Look how on top of it I am!

Ok, a week and a half out is not so on top as to give me room to get all cocky about it. But I must say I'm feeling pretty good about this one. I've got time to get these things printed, the planning committee is meeting on tuesday, and now I've got an excuse for all my friends to practice their cookie making skills...

the PHOTOS are in!

So one of the things that can be a total drag about shooting film is that it takes so long to see the photos. Ok, your right, it doesn't need to take so long. In the case of me, it does. The upswing of film is that it provides for these special occasions when it all comes together. This particular batch took even longer because I decided I would scan them myself, which is somewhat of a pain. It has, however, given me much more sympathy for the dredge of editing that david does on a daily basis. But enough. The pictures are taken, negatives scanned, everything uploaded and ready to go.
First,
Zombie Prom

Second, the Thursday Night Throwdown from Atlanta way back in September.

And a bunch of random stuff... like pictures of janet.  I miss her!

that's all for now, I'm out the door to get a cup of coffee... xo

soup, soup de doop

Yes, sometimes I do find my short attention span to be a handicap of sorts. I'm constantly starting new books before I finish my old ones, and yes I know I'm cheating the stories and its true, so much depends on how a story ends. I won't argue that point. Believe me, at times I lament my struggles to see things through. But this evening I'm choosing to look at things a bit more 'half-full'. I just really like beginnings.

And so, with that bit of optimism, I introduce you all to the latest thing to hold my attention, soup swapping. Last week I was planning on doing a little cooking and I wanted to send the recipes to my friend in chicago. then I thought I'd send the to my mom and my nana, maybe invite some local friends over for soup and sandwiches. Before I knew it, I was approaching 20 people, and so a blog just seemed to make the most sense.

The beauty of this blog is I'm inviting my friends and family to post their recipes as well, so its not running on my inconsistent thoughts alone, and we all share the benefit of keeping in touch. Anyone wanting to be a contributor, please send me a note, and I'll put you on the guest list =)

again,
Hearts to the Midwest.

dreaming big

tamper dance

i've been mulling over a few ideas about coffee and chocolate and some traveling and all that good stuff, but my friend colleen just sent me the video to 'the tamper dance' and its just so delightful! you absolutely must watch it now!






the video was used to kick off a dance party gimme! threw as part of the spectacular NERBC weekend this past april. watching it now reminded me of how impressed i was with everything they put together. the competition was held at the state theater! which meant the (albeit small) crowds sat in old plush velvet seating, with the option of a birds eye view from the balcony. competitors gave their performances on stage but their set up spaces were in actual dressing rooms...
but beyond an awesome venue, they were just great hosts. they anticipated needs and went to great lengths to make people feel welcome and at ease. everything else just seemed to fall in line. alright, i suppose thats enough reminiscing for one morning, so much to do...

..:.happy birthday big bear.:..

here's offering one big, heartfelt happy birthday to big bear cafe. sunday david and i joined really quite a few people for some barbeque, beer and a really lovely toast to the fine people behind big bear. all that loveliness was followed by as much dance party as the neighbors could handle on a sunday night.

its hard to believe they're just over a year old, i remember like yesterday the very first time i visited, riding my bike, meeting tommy and travis, following it up with falafel, boy those were the good ol' days...

i digress, as far as coffee shops go, big bear is an old soul. to their credit they are so rooted in their community they feel like an institution -- most definitely the corner store that ties the neighborhood together. i love their market, tasty sandwiches, amazing granola and of course really delicious coffee. every now and then while hanging out, i catch myself totally inspired by what they've done as i let my mind wander to my own (one day) shop. truth be told, i don't know that i want my own shop, but big bear is great enough to (temporarily) chase away my doubts. everything they do is simply nice.

my first two months in d.c., i lived on florida just three blocks from big bear's door and there was nothing, absolutely nothing to do that was close. on my days off i wandered into dupont or towards u street to find a cup of coffee and a seat to read the paper. now i come back to my old neighborhood and wish i'd never moved.

as soon as i get my film developed i'll post some more pictures and perhaps i'll get to the something nice and thoughtful that big bear deserves. i absolutely most get to bed now - early tomorrow i'm headed to atlanta, for a big 'ol coffee get together. i'll have some sort of report when i get back, but in the meantime, feast your eyes on the middle schoolers taking long drags of their post dancing smokes.

yes they are that cool, and they have the espadrilles to prove it.

please excuse me while i join the legion of bloggers (i know this title is a stretch) who begin their posts with "its been awhile since my last post." it has indeed been such a long time, and a busy time at that. in the time between i've turned 25 (commemorated with a latte art competition and some fantastic cakes from bakeshop), attended the SCAA annual conference where I competed at the USBC (an astounding 2 minutes over time), and began training my first employee at murky. its kept me busy.

while the last note i left was bittersweet and sad this one is more upbeat. i'd like to propose a toast to those giving in to this city's pull and making it a staying place. so first, a warm welcome back to miss sara gilmer.



a murky barista who spent the days of the last 9 months in picturesque Salvador, Brazil, sara (as you can see) is charming and cheery and thoughtful and i'm quite happy to have her back. Sara was my date to a recent chocolate tasting and i happily learned today that sara is hooked as well, having returned 3 times since.

and a giant public (as public as a completely obscure and unread blog can be) congratulatory hug to ryan and jill jensen, who have defied d.c. transiency and assumed control of the old murky space on capital hill. when the ultimos moved on up to philly and the jensens moved into their tiny new space i started counting my days, fully expecting their 'movin' on' announcement in 6 months or so. the news came just after conference and has been met with a murky chorus of yahoos -- easily the best imaginable ending to the cap hill saga.
i know i'm not the only one anxiously awaiting the opening of peregrine espresso. if anyone can live up to the expectations of the horde of not easily impressed d.c. baristas keeping their eyes on these papered windows at 660 Pennsylvania Avenue



i believe with all my heart it is the jensens. now i know that specialty coffee is all a buzz with the goings ons of nyc, but i'm quite proud to be part of this local coffee community that keeps getting better all the time.

So Long Mr. Innocent...

so the sun is setting on the day that everyone thought would never come -- the day Aaron Ultimo moved on from murky coffee.  we've been sort of tumbling towards this day for a solid six months or so, but after 7 years and change, aaron's pretty much a fixture.  in fact, he's even outlasted some of our fixtures -- ceiling tiles, handrails, doors, locks, countless chairs and thrift store seating.  it must be said he did not, however, outlast the ultimate murky fixture -- bill author sr., who will tell you he's been at murky since before nick was in diapers, just ask him.  this was back in the days when murky was in silver spring before the clintons' started sticking it to him. (for the record, murky was never in silver spring)

anyway, for the last month and a half or so, aaron and i have been working on an overhaul on murky's training program, and as one might expect the process of figuring that out entails a lot of discussion, debate, and syphon brewing.  call it work, or perhaps more accurately -- hanging out.  this whole time i've been thinking about what to add and what to adjust, and really thinking nothing of that fact that aaron would be moving away.  you can call it an oversight, or more accurately -- denial.

the district definitely leans towards the transient -- few people i've come to know are from d.c., and even fewer intend to stay.  especially working in coffee, which despite our best efforts, tends to be a fairly transient industry.  this is particularly true with murky, as our staff is made up almost entirely of part-timers, and in-schoolers everyone has their sights on bright new things.  which is not necessarily a complaint,  being a sort of layover means that all sorts of people stop in for a time, and the diversity of the industry is definitely one of my favorite things about coffee.

i've been at murky (and in d.c.) for almost two years, and i'm starting to notice a tightening of my heart strings, particularly around these see ya later moments.  i spent my spring break (with only one class, i don't know that it really counts as a break) driving ms. murky shantastic out to boulder, partly to delay a good-bye. (other part a sight seeing adventure, of course).  i tried to delay the ultimo good-bye,  leaving a little early, coming in a little late, but it turned out to be tom-foolery.  this morning aaron and liz stopped in for one last classic before setting out on their philadelphia adventures.  without a doubt i wish them the very best, but there is no denying i'm feeling so sad.  in fact, i'm surprised at how sad i feel, like i said, aaron's a fixture.  i don't think i'm the only murkster who is having trouble imagining the place without him.  Aaron's not only done a great job at training baristas and inspiring people to care about coffee, he's been a bit of glue, and really one of my best friends friends in town.  i'm at total saddies, though i think same paging is still possible while in different cities, we'll see.

onto brighter things, i made my first coffee order last night, and this evening i clarified butter for the first time.  you may ask why its taken my so long to do such a thing, and the answer is simply i don't know.