Jing jing a ling, ring ding a ding….ooooooooh yeaaaaaaaaa…so those sweet little red cups with the winter motif are back and in effect at Starbucks. So are those delightful flavors of peppermint mocha and gingerbread latte. They have added a few new ones to their repertoire of dinks, such as salted caramel mocha and caramel crème brule.

But I am not here to discuss the delightful diabetic shock I enter when I suck down these drinks. I am here to talk about the cups.

Those red cylinder vats magically transform any drink into a libation. I’m serious; I would drink an old shoe if it came in that cup.

I make coffee everyday in my home. At night I scoop aromatic grounds into the filter so that I can wake to freshly brewed coffee.

Then I drive through Starbucks later that day.

Why? Why? Why does coffee taste better when it comes in a festive cup?

I’ll tell you why – because it is a symbol of the excitement that fills the air during the holidays. That and someone else is making it. But mainly the spirit of the season.

Even Dunkin Donuts has gotten hip to the jive and created a winter wonderland on their Styrofoam cups. They know suckers like me will gladly drink out of anything that remotely looks seasonal.

But I don’t care, I will keep doing it because it makes me happy. Isn’t that what this season is about, making people happy? And if you’re happy, then you are able to make others happy.

So I say, if a jolly old coffee drink is what it takes to get you through Christmas shopping at Toys R Us so that you don’t bitch slap the check out lady who won’t accept your coupon (“C’mon – it only expired yesterday!”), so be it!

And to all a good night!!!!