Friday +37 (11:45 AM) Muffin Tops and Unlimited Calls

We just returned from the hospital. Jackie is doing well this morning. I think the CMV virus was depressing her blood counts. The anit-viral IV meds are still suppressing them but overall they are on the rise again. Her RBC (Hgl) is 10.0. Her WBC count is 3.5. Her ANC (absolute neutrophil count) is 1.8. And her platelets are 67. These are all up substantially from yesterday.

It is amazing how closely tied her Hgl count is tied to energy level. I told her this morning that I felt her Hgl count would be much higher today. I could tell by her walking speed that whe had more energy. As I've said before (and the doctor reconfirmed this morning) once the Hgl count gets into the 12s she will feel normal again.

OK, OK. as you obviously know by now this Starbucks thing is driving me nuts. About every other day I go over for my Grande-Mocha-Frapp-and-blueberry-muffin-for-$6 -fix. Each time I have to wait in a long line to watch people pay $4-$5 for a cup of coffee. Each time I spend my wait trying to determine how to make their system better. In other words, if I were the competitor next door how would I get them to come to my coffee shop instead of Starbucks. I have two words.


Are you listening?


Yes, I am!


Ok, Muffin Tops


Now, I cannot take credit for this original thought. I have to give that to the folks at the Seinfeld TV show. If I were operating a coffee shop next door I would just sell just the muffin tops. Forget the stumps. Muffin tops really are the best part. For $1.95 I would give my customers TWO muffin tops. I think I would make my motto, "No stumps, never has been, never will".

I would also change my drink sizes to small, medium, and large. I never order a "Venti" (the really big size). Why? Because I'm afraid I'll screw up the word "Venti". I mean, really, how SHOULD it be pronounced ? Grande I can handle. I thought I was alone in my fear. I even considered consulting with one of the speech pathologists here at the Mayo Clinic. Perhaps I should set up an appointment with the Psych Department so they can help me get through my angst? In the end, I just Googled "pronounce: Venti" (I suggest you give it a try). It seems 11,700 people have the same problem and fear. So at my competing coffee shop my sizes would simply be small, medium, and large. I think I would sell more large drinks this way.

Ok...back to Jackie. I think she is feeling well enough to enjoy unlimited phone calls. So feel free to call her anytime. The only caveat would be that she goes to bed early a lot of times. By the end of the day she is tired. If you could limit calls to before 8:00 PM CDT I think it will be fine.

If she feels up to it today I might get her a Grande-Mocha-Frapp and muffin top over at the Starbucks. No Venti, no stumps.

Until Later,

Bruce and Jackie
From Rochester, MN