In the cold of winter

This photo is a reminder of warmth, Art Deco, and endless amounts of sunshine. (It is of Miami Beach, Florida from July 2007.) It is also a reminder there are exotic and warm places in the world and that my sister who lived in Florida has now relocated to the cold civilization that is Manhattan. *Sigh.* I suppose one can't live in Florida forever. Is it possible to get tired, or bored of having constant sunshine and warmth? I've pondered this before but haven't found an answer. So if anyone from Florida happens to read this entry and has particular insight on this issue, please share. I am in the process of uploading old photos onto flickr and will continue to do so for the next few days.

I am also finished with the entire The Sunday Philosophy Club and The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series. I have started on The 44 Scotland Street series. Right now my first impressions are: Poor Bertie. Parents need to just let their kids be kids, even if this means things tend to be messy or awkward or your child doesn't master Calculus by the age of six... Wait until the child is seven, at least!

Good Cop, Bad Cop

I have to keep a close eye on the new workers, who are quite unpredictable and do not always have an understanding of what means it means to be a coffee barista. You see, after working at the café that employs me for a period of years I have moved into a position of seniority or supervision, which actually doesn’t change my job title or pay dramatically. (Don’t worry, this is not my future career.) However, it does mean I have to sometimes play the role of Good Cop, Bad Cop. This requires a delicate balance of when to appear all smiles and when to frown.

There is a new worker who has fallen into a routine of showing up 20-30 minutes late for every single shift. He repeated this behavior just last week and while I stared at the clock, knowing he would most likely arrive at any minute, I concluded I would have to say something. The official manager had talked to him concerning his tardiness in the past but obviously this warning did not sink in. When someone is late it often means we become short staffed and often this brings about complete chaos. After all, no customer wants to wait for their coffee.

He arrived, at long last, rushing in at full speed and throwing aside his personal items. I looked at his face, which was terrified and on the verge of tears, and I immediately knew he was waiting for my words. “Look, you can’t show up late and expect to keep working here…”

I had planned to play Bad Cop that day but immediately knew I needed to change tactics.

“How are you?” I asked. And, he went on to tell me about his horrible day. When it was over I smiled and said, “Don’t worry about it. I hope you feel better,” and we returned to work.

I didn’t say anything about his tardiness. I didn’t resort to scolding. I did, what I believed, was the right thing to do at the time. I felt very good about it because I knew it was what management would say was the wrong thing to do. How can you stand by and allow workers to show up late and then pat them on the back rather than sending them home! How is a business supposed to function or profit with negligent workers in place! Well, you know, I’m not very interested in business matters and I’d probably make a horrible Bad Cop but I can do Good Cop and sometimes it is best to stick with what you know.

Current consumption

Enjoying on the WWW:
This post from Loose Tea.

I am sick of the "Yes, I can" campaign. I would rather Obama talked about his plans as a presidential candidate (if any plans do in fact exist) rather than chant this phrase endlessly. Also, "borrowing" lines is a big deal. If the words aren't your own, don't steal them and use them in a speech that is meant to inspire others.



Eating:
Burgers and fries from Sidetrack.



Reading:

In the Company of Cheerful Ladies by Alexander McCall Smith.



Listening to:
Barnes & Noble's Meet the Writers Podcast. So far, I've listened to the following interviews: David Sedaris, Yann Martel, Alexander McCall Smith and Frank McCourt.



Watching:

Lost Season 4. Who is Jacob? Where is Walt and Michael? Is Patchy still alive? I hope this season brings some real answers.



Waiting for:
Warm weather. The end of Winter. Being in NYC in the Spring.

When shopping is painful

My boyfriend spends nearly every day at the gym. If not every day, then every other day. Sometimes he sleeps there overnight in order to get in more time. This also guarantees he’ll be first in line for the machines he prefers to use. Meanwhile, I have no interest in going to the gym. Oh, I know it would be good for me… I could easily benefit from an active lifestyle, one that involved matching gym clothes and sweating to my favorite music courtesy of my microscopic iShuffle but I am, in fact, quite busy and capable of finding other things to do with the free time I have.

Because it has been a very cold winter, one that has forced me to favor being indoors 99% of the time, and because I haven’t been following any particular exercise routine, I find going into any clothing store at the moment to be quite painful. You see, spring wear is out at the moment and with this comes swimwear. And, after freezing to death outside one really doesn’t want to walk into a store and immediately be confronted with images such as this:



And, let's be honest, in Michigan no one will be looking that skinny come spring and summer. Simply add about 20 pounds or so and then you’ll be closer to reality. For me, you will only need to add 5 pounds (*Cough, cough*). Also, I would never wear a bracelet to the beach but obviously this girl is more flashy than I am.


* The swimsuit featured in this post is from J.Crew.

How I would spend Valentine's Day if I were single

Many of my single friends who are spending Valentine's Day alone have expressed considerable bitterness at the mention of today. So, you know, I thought I would rub salt in the wounds and compile a post about what I would be doing today if I were a single gal myself. Because although I'm fond of the boyfriend (who I imagine is looking into renting the Taj Mahal in order to declare his love today) I do believe I could survive Valentine's Day on my own. Here is everything I would do (although I admit some of these tasks may require more time):



1. I would have tea with my sisters and discuss the news of the day. Perhaps Victorian attire would be worn as shown in the photo above. (I look most like the one in the middle. I even style my hair that way. Every morning.)

2. I would go to a movie theater and finally take in the film, Atonement.

3. I would go to the store and buy myself something pretty, or cute. Maybe something to wear in Spring, which I'm telling myself is just around the corner.

4. I would treat myself to Mari's New York brownies.

5. I would Tango dance with my roommate. She is an expert and has tried pushing me in this direction for some time now. And yes, she knows both parts.

6. I would compile a collection of my favorite love songs. Or I would simply listen to David Gray.

7. I would read up on Emily Post etiquette even though etiquette in the year 2008 is essentially dead.

8. I would spend all day bathing in rose water. (Actually, this would probably last five minutes as I tend to get bored while taking baths. Who has the time for such things?)

9. I would spend time in Scotland at The Elephant House.

10. I would spend all day reading this particular author, of course, because I don't read enough of him already.



*The photo in this post is courtesy of Getty Images.

Meeting The Poet

For one of my courses my Anthropology instructor invited a guest speaker to come in and talk to the class. She selected a poet and once I heard these words I was immediately intrigued. (I love meeting all authors but rarely meet poets. Also, poetry has a sort of romantic edge to it, so how I could not be intrigued?) When The Poet arrived I quickly had to tell myself, “Do not judge, do not judge,” for his appearance was quite… shabby. Of course, being a tormented poet may warrant such appearance and writing poetry doesn’t necessarily give one the luxury of paying bills, or having clean clothes to put on. I tried to keep an open mind, nonetheless, and proceeded to listen to the worst advice ever in regard to writing. Here are a few examples:

Don’t stress over word choice. Any word will do.
Edit your own work. Avoid editors.
Don’t set a schedule for writing. Instead, let it be random.
Don’t write daily.
Don’t seek out an agent. Instead, use your own money to go through a self-publishing company.
Talk to a friend about getting published in New York because said friend has connections and might be able to get you a spot.

There is more but I’ll leave it at that. I realize there is no one correct way to becoming a writer and what works for one writer may not work for another. However, writing is a discipline and successful writers tend to treat it as such. Word choice matters. One should write daily (or frequently, at the least). Agents are useful. You can’t sit around and be lazy; expecting that one day you’ll be a hit and your work will be read by anyone other than the people who personally know you.

It seems The Poet, although rich with advice, has never been published except by means of using a small scale self-publishing company. He works a full-time job, which is respectable, and in his free time writes poetry. He shared his complete life story with us, which surprisingly revolved around dropping out of college, getting and staying wasted, and a short-lived stint in San Fran before returning home penniless.

When his presentation ended my instructor asked politely, “Do you have a ride?” He answered, “Yes,” and let us know his younger sibling would be picking him up. At this point I was quite confused about the whole event. I’ve met small scale writers before (often while working at my former job, the bookstore) but even in these cases the writers had acquired some degree of success or at least they had it somewhat “together.” Was the lesson here: Avoid the life of a poet? Or: There is no money to be made in poetry? I’m not certain what the lesson is, or why my instructor chose him rather than someone who has achieved some degree of success.

On a side note, Alexander McCall Smith writes on a daily basis. He also wears a traditional Scottish kilt and appears polished for his book tours. I imagine he would shower before meeting fans, too, and I would argue the taking of showers can be incredibly helpful... And necessary.

Danger, danger*

Which sport is the most dangerous: bullriding at a Rodeo in the United States, or traditional bullfighting in Spain? One might even argue that The Running of the Bulls in Pamplona is the most dangerous of these activities. My roommate, The One From Spain, and I discussed this matter last night. She is from Barcelona and is not a fan of bullfighting but has been to several bullfighting matches in the past. Her boyfriend, who is from Turkey, even tried convincing her that they should take part in The Running of the Bulls, to which she said, "No." It seems she is in favor of keeping her limbs intact. (Smart girl.) Of course, Hemingway would have probably been right there with her boyfriend. Or, he would have taken enough photos to make it appear so.


*The Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin, would often recite these words throughout his show. One mention of "danger" is not enough to drive the point home. One must say the word twice in order to emphasize the seriousness of the issue. "Danger, danger" is far more effective than a simple "danger."

Around 10:30 last night

The night was winding down, customers were few, and so my longtime coworker, K, and I began going over all the necessary gossip. Standing around for hours can be exhausting and there comes a point in the night in which there is nothing left to do. No pots of coffee to brew, no counters to wipe down, no restocking of cream or sugar. Until closing time one can only wait and if no customer appears, this waiting can be tiresome. So, it is natural that gossip (or conversation, if you will) should take over. I am fond of K, we are of similar ages and although she is an avid smoker (I am not) and a bit more carefree than I am (meaning: she is a party girl who spends her weekends at the bar), we have quite a few things in common. We were in the midst of our most recent topic, the current election and our disgust for the endless supply of Hillary hatred (If you don't know what I'm talking about then I suggest you read this thoughtful article), when a customer interrupted our conversation.

"Unfortunately, someone has to win," he sneered and walked off as if he had just made the most brilliant statement ever.

I looked at him as he walked away. How could I not? He had interrupted my conversation. He looked to be in his early 20s, with shaggy, flowing hair, and K jumped in to describe him as a "hippie." Well, he was wearing Native American-looking boots with fringes that swayed as he moved and his patched clothing was snug on his frail body. Also, I got the impression he hadn't showered for days, or weeks even, so maybe one could describe him as a "hippie" if that is what the modern hippie has become (Has it? I don't know). What struck me, however, is first the rudeness. He interrupted my conversation, after all, and secondly: the attitude. If he had stayed around longer I would have replied, "Yes, because apathy is the solution to politics."

Or maybe I wouldn't have said anything at all. Often the angry, apathetic young man (or woman) is simply seeking attention and wants to create a response from others. In these cases it is best to ignore the behavior and give the person a few years to work out their issues or to figure out that there are better ways of interacting with others than going around and throwing out cynical statements to the world.

Perhaps what really bothers me about his statement is the fact apathy has become a common trend, or a religion in its own right. I imagine this young man views the political system with cynicism and disgust, or perhaps he is deeply angry that only two parties have political power in an election and if you don't find a party to represent your own views your voice is largely silenced in the process. Or, perhaps the young man hasn't given politics much thought at all but has better things to do, such as update his MySpace or meet with friends over drinks (and, perhaps such activities are more entertaining than listening to Obamarama or Ann Coulter whining about McCain). However, whatever his reasons may be, I can't understand how apathy is a worthy solution or how far apathy will get us. ("Us" being the larger society.)

When I put in my vote for the last Presidential election I was filled with hope. Oh, I had the thought, "My candidate might not win and in a few hours from now I'm going to have to listen to my friend Steve B. gloat about it," but I also knew that didn't matter. At least I was doing something powerful, something symbolic, I was putting forth my support in who I wanted to win. I suppose this has a lot to do with my tendency toward optimism and even optimism is dismissed these days as old-fashioned or naive but tell me this: What is the alternative? And where does that alternative lead you?

2008 US Book Tour for Alexander McCall Smith

I realize I am not the only one smitten with Alexander McCall Smith and so I thought I would share his book tour schedule. This is for April 2008 and only includes the United States. If you are elsewhere in the world then you should go here.

Tuesday 15 April: B & N Lincoln Triangle bookstore event, NYC
Wed 16 April: Harvard Bookstore event, Boston
Thursday 17 April: Washington DC Bookstore event
Friday 18 April: Borders Michigan Avenue event, Chicago
Saturday 19 April: Ypsilanti District Library, Detroit*
Monday 21 April: Des Moines Public Library, Des Moines, IA
Wed 23 April: Book Passage event, Corte Madera, San Francisco, CA
Thursday 24 April: Carlsbad City Library, Carlsbad, CA (San Diego area)
Friday 25 April: Powell's Books, Cedar Hills Crossing/Beavertown event, Portland, OR
Saturday 26 April: Pierce County Library, Tacoma, WA
Sunday 27 April: Las Vegas Clark County Library

*I'll be attending.

Quote of the day

"Most Western societies have become quite materialist and have lost a great deal of spirituality. We’ve become very cynical and glib. It’s a loss of belief in anything; if you don’t believe in any values, you become cynical. I don’t have a great taste for pessimism or cynicism. I prefer optimism. I don’t think it’s particularly helpful to be pessimistic. I don’t make it bleak. People wish to be affirmative. Nihilism has infected our view of the world. I see nihilism as being a very undesirable philosophy - you believe in nothing; you think everything is wretched and meaningless." -Alexander McCall Smith

Excerpt from this article.

Fat Tuesday

Paczki recipe. I noticed this year that Starbucks has really been promoting their paczkis. I would suggest going to a bakery instead. (In case you don't know, Starbucks receives all their baked goods frozen in mass quantities and will thaw them out the night before.)

Catholic Roots of Mardi Gras. Also, Frequently Asked Questions About Lent.

I didn't know today was also known as Shrove Tuesday. Did you?

I wondered if there was a such thing as a Lent blog. Apparently there is, Beauty from Chaos will be updated daily throughout Lent 2008. The members seem to be from the UK.

National Geographic: Carnival Celebrated With Blood, Mud & Glitter (Photo Gallery).

While at work

The coffee shop I work at (sometimes known as my home away from home) has experienced an influx of new workers. This is to be expected, as we can barely keep up with business as it is (which leads me to wonder about the true state of Michigan’s economy). With the wave of new workers inexperience seems to be a common trend. I walked into work the other day, poured a cup of coffee for a customer, noticed that with the coffee came a surge of coffee grounds and all but panicked. I asked my coworkers (new employees, of course) if they had noticed the grounds inside the coffee pot.

“No, why?”

Apparently they had been serving coffee all day without noticing the grounds seeping through. Apparently countless customers had been served cups of coffee complete with coffee grounds in them. And, apparently my coworkers had no idea this was a problem. When confronted with such a situation it is very difficult to not resort to scolding, panic, or screams. I explained to everyone who was working the importance of NOT SERVING COFFEE WITH COFFEE GROUNDS IN IT and took the next step, which is to write a note for everyone to see.

Here is what I wanted to write:

“Thou shall not serve coffee with coffee grounds in it. This is a mortal sin of which sinners shall not be forgiven.”

Instead I ended up writing the rather obvious:

“Do not serve coffee with coffee grounds in it. If you do, you’re fired.”

Okay, I’m kidding about the fired business. No coffee barista should be fired for serving lousy drinks, should they? And coffee grounds in the coffee, does it really make a difference? I, for one, haven’t tried it so who am I to judge?

Later in my shift I ended up explaining the following items:

"You can not reheat milk that has already been steamed over and over again."

"If you are serving tea, the water for the tea needs to be hot. Cold water won’t do."

"You cannot take off your shirt simply because standing by the espresso machine makes you feel hotter than usual. I don’t want to see your hairy chest, or your Chinese character tattoo."

Cupcakes

I was making cupcakes tonight for my brother A’s birthday, which we plan on celebrating tomorrow. I resorted to using a cake mix and pre-made frosting (the kind that is sold in a tube) and I decorated the tops by spelling out his name. Getting each letter right proved to be a challenge and when I did a sample taste of the final product I was immediately disappointed. The cupcakes tasted okay but, well, they were nothing to write home about. For a few brief moments I considered scratching the whole thing. I could go to the store, Whole Foods probably, and buy the most delicious tasting desert in the world. I wouldn’t pass it off as my own creation. I’d just explain, “I’m a horrible baker but you won’t have to suffer through it because these cupcakes are from somewhere delicious. And they’re organic.” But I stopped myself from doing this because I knew, my sentimental brother who is turning 28, would overlook my poor excuse for cupcakes and probably smile inside because I put forth so much effort. Even if such effort involved one Duncan Hines cake mix.