Refreshment.

Remember lunch counters in department stores? Not a lot of people do; most feel they're showing their age if they say yes. And I'm not talking about department-store cafes. I'm talking about a simple counter at the back of a store selling diner fare; burgers and fries, homemade cakes, and plenty of coffee. 

I grew up in White Rock, BC and when I was around four or five, I remember a small department store called Robinson's. They had a lunch counter and I remember my Mom taking me there quite a few times. I recall sitting on the round, chrome and red-vinyl twisty stools and spinning myself in circles as fast as I could until my Mom asked me to stop before I made myself sick. I always ordered a glass of milk and I always used my straw to blow lots of bubbles in that milk, twisting from side to side on the stool the whole time. It's a fond memory.

We don't have those same department-style lunch counters anymore, but it seems Victoria has a coffee shop on every block. Habit (in Chinatown) is a great spot and with its wide-open feel, it's a great place to take small kids for a quick refreshment. And they make kids 'hot' chocolate at the perfect, drink-through-a-straw temperature.

I'm fairly sure my Mom must have dosed up on coffee while I blew a million bubbles in my milk. I know an afternoon outing with my kids demands I do the same. Bottoms up.