It’s a pleasant feeling to come into a coffeehouse you haven’t visited in a while and the barista recognizes you, says “Hey, you haven’t been around lately” and still remembers your drink of choice. Thanks Exotic Java.
Coffeehouse observation No. 176
I’m sitting outside Exotic Java with a Red Eye – coffee with a double shot of espresso, not the medical condition – checking email, LinkedIn and Facebook, and enjoying the clear blue sky and gentle breeze. Except for the exhaust from the passing traffic, it’s not a bad place to be.
Coffeehouse observation No. 175
Spotted my new very favorite service – coffee delivery van. They deliver coffee to offices and other gatherings. I don’t think you can go wrong with a service like that.
Coffeehouse observation No. 174
I skipped the coffeehouse today and now am regretting it. I’m struggling to keep my eyelids open. … And I’m listening to Dana Owens and she’s singing “Close Your Eyes.” I just can’t win.
Coffeehouse observation No. 173
Knitting is not a lost art. Some traditions continue. There is a young woman – early 20s, I’m guessing – who is sitting on the couch at the coffeehouse knitting. Another young woman – also in her early 20s – has been in empresso before knitting. Juxtapose the laptop computers and techno music is a little odd, perhaps, but not too much.
Coffeehouse observation No. 172
Want to know about the origins of the phrase “cup of joe”? Yahoo! Answers asked the question and someone pointed them in the direction of the U.S. Navy website on naval traditions. We use “cup of joe” because:
“Josephus Daniels (May 18, 1862-January 15, 1948) was appointed Secretary of the Navy by President Woodrow Wilson in 1913. Among his reforms of the Navy were inaugurating the practice of making 100 Sailors from the Fleet eligible for entrance into the Naval Academy, the introduction of women into the service, and the abolishment of the officers’ wine mess. From that time on, the strongest drink aboard Navy ships could only be coffee and over the years, a cup of coffee became known as ‘a cup of Joe.’”
http://www.navy.mil/navydata/traditions/html/navyterm.html#joe
Now we all know where it comes from.
Coffeehouse observation No. 171
Lovey-dovey couples in the coffeehouse are annoying to a guy who hasn’t had a date in a while. I’m just saying.
Coffeehouse observation No. 170
People are escaping the triple-digit heat of the San Joaquin Valley by coming into empresso for a cold drink. I’ve been here all day doing the very same thing.
Coffeehouse observation No. 169
Small worlds come together in the coffeehouse. There is a woman at a nearby table talking to a guy and the conversation is about Mendocino on California’s North Coast and the area around Bridgeport, Calif., including the ghosttown Bodie and nearby Yosemite National Park.
My first job as a newspaper editor was in the town of Mendocino. I could stand up at my desk and look out onto the Pacific Ocean. I was paid horribly, but there were benefits to living in such a beautiful area.
And for years friends and I camped at a placed called Annette’s Mono Village on Twin Lakes just outside of Bridgeport. Annette’s is on the backside of Yosemite. Again, a beautiful, beautiful places.
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Coffeehouse observation No. 168
The playlist at the coffeehouse included Isaac Hayes’ “Shaft.” I nearly hared the lyrics with my Facebook friends, but realized that some of the words might be words and phrases have a different meaning today. Ah, well, it is all about context.
Coffeehouse observation No. 166
The educational system in this country is letting down a lot of people. A guy in empresso just now commented on my hat – Boston Red Sox cap – and I said that I had grown up in New England.
“Oh, really! I’ve heard there’s a lot of great music in the UK.”
“No, I grew up in NEW England. Not the UK.”
“What’s the difference?”
“New England. It’s made up of the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.”
“Oh …”
For crying out loud, people! New England and the Atlantic states are the R&D labs for this experiment called the United States of America. It is a hugely important part of this country.
Coffeehouse observation No. 165
The hot temperatures mean I’ve switched to iced green tea. Doesn’t have the same punch as coffee. Ah, well. …
Unemployment takes a toll | The Reporter, Vacaville, Calif.
[The newspaper where I worked for more than 13 years and where I served as the opinion page editor for several years was gracious enough to publish a commentary I wrote in the paper's Sunday Op-Ed section. There is a typo at the beginning of the second sentence of the online version of the piece, which I'm guessing happened when they converted it for the website. Please ignore the X. Thanks. -- KM]
Unemployment takes a toll – The Reporter
Coffeehouse observation No. 164
Stockton, you never fail to dazzle and amaze. … A man in his 60s or 70s just walked into the coffeehouse wearing a very short skirt. And, no, it in no way resembled a kilt. … He looks a little bit like Walter Matthau.
Coffeehouse observation No. 163
A teen girl at the coffeehouse has on shiny silver sneakers with silver wings. Seriously. I would not lie about silvery winged sneakers.
Coffeehouse observation No. 162
Free WiFi at the coffeehouse does you little good if you have a short in your power cord. Thanks HP.
