Coffee@home

My coffee machine (mine is the out of production red version) arrived at our house a year late. I had left it at my parents house and i know it was getting used there but the time arrived for me to reclaim it. I have only just got everything the way i want it and after quite a few coffee trials i have had to give in and buy the Gaggia coffee. It really is the best iv had so far, its ground just right and gives me an espresso at home to match St Arbucks or Nero.



So, the above pic is my sunday afternoon coffee being made (see the mouse-tails?) ........nice!

Get me a ........................

This morning i was feeling a little rough, due to a lack of sleep. I woke in the middle of the night with a pain in my stomach, well, kind of at one side of my stomach. I jumped up quickly and encouraged a lovely head spin and a subsequent "i might throw up" scenario. If you know me you will know that vomiting is perhaps the worst outcome for me in such a situation. I somehow managed to withstand and squirmed about the bed for, well, im not sure how long but eventually i felt sleepy and must have nodded off! During this i had a brief conversation with Cherith, who i had wakened as i staggered about trying to find the bathroom. The conversation made a nice change for her, she is not used chatting to me in bed while i am awake!
So, back to this morning and i went to Starbucks to grab a coffee. I had a chat with the staff, grabbed my coffee and sat down for a few minutes. While i sat and sipped the first few mouthfuls of my Americano a little kid came in. He must have been about 7, maybe 8. He ordered a Hot Chocolate to go and whilst waiting for it, Jamey asked him if he was on his own! Jamey works in Starbucks, she is from Portland, Oregon. The kid is very friendly and says:

"My mum is outside, she sent me in to get this for her"

ahh, what? She is outside? And she sent the 8 year old in to fetch her a drink thats as hot as the sun? She didn't come in, she evidently didn't give him enough money for a drink of his own? The kid merrily left with the Grande sized cup clasped in both hands..........................i pushed my jaw back up into its normal position! Is it just me? Am i a freak? Would i do that if i was a parent? Would you do that?

Watch out Starbucks...............

Ballymena has a new Coffee shop!! That is hardly the biggest news that will hit the town this week but.....actually you know what? it probably is our biggest news! A few years ago we discovered a coffee shop called Ground and when it came to our town i was quietly impressed that we finally had a good place to get 'real' coffee. Then we got O'Briens who use the phrase 'Gourmet Coffee' on their advertising. The truth is, their Coffee sucks like a jumbo jet sized Hoover. Then, man o man, we got Starbucks!! This was one of those things i almost didn't believe at first but now that we are used to it, well, its not so impressive these days! On MOnday we got Caffe Nero who, in the process poached some staff from Starbucks, which i should add is about 30ft away! On Monday i was in the new place twice and today i was there once and back in Starbucks later in the day. My first impression is that Starbucks has stiff competition. Why? Well, their machine is automatic, Nero's is not. Having been a Barista of sorts for a year i appreciate the authenticity attached to a manual machine and not some automatic piece of crap BUT the truth is, the coffee is good in both spots. So, i am, as yet undecided but Starbucks has competition! ha

Death by Coffee..........

Sometimes i just do not know when to behave! I am not talking about drug binges or wild parties (yawn) but instead i speak of the drug commonly known as coffee. I'll paint the picture for you. This morning i had a sore stomach, this is not strange for me at all, in fact its a regular ailment along with my back trouble (im 30, not 60). So i figure the best way to counter a sore stomach and a rather "loose" bowel movement is to avoid coffee until i am feeling a bit more "solid" if you get what i am saying?
I went out to get a newspaper this morning and as i passed Starbucks i seemed to involuntarily drift in the door and within a few short minutes i was leaving with a Grande Americano! Weird eh! It tasted great as it always does. The stomach cramps that dominated my afternoon were not so good but did i say the coffee was great?
The best part is i came out of work tonight and told Cherith i had a jippy stomach and i couldn't figure out what had caused it! I genuinely had managed to convince myself momentarily that it was not the coffee, as i will do tomorrow morning when i say.....

"Grande americano with an extra shot & room for milk to go please......"

lumos design house..........

This morning Philip and i had coffee at St Arbucks with these guys.