A birthday email from Starbucks tonight:

[Subject line] Your birthday’s coming up. Can we treat you to a drink?

[Body] We’d like to celebrate your big day by making you that super-special drink you’ve been craving – on the house. When you get your free Birthday Drink postcard in the mail, bring it in and let us know what you want. We’ll take it from there.

Note it specifically says I can order my super-special drink! I haven’t done that in a long time — for two reasons. One, my budget doesn’t have a line item for expensive espresso-based drinks. And two, only one barista has ever made it Just Right. This is what I said about her in March 2010. Gosh, I miss her!

I didn’t space out my Ben posts very well, but I love this tongue-in-cheek song about the perks of being famous. (Perks! You see what I did there?)

From “Free Coffee,” Ben Folds, Way to Normal, 2008:

Called in sick one day,
Stepped out my front door,
Squinted up at the sky,
And strapped on my backpack.
Got into a van, and when I returned
I had ex-wives and children,
Boxes of photographs.

And they gave me some food,
And they didn’t charge me.
And they gave me some coffee,
But they didn’t charge me.
And when I was broke, I needed it more …
But now that I’m rich, they give me coffee.

So, my drink? A venti decaf nonfat sugar-free vanilla extra-extra-extra dry cappuccino … the drier the better. In fact, just dispense with the milk altogether. Take four shots of espresso (decaf unless it’s first thing in the morning), stir in a shot of sugar-free vanilla, and fill the rest of the cup with nonfat milk foam. Easy to learn, hard to master.

“Free Coffee” takes the No. 3 spot on my top three list of songs that reference coffee. I’ve already posted No. 1. What takes the No. 2 spot? You’re on the edge of your seat, aren’t you?

I shouldn’t have mentioned my super-special drink before my birthday drink postcard arrives in the mail because now I want one! (Well played, Starbucks. Well played.) Maybe the traffic gods will shine a little love on Poplar Avenue this morning and I’ll have time to swing through the drive-thru on my way to work.