Coffee chuckle

I am a person of coffee rituals. I get very specific drinks from different locations. Occasionally I vary...but not often.

So, when I go to Starbucks, I get a Tall Extra-Hot Skinny Vanilla Latte and like any good Washingtonian, I rattle that off without hesitation or much thought, which I did yesterday when I stopped there.

When I pulled up to the drive-through window, the girl asked..."you ordered the grande skinny vanilla right?" Nope, I assured her, I ordered a tall.

After I paid, she informed me that I was being given a grande but only charged for a tall, for which I thanked her. But I had to stiffle a chuckle when she then gave me permission to not finish my latte, if I didn't want to.

Umm...gee, thanks.

Our one-on-one chat

Good morning!

I'm sitting here with a cup of coffee by my side and am going to pretend that you and I are together, catching up with one another and/or getting to one another. I'm going to also pretend that I'm not at work but rather that we are comfortably relaxing on my red couch or at some coffee shop. After all...rainy days are perfect for coffee, one-on-one chats with friends, and daydreaming.

So how are you?
I wish I could hear your answer but since I can't, know that I'm praying for you regardless...thanking God for the joys in your life and praying for the struggles, busyness, and uncertainities that threaten to overwhelm you, at times.

This weekend, as in starting 4pm tonight, I'll be on my way to a ladies retreat, with my church. My friend, I love my church and I love the ladies at my church but I dislike retreats. So why do I go time and time again? Because my dislike stems from the fact that I am an introvert...did you know that about me? It's not a great secret. But yes, I'm an introvert and being gone from my apartment and around a large-ish group of loud women for a whole weekend, makes me want to crawl under my bed covers, with a good book, and not come out. But I sign up, approximately every other year, because I know the socializing is good for me and these ladies are so dear. Plus this year also carries the feeling that this is probably my last retreat with this church...so I'm going.

I got my haircut last night. Mostly in anticipation of my interview in Toledo, Ohio next weekend. But it was getting long. Whenever I wear my hair up in a ponytail every. single. day. then I know it's time for a haircut. Another clue that it was time was the fact that I could put volumizing mousse in my hair and blow dry to eternity and it will still hang flat. So I got my haircut and I was in heaven, I tell you! I love haircuts. I love getting the shampoo and this gal even gave a scalp massage in the process. Then I go sit in that chair and start the process of being lulled to sleep. How do I almost get lulled to sleep? Well, I have to take my glasses off so that they can do all their stuff easily...so since I can't see anything clearly, I'm not concentrating on anything specific. And then, people "playing" with my hair relaxes me faster than a glass of wine. (Okay, that might not be true...I'll have to time myself one day and see!) If I trusted myself to not make silly sleeping sounds or to the head jerk thing when you sleep sitting up, I probably would have allowed myself to doze. However, since I'm prone to head jerking, I'd be one jerk away from an accidental bald patch in the back of my head. No thanks!

Okay, my coffee cup has been refreshed. How about yours?

My brother got a job yesterday; blessed be the Lord! He starts today. He's working at Les Schwab...a tire/car store. He doesn't have any background in this so he'll have to receive quite a bit of training but this could be very good for him...hopefully he'll like this job. I keep telling people that he was one week away from living in our (my younger sister and I) living room.

Okay, well I need to stop pretending...work is beckoning for my attention. But this has been wonderful. We'll have to do it again some time, okay?

Enjoy your day and your weekend. Be encouraged...God is with you...you aren't forgotten.

Just a few things.

I have worn a dress more times in the last month than I have in the last ten years, at least. Crazy. It feels odd but sweetly feminine. I like it!


I recently bought (and gave away) a book on gratitude:

One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp...it's a good book (at least the first half I read was good...then I gave it away). I intend to quickly buy it again so that I can finish it up. I have been writing down things to be grateful for over the last month and half...it's a good exercise to reflect on the day and see the good in it.

When I was in Ohio, I got to see one of my kiddos from Germany. He brought me this:

A smores donut...it's a donut with marshmallow creme on top, crushed grahams, and a chocolate drizzle. I thanked him, did a happy dance, and told him he is my favorite kid ever! The donut was very VERY sweet and I ended up eatting only half with strong coffee.


I need a new coffee-date friend. The friend I could always depend on for coffee-dates moved to Mexico. Can you believe it? The nerve of her to go serve God in Mexico when I need her for coffee-dates! :) So now, I'm coffee-date-less and I would really like a coffee-date. I guess this a good opportunity for me to build a connection with someone new.


Over the fourth of July weekend (2nd-4th), I'm going to Portland, Oregon! Okay, Portland is only about 3.5 hours south of me but I never go there! I'm going to visit a friend and hopefully get to see one of my kiddos from Germany (now a 2nd year college student). My friend is putting a little list together of sites we can visit...it occurred to me that while I've been to Portland before, I'm not sure I've ever been a "tourist" in Portland...so this could be pretty cool.

Coffee Connection

I would love to own or run a coffee shop.

I'm not sure I'd be great at it. I don't have a huge love or understanding of business, capitalism, or economics. In fact, I readily admit that in order for this to be successful, I'd need a business-minded partner to keep me grounded.

But the making...the creating...the connections. Yes, I'd pretty much have to work around the clock. But I'd be game. I think I'd love it...at least I love the time before I worked in a coffee shop as a barista!

I have this vision...okay, two visions...

First, a coffee shop that has a big space with even a few room in the back or side. There could be a smallish stage for entertainment. One room could have books, desks, and a couple computers. Another room could have games or artsy things. And a kitchen in the back. But the point of this vision would be to hire teenagers who either need a little purpose, responsibility, or money while working in the shop. To have teens learn to roast coffee beans, to clean, to serve, and to give them a chance to display and sell their art (or baked goods), work on their education in the library room, and maybe even have a music board thing to practice running sound and being a stagehand and/or preformer. All this to show them that they are important, can contribute and dream in big ways, and in the process, learn about Jesus.

My second vision is have a coffee shop overseas. There would be a big space with a couple rooms. Keep the computers and the books...they could be a place for people to learn computer skills and to learn English. Also rooms could be used for Bible Studies. The big seating area would need to have tables and chairs that would be easy to move because on Sundays, a smallish congregation can meet there. People in great need could be hired to cook, clean, serve, and roast coffee beans. Fellowship...game nights...craft nights....whatever activity to bring the community in and use to share about Christ.

These thoughts amuse me and spark my imagination and creativity. I keep thinking of what if and what could be. I find myself sitting with a happy drunk-like smile on my face.

But then the questions come. What about the money...how much money would it take to start even a simple coffee shop? Where would I possibly get the money? Who could I find to possibly partner with me as I would definitely need help? How does one even start a business? And keep it alive? And growing? Would I start this and then hate it? Would I actually have the courage to walk this journey?

This whole thing is a giant question mark.
Only God knows if this will ever to come to be, to any degree.
But it's fun to daydream in the process.

A Good Idea?!?

About two weeks ago, my friend Erin asked how we should celebrate my birthday. The idea that we came up with is to walk around Green Lake and to go to a Cuban-inspired coffee shop, both in Seattle.

Green Lake is a this quaint little area of Seattle surrounded with trendy shops and a path all around the lake. Whenever the weather is nice, people swarm Green Lake either to run, walk, skate, or bike. The path around Green Lake is just shy of 3 miles.

As for the Cuban-inspired coffee shop, aka El Diablo Coffee Company, it proved to be a little gem-hole-in-the-wall type of shop! And I loved it. My Cafe con Leche reminded me of a good European cappuccino. Yum! Rich coffee taste with foam and cinnamon...cannot get any better. Seriously, writing about makes me want to go back for another cup of goodness. **Sigh**

The crux for this evening was the weather. We'd only do this if the weather cooperated and that too, could not have been better! Warm, clear skies, sunny...a perfect spring day for Washington...a day when postcards are made!

The only "downside" to this day was in my planning. This past weekend, I moved apartments. I ended up not working on Friday just to move things. By the time 4:00pm rolled around, my arms and legs were rubber. I had climbed about 600 steps (this is just a guess...about 25 steps between both apartments). Up and down the stairs until my legs were constantly aching. Box after box until my arms were limp as dishrags. At this point, I crashed on my couch for the hour that I had available until my next activity.

After the next activity was over, I went with my friends Erin and Krissy for our planned Green Lake/El Diablo adventure. I repeatedly wondered what I was thinking to have scheduled a three mile walk after a day of moving but I figured what won't kill me will only make me stronger. Sure...I was practically limping by the time it was over. Sure...I wanted to weep with joy when I realised I had 0.5 mile left to go. Sure...I swallowed more gnats than I'd care to know...but all-in-all I had a great evening with my friends and got to console my pain with my coffee afterwards.

So what seemed like a good idea at the beginning ended up still being a good idea. But next time I think I'll skip the whole moving thing...I've had enough of that for awhile.

The Person I've Become

I remember my first coffee drink.

It was in March 1998...I wanted to try a coffee drink but wasn't sure I'd like the coffee taste. I went to Tully's and asked for advise. I ended up with a Mocha with twice the chocolate...and yum! was it good! I think that was all I really drank for a few years...maybe the occasional latte or macchiato...but it had to be sweetened!

Then at some point, I went somewhere (probably to someones house) and they only had brewed coffee. So I had a cup (with sugar, of course) and found that with enough sugar, I liked it. Thus began my occasional brewed coffee path.

My last year of college, in 2002-2003, I went to school in Regina, Saskatchewan...there was nothing close to the school in the way of espresso stands and the only coffee shops were few and far between (especially when I didn't have a car). This forced me to become less of a specialty drinker and more of a brewed coffee drinker. There is/was this little coffee shop in the Southgate Mall that sold hand-crafted chocolates, loose-leaf tea, coffee beans, and other related items. Occasionally I would meander down to the mall and would buy a little 4oz bag of flavored coffee beans. They were ridiculously priced (about $6.00 for 4 oz) but I justified the money because that one little bag would last me about a month. I would make coffee in a little "4-cup" machine about once or twice a week. Naively, I thought this frequency was perfect and that I would never be a person who would drink coffee all day long!

At some point that year, I noticed that my "once or twice a week" was increasing to four to five times a week. It was at this point that I stopped buying the expensive 4 oz coffee beans and bought less expensive 16 oz bags of coffee.

Meanwhile, the taste of coffee has continued to woo me as I moved to Germany and then back to Washington. I find myself now a person who could and would drink coffee all day long! That mocha from my long lost past is now much too sweet and is avoided at all costs. Sure, I like an occasional latte but brewed coffee is where it is at.

There is something about having a delicious cup of coffee in the afternoon and then in the evening when allowing myself to relax. I have become the person I never thought I'd be.

And I'm okay with that.

An interesting vacation...of sorts

My silence is due entirely to the fact that I am on vacation and at my grandparents' house. My grandparents do not have internet at their house. Or a DVD player. Or an answering machine. Or a coffee machine.

That's right...a vacation without coffee...
I want to say that it hasn't been affecting me but even as I write this, I'm wondering if that is true.

(As for the internet, we have to log into an unsecure internet connection from one of the neighbors, which means that I could lose at any time...which means that the longest I've had connection since being here has been a total of 30 minutes approximately. Lovely!)

Overall, my time with my grandparents has been good. My grandpa and grandma are my only remaining grandparents and are good for conversation...they're cute people. Plus, while their house may lack some elements that seem "normal" to me, the state of California, abounds in good eats, like In-N-Out Burgers and El Pollo Loco. In fact, my sister jokes that the only reasons to come down here is to eat and see my grandparents.

In addition to seeing my grandparents, my sister arranged a girls-family-dinner with my two aunts, three of my cousins, and one of my cousin's kids. It was nice. My family has always been somewhat disconnected, it feels, from our California family. I haven't grown up close to any of my relatives and that saddens me...so I enjoyed the time we got to spend it laughing and chatting as adults and as family because it doesn't happen enough.

The only slump to this whole trip has been my internal system. I don't think it got the memo that I am going on vacation and this is a chance to relax. If anything it seems to think that it needs to get all high-maintenance on me, which hasn't been so great. On Tuesday, I was presented with diarhhea and vomiting. On Tuesday, Wednesday, and today, I have had migranes. And lastly, yesterday and today...constipation. I know this falls under "too much information" and I apologize for just putting it out there. But seriously! Either my body is out of whack from the lack of coffee, hormonal-girl issues, or too much sunlight and not enough grey clouds. Regardless, this isn't normal and not how I wanted to enjoy my vacation.

Thankfully, besides Tuesday, my body hasn't limited me from too much of the low-key excitement going on around here.

Well, I made it this far...I better not push my luck since my internet is bound to cut out sooner or later. I'll post again when coffee is flowing in my veins once more.

I'm having me a party

No, I'm not listening to Shania Twain's silly song (if you haven't heard it, you're not missing much!)

I'm having Mindy's "first annual" Christmas brunch. Well, actually, I always think of brunch being more 10 or 11am...and this one is at 9am...so maybe it's a breakfast. Whatever...

Anyhow, I decided to do this because I have this week off of school and thought it would be a good time to socialize, entertain, cook, and be forced to clean my apartment.

My apartment is pretty tiny and my table only seats four. So I've invited three church ladies over for breakfast and I'm looking forward to it. These three ladies are the easiest people to talk to. Seriously, when you are with them, they all make you feel like they care, want to know more, and desire to help in any way they can. I love them all! This is my chance to love on them!

So what is on the menu?
--Pioneer Woman's Quiche
--diced potatos with onions
--canned peaches, which I canned in August but apparently didn't blog about.
--orange juice and coffee

Yummy food...or at least I hope it will be.
Good conversation...probably lots of laughter.
Clean apartment...my apartment is celebrating that people are coming over...it looks so good!

Sounds like a good party to me!

My Current Obsessions

I have found myself the "obsessed"...distracted you might say...habitually focused on a few things that I thought might be worth mulling over with the universe (and anyone who reads this):

1. Coffee. I know, I know. How many times can I talk about my love for coffee? Probably many more to come. It's not a caffeine thing for me...it's the flavor, the depth, the warmth...simply said I love hot drinks and specifically the taste of coffee. Because I could seriously drink it all the time, I find myself thinking about coffee throughout my days.

2. My plants. I have 5 beautiful plants at work. My coworkers call me a "green-thumb." I call it luck. I just haven't killed them yet! I have a tendency to over-water my plants. Anyhow, they seem to be thriving, which I love, but that also makes me much more attentive to them while I'm at work. Every time I turn around (they are all located behind me) or refill my coffee cup or go to the bathroom, I look/admire/reflect on them..."do they need more water? when did I last water them? I don't want to over-water them! I need to buy a trellis. the poor plant needs more support. should I re-pot this plant in a bigger planter?" etc, etc, etc.

3. Blogs. I'm addicted. There! I've admitted it. Every workday morning, I have to take time to peruse anywhere from 8-12 different blogs. Witty, charming, interesting, thought-provoking, emotional. These people have become individuals I love even though almost all don't know me from a hole in the wall. The problem comes when I find a new blog that I want to read...I seriously don't need more...I think 12 is enough. Right?

4. Michael Buble. I love him....sigh! I wouldn't really call him an obsession...just more of an occasional distraction. However, he has permission to croon to me any time he wants. I love his voice and he is beautiful to look at. (Can I vent here a bit? I would love.Love.LOVE to see this beautiful man in concert but the last time he came to Seattle, the cheapest tickets were extremely far away and still cost approximately $60! I think I'd be willing to pay $30-40 but $60? I couldn't do it. But guess what? The concert sold out...so much so, that they added a second concert which also sold out. Evidently there are many individuals who will pay $60. I guess I must be content to merely listen at home or in my car...sigh!)

It wouldn't be impressive if I listed another 5 obsessions so I'll just stop here! Whew! I so glad to have these four off my chest though! However, intervention is not needed, thank-you-very-much. I rather like these four obsessions.

Coffee Snob

How does one stop being a coffee snob?

I am such a person. I know part of the snobbery is purely a mental thing. If Folgers is stamped on the bag, the word "instant," or if the coffee comes in a can, my nose goes up an inch (or two). I can drink about a cup of it but I don't enjoy it. It simply does not taste good. However give me coffee beans, nicely roasted, pretty much from any bulk company, and I become a happy, contented coffee drinker.

Has the great Starbucks spoiled me? Has going to Starbucks and other various coffee shops and espresso stands trained my taste buds to be disgusted with anything "cheap?" OR am I right to know that there is a significant difference, in taste and quality, because after all, I have had the privilege to roast many a coffee bean! I have worked in a coffee shop! Maybe I should be proud of such snobbery! I can distinguish a good coffee flavor...hear, hear!!

Here's what I'm afraid of though. God has called me to be a missionary. Missionaries sometimes have to live with things that are different from what is readily available in the USA. What if God calls me somewhere where coffee only comes in a can? ...gasp... What will I do? So back to my first question...how does one stop being a coffee snob?

Is there a 12-step program for such people?

A New Love Language

I have discovered a new love language to go along with Gary Chapman's The Five Love Languages (or maybe it's just MY love language).

One of my love languages is Coffee...yes, coffee.

I love drinking coffee.
I love anybody who buys me coffee.
I love relationships that grow over coffee times.

Does this count?

The Great Introduction...or something like that

I've been holding off on typing something in attempts to think of something good and meaningful. Something that will reflect me to you. Something that is interesting enough about me that random people might think "hey, she sounds interesting...let's keep reading..." I give up!

So let me introduce key element of myself:

I am a coffee drinker! I love my coffee and you bound to hear that a time or two.
I love to cook...it is a stress reliever for me and just plain fun.
I'm a food broker-customer service person (aka no one knows what I do)
I collect Starbucks mugs which means I'll never run out of mugs. I have over 30 from all over the world.
I obviously enjoy traveling. I've been to 13 countries, I think, which isn't a lot in the scheme of things.
I'm a student...working on my Master's degree (aka still a poor college student).
Lastly, and most importantly, I'm a person called by God to serve Him throughout my life!

So anyways, here's my first blog. I don't know how consistent I'll be but I'll try my best.