People ARE C-R-A-Z-Y!

What is it with fads and trends? What makes us as humans latch onto something simply because a bunch of other people have it? I will admit that I too, succumb to trends at times.  But some people just take it too far.  Case in point:

People are C-R-A-Z-Y about these Starbucks cups.  And yes, I do own one. 

I saw these cups a while back, and thought they were neat.  I intended to get one, but never got around to it.  In case you don't know about these cups, they are modeled after the Starbucks clear, cold beverage cups.  But these ones are a hard plastic, and double-walled, with a rigid plastic straw and screw-on lid. 

Then, my mom came home with a "grande" sized one for her the other day.  Complete with candycane striped holiday straw.  Then I found out they make the "venti" size too!  And I decided that, okay, I really wanted one.  I was able to get the grande one with relative ease.  Problem is, these venti suckers are now hard to find!  Most Starbucks stores will have a few of the grande ones in, but almost no store in the country had the venti ones!  These puppies are selling like hot cakes! (PS- where the heck did that phrase come from, and why are we still using it?!)  People have actually bought several of these, and are selling them on eBay, craigslist, and amazon.com for between $50 and $80.  For a $16 plastic cup.  I will admit that I have searched for this larger sized cup in several Starbucks locations on my way to work, all to no avail.  But I will in no way spend that much money on a clear, plastic, cup.  A cup that doesn't automatically refill my water, or keep it extra cold, or wash itself, or fly or do anything special.  So, here I sit, sipping water out of my grande Starbucks tumbler, refilling it more often that I would have to if I had a venti one, but that's alright.  At least I'm not one of those -C-R-A-Z-Y people.

*Sidenote:  I have always had a problem with not drinking enough water.  However, drinking it through a straw just seems so much easier.  I gulp down 5 or 6 of these cups a water during the day without even batting a Maybelline Colossal Volume Express-coated eyelash.  Same thing with my Nathan-brand stainless steel flip-straw waterbottle.  Why this is, I have no idea.