This Is Random in It's Purist Form, TOTALLY!

There’s a lot going on here. I’m exhausted after our holiday weekend but I think the reason for this will be in another post entirely. I just have to be ready to write it. And I’m not ready today, at least not this morning. Maybe later.

I’m writing from my bed, all propped up with pillows, and the sun is coming up. Can you see it? There it is!

 (Not the best picture, but you get the idea, right?)

It rises directly into my window as it shines it’s morning beam down the length of the lake. And I love being woken by a stream of sunlight softly resting on my cheek. It's warmth rustling me out of slumber. 

This is probably my favorite time of day. The blissful time you float yourself awake. Ignoring it for as long as I can, acceptance begins to creep in but my eyes remain closed; closed for as long as I can without peeking. My brain starts to stir and I begin to think. Some of my best thoughts occur right at this very minute of the day; at the exact time my eyes struggle to open and I urge them to remain closed just a little while longer. And these thoughts, they run the gamut.

As you can tell, I milk this time of the day for all it’s worth. There’s no other like it, in my mind. I try to stay still for as long as my schedule (or everyone else’s) will allow.

This morning, the water is calm. And there’s a gentle breeze I can see moving the leaves in the massive ash tree in my yard (it's 15 feet around!). If I had to make a guess, I’d say it’s going to be another hot one. It has “the look”.

Not much on the agenda today, but there really hasn’t been lately with the exception of weekend visitors. I’m a little crabby because there’s no coffee yet and I could get up and make it but I don’t want to ruin this moment, quite yet. The words are flowing and I hate stopping them.

I can tell you that I’ve been writing all kinds of stuff lately. Just not stuff for here. And I should be or maybe not. I still need to, and want to, get to an award my friend, a.eye, over at “Shouldn’t Life Be More Than This?” gave me last week, The Liebster Blog Award. I will do that today (I really have had a good reason for not writing here lately, I promise.)

I was looking for book recommendations yesterday and happened to be with some of  my book fanatic college aged friends. It was a beautiful thing hearing three twenty-one year olds discuss books and the pros and cons of two series they had all read, The Hunger Games and A Song of Ice and Fire (Game of Thrones). They thoughtfully considered which series I, a book fanatic as well, would enjoy more and why. It is exactly the type of conversation I would love to have with anyone but to be having it with college kids, for some reason, felt really special to me. Okay, I’ve been sappy lately!!! I admit it.

They chose…..The Hunger Games for me. 

I was to begin last night but felt more like writing. So I wrote and I wrote and I wrote. Until close to 3:00am. So when the sun started throwing pebbles at my window early this morning because I had forgotten to draw the shade so I could sleep in a bit, it arrived a little sooner than I wanted. I started to write...very early.

Something you don’t know about me is that I spend some time writing romantic encounters. Of all kinds. And I really mean ALL kinds. Steamy ones are my favorite and a few of those kept me up last night. They just kept rolling off my mind and threw my finger tips.  To ignore them and not get them down in writing would be a waste or a shame, at the very least. They held me captive, I swear.

Okay, was that TMI? I hope not and if it was…so sorry! But I enjoy writing these, this way, and I do hope we all spend some time writing these kinds of stories. They’re fun! Fun for me.

Yes, you are free to call me weird if you want.

I suppose the coffee doesn’t make itself and I’m jonzin’.

I believe I will turn this random day into a purely writing day and when my fingers or my mind give up or need a break, I have The Hunger Games hungrily waiting in the wings for it’s pages to be caressed. Lay off the romance you say? NEVER!

Stacy's Random Thoughts

Talk To Us Tuesday

Gotta Have My Coffee: Morning Conversations

I’ve written about coffee, talked about coffee, enough for most of you to know that it is a true addition for me AND an absolutely mandatory morning ritual. Unfortunately, it’s third in line after the face and teeth things but it should be first. Anyone have a coffee maker in his or her bedroom? Kidding.

I don’t know what it is, maybe my impatience, but I don’t care for coffee at home. Or, just maybe, I like someone to prepare something for me one time during my day. Could be that.

I am not a coffee snob except to say that I don’t/won’t drink Starbucks. I must be the only person in my town, with the exception of anyone over the age of 70, that doesn’t go to our “see and be seen” Starbuck’s.

I’d rather support Quinn’s Coffee House, the local place in town (where all the over 70’s go). I’ve been going there for 20 years and it’s just my spot plus they have the world’s best cake donuts covered in fudge frosting (I try for not more than one a week).

Mudgin and Patrick will start fixing my coffee as I’m opening the front door. Mudgin chats me up for five minutes, but Patrick won’t even look me in the eyes as he takes my money or bags my donut. (And he hasn’t more than a few times in all these years. What’s with that? I’m not scary or anything.)

There are two problems with Quinn’s. Town is only two blocks away but on the opposite side of the tracks from where I need to be most mornings. Getting stuck by commuter trains can easily tack 10-15 minutes onto a 5 minute drive. AND they raised their price for a large cup of coffee to $3.45. I pay it but I think it’s a lot. Don’t you?

Since I’m often running just a smidgeon late (no, not me!), I go to 7-Eleven, which is in the opposite direction but on the right (correct) side of the tracks and closer to where I’m headed.

I love it in 7-Eleven for two reasons. The coffee is really good and they have 8 different types including some high-octane stuff that I’ve never tried (maybe for the truck drivers?). I always love options. And I love paying only $2 for a 24oz. cup!

But who really makes my morning, where I’ve been going mostly of late, are Cerim and Zena. Cerim and Zena have been working at the corner 7-Eleven for so many years I can’t even recall when they started.

They’re super friendly and every morning Cerim greets me the same way with a big smile on his face. “Good Morning, Gina. How are you, Gina?” He uses my name twice in not so many words, kind of funny to me and makes me smile. I ALWAYS reply, “Good morning, Cerim. I’m great! How’s your morning going so far?” “Not too busy.” he replies. ALWAYS!

On my way out the door, we do our thing in reverse. “Goodbye, Gina. See you tomorrow, Gina.” “See you tomorrow, Cerim. Have a great day!”

I’m feeling I need to change this up a little, don’t you think? Change the conversation Cerim and I have every morning? I must be boring him. But what should I say to Cerim? What can I ask him that wouldn’t be awkward?

Zena and Cerim have the same accent. I wonder where they’re from? I could ask him but that feels weird, too, because they’re from here now. Just like me. I’m not comfortable saying, “So what do you have going on today?” He’d just say, “Working.” Hmmmmmmmm…… I’ll have to think on it.

P.S. Never mind the fact that on several occasions (Okay. More than that, actually) I’m without cash and both places gladly float me a loan for the cup. They know me, and they’ll see me soon, and they know I’m good for it!