Coffee jerk

Tried to get an iced coffee from Cafe Fresh, the attractive but not-very-well-managed coffee place across from campus, on Amsterdam Ave. I went in and the guy barked, “We’re not open right now.” I asked him, “Well, when are you going to open.” He said, “I’m not getting into the details of why we are not open.” So I repeated, “No, no,I didn’t ask WHY you aren’t open, I wanted to know WHEN you are going to open so i can have an iced coffee.” He replied, “I don’t feel like having a conversation right now about WHY we are not open.” And so I went to Starbucks. Nuff said. Their coffee was delicious and they were nice. http://cactuseaters.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Mountain extravaganza

I’ve just returned from a grand tour of the mountains for a freelance writing assignment. I threw down a 12-mile trail run into the backcountry, explored a creek and a briny lake, hiked through a field full of swallows and dragonflies, traversed a national park, learned a lot about mining and earthquakes, ate a duck, toured an Ayurdevedic spa, interviewed 20 people, spent the night in an historic lodge and watched the sun set over the humpbacked mountains. It was a terrific experience though I’m sleepy now and trying to get some rest but my cat is mauling me. Tomorrow I’m back in NYC (but only for a couple of days) http://cactuseaters.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

Return of the human boomerang

I just had a strange realization about my life in relation to geography. I was born on the West Coast, and then my father moved us all to the East Coast when I was two. At age three, my family moved back to the West Coast, where I stayed for 15 years. Then I moved to the East Coast for six years, at which point I returned to the West Coast for six years, at which point I moved to the East Coast for three years. Now, I’m about to move to — guess where – the West Coast AGAIN!! I am a human boomerang but didn’t realize it until this moment. http://cactuseaters.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default