Caine and Amber Benson) and my own writing (because I’ll have to do some of that as well).

Starbucks has hit my “Stop” button. I know it’s not great coffee – burnt, etc. But I would go in a couple of times a week to stay “loyal” after they let me “office” out of there during my “work at home” stint. Yes, I went there to write and look for more steadily paying gigs for a while to have human interaction. HOWEVER, after they announced on 1/6/11 that they were changing their logo, I went in on Friday, 1/7/11 and my Venti bold drip room for cream was TWENTY CENTS more expensive.

Now I know prices go up. I had a blink response when they went up the last time (either in 2009 or 2010) from $2.00 to $2.11 (with 10¢ “own cup” discount), now it’s $2.32. When I stumbled, the girl behind the counter said, “Yeah, our prices went up.” Huh. Guess they had to pay for the new logo somehow, but there’s apparently a mental line on how much I’ll pay for coffee (especially now I have the GOOD grind & brew). I’ll keep the gold card – and the app – for travel purposes and days when I just don’t wanna deal with making coffee at home. It wasn’t a “necessary” expense to begin with, and with other prices going up…well, I can say “Buh-Bye” to this. Sorry Starbucks, I’m done.

Almost caught up on the online world. Weather changes on the way (my head feels it). Happy Weekend.