Saturday again

It's been a pretty quiet week. After gathering receipts last weekend, I took the tax return in on Monday and on Tuesday, I was told I was getting a very nice return back. After having to pay the equivalent of two weeks salary back last year, I feel much better about the news this year! Of course, it helps to get an extra $40 bucks taken off each pay - for some bizarre reason, this company doesn't take enough tax off. I plan to bank the whole amount in my brand shiny new emergency fund - well, except for 70 odd dollars that may end up in a book store cash register - after all, a geek's gotta have some fun! There's a tea or two I'd like to try as well.
Today I went to lunch with a tea friend to a new tea/coffee shop that everyone's giving rave reviews.
Except me.
They served only bagged tea. Strike one.
I went up and asked for a London Fog latte and was told they were all out of vanilla syrup but if I wanted, I could select another syrup. Yeah, like chocolate mint or amaretto is going to work in that drink! A coffee shop without vanilla syrup - c'mon! Strike two.
Needless to say, I wasn't impressed. It was expensive too - a tiny cookie was almost $2 - the kind I could make at home for under $2 for four dozen. Strike 3.
We had lunch there, which was merely OK, and then went to our old favorite for desert and more tea - which cost less than half of the new place. Sometimes old favorites are that for a reason! Plus it serves the most divine chocolate cheesecake brownies and a really nice Numi white tea with rose - the rose is lovely and laid back - not too perfumey and in your face. I had a Two Leaves and A Bud organic Darjeeling at the other place that was singularly unspectacular - nothing to recommend that one at all. My friend had an orange sencha about which she said nothing so I'll take that to mean it wasn't worth talking about because she would say something if it was good.
I also broke down this week and read Twilight - and was pleasantly surprised. After reading it, I can understand why Stephanie Meyer has done so well - she really brings the reader into the story and makes them want to keep reading. I wish all writers could be that compelling!