Foolish in the Crowd: coffee

Showing posts with label coffee. Show all posts

27 December 2013

Palm Reading at Starbucks

The first time my sister and aunt met my best friend was at a weekend getaway to my grandparent's beach cabin. Ever since then, the four of us have been as thick as thieves. Fortunately, today we were able to hang out (without the rest of the family around) at Starbucks and spend some... quality time together.

Among the many topics of discussion arose a new palm-reading application my sister downloaded. I thought I'd share a portion of my results for your enjoyment:

1) Your hand indicates that you like to laugh.
2) Saturn (middle finger) shows that you focus on real world items; usually in an overall manner.
3) Your Mount of Pluto shows that you are highly adept at giving advice to others.
4) Your finger leaning indicates that you make sure to take enough time to seriously think through your decisions.
5) Your thumb shape indicates that you can be very emotional.
6) Your relationship lines suggest that you will have a strong and happy relationship with your partner.
7) Your finger spacing indicates that you will gain authority and rank through your own goals and dreams.
8) Your line of fate shows that you will be successful in whatever you pursue, because you are a very determined person.
9) Your mount of Luna shows that you are slightly egocentric.
10) Your mount of lower Mars shows that you have the ability to over come a large amount of pain.
11) Your Jupiter (index finger) indicates that you are flexible and multi-talented, and who tends to go along with the crowd.
12) Your mount of Venus shows that you have lots of energy and warmth.
13) The second phalange on your thumb indicates that you love pleasurable things like food and drinks.

26 December 2013

Twas the Day After Christmas...

'Twas the day after Christmas and throughout the upstairs, not a person slept in, despite the previous day's affairs.

The wrapping paper, still strewn across the living room floor, made a mess that lead right to the front door.

The Fragoso's were preparing for a full day ahead while Echo, their dog, was nestled sleepily in his bed.

With Toya in her scarf and I in my hat, we got in the car for a nice, lengthy chat -
when out on the street we noted no traffic, we looked at each other as if telepathic.

Away to Seattle we drove like a flash, parked in the parking lot, and thanked God we didn't crash.

The sun arose steadily beneath the Northwest fog, which gave luster to everything just like a short jog.

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a miniature mermaid with two tiny fish tails.

With big wooden doors, so warm and homey,
I knew in a moment it must be the one, the only.

More rapid than eagles my sister and I came, entered, and shouted, and call'd out by name:

"Now latte! Now mocha! Now macchiato and drip! On frappe! On hot tea! On dry cappuccino!"

"Order one of each! Order one not on the wall! Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

A wink from a barista's eye and a twist of his head soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And fill'd all the coffee cups; then turn'd with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose
And giving a nod, above the counter he rose.

He sprung to his feet, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew, like the down of a thistle:
But I heard him exclaim, ere he vanished out of sight —
Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

The End.

03 November 2013

Daylight Savings Time? More Like Daylight Time.

Well today was slow-going... I was very grateful for the added hour of sleep, because otherwise I would have been in sleep debt an hour. It is interesting that one of the most associated topics with Daylight Savings Time is sleep. Coincidentally, sleep and rest are topics we will be covering this week in our Foundations course.

I am not quite sure I remember the actual purpose of Daylight Savings Time and I would not think of boring anyone with a history lesson, however I am concerned with the thought of the consequences of Daylight Savings Time. I understand enough about sleep to discern that a change in perception of time can disturb sleeping patterns. As a person that typically experiences difficulty falling asleep, I wonder if it will make it easier to fall asleep.

I am also one of those people that gets drowsy as the lights fade into darkness. Will I hibernate this year? Only time will tell... For now, I will advise everyone not to rue the Pacific Northwest winter weather because of the related sluggishness and depression it causes. Definitely take it into account and combat it with an increasing use of lights and an appropriate amount of caffeine, just as I will.

24 October 2013

Thankful Thursday

It seems as though I have spent far too much time complaining/discussing things I do not like and not appreciating/endorsing things I do like. So, without further ado, I introduce the first Thankful Thursday! ("A month before Thanksgiving? She's crazy." you say? BA HUMBUG.) I will simply write a list of little things that I am especially thankful for.

sleeping in a whopping 25 minutes
finding/playing the fishing game on the rowing machine at the gym
taking a 20 minute nap
having a nice, warm cup of coffee
seeing the gorgeous weather and colors of nature outside
getting my prescription refilled within less than 10 minutes
being complimented for my shirt
running late without causing any trouble
eating a fresh carrot and tomato spinach salad with a slice of bread and an apple for dinner
figuring out why my resident was anxious around me
(subsequently) putting my resident to bed
receiving support from the CNAs and LPN at clinical
finding out an assignment is due later than I thought

Some of them are not very exciting, but each event made me happy today and I thought I would share some of my happiness. That is all.

22 September 2013

AIDS Walk Portland 2013: Generosity

Today was beyond memorable - I attended my first AIDS Walk where I met many people, drank lots of coffee, and yelled my lungs out. IT WAS AWESOME.

To start off my day, I went to mass where I was greeted warmly by a fellow parishioner, Ernest. Then I walked to Starbucks to get breakfast (I would have eaten beforehand, but sleep was more enticing) where I coincidentally met another fellow parishioner, Mark, who works there. He paid for my breakfast bagel!

Anyway, once I arrived at the actual event, I was in such a good mood that nothing could have rained on my parade. Literally. It didn't. Rain on the parade, I mean. We were really fortunate with the weather, because almost as soon as most of the tents and supplies were packed away, it poured.

I signed in, got my bright yellow (or neon banana as I like to call it), and was ushered straight to the food tent. CAP was very generous with the food options and coffee distribution! I wandered around, greeting fellow volunteers and complimenting walkers' costumes (and occasionally photo-bombing peoples' selfies - true story). After I had photographed the most adorable puppies - Chuchi and Guerrita - I saw a volunteer sitting by herself with a cup of coffee and decided to introduce myself.

"Are you volunteering by yourself too?"

"Yes! Let's be best friends!"

...And that is how I became fast friends with Lauren. She had participated in the AIDS Walk several times with a friend and had decided to continue the tradition, despite her friend not being able to attend this year. We were both route monitors, so eventually we went our separate ways.

I arrived to my location about an hour and a half before I was actually needed there. I was stationed at the last corner before the finish, meaning I did not see anyone until the first walkers rounded the corner. Also, I did not realize that because there would be so many people they would need to close down the ENTIRE INTERSECTION! I spoke with a transit policeman who explained the situation before anyone got there, so I did not look quite as flabbergasted as I might have been.

Once the walkers arrived, I started cheering and clapping. Why not? Everyone was so quiet! In my mind, the AIDS Walk was something to be excited about! Sure enough, a homeless man joined me in cheering and more and more people caught our enthusiasm. Lauren immediately ran over as she rounded the corner and helped us make some noise. IT WAS SO INVIGORATING!! We rounded up the last of the walkers and headed on down the street to the square where most of the people were already dispersing.

My observations throughout the day concluded that today was a day of great generosity. Not only for me, personally, but for others. I took the streetcar home and talked with a few team members who had raised $7,443. That is no small feat! Even the number of volunteers today was astounding! And the turnout? Incredible! From what I have heard from previous participants, the turnout today was smaller than the last few years, which isn't necessarily a good thing, but it kind of is. I mean, if the cold and clouds had deterred people from attending, I can only imagine how much more crowded Pioneer Courthouse Square would have been!

18 September 2013

Today Was Not a Busy Day

Let me clarify: the day itself was not busy, I made it busy by being productive. Shall I compare the list of things I wanted to do today with the list of things I had to do with the list of things I actually did today?

Want	Had To Do	Did
Dress up for Wildcat Wednesday (it's a Linfield thing)	Classes (2 of them)	ALL OF THE THINGS!!!
Go to the gym	Drop off prescription
Grocery shop	Pick up stamps
Homework not due tomorrow	Send a form to my mother
Leisure read
Organize computer files
Apply for more jobs
Look up directions to CAPS (I'll explain later)
Watch an episode of Firefly
Pick up ID sticker (again, it's a Linfield thing)

That about sums it up. I literally did all the things in that chart and more. I was a bit sleep-deprived, but I compensated by drinking coffee around the mid-afternoon. Anyway, point being that the day itself wasn't that bad to begin with - the usual classes and mini-errand-running - but what kept me busy was the fact I crammed the day with the rest of the things listed. I accomplished all that I wanted to and more! I am rather astonished at what I did with my day.

It is days like these that I have to remind myself I am an adult, I'm not playing one. That being said, I really need to pace myself... I am exhausted!

31 July 2013

Starbuck Secret Menu - Thin Mint Frappuccino

Challenge: Try everything off the Starbucks Secret Menu.

I had a bit of a chocolate craving today, but it was so warm out I thought something minty might do the trick. Like the candy, it was delicious and had just enough chocolate to satisfy my craving, yet not enough to spoil my dinner.

Order a green tea creme frappuccino with chocolate syrup and java chips added.

17 July 2013

Starbucks Secret Menu - Cotton Candy Frappuccino

Try everything off the Starbucks Secret Menu.

I tried this after experiencing the Dalai Lama in Portland for an environmental summit. It was light and sweet, just like cotton candy!

Ask for a vanilla bean frappuccino with a pump of raspberry syrup for a tall, 1.5 pumps for a grande or 2 pumps for a venti.

Starbucks Secret Menu - Neapolitan Frappuccino

Try everything off the Starbucks Secret Menu.

I tried this around finals time and the balance of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry perfectly satisfied my stress-cravings!

Ask for a Strawberries and Cream Frappuccino with some vanilla bean powder added in and a pump of mocha syrup.

14 July 2013

Starbucks Secret Menu - Apple Pie Frappuccino

Try all the recipes off the Starbucks Secret Menu.

Tasted light and refreshing for a warm summer day.

Have the barista fill up to the first line with cream base, fill up to the second line with apple juice, then add one pump of cinnamon dolce syrup and one pump of caramel syrup. Top with whipped cream and caramel drizzle and add a ground biscotti if you’d like some crunch!

Starbucks Secret Menu - Butter Pecan Ice Cream Frappuccino

I was in the mood for ice cream today, but since I figured I would be getting frozen yogurt later, I opted for this instead. Tastes like the real thing (minus the pecan slivers)! Smooth, sweet, and delicious.

Order a vanilla bean frappuccino using heavy whipping cream instead of whole milk and add in hazelnut syrup (1 pump for a tall, 2 for a grande, 3 for a venti).

12 May 2013

Starbucks Secret Menu - Cinnamon Toast Crunch

Try everything off the Starbucks Secret Menu.

Knowing that I love cinnamon, I figured this would hit the spot today (it being a terrible, horrible, no-good, very-bad day) and boy was I right. YUMM.

Ask for a white chocolate mocha frappuccino with cinnamon dolce syrup (1 pump for tall, 1.5 for grande, 2 for venti), hazelnut syrup (1 pump for tall, 1,5 for grande, 2 for venti), and cinnamon sugar blended in. Top with whipped cream and more cinnamon sugar!

06 May 2013

Starbucks Secret Menu - Red Tuxedo Frappuccino

Try everything off the Starbucks Secret Menu

Similar to the tuxedo frappuccino, this has white chocolate and dark chocolate with a splash of raspberry that lightens the chocolatey load. Sweet, smooth, and tasty!

Ask for a half white chocolate/half regular mocha frappuccino with 2 pumps of raspberry syrup (3 for a venti).

13 April 2013

Starbucks Secret Menu - Butterbeer Frappuccino

Try everything off the Starbucks Secret Menu.

Now this doesn't taste like the Harry Potter World butterbeer, but it has a great flavor anyway! It's definitely what I would have imagined butterbeer was - smooth and creamy.

Ask for a creme Frappuccino base. (Don’t skimp on the fat by asking for skim or 2% milk as whole milk is required for the right consistency.) Then add (for a grande) 3 pumps of both caramel syrup and toffee nut syrup and top with caramel drizzle.