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Thursday, May 15th, 2008
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3:44 pm - Love your barista
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Just a few things I've been thinking about while at work that I thought I'd pass on. If you order coffee while you're out and about, here are a few things to consider. These will probably make me sound like a jerk:
* No one likes making blended drinks. Go for iced, unless you're at a smoothie shop/cafe, and I recommend Liquid Earth for that (Thai Espresso Smoothie OMG YUM!). On that note, we do make them and the only powder we put in them is a natural thickener. Or, make coffee ice cream milkshakes at home, you know you want one!
* Just say no to powdered blended drinks and chai. I wish we brewed our own chai but it hasn't worked out well for us so we use a concentrate. Also, $bucks doesn't add water to it's chai concentrate to help the tea "bloom" before the milk is added. The chai is super concentrated so they have to water it down before adding the milk; once tea is initially brewed it will bloom no more.
* There is (seriously!) no such thing as a large cappuccino. Cappuccino's are a particular drink, traditionally 6 oz., 1/3 espresso, 1/3 foam, 1/3 milk. If you want something bigger, ask for a latte.
* Also, we can't make iced cappuccinos (see above). We can make awesome iced lattes and mochas, though!
* Just say no to nasty old iced tea and coffee. We brew it fresh every day, we don't hold it overnight, and we don't save the day's hot coffee leftovers to serve as iced the next day. Yuck! On the other hand, cold brew toddy/filtron coffee is awesome.
* Lattes over 16 oz. are kind of gross (and a pain to make). That's a lot of milk. Many of the large lattes we serve are never finished, so try downsizing.
* On that note, we're thinking of getting rid our our large espresso drinks. If you go into a shop and they don't carry the sizes you're used to, please don't harass the staff, there are reasons owners make the decisions they do. Also, don't use $tarbucks' made up terminology, just ask for a small/medium/large or single/double shot. Also, espresso. Tiny. Meant to be drunk quickly (espresso/express). You don't need a to go cup for espresso.
* Try taking some of the sweetness out. Ask for a half shot of syrup or a little less chocolate. Try tasting your coffee before you dump in the sugar. Different coffees have different natural flavors, see if you can figure them out. Flavored coffee? Forget about it, it's nasty and solvents are used to get the flavors to stick to the beans. Try adding cinnamon, chocolate or a shot of your favorite liquor to the coffee.
* Want more caffeine? Drink a lighter roast coffee. Want a bolder flavor? Drink the darker roasted coffee. The longer coffee is roasted the less caffeine is has.
* Not sure what to get? Ask! Most baristas are happy to recommended a drink, or help you build one according to what you like. Walking up to the counter then staring at the menu with your mouth open and eyes glazed over is kind of annoying.
I know, I sound like a coffee snob. But it hurts my heart when people take a wonderful item (tasty tasty coffee) and add so much stuff to it that you wonder if they even like coffee, or demand you make them something "Just like __________ makes" or order a beautifully crafted beverage and then waste most of it. Order a small cappuccino and enjoy the natural sweetness of the milk. Try drinking your coffee plain and see if you can figure out the flavor notes. Take the time to sit down with a well made drink served in a real cup and enjoy an actual coffee break.
current mood: bossy
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11:23 am - Overload
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A follow up to "OMG/od/oddess, look at all the stuff!"
I went to Laurel to visit my parents yesterday and stopped in The Crystal Fox to see if they had an oil I'm looking for (vetiver and yes).
Wow. I had been in this location a few times but seriously? It's like the place exploded! I walked through for ten minutes with my head swiveling around trying to take it all in. I think a part of it is due to organic growth, years of products that have come in, decorations that have been put up, all crammed in (a not that small) space. It was a touch overwhelming, and made me slightly nostalgic for their first small location.
So, I recommend stopping in if you're in Laurel, it's rather impressive.
ETA: I just opened the little plastic bag the vial of oil was in and the air that puffed out smelled like incense. As did I after walking out of the store yesterday.
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| Sunday, May 11th, 2008
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11:08 pm - What would you like to buy?
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| Wednesday, May 7th, 2008
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12:21 pm - Performance thoughts
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Wrote a dance blog entry with some thoughts about ways of performing. Wondering - do other performers feel the same way (dance, music, whatever)?
Sometimes I wish I could turn off the chattering monkeys hamsters in my brain.
ETA: Further thoughts posted to original blog entry
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12:29 am - Suggestions anyone?
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Is anyone here tapped in the local (MD/DC) music scene better than I? We have some friends in a band (myspace page with music!) who are looking to book a show in Baltimore (or somewhere between DC and Baltimore) on Tuesday June 10th. They would fit in more with an acoustic venue and all Baltimore seems to have is places with louder music OR places that want background music, which they are not. Pay to play is unacceptable.
I've racked my brain. They play a lot of pagan events, so I suggested they contact Mystickal Voyage in White Marsh, as they have events and have a cafe. I'd book them at bluehouse but we really aren't set up for music and we don't get much of an evening crowd. If anyone has any suggestions please let me know!
This really shows me that I don't get out to hear music that much anymore, I have no idea what's out there.
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| Tuesday, May 6th, 2008
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5:58 pm - My gratitude
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11:20 am - peektures!
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| Monday, May 5th, 2008
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8:42 pm - Puddin' Tribe!
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A moment of ding0 hearing wrong* has lead to the development stages of a new tribe for Faerie Fest: Puddin' Tribe. Know us by our call of, "Two hundred and forty dollars worth of puddin'!".
* Scene: The middle of the festival, all the tribes have gathered and are marching around to the Maypole area
Group of people yelling: "Woodland! Woodland! Woodland!"
ding0 turns to me: "Puddin'?"
Both of us: "Puddin' Tribe!"
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1:28 pm - Recovery
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Faerie Fest was flat out f!@$ing amazing. I'm slowly recovering (I almost drove off the road last night because I was so distracted upon reentering "reality"). Unfortunately work is being teh stoopid, so I get to deal with lots of fun stuff starting bright and early tomorrow morning.
More brain unpacking later. Time for a HOT SHOWER!
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| Thursday, May 1st, 2008
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4:18 pm - PS:
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2:48 pm - Done!
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Corset - done! And it pretty much fits! OK, the bad part was when I put in the first grommet and put the whole thing right through both layers of cloth. Corset now sports a small patch.
Tutu - bigger! Ended up being a pain in the butt.
Moresca bag - fixed! ding0 accidently put the wrong color grommet on it last night, and removing it made the whole bigger. I put a patch over that too and put in the new grommet.
FF outfits laid out, now I need to pack real (i.e. warm) clothes and get the last of the camping gear together. I hope to be out of here in an hour.
Yay!
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2:59 am - OK, fine, I'll go to bed
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Still up! Still sewing! Ripped-off asymmetrical tank top? Done. The prototype is now the finished version, since it won't be so hot that I'm worried about wearing a colored top. Waist cincher? Boned. I still have to do the grommets because that involves hammering things on the front porch. It went pretty well, except for the bias tape binding on the bottom edge (I didn't have extra wide double fold, only regular double fold, so it was tricky). It won't win any awards but I'm pretty proud of what I have so far! I can tell already the grommets won't come out even because despite being super careful the back edges are every so slightly not the same length. Also, I only got two dozen of the black grommets, instead of 4 dozen. I may see if I can retroactively sew the (boned) front pieces together. Or else I'll be alternating black and aged brass grommets.Thank goodness I'm not trying to actually lose some inches with this thing.
So tomorrow I finish that, make sure all my outfits are together, pack all my clothes. Then I make fruit salad, chicken salad, veggie sausage and gravy and kashi pilaf for meals. Then I pack all the camping stuff, run around getting last minute things (NO! I am NOT taking the fire stuff! No time! It'll just get wet!) together, and head out. Possible last minute Target run.
Must not forget to pack boots, poncho and unbrella. Sadly the kitty umbrella suffered handle damage, though I may try to tape it up so it's useful.
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| Wednesday, April 30th, 2008
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4:55 pm - Bad weather
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If anyone's inclined to think some good weather thoughts for this weekend, particularly the area of Glen Rock, PA, please do. This may be the Faerie Fest where it not only rained but it really really rained.
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10:29 am - Quick and dirty corset question
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I am making a simple under bust corset/waist cincher for a Faerie Fest costume. I have two boning options:
1. cable/zip ties (cut to length and melt the ends)
2. the metal hanging parts of hanging file folders (snip and wrap in electrical tape if I can't find plasti-dip)
I don't want to get into crazy cinching, just something that smoothes things out over a shirt. Would anyone have suggestions as to what might be better? I've read cable ties can work very well but it's always for a corset that has way more boning channels than the one I'm making (which is 5 pieces/side, probably 12 pieces of boning overall). Would the metal be too rigid?
Why yes, I did leave this until the last minute.
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| Monday, April 28th, 2008
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6:54 pm - Roaming
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I am sitting in a cafe that is not bluehouse! We have a ton of laundry to do before Faerie Fest, but no dryer, and this damp weather means it'll never dry on the line before it starts to smell musty. So I came home, did two loads of laundry, hauled it out to my car, stuffed it into three dryers at the Cold Spring Brite Wash and now I'm sitting at Evergreen having a (not too crappy) iced coffee. I just ate one of their Danger! muffins for dinner (plain muffin coated in butter and rolled in a thick layer of cinnamon sugar).
I have to be home by 7:30 so I can change and head to Woodlawn for class. I called off practice for tomorrow, I have some serious FF prep to do, and I think tomorrow will include heading to Laurel after work to do the car swap.
OK, I'm going to go make sure my laundry is not currently being stolen from the laundromat. I actually like sitting in there, it smells clean and the white noise of the machines is comforting. I doubt they have wifi though.
Hmmm, I know of coffee shop laundromats in other places, maybe Baltimore needs such a thing.
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| Sunday, April 27th, 2008
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1:13 am - Oh yeah! I should post this!
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If anyone would like to see ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) afoundobject and I dance tomorrow, we're performing at DC Tribal Cafe (Miss N is out dancing with bears camping in the wild west with her man. If you plan on checking it out:
* get there as early as possible, it fills up fast
* they set out tip jars for the performers, so bring small bills if you'd like to tip
I'll be enjoying the cheap beer after I dance, but we're forgoing food for our new post-dance favorite, falafel and fries from the place down the street. Mmmm mmmmm.
April DCTribal Cafe is coming!
So for April Romka decided to fly in just for Tribal Café!
That's right, we'll be just landing from our trip teaching & performing at Spirit of the Tribes to debut NEW ROMKA material! So…don't miss it!
This month's perfomers include:
ROMKA
Kallisti Tribal ( a special duet performance!)
Eugenia – in her Tribal Café premier!
And, of course, musical stylin's of DJ Mellie Mel!
As always -- get there early for the best seats! Doors at 6pm.
DCTribal Cafe
April 27, 2008
6-9pm
$10
Asylum Bar & Lounge
2471 18th Street, NW
Washington DC 20009
DCTribal Café: An evening of fantastic food and exquisite belly dance performances! The perfect end to a weekend!
½ price burgers; $2 off yuengling drafts
Don't miss DC's best monthly belly dance event!
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| Saturday, April 26th, 2008
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10:02 am - Deep sleep
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I have been sleeping really well lately. I don't know if it's the weather, the fact I just changed to non-flannel sheets and a lighter blanket, or if I'm just exhausted. The hard part is getting up at 6 a.m. for work.
Speaking of, I work today and tomorrow, dance at DC Tribal Cafe tomorrow night, work Monday and have dance class, work Tuesday and have practice, work Wednesday and try to figure out how to get my parents truck to take to FF, and Thursday I'm off to the farm. I still have to finish repacking the camping gear, figure outa grocery list, shop, and finish sewing and pack. Ugh.
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| Thursday, April 24th, 2008
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6:43 pm - I'll burn calories out of anger instead of at the gym
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In the "man I didn't need to deal with this on top of everything else" files, I started to sift through our camping gear last night to find that SOMEONE (Other) has peed on a bunch of it. I was so mad, but I didn't have time to scream because when I moved the tent ground cloth a puddle of pea dripped onto other things, so I was in a mad rush of dragging things outside and trying to move other things and trying to save the tent and f!$k did it get on the sleeping mats and air mattress and I hope it's not in the stove and I am going to f!$king KILL that cat.
J has been instructed to wash and hose down the ground cloth and sleeping things. Tonight I start washing the camp blankets (I think they missed it but I want to be sure) and a dishpan of dishes that may have been hit. I have to sift through everything, figure out if any more stuff needs to be cleaned, figure out if I have to find a new ground cloth for the tent, double check the tent and pray it's okay (otherwise we're sleeping in the car next weekend), repack things that are going with us, repack things that are not going with us (in plastic tubs), and hope none of the neighborhood kids steal the items drying in our back yard.
This is on top of trying to get ready for dancing at Tribal Cafe this weekend (put together outfit, edit music, PRACTICE), the fact our grass is about to hit the "S@*t it's too high!" point, and the usual OMFG rush of Faerie Fest sewing. I think I'll be sans wings this year, I just don't have the time or inclination to make them (though I am wanting a good pair of horns this year, I may have to make or commission a pair if I can't find any I like).
Happily I ordered $30 worth of corset grommeting materials this morning and they are supposed to arrive via UPS tomorrow. Now to set the corset they belong to (first time, we'll see how it goes).
Oh, and I have a sudden contact lens check tomorrow at the eye doctors. I called to set an appointment and see if I could swing by to get some extra contact and they tell me to come in for the appointment! They wanted me to have the full work up but I can't afford it all at one time.
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| Monday, April 21st, 2008
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6:20 pm - Poor hair
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You know, I might have a nice haircut, but I'd never know because I have to wear it up all the time because I work in the cafe so much at the store.
Seriously, best paid barista in Baltimore!
Man, I'd just like to NOT wear a bun, pony tail or braids one day.
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| Friday, April 18th, 2008
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4:48 pm - Out of here
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