I was never a huge fan of Ginger-anything until I got older. Not Ginger Snaps, sushi ginger, gingerbread, ginger ale, nothing. Then all of a sudden, it was like this revelation: Ginger rules. I frickin’ love it! I can pretty much eat anything with ginger in it cause it’s so good.

One of my favorite times of the year is Starbucks’ Gingerbread Latte Time. While I make a minor effort to ignore the convenience of Starbucks and visit local coffee cafes, I find that since Starbucks has put most of them out of business, it’s just easier this way. Besides, as a global conglomerate, they’re not half bad. Along the lines of Apple Computers and Whole Foods. They’re not perfect, but they try and I do appreciate that they use free trade coffee and simply by their presence, make a neighborhood nicer. Yeah, yeah, they’re evil. I know. I also mustn’t forget that their so-called “free” Wi-Fi means buying a Starbucks giftcard which means it’s not really free and then, once you do go ahead and buy the card, you can’t get online anyway.

I digress. It’s Gingerbread Latte Time. On Saturday, while in Vegas, AJB and I walked into a Starbucks and lo, there it was! Gingerbread Lattes…wait…what? Ginger Snap Lattes? What the? Changed? Why? I asked the girl what the difference was and she explained that it’s exactly the same except that they now include crystallized ginger in the mix. Hurm. Lame. I’d try it anyway. Yeah, it’s exactly the same except with the crystallized ginger. *shrugs* However, at the end of your beverage drinking experience, you end up with these gummy little balls of ginger which are odd after a warm latte. Reminds one of Boba Tea with those tapioca balls that always catch you off guard.

I’ve been laying off the soy lattes for a while now. I was once heavily addicted to them and would partake in their comforting warmth at least 4 times per week. I’m now down to about one a month. I hadn’t anticipated Gingerbread Latte Time. I now face a serious predicament. I love Gingerbread Latte Time and it makes me happy, but I fear that my vegetarian addiction to soy might be actually harming me on a hormonal level – at least, that’s what they’re saying these days. It could all change next year.

As an added bonus, Coffee Mate releases a selection of holiday favorites including Gingerbread. My fave. I’ve also started laying off the Coffee Mate cause it’s fattening and full of all kinds of harmful sugar-free, fat-free, made-up foods. Yeah, but it’s so frickin’ delicious. And Gingerbread Coffee Mate always sells out, so I tend to stock up. No, I couldn’t resist. And you know what? I don’t feel bad about it. Well, no. I take it back. I do feel a little bad. I’ve been really trying to eat better and get healthy, so Coffee Mate sends me back a step or two. I’m not going to give up coffee and apparently, I’m also not going to give up Coffee Mate holiday faves.

All this means that the holidays are here. Yikes! Old Town Pasadena already has their effiminent holiday deers perched on buildings ready to strike holiday cheer into your still beating heart. “Hi guys,” it seems to say. “Thanks for shopping in Old Town Pasadena today! See you soon!” There it sits atop a gigantic red Christmas ball, waving merrily down at you, except you can’t hear the way his voice sounds in my head. Think Paul Lynde meets Carson Kressley with a dash of Ethel Merman. Oh, like you’re so special? Why? Cause you have gigantic Christmas balls? Oh deer, it’s not about you. It’s that your owners put you up two days after Halloween and totally ignore Thanksgiving. The crafts stores are already ablaze with holiday lights and Christmas music. *sigh* The holidays come much too quickly for my taste. I can’t seem to bring myself to shop anytime before December 1st. I also refuse to listen to Christmas music until that time. So there. Take that, merchants of the world!

MMM. Gingerbread lattes. It’s like a warm hug on a cold day.