How to get a funny look from the baristas at Starbucks

Put $30 worth of loose change into the CoinStar machine at Wal-Mart, then choose the option to put it toward a Starbucks voucher.

Every single time I've handed the barista the receipt from the CoinStar machine, he or she has given me a funny, doubting look, then scanned it and been amazed that it works. Several times I've been told that I'm the first person to try to pay that way.

I came across this post during a bout of late night blog reading last night. It's a mish mash of ideas about religion and community that starts with Mr. Rogers and ends with "Lilo and Stitch."

And as I examined my own feelings about Mr. Rogers, I began to feel that perhaps this was how the truly devout feel about their deity.

A figure of overwhelming goodness and wisdom, who knows my deepest, darkest secrets, yet loves me anyways. A caring force that accepts me for who I am, yet also helps me to be a better person. Doesn't that sound like the kind of relationship that believers want to have with their God?

Yes.

I think we all have a need to be known, really and truly, and then accepted for what we are. Call it love. Call it friendship. Whatever it its, we need it.

I don't know if it is my age or the age we are in, but for me it's a struggle to find community. And when I do find it I value it and hold on to it for as long as I can.

My computer is functional again, after a trip to the computer doctor. The technician said it had multiple viruses. Eww. I really need to change my antivirus software, if anyone out there has any suggestions...

E-mail from Amazon

I received an e-mail notice from Amazon.com on Saturday that begins like this:

Dear Kindle Customer,

We have good news. You are entitled to a credit for some of your past e-book purchases as a result of legal settlements between several major e-book publishers and the Attorneys General of most U.S. states and territories, including yours. You do not need to do anything to receive this credit.
...
While we will not know the amount of your credit until the Court approves the settlements, the Attorneys General estimate that it will range from $0.30 to $1.32 for every eligible Kindle book that you purchased between April 2010 and May 2012.

Woo hoo, I'm thinking this may come out to about 1 free e-book.