The Round Up

Issue date: 3/29/07 Section: Arts and Entertainment

Winter (above) is coming to Las Cruces for a screening of the documentary "Starbucking" at the Fountain Theatre in Mesilla.

The "Starbucks Guy" is a man with a seemingly real-life "Mission Impossible:" to visit every Starbucks in the world. This Saturday, his mission will bring him to the Fountain Theater in Mesilla to attend the screening of "Starbucking," a documentary about his unusual java-seeking adventure.

He calls himself Winter. Yep, just Winter; no last name, no first. Like Cher.

"It's just something I'm doing to be different," Winter said, holding the same explanation for his chosen moniker.

The "project" has taken Winter to nearly 6,800 Starbucks locations over the past 10 years, with hundreds more to go before he's done.

Winter's "to-do" list is constantly growing as more locations open internationally everyday, giving his task a certain never-ending quality. It doesn't dampen his spirits, but it's quickly becoming a life's work for the on-again-off-again computer programmer from Texas.

The question of "Why?" is probably on the Top Ten FAQ for Winter, and his answer is the essential inspiration for "Starbucking." Director Bill Tangeman followed Winter in a cross-country introspective look at the project, and along the way, interviewed people close to Winter in an effort to analyze what is really going on inside this seriously caffeinated man.

"I always wanted to stand out. I can't sing or dance, so I sort of had to make my own category," Winter explained during an appearance on the Wayne Brady show.

Hailing from the Houston and Plano area, Winter doesn't consider either city his home.

"My home is abstract," Winter said. "It's myself, clothes, a laptop and transportation," and later adds, "an Internet connection."

Winter maintains his own Web site, starbuckseverywhere.net and keeps it up-to-date with stats and graphs of his progress posted for interested parties. His "Stores Visited" count is documented by taking photographs of each location.

Interviewers have questioned Winter on his mental stability while making cracks about his oddball quest, but Winter's answers come very sanely and matter-of-factly. It is an obvious case of doing something just to do it. He won't even go so far as to say that he "loves" Starbucks.

Continued...

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