Hello Everyone.
This summer and my coffee conquest have come to an end. It was so fun, and I loved every minute of it. I left PA on Friday the 28th of August. I cleaned all the refrigerators and other equipment. I sold or gave away all of my left over inventory. It was sad to close my door for the last time. It was such a fun adventure! I will miss it, that is for sure. I talked to one of the coffee shop owners in Sitka when I got back. She told me to come find her after I get back from Europe and we would talk about getting a barista job there for the winter. I would love that. I loved making coffee!
So... I started a new blog for the next stage of my life - here it is
coralschemochaos.blogspot.com
check it out.. .
xoxoxo
Coral
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
summer is over...
There is something about sitting on the couch and listing to the rain at my house in Port Alexander that is so completely relaxing that it is almost impossible to believe. The hunter green roof of the house is metal, so even the lightest rain is pretty noticeable. The last 5 days, however, have been some of the rainiest days I have been in, in a long time. Between midnight and 2pm today, we got 2 and a half inches of rain – which I believe is beyond “raining cats and dogs.” It is the type of rain that drenches you from head to two the second you step out the door.
Right now, I am sitting at the counter in my coffee shop, looking out my window at the bay and the front dock. Nobody is out fishing because the weather is terrible; I don’t mean the rain - It is blowing 30+ out there. As I sit here, Ryan is down putting another line on his boat, just to be on the safe side.
It really is the end of the summer. We were spoiled this year. We got a few weeks of beautiful weather, so when we get our normal rain, rain, and more rain back – it made it that much harder to bare. I spent an hour walking in the rain today. I went and returned books to people I borrowed them from, returned things people left at the shop; just doing things that needed to be done. I leave tomorrow or Saturday, so it seemed an appropriate day to make sure all my lose ends were tied up, but man it was wet out there. Wet to the point that North Face rain shells are no longer waterproof – they just get so saturated they eventually start letting water trough. Wet to the point where the crotch of your rain pants spring a leak and make it look like you peed your pants when you take them off.
Going back to what I said before – listening to the rain on a metal room relaxes me. It really does. It is the sound of home; the sound of security. On days like this you can just curl up in a blanket on the couch with a cup of tea and a book or the remote to the TV and not feel guilty. You can do all your inside chores and not wish that you were outside doing something else. You can bake cookies, filling your house with that perfect smell. Oh, then there is the wood stove. Something about it raining outside makes wood stoves smell even better. I love the smell of the wood burning, and on rainy days, the smell intensifies.
This particular rainy day, I haven’t been able to just sit at my house and curl up and read a book, or make cookies, or smell the wood fire. I have been at the shop and running errands in the rain and realizing my rain pants sprang a leak, but I know that come 6:30 p.m. I will be heading home to a warm house and a cup of tea with my name on it.
It is sad that summer is over and I’m leaving PA in two days. But I know that I will soon be back in Sitka; back to civilization of some sorts. Back to a world of cars, movie theaters, restaurants and grocery stores. Back to a world where I can get banana chips or egg rolls when ever I want them.
I’ll miss PA. This summer has been great. I spent two months on the beach in Port Alexander. Something I haven’t done – ever, I don’t think. It was what I wanted to do, and I did it. I opened a coffee shop, and it was successful. I read books I wanted to read (not as many as I wanted to, but a couple). I swam at the lake, jumped off the pier, swam to the red can, picked barriers, hiked to the water tower and to ships cove. I did all the things I wanted to do and more. I can’t complain about anything this summer. I made some hard decision that I will have to live with my whole life, but I know I will be fine. I will have to say goodbye to Port Alexander, though. I don’t know when I will be able to return. I have no idea where my life is going to take me from this point on. I am just going to go wherever the wind takes me – I’m going to live life spontaneously and take whatever opportunities are presented to me.
I know what ever happens, and wherever I end up, is going to be a new adventure, and I am ready for it. First, though, I just have to make it through the next seven months with out letting myself fall into too deep of a depression. It might be hard, but I will work at it. And when I’m falling to far, I will think of everyone that I was blessed enough to get to know while in school, and I will think of my beautiful Port Alexander, and I will think of what adventures my future my hold – and I know I will be ok.
Right now, I am sitting at the counter in my coffee shop, looking out my window at the bay and the front dock. Nobody is out fishing because the weather is terrible; I don’t mean the rain - It is blowing 30+ out there. As I sit here, Ryan is down putting another line on his boat, just to be on the safe side.
It really is the end of the summer. We were spoiled this year. We got a few weeks of beautiful weather, so when we get our normal rain, rain, and more rain back – it made it that much harder to bare. I spent an hour walking in the rain today. I went and returned books to people I borrowed them from, returned things people left at the shop; just doing things that needed to be done. I leave tomorrow or Saturday, so it seemed an appropriate day to make sure all my lose ends were tied up, but man it was wet out there. Wet to the point that North Face rain shells are no longer waterproof – they just get so saturated they eventually start letting water trough. Wet to the point where the crotch of your rain pants spring a leak and make it look like you peed your pants when you take them off.
Going back to what I said before – listening to the rain on a metal room relaxes me. It really does. It is the sound of home; the sound of security. On days like this you can just curl up in a blanket on the couch with a cup of tea and a book or the remote to the TV and not feel guilty. You can do all your inside chores and not wish that you were outside doing something else. You can bake cookies, filling your house with that perfect smell. Oh, then there is the wood stove. Something about it raining outside makes wood stoves smell even better. I love the smell of the wood burning, and on rainy days, the smell intensifies.
This particular rainy day, I haven’t been able to just sit at my house and curl up and read a book, or make cookies, or smell the wood fire. I have been at the shop and running errands in the rain and realizing my rain pants sprang a leak, but I know that come 6:30 p.m. I will be heading home to a warm house and a cup of tea with my name on it.
It is sad that summer is over and I’m leaving PA in two days. But I know that I will soon be back in Sitka; back to civilization of some sorts. Back to a world of cars, movie theaters, restaurants and grocery stores. Back to a world where I can get banana chips or egg rolls when ever I want them.
I’ll miss PA. This summer has been great. I spent two months on the beach in Port Alexander. Something I haven’t done – ever, I don’t think. It was what I wanted to do, and I did it. I opened a coffee shop, and it was successful. I read books I wanted to read (not as many as I wanted to, but a couple). I swam at the lake, jumped off the pier, swam to the red can, picked barriers, hiked to the water tower and to ships cove. I did all the things I wanted to do and more. I can’t complain about anything this summer. I made some hard decision that I will have to live with my whole life, but I know I will be fine. I will have to say goodbye to Port Alexander, though. I don’t know when I will be able to return. I have no idea where my life is going to take me from this point on. I am just going to go wherever the wind takes me – I’m going to live life spontaneously and take whatever opportunities are presented to me.
I know what ever happens, and wherever I end up, is going to be a new adventure, and I am ready for it. First, though, I just have to make it through the next seven months with out letting myself fall into too deep of a depression. It might be hard, but I will work at it. And when I’m falling to far, I will think of everyone that I was blessed enough to get to know while in school, and I will think of my beautiful Port Alexander, and I will think of what adventures my future my hold – and I know I will be ok.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Ramblings about the last two weeks...
Well, it has been more than two weeks since I have sat down at my computer to try and think of anything worth sharing with the rest of the world. These last two weeks have been interesting, that is for sure. Not interesting in a bad or good way really; just plane mediocre.
Business has been really slow, which is a bummer, but Harmony and the baby (Laurel Breeze), and Sunni and Mike came in last weekend, so it was good to finally have some company! They came in for the golf tournament. A few other people did end up coming into town for it as well, but there were still only 30 participants all together, which is pretty dismal. We usually have twice that.
For those of you who don't know, the golf tournament in Port Alexander is a pretty big deal. This year was the 25th annual. It is called the Port Alexander Troll Closure Open because it used to always happen when trolling (fishing) was closed so all the fishermen could play too, but now a days, too much planning goes into it ahead of time, and the closure is never announced early enough, so it hardly ever lands during the closure
The tournament lasts two days and is played at low tide on the beach. The men play 18 holes and the women play 8. Us women like to take our time and chat and just have fun, whereas the men are more serious and go, go, go. So, for that reason, we also have to let the men play through, meaning if we are playing a whole and they want to play that whole, we have to stop and let them proceed! But we are fine with that; we just play 10 less holes!
This year three people conked themselves on the head with a golf ball. Man, golf is a dangerous sport, especially playing on the beach. What happened to all three, was they were trying to hit around a large rock or old piece of motor that was on the beach, but they ended up just smacking that ball right into it, so it ricocheted off and hit them in the head. DJ got it the worse, we thought she got it in the eye, but it was just her eyebrow. For a little while, we thought she was going to have to be medivaced to town!
Sunni and I were in charge of the tournament this year, meaning we called all the businesses in Sitka for prize donations, and we mowed the greens and put up the flags and organized the pot lucks. Sunni did more - she was in sitka, but having me down here helped her because I could figure out where the clubs, balls, and flags were stored last year, and where the lawn mower was, and where we could store the prizes and the food, etc. It worked out well. I thought once Sunni got to PA things might get a little messy because her and I usually argue a lot, but it actually worked our REALLY well. I was pleasantly surprised.
I ended up getting 9th place (out of 20 women) in the tournament, which is horrible. I'm usually at least in the top 4. I played terrible this year. My first hit would usually be pretty decent, but then it would take me a million more strokes to get it to the tee; I just kept over shooting it. I lost three balls this year, too. I never lose my ball, but this year it happened three times! That is when i finally just got fed up and started taking 8's on holes even when i was only on my 2nd stroke (8 is the highest score you can get on any of our holes).
So ya, the golf tournament went well (except for my crummy playing), but it was sad to see everyone leave. The day after the tournament PA pretty much turned back into a ghost town.
I'm leaving PA next weekend! I can't believe the summer is over already. It seems like just a couple weeks ago I came down here with Mike and we were pluming and building and trying to make my espresso machine work. But, here it is the end of August. I have been here for practically 2 months; since June 27th!
My coffee experience has been amazing. I think when I am in Sitka this winter, I am going to try and get a job at a coffee shop. There is something about making coffee and working at a cafe that just makes me feel good. I get to talk to people, see how there day is going, make them something that puts a smile on their face. It is just fun! I think I'm just cut out to be a barista :) HAHA, I wish I could be cut out to be an awesome reporter for say the New York Times, but hey... I'll take what I can get!!!
I must say that I have gotten a lot better at making cappuccinos. I don't free pour them though.. I scoop the foam off and put it in the cup... that is how the lady who taught me did it, and that is what I have decided works best for me! I really don't have to make very many of them, so it is not that big of deal, but if I do work at a larger coffee shop, I suppose I will have to work on mastering the cappuccino a little more.
Also... my new favorite drink would have to be a breve hot chocolate with sugar free vanilla. I always get a non fot HC with SF vanilla, but when ever I make my dad his breve mocha and there is left over half and half, I make a mini HC for myself and it is DELICIOUS! But, of course it would be... it is made with half cream!! I'll have to steer clear of those in the future though, they have almost 1000 calories, haha!
Last night was pretty intense. An older gentleman who has been stranded here in PA for almost a month now because his boat engine conked out on him, passed out. He has been trying to order parts and everything for quite some time, but being down here with spotty phones and Internet, it has been difficult. That and we only get mail twice a week!
Anyway. Last night this old gentleman passed out on the dock. We got him all situated with oxygen flowing and everything because he was not breathing well, but he was fully conscious and didn't really want to go to sitka. So, after we talked him into it (we couldn't force him because he was fully conscious) we called the coast guard and they came down and got him in the helicopter. He was very cold and couldn't sit up with out feeling nauseous, so we brought him on the stretcher into the coffee shop. He fit just perfectly on my floor between my counters. So, when the coast guard got here, it was pretty crowded in my little shop.
He got to sitka last night and was released from the hospital pretty quick. My mom picked him up, and he is staying at my house in sitka until he can make it back down here. He told my mom that the hospital couldn't figure out why he passed out.
This morning all of us that were around last night when it happened decided that it was probably carbon monoxide poising. He has a little wood burning stove on his boat, and he always has it going at night when his doors are closed. The symptoms fit. So, if that is the case, he should be fine as long as he keeps his boat ventilated from now on when he has his fire going. I don't think CO2 poisoning would be something the hospital would know to look for, especially because they didn't know he had a wood stove on his boat. There isn't much they could do for him either. With CO2 poisoning, pretty much all you do is leave the area the CO2 is and maybe get hooked up to oxygen. So hopefully he is back to normal in a day or two.
At any rate, last night, I got to use a little of the ETT knowledge I had, (and my jogging paid off- I had to run to bear hall to get equipment twice) but also realized that I need to take another course because it was not as fresh as it should be. This winter, I want to actually take an EMT course. I used to always want to be a paramedic; I don't know what ever happened with that dream! Who knows. At this point, my life could truly go anywhere!
-Coral
Business has been really slow, which is a bummer, but Harmony and the baby (Laurel Breeze), and Sunni and Mike came in last weekend, so it was good to finally have some company! They came in for the golf tournament. A few other people did end up coming into town for it as well, but there were still only 30 participants all together, which is pretty dismal. We usually have twice that.
For those of you who don't know, the golf tournament in Port Alexander is a pretty big deal. This year was the 25th annual. It is called the Port Alexander Troll Closure Open because it used to always happen when trolling (fishing) was closed so all the fishermen could play too, but now a days, too much planning goes into it ahead of time, and the closure is never announced early enough, so it hardly ever lands during the closure
The tournament lasts two days and is played at low tide on the beach. The men play 18 holes and the women play 8. Us women like to take our time and chat and just have fun, whereas the men are more serious and go, go, go. So, for that reason, we also have to let the men play through, meaning if we are playing a whole and they want to play that whole, we have to stop and let them proceed! But we are fine with that; we just play 10 less holes!
This year three people conked themselves on the head with a golf ball. Man, golf is a dangerous sport, especially playing on the beach. What happened to all three, was they were trying to hit around a large rock or old piece of motor that was on the beach, but they ended up just smacking that ball right into it, so it ricocheted off and hit them in the head. DJ got it the worse, we thought she got it in the eye, but it was just her eyebrow. For a little while, we thought she was going to have to be medivaced to town!
Sunni and I were in charge of the tournament this year, meaning we called all the businesses in Sitka for prize donations, and we mowed the greens and put up the flags and organized the pot lucks. Sunni did more - she was in sitka, but having me down here helped her because I could figure out where the clubs, balls, and flags were stored last year, and where the lawn mower was, and where we could store the prizes and the food, etc. It worked out well. I thought once Sunni got to PA things might get a little messy because her and I usually argue a lot, but it actually worked our REALLY well. I was pleasantly surprised.
I ended up getting 9th place (out of 20 women) in the tournament, which is horrible. I'm usually at least in the top 4. I played terrible this year. My first hit would usually be pretty decent, but then it would take me a million more strokes to get it to the tee; I just kept over shooting it. I lost three balls this year, too. I never lose my ball, but this year it happened three times! That is when i finally just got fed up and started taking 8's on holes even when i was only on my 2nd stroke (8 is the highest score you can get on any of our holes).
So ya, the golf tournament went well (except for my crummy playing), but it was sad to see everyone leave. The day after the tournament PA pretty much turned back into a ghost town.
I'm leaving PA next weekend! I can't believe the summer is over already. It seems like just a couple weeks ago I came down here with Mike and we were pluming and building and trying to make my espresso machine work. But, here it is the end of August. I have been here for practically 2 months; since June 27th!
My coffee experience has been amazing. I think when I am in Sitka this winter, I am going to try and get a job at a coffee shop. There is something about making coffee and working at a cafe that just makes me feel good. I get to talk to people, see how there day is going, make them something that puts a smile on their face. It is just fun! I think I'm just cut out to be a barista :) HAHA, I wish I could be cut out to be an awesome reporter for say the New York Times, but hey... I'll take what I can get!!!
I must say that I have gotten a lot better at making cappuccinos. I don't free pour them though.. I scoop the foam off and put it in the cup... that is how the lady who taught me did it, and that is what I have decided works best for me! I really don't have to make very many of them, so it is not that big of deal, but if I do work at a larger coffee shop, I suppose I will have to work on mastering the cappuccino a little more.
Also... my new favorite drink would have to be a breve hot chocolate with sugar free vanilla. I always get a non fot HC with SF vanilla, but when ever I make my dad his breve mocha and there is left over half and half, I make a mini HC for myself and it is DELICIOUS! But, of course it would be... it is made with half cream!! I'll have to steer clear of those in the future though, they have almost 1000 calories, haha!
Last night was pretty intense. An older gentleman who has been stranded here in PA for almost a month now because his boat engine conked out on him, passed out. He has been trying to order parts and everything for quite some time, but being down here with spotty phones and Internet, it has been difficult. That and we only get mail twice a week!
Anyway. Last night this old gentleman passed out on the dock. We got him all situated with oxygen flowing and everything because he was not breathing well, but he was fully conscious and didn't really want to go to sitka. So, after we talked him into it (we couldn't force him because he was fully conscious) we called the coast guard and they came down and got him in the helicopter. He was very cold and couldn't sit up with out feeling nauseous, so we brought him on the stretcher into the coffee shop. He fit just perfectly on my floor between my counters. So, when the coast guard got here, it was pretty crowded in my little shop.
He got to sitka last night and was released from the hospital pretty quick. My mom picked him up, and he is staying at my house in sitka until he can make it back down here. He told my mom that the hospital couldn't figure out why he passed out.
This morning all of us that were around last night when it happened decided that it was probably carbon monoxide poising. He has a little wood burning stove on his boat, and he always has it going at night when his doors are closed. The symptoms fit. So, if that is the case, he should be fine as long as he keeps his boat ventilated from now on when he has his fire going. I don't think CO2 poisoning would be something the hospital would know to look for, especially because they didn't know he had a wood stove on his boat. There isn't much they could do for him either. With CO2 poisoning, pretty much all you do is leave the area the CO2 is and maybe get hooked up to oxygen. So hopefully he is back to normal in a day or two.
At any rate, last night, I got to use a little of the ETT knowledge I had, (and my jogging paid off- I had to run to bear hall to get equipment twice) but also realized that I need to take another course because it was not as fresh as it should be. This winter, I want to actually take an EMT course. I used to always want to be a paramedic; I don't know what ever happened with that dream! Who knows. At this point, my life could truly go anywhere!
-Coral
Sunday, August 9, 2009
coffee, coffee, coffee
It has been a while since I've actually talked about coffee on this here coffee conquest blog, so I've decided it is time for another update.
First off, I have still not gotten any better at making cappuccinos. I have only made five, I think,so far this summer, but in that time, I don't think I have improved. The girl who orders them says they are fine, but she is always in desperate need of caffeine, so I think she would say that even if I actually made her a latte, or heck, just gave her a couple straight shots of espresso! She works on the tender that comes down to PA to buy fish, so she doesn't have any sort of sleeping schedule. It is sort of just - be up when you need to be, and when you don't, try and sneak a short nap before they need you again. Working on fish tenders in the summer takes a certain type of person. I think I could do it, except the whole seasick thing, but after I got my sea legs, I think I would be pretty good at it.
I'm steering away from my coffee talk, though, so - coffee. I really like the beans that I have. It is a special blend that I get roasted in Sitka and mailed to me here in PA, so they are pretty much as fresh as you can get them. It is a medium roast, and I haven't gotten any complaints yet, so that is a good sign. The name of the brand of coffee is Sailor's Choice, which is definitely appropriate. I've decided to call my special blend the "Troll Fleet Fusion." I can't take credit for that, though, it was actually my mom's idea, so thank you mom!
The last five days or so have been my slowest of the season so far, which is a bummer. I was hoping August would be even better than July, but it is not looking like it so far. Who knows, though. The trolling closure starts on Wednesday, so there will be boats at the dock for five days unable to fish, and then two days after the boats will all be able to fish again is the golf tourney, so some people will come back into town for that, and plenty of people are planning to fly down here for it, so I'll get some business then! I guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens.
I've decided another freezer would be ideal. Yesterday, I got my groceries and freight in off the Eyak (the boat that brings the mail and freight from Sitka). So, I had milk, half and half, heavy whipping cream, ice cream, burgers, buns, tomatoes...the whole nine yards. WELL - I ordered more this week than most weeks to start stocking up for the golf tournament, so I had a heck of a time making it all fit into my refrigerators and freezer. My freezer is filled to the top - completely! Not one more thing could fit inside of it. And, if anyone decides they want a muffin, i will have to pull out the pints of ice cream, ice cream sandwiches and burgers in order to get down to them! So yes, another freezer would be amazing! My refrigerators are all cram packed with milk and the condiments and veggies for the burgers - not another thing could be crammed into them. I really should have just gotten one normal-size refrigerator instead of 3 little mini under-the-counter ones, but at least these ones are out of the way. It would have been hard to fit a normal-size one in here!
Well, that is it for my ramblings about my shop for now. I wish I had more happy news for you all. But, hopefully next week I will be full of great tales of coffee conquests!
First off, I have still not gotten any better at making cappuccinos. I have only made five, I think,so far this summer, but in that time, I don't think I have improved. The girl who orders them says they are fine, but she is always in desperate need of caffeine, so I think she would say that even if I actually made her a latte, or heck, just gave her a couple straight shots of espresso! She works on the tender that comes down to PA to buy fish, so she doesn't have any sort of sleeping schedule. It is sort of just - be up when you need to be, and when you don't, try and sneak a short nap before they need you again. Working on fish tenders in the summer takes a certain type of person. I think I could do it, except the whole seasick thing, but after I got my sea legs, I think I would be pretty good at it.
I'm steering away from my coffee talk, though, so - coffee. I really like the beans that I have. It is a special blend that I get roasted in Sitka and mailed to me here in PA, so they are pretty much as fresh as you can get them. It is a medium roast, and I haven't gotten any complaints yet, so that is a good sign. The name of the brand of coffee is Sailor's Choice, which is definitely appropriate. I've decided to call my special blend the "Troll Fleet Fusion." I can't take credit for that, though, it was actually my mom's idea, so thank you mom!
The last five days or so have been my slowest of the season so far, which is a bummer. I was hoping August would be even better than July, but it is not looking like it so far. Who knows, though. The trolling closure starts on Wednesday, so there will be boats at the dock for five days unable to fish, and then two days after the boats will all be able to fish again is the golf tourney, so some people will come back into town for that, and plenty of people are planning to fly down here for it, so I'll get some business then! I guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens.
I've decided another freezer would be ideal. Yesterday, I got my groceries and freight in off the Eyak (the boat that brings the mail and freight from Sitka). So, I had milk, half and half, heavy whipping cream, ice cream, burgers, buns, tomatoes...the whole nine yards. WELL - I ordered more this week than most weeks to start stocking up for the golf tournament, so I had a heck of a time making it all fit into my refrigerators and freezer. My freezer is filled to the top - completely! Not one more thing could fit inside of it. And, if anyone decides they want a muffin, i will have to pull out the pints of ice cream, ice cream sandwiches and burgers in order to get down to them! So yes, another freezer would be amazing! My refrigerators are all cram packed with milk and the condiments and veggies for the burgers - not another thing could be crammed into them. I really should have just gotten one normal-size refrigerator instead of 3 little mini under-the-counter ones, but at least these ones are out of the way. It would have been hard to fit a normal-size one in here!
Well, that is it for my ramblings about my shop for now. I wish I had more happy news for you all. But, hopefully next week I will be full of great tales of coffee conquests!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Why
Why does life have to be so hard? The ultimate question, right.
I know God has a plan for us all, and we have to have faith and work our way through our troubles and try to embrace everything and be happy. But, sometimes it seems almost impossible. How can we embrace things we don't even want to admit to ourselves. How can we embrace things that make us so completely unhappy. Sure, sure, what makes us unhappy in the short run will ultimately make us more happy in the long run, but sometime I have a hard time keeping my head up waiting to get to the long run part.
You may wonder what all this is referring to; why I am so unhappy?
It is a long story, (which i sort of touched on a couple blogs ago) but the short version is that I made the decision to break up with Kevin. I know deep down in my hear that it was the right thing to do, but I find myself unbelievable sad and missing him like crazy. We are still talking and e-mailing, but at times that makes it harder for me to work on getting over him.
I hope God has a plan for me that involves finding the man of my dreams - I hope Kevin wasn't him and that I totally didn’t just screwed up my whole life. But, if Kevin is him, than I'm sure we will find each other again in the future, but for now, I need to focus on my life and being true to me and what I need. I really don't know what I need, but I know that I need to be single - but I'm sure that is just step one.
With my life changing so much, i feel like I'm in a tornado - caught right in the eye; i'm standing on solid ground and life is cycloning around me at a 100 mile an hour.
I am scared for what the future will bring me. I am scared to start my treatment, I'm afraid of what the side effects will be, I'm afraid of loosing touch with all my amazing friends while I'm tucked away in Sitka getting shots, taking pills and feeling sick.
I'm angry. I'm angry that I have to go through this treatment. I wanted to start my life. I wanted to graduate college and find a job and start working on my career, but now there is this scary road block standing in my way. I really just want to ignore it and find a way around it, but I know that i need to face it and accept it, but it is hard. What if the treatment doesn't work. So, six months from now, i will be in the same situation as I am now, except I still wouldn't have been able to start my life, and i will have to try another treatment. I guess I need have to have faith that everything will work out.
I'm sad. I'm sad that I am missing out on seeing all the amazing people I have been surrounded by for the last four years. The six months I am doing my treatment are going to be agony. I will be alone in Sitka. That is not true; my family will be there, but my friends won't. Sarah will be in California, and all my friends from Washington will either still be there trying to figure out their lives, or they will have gone off doing their own thing and tyring to figure out their lives. I am envious of them for that - I wish i could go off and start my life, but I can't - which leads me back to the anger.
Yes, like i said, I'm in a tornado. I don't know how to feel, so everything is just spinning - spinning and it keeps speeding up... the closer the end of September gets, the looming date when i start my treatment, the more I will spin and the more my emotions will get worn out.
I know God has a plan for us all, and we have to have faith and work our way through our troubles and try to embrace everything and be happy. But, sometimes it seems almost impossible. How can we embrace things we don't even want to admit to ourselves. How can we embrace things that make us so completely unhappy. Sure, sure, what makes us unhappy in the short run will ultimately make us more happy in the long run, but sometime I have a hard time keeping my head up waiting to get to the long run part.
You may wonder what all this is referring to; why I am so unhappy?
It is a long story, (which i sort of touched on a couple blogs ago) but the short version is that I made the decision to break up with Kevin. I know deep down in my hear that it was the right thing to do, but I find myself unbelievable sad and missing him like crazy. We are still talking and e-mailing, but at times that makes it harder for me to work on getting over him.
I hope God has a plan for me that involves finding the man of my dreams - I hope Kevin wasn't him and that I totally didn’t just screwed up my whole life. But, if Kevin is him, than I'm sure we will find each other again in the future, but for now, I need to focus on my life and being true to me and what I need. I really don't know what I need, but I know that I need to be single - but I'm sure that is just step one.
With my life changing so much, i feel like I'm in a tornado - caught right in the eye; i'm standing on solid ground and life is cycloning around me at a 100 mile an hour.
I am scared for what the future will bring me. I am scared to start my treatment, I'm afraid of what the side effects will be, I'm afraid of loosing touch with all my amazing friends while I'm tucked away in Sitka getting shots, taking pills and feeling sick.
I'm angry. I'm angry that I have to go through this treatment. I wanted to start my life. I wanted to graduate college and find a job and start working on my career, but now there is this scary road block standing in my way. I really just want to ignore it and find a way around it, but I know that i need to face it and accept it, but it is hard. What if the treatment doesn't work. So, six months from now, i will be in the same situation as I am now, except I still wouldn't have been able to start my life, and i will have to try another treatment. I guess I need have to have faith that everything will work out.
I'm sad. I'm sad that I am missing out on seeing all the amazing people I have been surrounded by for the last four years. The six months I am doing my treatment are going to be agony. I will be alone in Sitka. That is not true; my family will be there, but my friends won't. Sarah will be in California, and all my friends from Washington will either still be there trying to figure out their lives, or they will have gone off doing their own thing and tyring to figure out their lives. I am envious of them for that - I wish i could go off and start my life, but I can't - which leads me back to the anger.
Yes, like i said, I'm in a tornado. I don't know how to feel, so everything is just spinning - spinning and it keeps speeding up... the closer the end of September gets, the looming date when i start my treatment, the more I will spin and the more my emotions will get worn out.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Refreshing
Refreshing - it is such an incredible feeling.
Refreshing = invigorating, revitalizing, reviving, restoring, bracing, fortifying, enlivening, inspiriting, stimulating, energizing, exhilarating, change of direction, welcome, stimulating, fresh, imaginative, innovative.
Or so a thesaurus says.
You can have a Refreshing cup of coffee that revitalizes and energises you after a sleepless night. You can have a Refreshing hamburger that restores and energises you after a day without food. You can clean your room, throw something out, change your mind, etc., etc., all of which refreshes you and makes you feel like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders.
I love running my coffee shop. When you hand a tiered fisherman who has been up since 3 a.m. his cup of coffee, the look on his face after savoring the first sip is priceless. When a fishermen who has been eating fish for a week comes in and gets a bacon cheeseburger, the way he closes his eyes and slowly chews that first bite - also priceless. It is refreshing knowing that these people are enjoying my products, and the people who eat/drink my products always walk away from here refreshed and ready to face another day of crappy fishing.
I can't believe it has been over a month now since I opened. It has been great. The fishing during July was the most horrible I ever remember it being. My dad didn't even catch 400 coho - he should have caught at least 2000. Now it is August. I hope with August comes a run of some big, over 7 pound, coho. (There is a price break, over 7's are worth more than under 7's.) Everyone around here needs to catch some fish. They have been tied to the dock for basically two weeks because they just have no motivation to go out and not catch any fish. It is good for me because they come up and get coffee and candy and ice cream and the occasional burger when they are sick of eating fish. But, man, i feel bad for them all. I know what it is like to not be catching fish - i know what my dad must be going through. It is hard. All you think about are all the bills you have to pay and all the fuel you are using while out fishing and then you think about not catching even close to enough to cover the costs of being out fishing, so you go and tie to the dock again.
Everyone keeps telling me that I am the only one around here making any money, which honestly, i think is true. None of them are making any money while sitting at the dock. And I make money every time they come get their vanilla lattes and breve mochas! I love it, but for some reason I feel bad at the same time. I know they all don't have much money, yet they are up here supporting me and my adventure everyday! I really appreciate them all and I hope they know that.
Maybe i'll make some salmon berry cake tonight to perk up some of their spirits.
Refreshing = invigorating, revitalizing, reviving, restoring, bracing, fortifying, enlivening, inspiriting, stimulating, energizing, exhilarating, change of direction, welcome, stimulating, fresh, imaginative, innovative.
Or so a thesaurus says.
You can have a Refreshing cup of coffee that revitalizes and energises you after a sleepless night. You can have a Refreshing hamburger that restores and energises you after a day without food. You can clean your room, throw something out, change your mind, etc., etc., all of which refreshes you and makes you feel like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders.
I love running my coffee shop. When you hand a tiered fisherman who has been up since 3 a.m. his cup of coffee, the look on his face after savoring the first sip is priceless. When a fishermen who has been eating fish for a week comes in and gets a bacon cheeseburger, the way he closes his eyes and slowly chews that first bite - also priceless. It is refreshing knowing that these people are enjoying my products, and the people who eat/drink my products always walk away from here refreshed and ready to face another day of crappy fishing.
I can't believe it has been over a month now since I opened. It has been great. The fishing during July was the most horrible I ever remember it being. My dad didn't even catch 400 coho - he should have caught at least 2000. Now it is August. I hope with August comes a run of some big, over 7 pound, coho. (There is a price break, over 7's are worth more than under 7's.) Everyone around here needs to catch some fish. They have been tied to the dock for basically two weeks because they just have no motivation to go out and not catch any fish. It is good for me because they come up and get coffee and candy and ice cream and the occasional burger when they are sick of eating fish. But, man, i feel bad for them all. I know what it is like to not be catching fish - i know what my dad must be going through. It is hard. All you think about are all the bills you have to pay and all the fuel you are using while out fishing and then you think about not catching even close to enough to cover the costs of being out fishing, so you go and tie to the dock again.
Everyone keeps telling me that I am the only one around here making any money, which honestly, i think is true. None of them are making any money while sitting at the dock. And I make money every time they come get their vanilla lattes and breve mochas! I love it, but for some reason I feel bad at the same time. I know they all don't have much money, yet they are up here supporting me and my adventure everyday! I really appreciate them all and I hope they know that.
Maybe i'll make some salmon berry cake tonight to perk up some of their spirits.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
independent vs. codependent
There is a time in everyone's life when they come to a cross road. I'm sure some people even find themselves at a cross road a few times in their lives. Do you go left, right, straight; do you turn around and go running back the way you came. Everyone has to make these decisions for themselves, but these are the times when we want someone else to make the decision for us more than anything in the world.
So, right now I am standing on the cross street of Independence and Commitment. Ya, fun streets to be standing on, right? It is difficult to be so far apart from your partner, your best friend, the person you want to never not be a part of your life. I have had my fair share of confusion in my relationship. I just never know how I feel about it, which to me is a bad sign. If it was right, wouldn't I just know that; it should be obvious; shouldn't it? I find myself wondering, yet again, whether my partner and I are really meant to be together forever. There is no doubt in my mind that the man needs to be a part of my life forever - he and I are best friends. But, where my confusion comes from is if me not wanting to lose him is worth settling for a relationship that I am not 100 percent satisfied with.
To be honest, I really can't describe why my relationship is not what I want it to be. I have tried, many times, but I do not succeed in making people understand. But, shouldn't it be enough that I know deep down that it isn't right? Shouldn't me not being 100 happy with it be enough to make me realize that it probably isn't meant to be. I don't think I should have to try so hard to convince myself that all relationships are not perfect - that you have to work at them. I think that if my partner and I were meant to be, we would be. I would be happy all the time; I wouldn't have any reasons to doubt us. So why then do I doubt it all the time.
Maybe there is just something wrong with me. Maybe, I am not meant to be in a steady relationship at this time in my life. Maybe all my stress and anxiety about my relationship is a clue that I am not ready to be so utterly committed to another person. I am such an independent individual; maybe I'm not ready to be co-dependant, yet. I'm only 22, why do I feel the need to be settled? That is the thing, I don't, yet my partner does.
This is what happens when you spend hours on end sitting in a coffee shop not having many customers. You sit and blog about your inner-most thoughts. As you can tell my thoughts definitely form one of those tangled webs that Sir Walter Scott was talking about when he said his famous quote.
"Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive."
The only person I'm really deceiving here, though, is myself. I have to stop filling myself full of lies and half truths and open my eyes. What do I want; What will make ME happy?
So, right now I am standing on the cross street of Independence and Commitment. Ya, fun streets to be standing on, right? It is difficult to be so far apart from your partner, your best friend, the person you want to never not be a part of your life. I have had my fair share of confusion in my relationship. I just never know how I feel about it, which to me is a bad sign. If it was right, wouldn't I just know that; it should be obvious; shouldn't it? I find myself wondering, yet again, whether my partner and I are really meant to be together forever. There is no doubt in my mind that the man needs to be a part of my life forever - he and I are best friends. But, where my confusion comes from is if me not wanting to lose him is worth settling for a relationship that I am not 100 percent satisfied with.
To be honest, I really can't describe why my relationship is not what I want it to be. I have tried, many times, but I do not succeed in making people understand. But, shouldn't it be enough that I know deep down that it isn't right? Shouldn't me not being 100 happy with it be enough to make me realize that it probably isn't meant to be. I don't think I should have to try so hard to convince myself that all relationships are not perfect - that you have to work at them. I think that if my partner and I were meant to be, we would be. I would be happy all the time; I wouldn't have any reasons to doubt us. So why then do I doubt it all the time.
Maybe there is just something wrong with me. Maybe, I am not meant to be in a steady relationship at this time in my life. Maybe all my stress and anxiety about my relationship is a clue that I am not ready to be so utterly committed to another person. I am such an independent individual; maybe I'm not ready to be co-dependant, yet. I'm only 22, why do I feel the need to be settled? That is the thing, I don't, yet my partner does.
This is what happens when you spend hours on end sitting in a coffee shop not having many customers. You sit and blog about your inner-most thoughts. As you can tell my thoughts definitely form one of those tangled webs that Sir Walter Scott was talking about when he said his famous quote.
"Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive."
The only person I'm really deceiving here, though, is myself. I have to stop filling myself full of lies and half truths and open my eyes. What do I want; What will make ME happy?
Sunday, July 19, 2009
progress report
Today is Sunday July 19th. I have been open now for 19 days. As of day 18, yesterday, I am pleased to report that I have sold 114 burgers (of all kinds: hamburgers, cheeseburgers, bacon cheese burgers. You name it; I've got it!) Also in those 18 days, I have sold 118 espresso/coffee drinks. Here is the tally thus far:
Cappuccino 2
Mocha 43
Latte 14
Breve mocha 10
Breve latte 1
Soy mocha 2
Soy latte 2
Hot Chocolate 14
Americano 6
Coffee 24
Obviously, as you can tell, mochas are the drink of choice around here. Everyone seems to like a little bit of coffee with their hot chocolate :)
This has all shocked me quite a bit. When I started planning this adventure a year ago, I really had no idea what to expect. I didn't know who was going to be in town; I had no idea how many fishermen where going to be in and out of town. Like I said, I just had no idea what to expect - it was all a guessing game: how much food to order; how many cups and plates to order; what equipment did I need.
I was sort of waiting for the worst. When I got down here and finally opened, I had 54 burgers. I thought that would last me quite a while - my mom and I were thinking at one point that I might only sell 100 all summer. Well, we were sure wrong - I hit 100 on day 16!
I will be down here for 43 more days -maybe more if I decide to stay a little ways into September, but by then, I may be getting a little sick of PA. Who knows?
So... if it keeps up like it has been, I will be selling 272 more burgers while I'm down here. I don't know about coffee drinks, though. They are sort of hit and miss. Some days I sell a bunch and some days I don't sell any. The golf tourney is in August, though, so there will be a lot of drinks sold then, I'm sure!!! It really depends on who shows up for the tournament. I hope a lot of people will come into town - at least for the second day!
The Tourney is August 19th and 20th... come one; come all!
Making some coffee...
Cappuccino 2
Mocha 43
Latte 14
Breve mocha 10
Breve latte 1
Soy mocha 2
Soy latte 2
Hot Chocolate 14
Americano 6
Coffee 24
Obviously, as you can tell, mochas are the drink of choice around here. Everyone seems to like a little bit of coffee with their hot chocolate :)
This has all shocked me quite a bit. When I started planning this adventure a year ago, I really had no idea what to expect. I didn't know who was going to be in town; I had no idea how many fishermen where going to be in and out of town. Like I said, I just had no idea what to expect - it was all a guessing game: how much food to order; how many cups and plates to order; what equipment did I need.
I was sort of waiting for the worst. When I got down here and finally opened, I had 54 burgers. I thought that would last me quite a while - my mom and I were thinking at one point that I might only sell 100 all summer. Well, we were sure wrong - I hit 100 on day 16!
I will be down here for 43 more days -maybe more if I decide to stay a little ways into September, but by then, I may be getting a little sick of PA. Who knows?
So... if it keeps up like it has been, I will be selling 272 more burgers while I'm down here. I don't know about coffee drinks, though. They are sort of hit and miss. Some days I sell a bunch and some days I don't sell any. The golf tourney is in August, though, so there will be a lot of drinks sold then, I'm sure!!! It really depends on who shows up for the tournament. I hope a lot of people will come into town - at least for the second day!
The Tourney is August 19th and 20th... come one; come all!
Making some coffee...Friday, July 10, 2009
The Hard Part
The hard part about operating a business in a rural town in Alaska is sort of two-fold. The first, and most obvious, is not knowing how many customers I am going to have. The second sort of follows in line with that - not knowing how much supplies to order.
It has worked out pretty well so far. I have only had to have two emergency grocery orders put on the plane to come down to PA instead of being mailed. But, I really wish that I could get it together and not have to have my mom running around Sitka for me. But, it has just been so unpredictable. One day, I will sell 1 burger and the next day I will sell 10. There really are not even that many people around, but somehow I have been selling a lot of burgers. I have sold 60 in the last 9 days. Which, considering I really didn't have too high of hopes for this shop, is really good. Don't get me wrong. I knew that people were going to buy stuff and I was going to have fun, but I have not been expecting to make much of a profit. I just want to make sure I make back all the money that has been put into it. At this point, I don't really know how I'm doing in the profit department. I just know I have a lot of bills I have to pay before I can start even thinking about making some spending money for Europe.
Right now, I mean right this very moment; my problem is something a little bit more odd. So, to make sure that I have enough milk, while making sure it doesn't go bad, I keep a few gallons in the freezer. Yes, milk freezes and stays good while it is being kept frozen. It does however, go bad faster once it is unthawed, but it will live past its expiration date!
So, my problem right now, is unthawing the frozen milk. I took a gallon out of the freezer and put it into the fridge 2 days ago, and that puppy still isn't thawed out yet. I don't know what to do. I need milk, and it is not ready. I have some boxed milk that I will use if I have to, but that is a last resort. Not because it taste bad or anything, just because it is more expensive. The boxed milk actually works just fine; it tastes just the same.
For those of you who didn't even know there was such a think as boxed milk, yes, there is such a thing. It is packaged just like the boxed soymilk, rice milk, chai tea...etc. The milk is basically vacuumed, so all the air and bacteria is removed, which gives it a long shelf life. I don't really know how it all works; I just know that it tastes just like regular milk and lasts a long time. Before it is open, it has an expiration date that is a year down the line. I'm sure it is good after that too, that date is probably just for FDA purposes and what not.
So. I have a bunch of hamburgers coming in on today's plane because I only have 12 left, and I won't be getting my big order for another week. The last thing I want to happen is to run out of burgers!!! That would be horrible. So, I had to ask my mom again to run around for me up there in Sitka. She is so wonderful. She deals with a lot of stuff in the summer. My dad always calls and needing groceries, parts, hooks, hootchies, etc. Now I’m always calling her. If I were her, I know I would get frustrated and annoyed, but she has been dealing with very well I think.
Thank you mom; you are amazing.
It has worked out pretty well so far. I have only had to have two emergency grocery orders put on the plane to come down to PA instead of being mailed. But, I really wish that I could get it together and not have to have my mom running around Sitka for me. But, it has just been so unpredictable. One day, I will sell 1 burger and the next day I will sell 10. There really are not even that many people around, but somehow I have been selling a lot of burgers. I have sold 60 in the last 9 days. Which, considering I really didn't have too high of hopes for this shop, is really good. Don't get me wrong. I knew that people were going to buy stuff and I was going to have fun, but I have not been expecting to make much of a profit. I just want to make sure I make back all the money that has been put into it. At this point, I don't really know how I'm doing in the profit department. I just know I have a lot of bills I have to pay before I can start even thinking about making some spending money for Europe.
Right now, I mean right this very moment; my problem is something a little bit more odd. So, to make sure that I have enough milk, while making sure it doesn't go bad, I keep a few gallons in the freezer. Yes, milk freezes and stays good while it is being kept frozen. It does however, go bad faster once it is unthawed, but it will live past its expiration date!
So, my problem right now, is unthawing the frozen milk. I took a gallon out of the freezer and put it into the fridge 2 days ago, and that puppy still isn't thawed out yet. I don't know what to do. I need milk, and it is not ready. I have some boxed milk that I will use if I have to, but that is a last resort. Not because it taste bad or anything, just because it is more expensive. The boxed milk actually works just fine; it tastes just the same.
For those of you who didn't even know there was such a think as boxed milk, yes, there is such a thing. It is packaged just like the boxed soymilk, rice milk, chai tea...etc. The milk is basically vacuumed, so all the air and bacteria is removed, which gives it a long shelf life. I don't really know how it all works; I just know that it tastes just like regular milk and lasts a long time. Before it is open, it has an expiration date that is a year down the line. I'm sure it is good after that too, that date is probably just for FDA purposes and what not.
So. I have a bunch of hamburgers coming in on today's plane because I only have 12 left, and I won't be getting my big order for another week. The last thing I want to happen is to run out of burgers!!! That would be horrible. So, I had to ask my mom again to run around for me up there in Sitka. She is so wonderful. She deals with a lot of stuff in the summer. My dad always calls and needing groceries, parts, hooks, hootchies, etc. Now I’m always calling her. If I were her, I know I would get frustrated and annoyed, but she has been dealing with very well I think.
Thank you mom; you are amazing.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Coffee Update
I know I just posted a blog, but I decided another one was necessary. This site is supposed to be about my coffee adventures, but the last couple blogs have been mainly about Port Alexander, so I thought it was time for a coffee update.
First of all, I made my first cappuccino on Sunday and it didn't go very well. I couldn't get the foam to foam enough. The milk got hot before I had enough foam to really make the cap. Other than that, though, things have been pretty good. I am starting to master my blended mocha. When I first started making them, they were a little too runny, but I'm getting it now!
I spent three days learning how to make drinks at 4 J's in Sitka, and I got a lot of pointers from my amazing friend Nessa. All the tips I collected really came in handy. There were so many things I didn't know! The most important, was that a shot of espresso goes bad in about 30 seconds from the time it starts coming out of the machine. I would never have guessed that.
Every person that orders drinks has given me nothing but positive feedback. I hope everyone is being honest rather than just trying to be nice to me and not hurt my feelings. Most coffee drinkers are not really "nice." If the drink is not up to their standards, they tend to tell you about it. But, all these people have known me since I was little, so I don't know if maybe they just don't want to hurt my feelings. I hope they are being honest and just love the coffee!
Tomorrow is another day. I will go open the shop for the 8th day in a row. I can't believe it has been a week already! It really only feels like just yesterday that I opened and was scared silly. When I made my first mocha, I had no idea if it was going to taste right.
Nessa told me that by the end of the summer I was going to be a coffee drinker. Well, after a week, I am still not drinking coffee, and I don't plan on starting anytime soon. I have of course tried a few of the drinks to taste if they are drinkable or not, but I do not like any of them, so hopefully I'm in the clear.
First of all, I made my first cappuccino on Sunday and it didn't go very well. I couldn't get the foam to foam enough. The milk got hot before I had enough foam to really make the cap. Other than that, though, things have been pretty good. I am starting to master my blended mocha. When I first started making them, they were a little too runny, but I'm getting it now!
I spent three days learning how to make drinks at 4 J's in Sitka, and I got a lot of pointers from my amazing friend Nessa. All the tips I collected really came in handy. There were so many things I didn't know! The most important, was that a shot of espresso goes bad in about 30 seconds from the time it starts coming out of the machine. I would never have guessed that.
Every person that orders drinks has given me nothing but positive feedback. I hope everyone is being honest rather than just trying to be nice to me and not hurt my feelings. Most coffee drinkers are not really "nice." If the drink is not up to their standards, they tend to tell you about it. But, all these people have known me since I was little, so I don't know if maybe they just don't want to hurt my feelings. I hope they are being honest and just love the coffee!
Tomorrow is another day. I will go open the shop for the 8th day in a row. I can't believe it has been a week already! It really only feels like just yesterday that I opened and was scared silly. When I made my first mocha, I had no idea if it was going to taste right.
Nessa told me that by the end of the summer I was going to be a coffee drinker. Well, after a week, I am still not drinking coffee, and I don't plan on starting anytime soon. I have of course tried a few of the drinks to taste if they are drinkable or not, but I do not like any of them, so hopefully I'm in the clear.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
The Uniqueness of a Small Town!
Most people probably don’t think about what it takes to power their houses – when they plug in their hairdryer in the morning and it just works, they don’t think anything of it. Well, in Port Alexander, things are a little different. You can’t plug in your hairdryer in the morning unless your generator is on, which means you have to get up, get warm clothes on and go outside to start your generator. And, lets just hope you have fuel because if you don’t, you have to go siphon some out of a 50 gallon barrel then put it in your generator, then start it, then you can go inside to take your shower and blow dry your hair. Most people in PA don’t bother with things like blow drying their hair in the moning, but it was just an example that I thought would get my point across.
Here in PA, we have to fill 50 gallon drums with fuel from the Eyak, then depending on which side of the bay you live on, you have to either push them off the dock and tow them across the bay with your skiff, then roll them to your house. If you live on tract A, all you have to do is roll them to your house, but man, when it is low tide, good luck getting that drum up the ramp.
What made me think of all this is that I was sitting in my shop, which is right at the top of the pier and I saw Trevor and Dan rolling fuel drums up the ramp. They were the fuel drums for the City, so that means they have to go all the way to Bear Hall, which is pretty far away, so they had their work cut out for them.
It is just so different here. We get our power from generators, our heat from wood stoves, our hot water and ovens are fueled with propane, which is something even harder to mess with than fuel drums. Dragging a 100-pound propane tank out of our skiff and up to your house is pretty difficult. I can’t do it by myself that is for sure. Well, maybe I could; I haven’t tried since I was about 15-years-old.
Thankfully, this summer I only have to deal with a little generator at my house. It takes gas instead of diesel too, so it’s cheaper! It is a little 2000 wt generator, and it is pretty fuel efficient, so I don’t have to have too much gas to power the house. At the shop, I don’t have to deal with a generator at all, thank god. I have so much equipment in there that I would need one heck of a generator to power it all. If I wanted to be able to use more than one thing at a time I would need an even bigger one. But, Bill L. one of the men who lives in PA, he has a generator going 24/7 on the property across the boardwalk from my shop because he is powering a coast guard radio tower with it. So, he is letting me plug into his power for about $225 a month, which is actually sort of a lot, but man it is worth it to not have to deal with hauling fuel and starting and maintaining a generator, not to mention I would have had to buy a decent generator, too.
It truly is a different way of life here. Nobody could really picture or imagine it unless they came here. We get mail once a week in the winter and twice a week in the summer. It comes in on a boat…we don’t have any grocery stores, so we have to order everything from Sitka or Juneau or somewhere like that. It is really a different world.
I wish that everyone I know could come to PA and see the BEAUTY of this town. I don’t even know how to describe it. The trees, the ocean, the boardwalks, the starts, the smell; everything truely comes together to make the most beautiful place on earth.
Here in PA, we have to fill 50 gallon drums with fuel from the Eyak, then depending on which side of the bay you live on, you have to either push them off the dock and tow them across the bay with your skiff, then roll them to your house. If you live on tract A, all you have to do is roll them to your house, but man, when it is low tide, good luck getting that drum up the ramp.
What made me think of all this is that I was sitting in my shop, which is right at the top of the pier and I saw Trevor and Dan rolling fuel drums up the ramp. They were the fuel drums for the City, so that means they have to go all the way to Bear Hall, which is pretty far away, so they had their work cut out for them.
It is just so different here. We get our power from generators, our heat from wood stoves, our hot water and ovens are fueled with propane, which is something even harder to mess with than fuel drums. Dragging a 100-pound propane tank out of our skiff and up to your house is pretty difficult. I can’t do it by myself that is for sure. Well, maybe I could; I haven’t tried since I was about 15-years-old.
Thankfully, this summer I only have to deal with a little generator at my house. It takes gas instead of diesel too, so it’s cheaper! It is a little 2000 wt generator, and it is pretty fuel efficient, so I don’t have to have too much gas to power the house. At the shop, I don’t have to deal with a generator at all, thank god. I have so much equipment in there that I would need one heck of a generator to power it all. If I wanted to be able to use more than one thing at a time I would need an even bigger one. But, Bill L. one of the men who lives in PA, he has a generator going 24/7 on the property across the boardwalk from my shop because he is powering a coast guard radio tower with it. So, he is letting me plug into his power for about $225 a month, which is actually sort of a lot, but man it is worth it to not have to deal with hauling fuel and starting and maintaining a generator, not to mention I would have had to buy a decent generator, too.
It truly is a different way of life here. Nobody could really picture or imagine it unless they came here. We get mail once a week in the winter and twice a week in the summer. It comes in on a boat…we don’t have any grocery stores, so we have to order everything from Sitka or Juneau or somewhere like that. It is really a different world.
I wish that everyone I know could come to PA and see the BEAUTY of this town. I don’t even know how to describe it. The trees, the ocean, the boardwalks, the starts, the smell; everything truely comes together to make the most beautiful place on earth.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
HOME?
I love Port Alexander. I was born here, yes here... in my home... no hospital... no doctor. This town will always be a part of me; I will always be drawn here. I don't know exactly how to describe it, but I get drawn here. After I'm away for so long, I have an urge to return; a severe homesickness; a need so deep to return HOME.
I have many homes. Sitka is my home because that is where my family is; Washington is my home because that is where a big portion of my life took place and my dear friends and my boy friend are there, but Port Alexander is my home because that is where I was born and raised, and spent every summer that I can remember fishing with my dad. Most of my childhood memories are centered around PA: the lake, the red can, board walk races, the play court, the point, the bridge, the dock, the golf tournaments, pot lucks... the list goes on and on.
It is hard for me to sit here and watch my home slowly disappear, vanish before my very eyes. PA used to triple in size every summer once the fishing season started. The dock would have so many boats tied to it that you would think it was going to rip right off the pier. This year, though, the day before the king salmon season opened (July 1) there were only 10 boats at the dock. That is nothing compared to the 40+ that used to show up. And now, since it opened, the dock is COMPLETELY empty... no fishing boats in sight. The difference from back in the day to now is that there is no longer a place for fisherman to do their laundry and shower. I never realized how vital those two things were until they were taken away. If fisherman don't have a way to do laundry, get food and take showers, than they can't very well fish in that area. They then migrate other places that do have those facilities.
Enough about the logistics... there is a whole mess of reasons why it is horrible that there is no more barge in PA that buys fish and offers laundry facilities and what not to the fisherman, but I will not bother you with those details now. BUT... I will include a copy of an essay I wrote for my English class a couple years ago... writing about all this made me think of it, so i dug through my old folders and and found it!!!...
So here it is...and it is even more true now than it was when I wrote it on Jan 17, 2008.
Port Alexander, Alaska
I'm home, but nothing is here. Not a boat, not a buoy, or even the smell of fish.
In Port Alexander, we used to say, you don't find the fish, the fish find you. Maybe that's what happened - the fish found someone else, bringing an end to my way of life, my home.
On June 12, 1987, 20 years ago, I was born into a small community on the tip of Baranoff Island, in Southeast Alaska. When I was younger, the town seemed to be full of adventures and family and friends. A mooring station for the Southeast Alaska trolling fleet, Port Alexander was home to 40 year round residents, but in the summer that number tripled with fisherman. I remember a dock with more boats tied to it than anyone could have though possible, a one room grocery store, a cannery, the house my sister's grandma used to live in, smoke coming from every house's chimney and the boardwalks full of kids playing. Port Alexander was my home. Not perfect, but more preferable to being on the water. No fish to clean here. No father telling me to go run through the lines.
Maybe once every four days, the boats would return to port, where we would sell our fish and re-ice for the next trip. There were hot showers and telephones, land to walk on, and people to talk to besides our captains. With a lot of weed and a lot of beer we would spend our evening on dry land in flat out celebration. We could relax here. We could stand without swaying to the movement of the ocean. Before dark we'd gather drift wood and make a bon fire on the beach, roasting marshmallows, and making s'mores, we would talk about what we were doing once summer was over. As it got late we would stumble our way through the woods back to our boats in wonderment of whether we would be fishing in the morning.
So much to remember. The time we built a zip-line going across the lake; the sounds of laughter, and fires crackling; the slow dread that we would feel when our captains told us we were headed back out. Larch Bay Maybe. Cape Ommaney. Nasty, horrible place where the waves themselves could kill you.
Now I stand at the top of the ramp, looking down at the empty dock, and what used to be the small grocery store. Depressing really, what time can do. You'd think there would be someone left, some boat still tied to the dock, but Port Alexander has been erased from captain's logs. There are no fish here, and therefore no reason for anyone to come, it is a ghost town, where the only thing left is the sound of waves crashing on the beach.
I have many homes. Sitka is my home because that is where my family is; Washington is my home because that is where a big portion of my life took place and my dear friends and my boy friend are there, but Port Alexander is my home because that is where I was born and raised, and spent every summer that I can remember fishing with my dad. Most of my childhood memories are centered around PA: the lake, the red can, board walk races, the play court, the point, the bridge, the dock, the golf tournaments, pot lucks... the list goes on and on.
It is hard for me to sit here and watch my home slowly disappear, vanish before my very eyes. PA used to triple in size every summer once the fishing season started. The dock would have so many boats tied to it that you would think it was going to rip right off the pier. This year, though, the day before the king salmon season opened (July 1) there were only 10 boats at the dock. That is nothing compared to the 40+ that used to show up. And now, since it opened, the dock is COMPLETELY empty... no fishing boats in sight. The difference from back in the day to now is that there is no longer a place for fisherman to do their laundry and shower. I never realized how vital those two things were until they were taken away. If fisherman don't have a way to do laundry, get food and take showers, than they can't very well fish in that area. They then migrate other places that do have those facilities.
Enough about the logistics... there is a whole mess of reasons why it is horrible that there is no more barge in PA that buys fish and offers laundry facilities and what not to the fisherman, but I will not bother you with those details now. BUT... I will include a copy of an essay I wrote for my English class a couple years ago... writing about all this made me think of it, so i dug through my old folders and and found it!!!...
So here it is...and it is even more true now than it was when I wrote it on Jan 17, 2008.
Port Alexander, Alaska
I'm home, but nothing is here. Not a boat, not a buoy, or even the smell of fish.
In Port Alexander, we used to say, you don't find the fish, the fish find you. Maybe that's what happened - the fish found someone else, bringing an end to my way of life, my home.
On June 12, 1987, 20 years ago, I was born into a small community on the tip of Baranoff Island, in Southeast Alaska. When I was younger, the town seemed to be full of adventures and family and friends. A mooring station for the Southeast Alaska trolling fleet, Port Alexander was home to 40 year round residents, but in the summer that number tripled with fisherman. I remember a dock with more boats tied to it than anyone could have though possible, a one room grocery store, a cannery, the house my sister's grandma used to live in, smoke coming from every house's chimney and the boardwalks full of kids playing. Port Alexander was my home. Not perfect, but more preferable to being on the water. No fish to clean here. No father telling me to go run through the lines.
Maybe once every four days, the boats would return to port, where we would sell our fish and re-ice for the next trip. There were hot showers and telephones, land to walk on, and people to talk to besides our captains. With a lot of weed and a lot of beer we would spend our evening on dry land in flat out celebration. We could relax here. We could stand without swaying to the movement of the ocean. Before dark we'd gather drift wood and make a bon fire on the beach, roasting marshmallows, and making s'mores, we would talk about what we were doing once summer was over. As it got late we would stumble our way through the woods back to our boats in wonderment of whether we would be fishing in the morning.
So much to remember. The time we built a zip-line going across the lake; the sounds of laughter, and fires crackling; the slow dread that we would feel when our captains told us we were headed back out. Larch Bay Maybe. Cape Ommaney. Nasty, horrible place where the waves themselves could kill you.
Now I stand at the top of the ramp, looking down at the empty dock, and what used to be the small grocery store. Depressing really, what time can do. You'd think there would be someone left, some boat still tied to the dock, but Port Alexander has been erased from captain's logs. There are no fish here, and therefore no reason for anyone to come, it is a ghost town, where the only thing left is the sound of waves crashing on the beach.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
The Grand Opening
After spending a week in Sitka, riding to PA on the Eyak in gale force winds and spending four days working my butt off, it is finally finished. Problem Corner Cafe has officially open for business.
Today was my test run. I sold 18 burgers and a few mochas. All in all, I would say it was a darn good day. And I for one am glad. So many people have put some much time and energy into helping with the shop that I want it to meet everyone's expectations; and I think that it will. After today's test run, I have every faith that this summer is going to be a good summer.
It took a lot to get here - let me tell you!
Friday, back in Sitka, I called Dave on the Eyak to figure out what time I needed to start loading my stuff onto the boat. He said he would be at the city wall for loading at 2pm. So, knowing the Eyak and knowing Davy; I had my first load to the boat at about 2:30. Really, I should have known better than to even show up that early. I still had to wait a half hour to load my stuff. After my pallet of grub and gear from Costco was loaded onto the boat, I asked them what their plan was for the day. I still had a pallet full of fridges and freezers, as well as a plethora of other items strewn across town: some at my mom's house, some in Harmony's storage locker, some at Sarah's house... I was quickly told by Dave that the weather was not looking good, so they wanted to get out of town as quick as possible to try and get ahead of the blow. So, I jumped into go mode and drove to the storage locker. I loaded all the freezers and fridges into my truck, and absolutely everything else into Sarah's Subaru wagon (thank god she had a wagon...I always kind of wanted to give her a hard time about it because it is kind of a "mom" car, but I was sure grateful she had it that day.) We also had to get my luggage and different bits and pieces of equipment I had at my house.
We got it all into Sarah's car and organized in an actually pretty nice fashion. I threw a lot of equipment (toaster ovens, crock pots, coffee pots) into large trash cans that were then taped closed - hey, you do what you gotta do; everything made it down with out breaking. I also frantically through books, cords, plug-ins, ice cube trays and everything else that I had accumulated for the shop in to boxes and crammed them into Sarah's car as well.
When we got to the Eyak, someone else was loading stuff, so I waited for about 20 minuets, then we got all my stuff on board. Man I had a lot of stuff, but I'm going to be living down in PA for the summer and running a business, so I think I deserve to pack heavy in this situation.
After the boat was loaded and the passengers were ready to go, we of course ended up staying in Sitka for 3 and half more hours. That is how it goes with the Eyak... it is all HURRY UP AND WAIT. But, we eventually were on our way. Leaving the harbor, I could tell it was going to be a bumpy ride. It was pretty rolley even 10 minutes out of town. I took two seasick pills about 5 hours before we left, so I figured I would be good in that department, but those don't help the feeling of seasickness. Yes, the pills make it so I don't actually vomit, but when I am standing up, I still get the gross headache that goes along with being seasick. After about 2 hours of hanging out in the wheelhouse chatting with Dave and the rest of the crew, I called it a day and went to bed. I woke up as we were going around Cape Ommaney and had to use the bathroom, but when I stood up I got thrown across my little "state room" and thought better of it. I laid back down and thought to myself "just fall back asleep; just fall back asleep." Cape Ommaney is usually about an hour and a half out of PA, but It took longer than that due to the weather. It was blowing 40 knots and the seas were averaging 15 feet, with some 20 foot waves - thankfully my little pep talk worked, and I was able to fall back asleep. I woke up as we pulled in to PA a few hours later - THANK GOODNESS!
The four days that followed my arrival to PA were eventful and stressful. We didn't have the right fitting for this, we had the wrong part of that, we miss calculated how much material we would need, we couldn't connect our water, our water heater wouldn't work, or pluming was not designed the way we thought it was, there wouldn't be a plane to bring parts for a day and a half, the Eyak left Sitka without our parts.... the list goes on and on, but I won't put you to sleep by explaining all of it, although it would probably be a good way to vent. Just know that Mike and I ran into a lot of problems and stressed out about it all, but in the end it all worked out. It took longer than it could have, but also not as long as it could have.
I opened today, like I said in the beginning. All is going well so far. One of my mini fridges doesn't work, which sucks, and it took me a good couple hours to get my espresso grinder to work, but it seems to be working pretty well now. I think I need to make the grind a tad bit courser, but It has been working fairly well so far!
The first drink I made was a vanilla breve mocha (a mocha made with half and half instead of milk, with a little vanilla syrup). I made it for Dave on the Eyak cause the boat pulled up to the dock right as I got my espresso grinder fixed, so I wanted to try everything out! He told me that was his drink when we were riding down the weekend before (although he said he liked praline flavoring, but I am not that fancy).
Tomorrow is the GRAND OPENING... today was just the test run. I hope everything goes well.
PICTURES SOON!!!
Today was my test run. I sold 18 burgers and a few mochas. All in all, I would say it was a darn good day. And I for one am glad. So many people have put some much time and energy into helping with the shop that I want it to meet everyone's expectations; and I think that it will. After today's test run, I have every faith that this summer is going to be a good summer.
It took a lot to get here - let me tell you!
Friday, back in Sitka, I called Dave on the Eyak to figure out what time I needed to start loading my stuff onto the boat. He said he would be at the city wall for loading at 2pm. So, knowing the Eyak and knowing Davy; I had my first load to the boat at about 2:30. Really, I should have known better than to even show up that early. I still had to wait a half hour to load my stuff. After my pallet of grub and gear from Costco was loaded onto the boat, I asked them what their plan was for the day. I still had a pallet full of fridges and freezers, as well as a plethora of other items strewn across town: some at my mom's house, some in Harmony's storage locker, some at Sarah's house... I was quickly told by Dave that the weather was not looking good, so they wanted to get out of town as quick as possible to try and get ahead of the blow. So, I jumped into go mode and drove to the storage locker. I loaded all the freezers and fridges into my truck, and absolutely everything else into Sarah's Subaru wagon (thank god she had a wagon...I always kind of wanted to give her a hard time about it because it is kind of a "mom" car, but I was sure grateful she had it that day.) We also had to get my luggage and different bits and pieces of equipment I had at my house.
We got it all into Sarah's car and organized in an actually pretty nice fashion. I threw a lot of equipment (toaster ovens, crock pots, coffee pots) into large trash cans that were then taped closed - hey, you do what you gotta do; everything made it down with out breaking. I also frantically through books, cords, plug-ins, ice cube trays and everything else that I had accumulated for the shop in to boxes and crammed them into Sarah's car as well.
When we got to the Eyak, someone else was loading stuff, so I waited for about 20 minuets, then we got all my stuff on board. Man I had a lot of stuff, but I'm going to be living down in PA for the summer and running a business, so I think I deserve to pack heavy in this situation.
After the boat was loaded and the passengers were ready to go, we of course ended up staying in Sitka for 3 and half more hours. That is how it goes with the Eyak... it is all HURRY UP AND WAIT. But, we eventually were on our way. Leaving the harbor, I could tell it was going to be a bumpy ride. It was pretty rolley even 10 minutes out of town. I took two seasick pills about 5 hours before we left, so I figured I would be good in that department, but those don't help the feeling of seasickness. Yes, the pills make it so I don't actually vomit, but when I am standing up, I still get the gross headache that goes along with being seasick. After about 2 hours of hanging out in the wheelhouse chatting with Dave and the rest of the crew, I called it a day and went to bed. I woke up as we were going around Cape Ommaney and had to use the bathroom, but when I stood up I got thrown across my little "state room" and thought better of it. I laid back down and thought to myself "just fall back asleep; just fall back asleep." Cape Ommaney is usually about an hour and a half out of PA, but It took longer than that due to the weather. It was blowing 40 knots and the seas were averaging 15 feet, with some 20 foot waves - thankfully my little pep talk worked, and I was able to fall back asleep. I woke up as we pulled in to PA a few hours later - THANK GOODNESS!
The four days that followed my arrival to PA were eventful and stressful. We didn't have the right fitting for this, we had the wrong part of that, we miss calculated how much material we would need, we couldn't connect our water, our water heater wouldn't work, or pluming was not designed the way we thought it was, there wouldn't be a plane to bring parts for a day and a half, the Eyak left Sitka without our parts.... the list goes on and on, but I won't put you to sleep by explaining all of it, although it would probably be a good way to vent. Just know that Mike and I ran into a lot of problems and stressed out about it all, but in the end it all worked out. It took longer than it could have, but also not as long as it could have.
I opened today, like I said in the beginning. All is going well so far. One of my mini fridges doesn't work, which sucks, and it took me a good couple hours to get my espresso grinder to work, but it seems to be working pretty well now. I think I need to make the grind a tad bit courser, but It has been working fairly well so far!
The first drink I made was a vanilla breve mocha (a mocha made with half and half instead of milk, with a little vanilla syrup). I made it for Dave on the Eyak cause the boat pulled up to the dock right as I got my espresso grinder fixed, so I wanted to try everything out! He told me that was his drink when we were riding down the weekend before (although he said he liked praline flavoring, but I am not that fancy).
Tomorrow is the GRAND OPENING... today was just the test run. I hope everything goes well.
PICTURES SOON!!!
Monday, June 22, 2009
The Stress Comes and Goes
Graduation, parties, friends, loved ones, driving, ferries, Juneau, fudge... so many things have come and gone in the last week and a half. Now, I am sitting at my house in Sitka thinking about everything that has to be done between now and my dream grand opening. I have wanted to open on July 1st since the idea of this coffee shop emerged. Now, though, I don't know if that is going to happen. July 4th may not even be in the picture any more.
So many things have to be done; so many things that should have been done already. We still have some paperwork that needs to be done, the shelves need to be finished, the sinks need to be installed, all the equipment needs to get to PA, I need to figure out prices for the food and drinks, the plumbing needs to be hooked up, the espresso machine needs to be plumbed in... ah, the list just goes on and on.
On the upside, I spoke to a woman that owns a coffee shop here in Sitka, and she said I can hang out at her shop and watch/learn how to make coffee; so that is awesome.
Also, my best friend and I started making the sign. It doesn't look like much yet, but it will - Sarah is very artistic (unlike me).
So many things have to be done; so many things that should have been done already. We still have some paperwork that needs to be done, the shelves need to be finished, the sinks need to be installed, all the equipment needs to get to PA, I need to figure out prices for the food and drinks, the plumbing needs to be hooked up, the espresso machine needs to be plumbed in... ah, the list just goes on and on.
On the upside, I spoke to a woman that owns a coffee shop here in Sitka, and she said I can hang out at her shop and watch/learn how to make coffee; so that is awesome.
Also, my best friend and I started making the sign. It doesn't look like much yet, but it will - Sarah is very artistic (unlike me).
So... I leave to Port Alexander on Friday. Mike (the builder) and I will be going down there so he can finish everything, and so I can set everything up - and hopefully open. It could be possible that I will be able to open by the 4th, but unfortunately, at the moment, I am not feeling that optimistic. So cross your fingers for me!
Saturday, April 18, 2009
To the Barge
After months of hunting on Craigslist and E-bay, I had accumulated quite a pile of coffee shop must-haves: a freezer, mini-fridge, espresso machine, coffee grinder, and a George Foreman; all of which were sitting in Kevin's garage.
On a fine Friday morning before spring quarter started, I decided it was time to get all of my appliances out of Kevin's garage and to AML. So, I called AML and asked where I needed to take everything; I called a half-dozen U-haul places and finally found one close to Kevin's that had the van I wanted; then I got out of bed, got dressed and jumped in my car to start the 1.5 hour drive from Bellingham to Lynwood.
I was cutting it a little too close for comfort. AML closes at 4:30 p.m. and, depending on traffic, it could take two hours to drive from Kevin's to AML. I left my house at 12:45 p.m. I arrived at U-haul a little after 2 p.m., and arrived at Kevin's right around 2:30 p.m. At that point, we still needed to wrap up a few things and load the van.
Let me give you a little run down on my espresso machine. I found it on Craigslist for $500. It is 10 years old, but it is a good brand, so well worth it. However, a few days before I was going to drive down to Everett to buy it, the owner contacted me and told me that it in fact, did not work anymore. She said that the water pump was broken, so she would sell it to me for $100 if I wanted to try and get it fixed. After discussing it with my mom, we decided to go for it. We bought the broken espresso machine and found a guy who specializes in espresso machines - Russ.
I called Russ, and after playing phone tag for a week, we set up a time for me to drive to Lynwood to drop off the machine. Ya, I have had to do a lot of driving around for all this coffee shop supplies, but it has been worth it. So, when I took the espresso machine to Russ, he took a quick peek at it and could tell it was not the water pump, but he said it looked like the engine could be seized, which happens when espresso machines sit in someone's garage for too long! So as you can imagine, I was not very happy about that. Russ took the machine with the intent to call me as soon as he figured everything out, which thankfully only took him a day and a half.
Turns out the engine was not seized, there was a problem with the boiler and the pressure/temp. gage on the front was blown. Ya, I sound like I know what I'm talking about, but really, I have no idea what the heck a broiler is for an espresso machine. It was $400 to fix the machine, so in the end, it was still only $500 total!
Back to the barge excitement.
Because Russ said the espresso machine could seize if it was in a garage for too long, but didn't say how long too long would be, I became extremely paranoid and made Kevin keep the machine in his bedroom instead of his garage. And, when I was driving down to his house to get the U-haul and take everything to AML, I called him and made him go buy a couple blankets to wrap around the espresso machine so that it wouldn't get to cold on the barge ride up to Sitka. We left Kevin's house a little before 3 p.m., so we had an hour and a half to make it to AML. Thankfully, the traffic was mediocre, so we made it there about 4:10 p.m. It was cutting it a little too close, but in the end we made it, so that is all that matters.
I heard from my mom a couple weeks ago, and her and my dad got everything from AML and put it in storage, except the espresso machine: It is currently sitting in their living room. It will probably still be sitting there, all wrapped up, when I finally make it to Sitka in June. Of course, before my parents told me that the espresso machine was sitting happily indoors, my dad told me they put it in the storage locker. I had a mini panic attack. I guess my mom told him how fussy I had been about the machine, so he couldn't resist teasing me.
Everything is coming together. We still need a sink, but that is it. Of course the coffee shop still needs to be put on location, which will be a huge undertaking, and it still needs to have counters built, water plumbed in and electricity sorted out, but it will happen- I HOPE. I also still need to get the right permits from the city and all the right licenses from the state. I have my business license, so that is step one, but there are still about 10 more steps before I reach the finish line.
Here it is: The Problem Corner Cafe. This was in Sitka, in December when we were lifting it on to the Eyak to be taken to Port Alexander. It is now sitting on a small barge in PA waiting to be lifted onto our property, which I've just recently been told will probably happen in May.
On a fine Friday morning before spring quarter started, I decided it was time to get all of my appliances out of Kevin's garage and to AML. So, I called AML and asked where I needed to take everything; I called a half-dozen U-haul places and finally found one close to Kevin's that had the van I wanted; then I got out of bed, got dressed and jumped in my car to start the 1.5 hour drive from Bellingham to Lynwood.
I was cutting it a little too close for comfort. AML closes at 4:30 p.m. and, depending on traffic, it could take two hours to drive from Kevin's to AML. I left my house at 12:45 p.m. I arrived at U-haul a little after 2 p.m., and arrived at Kevin's right around 2:30 p.m. At that point, we still needed to wrap up a few things and load the van.
Let me give you a little run down on my espresso machine. I found it on Craigslist for $500. It is 10 years old, but it is a good brand, so well worth it. However, a few days before I was going to drive down to Everett to buy it, the owner contacted me and told me that it in fact, did not work anymore. She said that the water pump was broken, so she would sell it to me for $100 if I wanted to try and get it fixed. After discussing it with my mom, we decided to go for it. We bought the broken espresso machine and found a guy who specializes in espresso machines - Russ.
I called Russ, and after playing phone tag for a week, we set up a time for me to drive to Lynwood to drop off the machine. Ya, I have had to do a lot of driving around for all this coffee shop supplies, but it has been worth it. So, when I took the espresso machine to Russ, he took a quick peek at it and could tell it was not the water pump, but he said it looked like the engine could be seized, which happens when espresso machines sit in someone's garage for too long! So as you can imagine, I was not very happy about that. Russ took the machine with the intent to call me as soon as he figured everything out, which thankfully only took him a day and a half.
Turns out the engine was not seized, there was a problem with the boiler and the pressure/temp. gage on the front was blown. Ya, I sound like I know what I'm talking about, but really, I have no idea what the heck a broiler is for an espresso machine. It was $400 to fix the machine, so in the end, it was still only $500 total!
Back to the barge excitement.
Because Russ said the espresso machine could seize if it was in a garage for too long, but didn't say how long too long would be, I became extremely paranoid and made Kevin keep the machine in his bedroom instead of his garage. And, when I was driving down to his house to get the U-haul and take everything to AML, I called him and made him go buy a couple blankets to wrap around the espresso machine so that it wouldn't get to cold on the barge ride up to Sitka. We left Kevin's house a little before 3 p.m., so we had an hour and a half to make it to AML. Thankfully, the traffic was mediocre, so we made it there about 4:10 p.m. It was cutting it a little too close, but in the end we made it, so that is all that matters.
I heard from my mom a couple weeks ago, and her and my dad got everything from AML and put it in storage, except the espresso machine: It is currently sitting in their living room. It will probably still be sitting there, all wrapped up, when I finally make it to Sitka in June. Of course, before my parents told me that the espresso machine was sitting happily indoors, my dad told me they put it in the storage locker. I had a mini panic attack. I guess my mom told him how fussy I had been about the machine, so he couldn't resist teasing me.
Everything is coming together. We still need a sink, but that is it. Of course the coffee shop still needs to be put on location, which will be a huge undertaking, and it still needs to have counters built, water plumbed in and electricity sorted out, but it will happen- I HOPE. I also still need to get the right permits from the city and all the right licenses from the state. I have my business license, so that is step one, but there are still about 10 more steps before I reach the finish line.
Here it is: The Problem Corner Cafe. This was in Sitka, in December when we were lifting it on to the Eyak to be taken to Port Alexander. It is now sitting on a small barge in PA waiting to be lifted onto our property, which I've just recently been told will probably happen in May.
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