Stuck in a more southerly part of the West Coast , my sister and I found ourselves going for a walk on December 25 through a nearby East Bay neighborhood. Our ostensible destination was the Starbucks on Solano Ave which replaced the local ice cream parlor we remember from our youth. This particular store had been our refuge on holidays past, such as Thanksgiving, when nearly everything else in town was shut tight. This time, however, no Peppermint Mochas were flowing: Closed Christmas Day. Our shock at finding it closed was mirrored up in Puget Sound by a group of LJ’ers more resolute than us at finding a cafe open this Monday. The results of their quest are published for all to see here. My distance from Seattle makes it impossible for me to confirm or deny their claims, but I’ll hold onto their findings for next year.