Starbucks closed nationwide from 5:30-8:30

Today from 5:30-8:30 every Starbucks in the country is closed down, all 7,100 of them, for emergency retraining of their baristas. They will learn how to make a perfect shot, how to steam milk, and how to wipe the milk steamer before switching from dairy to soy milk.

It is part of a revamping of the coffee giant's image that has become tarnished of late by improperly prepared products.

I'm not a coffee drinker -- I'm always tagging behind my sisters as they hit Starbucks for their coffee jolt -- but I enjoy a hint of mocha. Last summer in Colorado, my sisters decided to find a Starbucks drink I would like ... and a barista heard my plea for caffeine but nothing overly coffee-tasting and whipped up the perfect double-chocolate mocha frappuccino with the caffeine kick I was looking for. It was good!

Great. Just what I needed ... a reason to stop at Starbucks.

Staunton gets a Starbucks

Staunton finally has its own Starbucks after the one in Waynesboro has been open for a year or more. Located at the gateway to the city on Richmond Road (I-81, exit 222), it is well-placed to catch those interstate travelers who need their Starbucks fix and may stop to gas up (Sheetz), shop (Wal-Mart, Lowe's), pick up groceries (Martin's), eat (Chili's, Five Guys Burgers & Fries, Rowe's, Texas, Cracker Barrell, McDonald's, Burger King), spend the night (Days Inn), or catch an historical site (Frontier Culture Museum).

There are plenty of coffee shops in downtown so this location will probably cater more to motorists passing through the area.