A Texas writer gets a first-hand look inside the life of a barista competition judge and suffers the jittery side effects; also, one state’s push to reward safe drivers.

Ever wonder what it might be like to work as a judge at a regional barista competition? Do you see yourself lavishly enjoying the benefits of having some of the country’s best baristas make hand-crafted specialty drinks for your approval? Can you imagine never tiring of espresso as you blissfully float through round after round of judging?

According to one Dallas writer, that scenario is hardly the case. Pegasus News writer Teresa Gubbins spent a recent Sunday judging Texas-based baristas in a competition held during the Southwest Foodservice Expo held at the Dallas Convention Center. According to her amusing take on the competition, being a barista judge isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Gubbins says all the usual markers of a barista competition were in place with baristas preparing three drinks including a macchiato, a latte, and a specialty drink of his or her choice. The detail of these drinks is where Gubbins writes that the judging experience got complicated:

“All were masters at frothing milk, and all created nifty heart and flower designs on top of the drinks. Therefore, judging got down to focusing on nitpicky details. Were the tiny bubbles in the foam a smidge too large? Did the streaks of milk have fuzzy edges instead of the more desirable sharp?”

Gubbins and her fellow judges ended up giving the top prize to reigning champ Heather Perry for her “lime in the coconut” drink, served on a slab of wood. But Gubbins says the lingering effects of the competition went home with her later:

“Four hours later, the waves of acid stomach and post-contest jitters had subsided, but not the memory of too many espressos.” She wrote. “Twelve hours later, the prospect of sleep still seemed impossible. But the house had been vacuumed, the dishes washed, and every last lint ball trimmed off the hoodie purchased in 1998. That’s what you get for buying a 65% cotton-35% poly blend.”

Wear your seatbelt, earn free coffee

Leaving jittery Southern espresso drinkers in the Texas dust, we move north to the great state of Ohio (my home state) for our next piece of news. If you’re planning to drive through the Buckeye State this holiday weekend, don’t be shocked if you get pulled over. That nice highway patrolman only wants to make sure you get your free coffee.

Drivers along the Ohio Turnpike are being rewarded for wearing their seatbelts with coupons for free cups of coffee. Drivers can take the coupon to any turnpike service plaza and enjoy their free cup at restaurants like McDonald’s, Burger King, and Hardee’s.

But these free cups don’t come easily: they’re only going to motorist whom the OHP pull over on suspicion of other moving violations.

“Let’s say we stop someone for an equipment violation or a moving violation and we observe them wearing their seatbelt at that time,” Lt. John Maxey of the State Highway Patrol told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “To thank them for doing their part, wearing their seatbelt and trying to save lives.”

The Highway Patrol estimates that half of motorists killed in 2008 traffic accidents were not wearing their seatbelts.

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