I’M VISITING STARBUCK'S FIRST CORPORATE STORE IN TRAVERSE CITY. The place just opened to great fanfare and is it ever packed. Its interior landscape and staging are very well done. But my real issue today, I cannot get a connection to the internet on my laptop. It seems my Dell is not cooperating.
I’ve filled out the Starbuck’s agreement prompt, and I’ve pushed every button imaginable, there is still no connection. This is very frustrating. As a senior citizen with limited technical skills, I’m a bit self-conscious about my condition. I often enlist my children to solve my connectivity issues on anything electronic, but they're not with me and random youngsters seem to be a scarce commodity at Starbuck’s. I’m surely not going to approach a Barista for help, especially after I only ordered a small black coffee with "no room."
A bit earlier, when I was just settling into my seat by the east window I tried opening the lid on my Dell. It didn’t budge. It was the hinge end. I’m of the opinion that the logo is placed upside down which often leads to my misstep when trying to open it. The gal next to me tried to ignore my gaffe, but it was obvious from my bumbling I was having trouble. I’ve had the computer for three years and mastering this first step remains elusive.
So, I have chosen to fake it. I'm appearing to be heading quickly to an important meeting with my coffee and laptop in hand, when in fact, I'm heading to McDonald's because their internet works and their coffee is one half the price.