So I'm out of the drug biz

Today was my last day at the coffee shop. Thanks to everyone that made a special trip to say good bye and to all the regulars that wished me well. I have flowers sitting on my table from Terry and cupcakes from Frank. Lots of hugs and "I didn't know it was your last day!"

Mackenzie was great - she knows I don't like a big to-dos with goodbyes, so I left the shop with a see ya later and she said the same. I then realized I forgot to clock out, so I went back in...arg! I always forget something!

Packing more stuff for Bloomington. I'm staying there between now and the end of semester instead of hanging around Carbondale. There will be a final trip to move things once D is done with class, but for the most part, I'm out. Thats the plan. I'm pretty excited.

Back to the Grind

I'm home.

I started back at Common Grounds yesterday, happy to be pulling shots. People kept coming in with, "hey you're back!" Everyone thought it had been three months since I left. Did it really seem that long to them?

The sink is broken, the lights aren't fixed, and things I used to deep clean seem to have been a bit neglected. But that's my job - cleaning the underbelly of the shop.

We were working long days in Juneau. Really long days sometimes. But I can take those types of hours way better than working a counter for 8. The morning rush was great - keeping me energized and working out the cobwebs in my barista parts. But once the midday lull started and crept to the afternoon... painful.


Spokane was a great stop on the way back. It was short, but much needed. My parents are really great people - my dad time and mom time was relaxing, and I was able to work out some ideas I've been rolling around in my head. Phone calls aren't anything like real face time. I also got to see my dear friend Rena. Rena! I love Rena.

The cats are happy to see me - Baxter in my lap right now in fact. Comma has totally mellowed out in the six weeks I've been gone. I think the heat had her stuck in a funk, but now that the highs are in the 60's and the nights are downright chilly, she is down right snugly. This is much more like her hometown Portland weather.

Workin' shoes!

I'm not really into shoes. I can count all the shoes I own on my two hands (that includes the rain galoshes). When I started working at the Hound (in 2006) I found a pair of shoes that worked perfectly for me. Made by Privo, red, and after a full day of work and play, my delicate tootsies wouldn't be screaming at me. Now that I'm back in a cafe, standing for 8hrs+, it was time to retire the old Privos for a newer version. Ta da! Orange Privos!

The old ones held up well, but as you can see from the pic below, they are gross. Coffee, milk, syrup splatter and all sorts of cleaning products have found their way on to my shoes, and after wearing my new pair for the first time last night, I couldn't be happier to give respect to Reds and bury them.

This little shopping spree was also the first time I had used Zappos.com. I found the orange ones around the beginning of January, but couldn't justify getting them until now. Free shipping is wonderful. I came home on my lunch break yesterday to check on the cat situation, and just as I was leaving to go back to work, the friendly UPS man came to the door and dropped off the goods. I was tired and sore and not wanting to finish my shift after the crazy cat business that happened yesterday, but after putting these little refreshing, comfy goodies on my feet I was fine for the last three hours.

Getting along fine, thanks.

Work is great. People that have seen me around this week and last have warmed up a bit. Those that I've made drinks for are even more open to chatting. Today I met a man named Mike who was wearing a Boundry Bay Brewing hat. I asked if he was passing through Bellingham when he picked it up, or if he was from that area. "I still own a house in Bellingham! How do you know of the town?" That is where I went to college. It never ceases to amaze me how small the world can be sometimes.

I also met Tina, who loves to garden, and Sabastian, who didn't talk to me until today - forgoing the usual brow crinkle and grunt in exchange for, "I like the way you make my drink."

Andrea just finished her third master's degree and has no idea what she is going to do next. She goes to the gym every morning, sans Sunday, until she figures something out. Frank is snarky. Jason sits in the corner for about six hours a day working on his dissertation. Sam likes his cinnamon roll heated for 33 seconds. Barb is the no-foam latte.

I'm talking to people and I'm starting to feel like a member of the community. At some point I'm sure there will be some people that will eventually be my friends, but until then, I'm happy to learn their drink and regain my barista multitasking skills. My feet still hurt at the end of every day, which I'm not thinking will change, and it is proof I'm doing something again.

No pictures of work, but I have images from my birthday. It was a pretty great/relaxing birthday.

This is my birthday cake. German Chocolate from scratch. Yum.

My evening: watching football. Next to it is my birthday card from Dan.

This is my Dan hanging out with my Kodak