Week 1 Winning Stories (March 10-16)

Winning Story:
This is not my story, I am writing on behalf of my husband, Tyler. Who is truly the perfect candidate for this ‘year of free beans’ scholarship!

You see, Tyler doesn't have time to sit down in front of a computer and write his OWN story because he is a busy man. He is actually, currently, quite literally as I type this, the doctor on call at the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles where he works as a first year intern. In fact, the only reason I came to know of this contest is because in a tender act of love I surprised my sleep-deprived husband with a Peet's medium drip, for which I was slobbered on and gushed over for a solid 30 seconds, then he had to get back to work.

If Elizabeth Barrett Browning had not first penned the phrase, "How do I love thee, let me count the ways..." then "Dr. Tyler" would have surely authored such a statement as he pondered his fond affection for the local Peet's Coffee & Tea store he frequents once (and sometimes twice) a day.

If the popular television show "Cheers" had not made famous a song that proclaims "sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name, and they're always glad you came." I am quite sure "Dr. Tyler" would have sang it from the rooftops until all of Ventura Blvd. knew of his dedication to no other imitation or inferior coffee shop.

I will tell you this short story, in all honestly, not one bit fabricated. Tonight, standing in the hallway of CHLA I met a patient of my husbands. A little boy, no older than 5, with cancer. When he saw my husband from across the room he enthusiastically exclaimed, “Hello Dr. Tyler!!!” The little boys parents were walking him around the lobby with his IV pole, sick of being in the their room no doubt. It is rare that I get to meet my husband’s patients, what with HIPPA and all, it’s not the golden-olden days of medicine anymore. As I shook hands with the father of this tiny cancer ridden boy, he looked me in the eyes and said, “Thank you for loaning your husband to us.” His wife chimed in, “Yeah, we love Dr. Tyler” I smiled graciously at them turned to my husband and said, “I love Dr. Tyler too!”

It is also not a fabricated statement to say that at 4am when the alarm clock sounds and the groggy doctor reaches for the snooze button, his day seems insurmountable. So much pressure, so many sick kids needing his time and full attention, how will he ever make it to the end of the day? But through the haze of despair and overwhelming realities, there is one slight glimmer of joy, one decedent pleasure he allots himself. A great cup of coffee. And there is only one place he can trust for that…. Peet’s! He says and truly believes,"It makes me a better doctor."

If you don’t give him free beans, we’ll keep paying for them just like everybody else, we don’t mind. But he sure would be an honorable choice! Plus he’s got all those Med School bills to pay off and Lord knows Peet’s is getting hefty chunk of our monthly budget! :-)

Other fun facts that prove Tyler is a Peet’s fanatic: #1. He interviewed at the Children’s Hospital of San Fran Cisco and found out they serve Peet’s coffee at all their noon conferences, this almost made him change his career path. #2. We have a small amount of money with an investment broker and when we were asked what companies we wanted to buy stock in Tyler replied, “Peet’s”. #3. Everyone who works at ‘his’ Peet’s knows him by name and when he arrives in the morning, his coffee is ready and waiting for him! #4. On the rare day off that he hardly ever gets, I am under strict instruction to make sure there are fresh beans in the cupboard for him to savor his morning with only the best and freshest cup of home brewed Peet’s!

He is a fan, I am a fan, all of our friends should be fans by now if they're not already!!!

Winner #2: Nick Rouse

Winning Story:
Three years ago, I was addicted to Starbucks and when at home always made regular Colombian coffee. It kept me going each day; however, the Starbucks began to get expensive.

One day, a colleague of mine had mentioned that if I was a true coffee connoisseur, I would check out Peet's. So I did. I ordered a few different blends, including Major Dickason's, Blend 101, and even the French Roast. I immediately fell in love with Peet's.

I have been a Peetnik for years now, and every morning I start my day with a few cups of Peet's. The aroma is always great in my house and in my office, and I am always being asked about what coffee I am making. I always know my blends and can even explain where they come from (or even where they originate).

Had it not been for the suggestion of a colleague, I would have never had the pleasure of exploring Peet's coffee. Since there are no locations in Phoenix, I someday hope to visit an actual Peet's Coffee store. I have cups, travel mugs, and am a true fan of Peet's. People asked about the hat during our recent move. It was great to talk about Peet's.

I am writing this in tribute to Alfred Peet, a man who should be revered way more than he was during his life. Everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy a cup of Peet's, and for those who take those cups for granted, they should not. I thoroughly enjoy every cup I possibly can.

Winner #3: katie

Winning Story:
WHY I LOVE PEET'S COFFEE..

Why do I love Peet's Coffee? Do you even have to ask?
I could give a thousand reasons; this will be no easy task!

I love Peet's Coffee for its smell; I love it for it's taste.
Each and every drop I drink and never want to waste.

I love Peet's Coffee for it's richness; I love it for it's flavor.
In the morning or the evening; Peet's Coffee is what I savor.

Peet's Coffee offers everything from a latte to a cup of Joe.
Nothing beats Peet's Coffee, this without a doubt I know.

Whether it's a French press or a Drip, Peet's Coffee is brewed with care.
Peet's Coffee has a tradition that is surely rare.

Peet's Coffee has it all, from Major Dickason to French Roast.
Peet's Coffee is the best and I'll raise my cup to toast!

Peet's Coffee will not be beat; with it's freshness far and above.
For all these reasons and many more, Peet's Coffee's is what I love!!

Winner #4: Kristen Imler

Winning Story:
Peet's Evermore

Once upon a morning dreary, I stepped from Muni, tired and bleary
Bleary-eyed and stumbling toward the curb
And on the curb I started up, thinking of a steaming cup
A steaming cup of coffee and muffin herbed
"Where is my Peet's? " I muttered, "for I need caffeine--only Peet's and nothing more."

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
When work and rain had taken their wintry toll
So tolled the bell that I was late when I saw across wide Market Street
My salvation, Peet's coffee, my morning's only goal
"'Tis all I need," I stuttered, "for I am so cold--only Peet's and nothing more."

As I walked and neared the shop, Peet's Fair Trade Blend caused me to stop
Stop at the entrance, at the cafe door
And at the door I stood and puzzled over the scent that so gently nuzzled
Nuzzled me toward the line drawn on the floor
"'Tis lint in my pocket," I grumbled, "for I have no change--now how Peet's and nothing more?"

But as the barista kindly beckoned, I reached into my bag and reckoned
Reckoned that I might find there change galore
And so I pulled out coins enough to buy myself that hot, sweet cup
A quality cup, with friendly speed of service poured
"'Tis nothing better," I humbled, "for I have my Peet's--even a tip for the jar, what's more!"

Thank you, Peet's, for ever brewing the strongest cup of coffee, eschewing
The lure of weak, tasteless, loveless joe
It's only the power of your coffee that gets me going and not just the
Stellar service by my favorite Peetsters at the 22 Battery store
"I love Peet's coffee," I pronounce, "for every morning's boost--and here's hoping for 12 months more!"

Winner #5: Michael Kaplan

Winning Story:
Most people seem to love Peet's for its robust flavor and witty body. A select few of us have forged a connection more nakedly emotional. Not to sensationalize, but my first cup of Peet’s pulled me back from the brink of madness. Hey, can your coffee do that?

I’ve stopped counting new technology “bubbles,” but this one was puffing up in 1993. I had been flown to the Bay Area for a weekend of writing and consulting, having built a reputation as an open-minded (read: desperate) L.A. writer willing to work in the interactive field. I was thrown into a room with five reckless men of compromised hygiene, the principals of a fledgling video game company. Sorry, I mean dynasty. They were very clear about the dynasty part. They had devised an animated game that would launch a fresh new mythology of galactic conflict, a game with mind-bending controls, deep story, sexy aliens and endless potential for money-making sequels. All they really needed from the L.A. guy was shreds of dialogue--fast. They were in a frenzy because a brand new gaming platform called 3DO was generating huge buzz, and these guys decided to convert their entire project over the weekend and slam together a playable build for an upcoming proprietary developer’s conference. Or something. Who cared why?--Let’s start! LET’S GO!

45 minutes in I asked for a cup of coffee. Which is when I realized they weren’t paying me enough. The coffee was a mockery, a faint echo of what I needed. The fools! Didn’t they get it? The world can be virtual but the coffee must be REAL.

I spent 24 hours shuttling between cubicles and a conference room not much bigger than a cubicle. Crafting lines of dialogue that would stand the test of time, like “Monseeka, stop! No one survives the Duma swamp!” There were multiple planets and galaxies, a self-referential mythology based on the “onyx conundrum,” and all of it required terse bursts of exposition designed to feel like movement.

It was a demoralizing job. I had turned into a spinner of fragments; worse, I was forced to wonder if this might be my future. Video games were a red hot entertainment market with infinite upside, and Hollywood wasn’t exactly beating down my door. The lack of sleep, sunlight and self-esteem threw me into a nasty, disoriented funk. I was lost in space: one tentative foot in my universe, the other deep in the Duma swamp. Pixilated characters played across my eyelids. My body had gone numb. I needed a cup of joe, but dreaded the cup of simulated joe experience.

And then the gods took pity. The lead artist--young, swaggering, experimenting with disdain--had a girlfriend. She suddenly appeared with coffee from a place called Peet’s, located a mere block away. There was no time to rage at the irony; I took the cardboard cup and retired to my ergonomically correct corner hell.

Two sips in, I could remember my planet. Planet, galaxy, best route home from the airport. This was coffee anchored in the real world, the one I loved best. In “Wings of Desire,” Bruno Ganz plays an angel who forswears his heavenly role so that he can experience the joys of everyday life. One of the first things he does, to better understand his mortal existence--to revel in the human world--is buy a cup of coffee. I was drinking that cup! Halfway through I remembered that I was more than a burbling stream of fragments, that I had entire stories and characters welling up inside me and that I would go home and try to write about them.

When the gig was over I shook hands with everybody, wished them luck, and stepped into the new day and out of their lives. It was, in every respect, a creative one-night stand, with only one memorable detail to bring home.

15 years later, the Duma swamp is gone. The little game company is gone. 3DO is gone. Ozymandius, king of kings is gone. But Peet’s still ships my coffee twice a month--always to the right address, on the right planet, in (god bless them) the correct galaxy.

Winner #6: Ruth Helot

Winning Story:
Top 10 Reasons You May Be a Peet's Lover
10. Walk by Starbucks and wonder how that ever got to be the rage
9. Experience a coffee orgasm with the first sip of Peet's coffee in the morning
8. Purposely drop bits of their banana nut bread in your cup of coffee
7. Take full advantage of the delicious sample cakes they have at the counter
6. Add a bit of Kaluhua to a bold cup of coffee to put a smile in your step!
5. Sneak away at work to Peet's and not realize you've been away for over 40 minutes
4. While making whoopee call your husband Peet although his name may be Bob
3. When fine dining ask what kind of coffee they have and if Peet's unavailable order a dry martini instead
2. Pour more Kaluhua in your coffee and stay up to Karaoke all night
1. Have plenty of Peet's coffee stored in your emergency kit incase a disaster should hit the Bay Area (true story)

I am a Peet's Lover and believe in Power to the Peet's!

Ruth

Winner #7: Suzette White

Winning Story:
When my husband is home, weekend mornings always start with sleepily good-natured teasing between us about whose turn it is to get up and make the coffee. That coffee is always our warmly delicious, freshly roasted and immediately shipped Peets!

My husband is a Marine, and when he first deployed to Iraq in 2004 I wanted him to have a little bit of home every day--and that meant figuring out how to get good coffee to him. Since I had drunk Peets coffee when I was a student at UC Berkeley, I was thrilled when I found the Peets website and read that they delivered. With the wonderfully kind help of Peets' employee Amanda Conrad, I was able to quickly set up a recurring order to Iraq! My husband was so excited to be getting great coffee that he rigged up his Humvee--I'm serious--with a coffee pot. It may seem silly, but little things like great coffee from home can take on great significance when one is so far away. That year was pretty rough for our Marines, but knowing my husband and his men had good Peets coffee to help them through those long, dangerous days and nights became really important to me.

I don't have my husband here this weekend to tease about how it's HIS turn to make the "Peets"--he deployed for the third time to Iraq in January. However, we have been Peetniks since that first recurring order in 2004, so of course that cup of home that is Peets is with my husband once again. And I so look forward to the way I'll feel that first sleepy morning when we'll once again be home together and tease each other about whose turn it is to get up and make the Peets!

Winner #8: Lee Lynch

Winning Story:
I live at the end of a small 2-lane road in the mountains of south-central Colorado. Thank God there has been a local coffee house that roasts their own beans... our neighborhood was lucky to have Folgers in a can! That is, until I was introduced to Peet's in 2004.

I was visiting in LA, having lunch somewhere on Ventura Blvd. After lunch, we walked, window-shopped, and thought about how great an after-lunch coffee would be. My very food-and-drink-savvy nephew pointed out a Peet's down the street. I had never heard of Peet's, but took his advice & we headed there.

WOW!!! It was a sensational gustatory experience!!! It was much like a wine tasting -- we tasted all kinds of great coffees, read about the choosing of beans, the roasting... and had a thoroughly delightful afternoon! I almost needed another suitcase to fly home with all the bags of coffee I bought, knowing there was nothing like it at home.

So I went on-line, and started down the tasting trail, trying all kinds of delicious coffees... I got it for home, for my office, & for my friends and family. Teas too. I brought Peet's coffee on a ski trip (the 23rd annual trip for a group of people with whom I went to school), and now I have friends in the boonies of Florida & the middle-of-nowhere Maine who order from you. Peet's was once again the coffee of the ski trip in Sun Valley this year! Not to mention that I was the first person in the Gunnison Valley to find you -- & I've spread you all over the Valley!

Bottom line -- I LOVE YOU!!! The coffee is fabulous, the tea selection is outrageous, your webpage is beatuifully done, and your phone folks are always friendly & helpful!! You've become as much an institution in my life as you are in the Bay area and big cities -- thanks, Peet's!

Winner #9: emmeline diller

Winning Story:
I have loved Peet's coffee for over 30 years. I first tasted Peet's coffee on a trip to Berkeley, CA before there were any Peet's on the east coast. When I came back to Boston, I couldn't find any coffee that tasted as good as Peet's Blend 101. After searching endlessly, I finally decided to order it from the store in Berkeley. This was no easy feat back then because there was no internet, so I actually had to call the store and have them send it to me in Boston. I did this for years and I always felt a little silly having my coffee shipped from California. Whenever I served coffee at my house, my guests always loved it and asked me where I got it. I always answered a bit sheepishly, "Well, you're not going to believe this but I actually send away for it from a place in California."
I had given up on ever finding coffee that good in Boston, when one day at a friend's house, I found it! I tasted some amazingly good coffee! I was so excited--finally I had found some local coffee that I could buy and I could stop this craziness of ordering from Peet's. I said to her excitedly, "This is great coffee. Where can I get it?" Sheepishly, she said, "Well, you're not going to believe this, but I actually send away for this coffee from a place in California." You got it--not only was it Peet's, but it was Blend 101...
So, I have remained faithful to Peet's all these years, switching to Decaf Special Blend since the time I was pregnant with my 3 children. Peet's decaf is entirely different from any other store's decaf. Unlike other decaf, it tastes as rich and full as caffeinated coffee. And best of all, I don't even have to send away for it! Thank you Peet's. I love you!

Winner #10: Helene Constant

Winning Story:
The outlook wasn't brilliant for the Mudville nine that day:
Swilling down the java available in Monterey.
My stomach hurt when I drank my cup from the coffee vat
I tried tea, but brewed at the wrong temperature, it fell flat.

A few swallowed down coffee-like stuff in deep despair. The rest
Clung to the hope that springs eternal in the human breast;
We wished that Peets’ Coffee and Tea, one day to our town might come
Our palates no longer would be doomed to caffeinated pond scum.

Then from five thousand throats and more there rose a lusty yell;
It rumbled through the valley, it rattled in the dell;
It pounded on the mountain and recoiled upon the flat,
For Peets’, Peets’ Coffee and Tea, was advancing to the bat.

In this favored land of Monterey the sun is shining bright,
Water at two twelve degrees, brewed to the timer, makes tea full of delight
Big joy in Monterey-- at an outdoor table at Peets’ --
Properly brewed coffee and tea make my day complete.