Dear Crabby
I woke up this morning to 14 degree temps, and I'm ok with that for the most part. There's something in me that likes winter temps, as long as I don't have to stay out in it for long. I like the nippiness in the air as you walk to the bus, etc. But if it is going to be this cold, I would so much rather be in Chicago, and so I'm feeling a little nostalgic for the Windy City today.
This is further exacerbated by the fact that I pulled up my FB page and saw the morning pictures and loveliness from my friend who lives there. This friend is brilliant, masters in lit from NWestern, etc. She's a stay at home (home=lovely brownstone in the city) mom now, tho staying at home isn't quite the term for her. Anyway, she's one of these creative types who makes her children frocks (yes she calls them frocks), and bakes all sorts of bread, and eats green smoothies made from produce she gets from the farmer's market. Now, none of that part of her life sounds appealing to be, simply because it doesn't mesh with my personality (I am sure you are surprised). I truly admire these men and women who can their own jelly and stuff, but I just don't have the patience for it.
Nevertheless, today she posts a picture of a gorgeous coffee cup, two buttery blueberry scones, the New York Times, her kindle, and a writing journal. The title: first coffee shop visit of 2010. You see, she does this ritual nearly every day, taking pictures of coffee and blueberries, coffee and fritters, etc. And I KNOW the coffee shops she's visiting--love them! Sigh. And so I feel this mixture of happiness and intense jealousy that she is sitting at MY coffee shops with time on her hands to read a novel, write, etc.
And so I'm examining this jealousy, and I think to myself that I could get up earlier, start my run earlier, and then go sit at a coffee shop a few hours before classes. The luxury of a student is that we could do such things, and I should take advantage of it. The negatives, however, are ones I'm trying to get over (and maybe you all can help): There are only 6 coffee shops in town. One is a starbucks in the bookstore on campus, one is a starbucks in a shopping center, one is a stand alone starbucks which is doable but the seating is pretty limited, one is the crazy coffee shop (not really the environment you want for a calming morning java) and one is the hipster coffee shop that has eccentric hours (read: we don't follow the sign on our door) and gives me metaphorical hives to visit. Plus, they put their cappuccinos in espresso cups, and that just furthers my hives. Oh, and there's another shop owned by the crazy coffee shop owner, but it has wooden benches for seating, and that is a pain in the ass, literally.
My other options are the local IHOP and Dennys.
See, and so the big problem is that this is a college town, and with only 6 shops to choose from, there's not much serenity going on. Here, you either party at a bar or a coffee shop, and the atmosphere is about the same (though the coffee shops are definitely higher on the geek factor). I guess I could get up REALLY early before the students, but the other problem is that I'm a night person, and there are biorhythmic, physiological things going on that make people either morning or night people. So even if I got up early, I would still stay up til at least 2. Maybe I can change my biorhythms.
Anyway, I'm determined to have this because I've got at least another full year here, and I have to make it doable. So any suggestions for how to bring Chicago to Lubbock?
This is further exacerbated by the fact that I pulled up my FB page and saw the morning pictures and loveliness from my friend who lives there. This friend is brilliant, masters in lit from NWestern, etc. She's a stay at home (home=lovely brownstone in the city) mom now, tho staying at home isn't quite the term for her. Anyway, she's one of these creative types who makes her children frocks (yes she calls them frocks), and bakes all sorts of bread, and eats green smoothies made from produce she gets from the farmer's market. Now, none of that part of her life sounds appealing to be, simply because it doesn't mesh with my personality (I am sure you are surprised). I truly admire these men and women who can their own jelly and stuff, but I just don't have the patience for it.
Nevertheless, today she posts a picture of a gorgeous coffee cup, two buttery blueberry scones, the New York Times, her kindle, and a writing journal. The title: first coffee shop visit of 2010. You see, she does this ritual nearly every day, taking pictures of coffee and blueberries, coffee and fritters, etc. And I KNOW the coffee shops she's visiting--love them! Sigh. And so I feel this mixture of happiness and intense jealousy that she is sitting at MY coffee shops with time on her hands to read a novel, write, etc.
And so I'm examining this jealousy, and I think to myself that I could get up earlier, start my run earlier, and then go sit at a coffee shop a few hours before classes. The luxury of a student is that we could do such things, and I should take advantage of it. The negatives, however, are ones I'm trying to get over (and maybe you all can help): There are only 6 coffee shops in town. One is a starbucks in the bookstore on campus, one is a starbucks in a shopping center, one is a stand alone starbucks which is doable but the seating is pretty limited, one is the crazy coffee shop (not really the environment you want for a calming morning java) and one is the hipster coffee shop that has eccentric hours (read: we don't follow the sign on our door) and gives me metaphorical hives to visit. Plus, they put their cappuccinos in espresso cups, and that just furthers my hives. Oh, and there's another shop owned by the crazy coffee shop owner, but it has wooden benches for seating, and that is a pain in the ass, literally.
My other options are the local IHOP and Dennys.
See, and so the big problem is that this is a college town, and with only 6 shops to choose from, there's not much serenity going on. Here, you either party at a bar or a coffee shop, and the atmosphere is about the same (though the coffee shops are definitely higher on the geek factor). I guess I could get up REALLY early before the students, but the other problem is that I'm a night person, and there are biorhythmic, physiological things going on that make people either morning or night people. So even if I got up early, I would still stay up til at least 2. Maybe I can change my biorhythms.
Anyway, I'm determined to have this because I've got at least another full year here, and I have to make it doable. So any suggestions for how to bring Chicago to Lubbock?
Labels: chicago, crazy coffee shop, hipster coffee shop, lubbock
posted by Cranky at 10:17 AM
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