good morning

i am hiding from the world before having to go to work later today. i am an extrovert but i really need to be alone from time to time. i’ve been a bit moodier and kind of just more off than usual so i am taking it as a cue to re-coop. i usually have been spending my sunday mornings in community with others, but after a mandatory work meeting at 7:30 am [!] i returned home and decided i needed to do something different today. here is how i will be spending the next few hours:

+new music [Annuals, Wild Sweet Orange]
+a podcast or two
+french press coffee
+breakfast [buckwheat pancakes with chocolate chips]
+ [maybe] finishing a book
+mindless browsing [i am the [apparently least common] pattern #5… and i’d agree with the summary of myself, though i hope i am known more for being assertive and less for being without tact as far as the brash thing goes.]

here i go.

workin’ doubles

i finally have internet at my place. thank you, AT&T!

quick trip home between shifts today. i really could use some alone time. i don’t even know what i want to do with myself. i’ve gotten a few runs in this week which has been a good way to release stress, but i am looking forward to a french press and some lazy web browsing and/or reading one of these nights…

not looking like it will be anytime soon… we’ll see what kind of shifts i get next week. of course, chicago is next weekend, so even if no break comes until i head out thursday night, i do have that to look forward to!

toria and i have lots of plans already. the chicago diner. intelligentsia. h&m. urban outfitters.

yes. okay. frazzled update, but its all i got for now, friends.

and i quote

i don’t really understand the notion of a pro-capitalism, pro-death penalty, pro- war christian. to me it just seems like a vegetarian who eats a burger. -moby

how i spend my time [these days]

at fido. late on monday night.

a friend: what’s the PLU for cucumbers?
me: i hate cucumbers… 4079?
a friend: no. 4062.
me: damn it.

and repeat. but with other forms of produce. and other expletives. and other PLU’s i am supposed to have memorized for work tomorrow.

this week will be ridiculous. i accidentally got 40 hours instead of the 25 i signed up for at whole foods. but i am going to chicago in less than 2 weeks so after the initial shock wore off that i would have 55 hours between 2 jobs this week, i decided to do it and be happy for the extra money.

now, to fit some sleep and exercise into the schedule.

and study time, of course.

damn cucumbers.

and green cabbage, for that matter.

WFM

i have a new job. in a matter of a few hours friday i received a phone call, went in for a quick interview, and was hired. i will be working at whole foods and i really couldn’t be happier. its the perfect fit for me right now. orientation today was great. i had some great talks with a couple of other new folks and after the 7 hour session today [!] i have more respect for whole foods as a company, thats for sure.

the hours will be flexible and for those who have wondered, i will of course still be at crema [and hopefully even more in the coming months...]

working for a company that embodies so much of what i have begun to care for in the past year [healthy awareness of food products and high standards for where food comes from & compassion for animals and the environment, to name a few] coupled with a job learning about the art of espresso and facilitating a “third place” experience for people…

this is just right for now.

i am breathing easy and feeling thankful for the past few weeks of uncertainty.

… and really looking forward to that discount i will get on my groceries.

falling in love at a coffee shop

I don’t know much, but what I do know is coffee. Or, maybe I should say what I am learning is coffee. Since beginning my journey at Crema, my preferences have continued to be refined and, well, my snobbery continues to grow.

I packed up my coffee pot a couple months ago and and replaced it with Bodum’s Kenya french press. I will never again use anything else. My measurements are finally consistent. The taste is far more enjoyable and I am able to tell the difference between the coffees I brew now. Coffee makers are never consistent and I don’t even want to think about how many pots I’ve wasted because, well, the coffee simply never tasted quite right. I’ve even converted a friend to the same belief system. [Hi Chels!]

I have grown to appreciate the more acidic [read: fruity/wild, bright] varieties, which are usually from Latin America and parts of Africa. These I prefer black. Drew makes an amazing single-origin Panama and I actually like his single-origin Kenya. [Sadly, Panama is not available online but I do consider it my favorite so far.]

I still love the earthy [read: heavy/full-bodied] stuff and Drew’s Thick French blend and Gravel Springs stand out to me as notable favorites. I don’t mind these black either, but I will occasionally add half&half and 1 raw sugar.

We brew a different pot each week, so I am sure my list of personal favorites will continue to expand.

My standard drink, if not coffee, is a double americano with a little room [too much water and the drink is watery and ruined]. Simply put, an Americano is espresso topped off with hot water. Anyone who loves coffee and espresso should try it. A little half&half and a raw sugar can cut down on the earthiness and I find it a good alternative to a latte. I like lattes, but sometimes find the milk to hide the taste of the espresso too much.

But, even if lattes are your thing, I think Drew’s espresso is so exceptional that even in a milk-based drink it stands out. It’s a more mild, lemony espresso and its the best i’ve had, compared to Caffe Artigiano in Vancouver and Caffe Ladro in Seattle. I sent a half pound of the Zappia Family Espresso to a scholar/blogger I enjoy and he gave it a very nice review on his blog last month. [!]

If you ever come by Crema, you should try something unique to our shop. It’s our Cuban Coffee which consists of a little sweetened-condensed milk, espresso, and steamed milk. Its a a lightly sweetened latte that seems to be a favorite and even people who say they don’t like coffee drinks end up getting hooked.

So…. all of that said, what do you guys like? Whose coffee do you constantly return to? How do you like your drinks? I’d love to know.

If you are more interested in how espresso drinks are made, check out who made the local news!

a frustrated sigh is the best i’ve got

so….my post sunday was true. i did feel relief. it was a good day.

but today is wednesday.

and my feelings are not so much characterized by that description.

i just got offered a contract job and i am not so sure how to feel about it. instead of relief i only feel more frustration at how difficult it is for me to envision myself in any job at the moment. no one has responded [so far] to any of my attempts at sending my resume. a contract gig that may keep me from finding something more long-term is not ideal, but i will decide today if i will do it or not.

i’m trying, really, to be optimistic. but the more i think about the fact that this is the 4th week of searching, i find anxiety hard to keep at bay.

Lefty Bias

As a lefty, I found this article of interest. I knew Obama was a lefty but didn’t realize McCain was as well.

And studies have shown lefties to be exceptional. Australian research has found that lefties think quicker when playing computer games or sports. They tend to earn more money, too.

Exceptional, yes. Thinking quicker in sports? Anyone who knows me knows this is definitely not true. Earning more $$$… well, only time will tell.

relief

*my left wrist hurts something fierce right now. you see, i was officially moved to the bar for my shifts on Friday and Saturday… both shifts being equally busy. apparently tamping can have this sort effect on an arm not used to constantly exerting 30 lbs of pressure in an attempt to achieve the perfect espresso shot. i still have a lot to learn, my latte art can definitely not be called art yet… but i am having a blast there.

*i had what i believe to be the best beer i’ve ever tasted last night: the left hand brewery’s milk stout. being the lefty that i am, i can’t help but also like the name. seriously, everyone needs to try it.

*the job search continues. i’ve sent my application to a few places and can only hope to do the same again this week. its crazy, but i am feeling okay as i enter week 4 of the search. i’ve been without internet for a few days and was sort of avoiding looking at my bank account balance. rent is due tomorrow. utilities soon to follow. ugh. i braced myself for the worst tonight, but instead all i felt was relief, which is strange to even be feeling given the circumstances. gratitude is certainly owed to Someone other than myself. somehow i am making it. even with buying tires this week thanks to a lovely flat i acquired during tuesday’s snow “storm” i am staying afloat.

*today we took communion. i planned to leave early because i had to be at work for a post-church Q&A session. i had enough time to spare so i went forward and, upon kneeling, i crossed my chest. a pastor, seeing my request for prayer, bent down. instead of simply praying silently over me, he asked what i needed. all i could come up with was- “i don’t know” and so… that’s what i said. when he prayed for my heart to become tender, the tears fell. somehow, he knew.

*running again. finally. my foot seems to be back to normal after a month of mysterious pain. 4 miles wasn’t as hard as i anticipated, but i am thinking the 70 degree weather had a lot to do with my morale. i am so ready for spring… and maybe a race in the not too distance future.

every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father…

even with so many uncertainties ahead, to not be overcome with worry is such a gift. today is a gift… and i am overcome with thankfulness for my health, money that is somehow not completely running out, words of affirmation from so many, and for a future hope that seems to be slowly making itself known in the present.