Away from it All

Well, I turned 25. Thank goodness Mr. Camping and his cronies miscalculated. At least now I'll have 5 months to live as a member of the quarter century club. AND I lived to see my little Hermione molt for the first time! (At least I hope that's why she has buried herself in the sand.) Hermit crabs are supposed to molt on a somewhat regular basis, and neither of mine have done so since I've adopted them last fall. So I'm glad to see that Hermione, at least, is on track. Dimitri seems to be fairly active, though, so I'm not too worried about him. Can you tell I'm a proud mother?

So we've had some pretty severe weather up here in no-man's-land. We lost power from about 8 last night until sometime this morning or afternoon. And then it went out again for a couple hours tonight. Of course, it's nothing compared to Lauren's latest ordeals. But still, for northern PA, it's something out of the ordinary. We've had high winds, hail, torrential rain, and lots of thunder and lightening.

I've actually kind of enjoyed it. Thank God nothing too severe has happened in my general vicinity. No injuries of deaths that I've heard about. Tonight when the power went out I was home alone. I could have figured out how to turn on the generator, I suppose. But I didn't have any overwhelming desire to do so. Instead I left my computer and the television behind and just sat out on the porch, enjoying the storm. I listened to the rain and felt the wind on my face. A couple of baby squirrels joined me under the refuge of the porch roof, not sensing that I was there. I felt at peace. My phone was out of hearing range, and the internet and computer were not calling for my attention. It was a chance to just lie back and enjoy nature and the peace it brings. I can't say that I had any major revelations or moments of enlightenment, but I guess in a way it was a recharging period that I sorely needed; especially after two hectic days at work (a boil water advisory is not a pleasant thing for the food industry, FYI).

I have to say I was a little disappointed when my parents came home and turned on the generator. It was nice not having to worry about who was trying to contact me, or what I was missing in the digital world. So I went upstairs and took a bath by candlelight. That was the most relaxed I've been in "many moons" (to recall my childhood days in Indian Guides). I guess what I'm trying to say is that it's nice to be forced to step away from the modern world for a while. To be forced to spend some time with your own thoughts, dealing with those nagging issues and dilemmas that have been pushed aside by the many demands of the digital age.

Perhaps it's something I should force myself to do every once in a while, rather than waiting for severe weather to make it necessary. Perhaps we all should attempt this now and again.

Or maybe that's just the introvert in me talking. ;)

Coffee, Coffee!

If I can't take my coffee break,
Gone is the sense of enterprise
All gone, and something within me dies. 

"Coffee Break" - How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

 I want to tell you about my love of coffee. I used to think it was gross. Bitter, nasty, disgusting. I couldn't understand how my dad could drink it every day. I swore that I would never like it...never even drink the stuff! I would get my caffeine from soda, thank you very much. Sweet, refreshing, bubbly soda. None of that dark, bitter sludge.

I can't tell you when exactly this started to change. But sometime in college. I became a bit more educated in what exactly was in soda, and how bad it was for you. So I pretty much stopped drinking it. I'll have some every once in a while now, but generally the thought of it makes me a little queasy. I can feel my teeth enamel eroding and my stomach sizzling with acid as the sugary syrup streams out of the straw.

And suddenly coffee didn't seem so bad. With enough sugar and cream it was even tolerable. And before long, it became more than tolerable; it was desirable. I enjoyed drinking it. After that first sip, you barely even taste the bitterness. It gives me the energy to get through the day with a smile on my face and a skip in my step. It helped me clear my head at 11 p.m. as I started a 10-page paper due the next morning (okay, so I was never actually that bad...but I did have some procrastination issues). And so, against my strongest childhood assertions, I became a coffee-drinker.

And then I started working at the cafe. And I discovered a whole new side to coffee. There is a sense of power and altruism in knowing that I can prepare the perfect drink to get someone through a long day. I can make something that will cheer them up or meet a need. I don't even really need to think while I work. Muscle memory is a great thing. There isn't a 30-second period anywhere else in my life quite like the time it takes to steam milk for someone's afternoon latte. I can just stand there, knowing I'm making someone's day (and they're paying me to do it!). And I don't have to do anything else--I can't do anything else. I can't rush the steamer, and no one expects me to. They're willing to wait. Because they know it's worth it. They, too, have come to understand the power of coffee.

I wouldn't have it any other way.


(Check out my newest book post here.)