Starbucks, what happened to you?

It used to be my favorite coffee caffe when I lived in Seattle. The smell of a fresh grind, the cozy leather arm chairs, the warm glow of a fireplace and great jazz. I would read, then write in my journal, watch the customers and sip my double espresso with steamed breva. I was content to be wrapped in one of many perfect moments. Often, a person sitting close would comment on something I was reading or I would make reference outloud about how good the coffee tastes or "isn't it a lovely day" and a conversation would ensue. Beautiful memories of a simpler time. No cell phones, no iPads, books and journals were the things you treasured. I loved the covers, the lined paper redolent of an old bookstore.

But alas, in life there are no constants. Thing change.  Now the cafes have moved out the comfy chairs replaced with hard chairs and tables, they don't grind beans each time they make a beverage, they don't pull shots and most every order looks more like whip cream dessert with maybe a little coffee in it to fill up the cup.

People with heads down, no eye contact, barely a smile. We have created a society the doesn't connect with one another, but insists on sitting among one another. Why? Just stay home. Coffee is cheaper, no lines, no distractions. I make a better espresso than most cafes in Boise except Cafe 'darte. My bread is fresh baked, my spreads are all organic, my soups are homemade, I can build a huge fire and do not have to fight to get a window seat. There must be a reason why people still show up at these watering holes. We must need the connection, but when we have the opportunity we don't look up, unless it is a friend you haven't seen for awhile who shows up. Nice surprise, so you sit across from one another checking your phones in between conversations about themselves. When was the last time your friend has asked you how you are doing and then takes a moment to listen to what you have to share, before starting in on their own wild and captivating adventures with way too much detail. Before you answer just a minute, I got a text and need to respond right now.

 Don't get me wrong I like my iPad and iphone too, but I like people more, or I did until social media set a new standard of antisocial behavior.

Human Being

Day off today. Fire inside today. I love the warmth of the fire and the feeling safe in my home.

Learned something this weekend.

I have been very tired for months, but had a long weekend, so I thought I would take a trip out of town. After getting up early to get all the things done I needed to do around the house, doctor apps, lawn care, laundry, food shopping, etc. before I left, I then preparing for the trip, it was afternoon, by the time I got everything done. Now it is too late to just take a day trip, better pack a sleeping bag, no places available to stay where I am going, so wasn't sure if I was sleeping in a  tent or on someone's floor. Will figure it out when I get there I thought.

Now my back ached, I was hungry and totally worn out. Drove part way to Mountain Home (a lovely drive), turned around, came home, unpacked (took a lot less time) and took a nap. I enjoyed the rest of the day doing nothing.

So, here's the lesson, I decided to stop pushing myself, I can't keep up anymore. I surrender! I want to be a human being not a human doing (first time I heard that it was from my dear friend JoLinda many years ago). It still resonates with me.

I thought why can't I do this anymore?

When I was playing music I had a lot of free time to do take trips and do work on my art and music projects, but full time work changes all that as most of you know, unless you are retired (good for you), So, the gift I give myself now is relaxation and time to contemplate how blessed I am, cooking at home and writing and walks along our beautiful river. Don't have to drive far to experience great Nature walks, etc.

Fall days always makes me feel the most at peace. Maybe it is the cool mornings and how the Sun takes on a warmer glow as it changes its position in the sky from summer to fall.

So, for me over this long weekend has reminded me once again to take it easy, It's not a competition. I don't have to keep up. I am happy in a state of not doing!

Thanks for listening or not. That's okay too! 😉.
Have a beautiful day all!

Clean for a Day!

Well, I did it! I got through the screening everyone dreads. The cleansing that makes you starve for a day an a half and forces you to drink a gallon of what I now like to refer to as Gatorlax.

Lemonade will never taste the same to me again. Lemons should never have to affiliate with Gatorade. And the not eating, how much fun is that? I can get busy and forget to eat until the afternoon on a work day, but tell me I can't eat for 24 hrs, and I am starving at 6:00 am.

I chose to prep on Super Bowl Sunday, so every other minute a food commercial was staring me in the face, reminding me of how delicious pizza taste with a cold microbrew. I was sipping chicken broth at the time and for a moment I though I smelled garlic wafting from my cup. The mind plays terrible tricks on you. I stared at my dog watching her eat her breakfast and wondering if dog food would count as real food. They didn't say anything in the instructions about not eating kibble. But, I guess those little crunchy morsels might end up looking like polps, so I distracted myself with a mango flavoured popcycle.

 At hour number eight, my stomach started making noises that sound like the mating call of a Howler Monkey. Then the pounding of the 32 oz of liquid begins every ten minutes until you finish the bottle. You wait and then in a dramatic moment the cleaning begins. Run! Don't look back.

"Get out of the way," I scream at the dog who had decided to take a nap in front of the door between me and loo. Whew! Okay, I can do this!  So, I went to bed early, though the process continued. I fell asleep for an hour then I was up again for at 4:00am for round two of my very own Super Bowl.

Morning finally came, my sis-in-law arrived to pick me up. We chatted for a bit, and then my dog decided to throw up right before we headed out the door. Oh did I mention that I was having muscle pain in my hip, so grabbing the dog and getting her outside was not something I was going to be able to do without a good hip for leverage. My sis got ahold of the pup and got her outside. I was on my knees cleaning up the mess and wondering if this was a some indication of how the rest of my day was going to go.

We made it on time, though finding the clinic was also a fun adventure.  I guess they like to build digestive clinics off  the main roads, so that passers by aren't reminded every time they head to work that a screening is in their future. This one, of course, was buried behind a Starbucks and a Mexican restaurant, so again with the food references.

I registered and was escorted to my cubby where I was instructed to remove everything but my bra and put on a gown. "Please leave the back open,"Candy the surgical nurse told me. "Okay!" I said, "Didn't know you could close the back of a hospital gown. Why the bra stays on made me wonder, do
they think having breasts unencumbered might be a distraction to the doctor. Could they not see that my perky breasts could not possible hinder his efforts during the exam especially since he'd be working mostly at the other end?

The nurse came in and I told her my veins roll. She said not on my watch! She stabbed me with the needle, hooked me up to the IV, then off we went full tilt to the examination room. I told the doc to "please be kind to my behind" and then I was asked to count backwards from 100. So, I started 100, 9...

I woke up. It seemed that only a few minutes had passed. It was all over. Food, was the first thing on my mind. Didn't care about the results, didn't care about my back pain, didn't care that I had my boots on the wrong feet, just get me a waffle and coffee! I ate with voracious enthusiasm, savouring ever bite.  Then the bill came and after a brief review, I said, "$15.00 for one waffle, two eggs and coffee? Wow! Now that's a reeming I'll never forget."

Baileys and Coffee

What says winter better than Baileys and Coffee? Nothing.