Days of Yore: Warming Up and Waking Up

When I was little, there was nothing like sitting in front of the fireplace with a nice cup of hot chocolate topped with melting marshmallows and savoring the warmth on a cold day. That's still an accurate statement today, but it doesn't happen like that nearly as often these days. 

Photo: konradbak on Adobe Stock

Having lived in Hong Kong in the '70s, we also loved some great Chinese tea, particularly of the jasmine variety, but really, any kind. Mint tea was also great. It was also nice that teabags could be reused. That said, one of the most perplexing things we encountered was people back in the US having this creative idea that nobody (with a surprising number of exceptions) had ever thought of before. Care packages from the US were always a special treat. But a bunch of people decided it would be thoughtful to brew a nice cup of tea while they were packing the box, save the teabag, dry it, and include it in the package so the missionaries could enjoy the same tea when they got it in the mail. It gave them a sense of connection. The thing is, it doesn't work that way. Dried teabags don't reconstitute right. It isn't as meaningful to the missionaries as it sounds in theory. It's a nice thought, but odd, and honestly a bit gross. There are more practical ways of creatively encouraging missionaries, and everything else in the care packages was usually awesome. I particularly liked the flavored instant oatmeal packets.

Another nice way of warming up was chili (I love topping it with cheese), or any kind of hot soup.

Chai and hot apple cider were other options, and they had a very similar effect to hot chocolate.

When I was young, I was always told I was too young for coffee. It would be too easy to OD on the caffeine. But all that changed January 1, 2000. In the months leading up to that date, there was general panic about the Y2K bug. People were afraid computers would short-circuit because they wouldn't be able to handle the years starting with a 2 rather than a 1. My grandpa made sure we knew his typewriter didn't have that problem. He also made sure we knew some of the more reactionary were advising running for the hills because computers were scary with the impending Y2K. We had to make sure everything was Y2K compliant. As it turned out, it was a lot of fuss over nothing. The apocalypse didn't happen. But one thing was not Y2K compliant: me being too young for coffee. I was a senior in college by this point. January 1, 2000, we were having our family New Years celebration, and my mom asked if people would like coffee. I told her i would love some. She thought I was joking until I asked again. I only had a half cup to avoid OD'ing, but that was my first cup of coffee.

When I returned to the dorm after Christmas break, I decided to get some coffee at the nearby 7-Eleven. We got a discount when we brought our own mugs, and I'm very thankful I only paid a few cents for it, in this case. I was used to hot chocolate, where the powder dissolves in water. Nothing could prepare me for the shock of the coffee grounds NOT dissolving when I put them in the cup and poured hot water over them...and stirred and stirred and stirred...one might say it was a stirring experience. I decided maybe I had added too much powder, so I poured some out and added more water. Still no luck. It was not pleasant. Needless to say, I finally gave up and made a point of learning how to make it properly! 

Once I joined the workforce, I got to know the wonders of coffee shops. My favorite was Seattle's Best Coffee, but I also enjoyed Tully's and Starbucks (in that order). Caffe Ladro is good, but I'm not as big a fan of their black coffee. (I love living in Seattle, the coffee capital of the country!) I had a flavored latté every morning on the way to work until years later I started counting calories and realized how caloric they are (not to mention all those lattés add up quickly in terms of price). I then tried putting flavored creamer in my coffee...but eventually discovered a tablespoon of creamer has several times the calories of the entire cup of coffee! Since then, I generally drink it black. I try to get one or two pumpkin spice lattés as a special treat during the season when Starbucks has it.

Baristo at the Tully's where I went every morning before work.
This was the same Tully's, but not the same barista,
where I got the inspiration for my poem "Words @ Random."
(Yes, I spelled "baristo" right...the Italian way. I'm odd like that.)

Some time ago, my brother introduced me to the wonders of Senseo. It was a machine with special pods that you inserted in the machine, and put water in it, which heated up and then ran through the pod into the cup. It was great, until they stopped making it and the machine gave out. Those Senseo pods were a bit useless without the machine made for them. That would later be replaced with Keurig, which I use regularly now. They have a different kind of pod, though, so I don't believe Senseo pods work in them. (Though I don't recall if I've tried...) Since I've been working from home due to COVID, I keep a Keurig in the office, and it comes in handy. Long gone are the days when I would only have a half cup of coffee in a day. Toward the end of his life, my dad could no longer have caffeine, but he still liked to drink decaf coffee. I find decaf somewhat pointless, but it's nice for people who can't have caffeine. For me, part of the point of coffee is staying awake. Since I still like flavors, but lattés and creamer have lots of calories, I often have flavored coffee. I also have plain (unflavored) coffee on hand, and for when I'm extra tired, I have some with extra caffeine...but I try to use that more sparingly. I also have hot apple cider, cocoa and chai Keurig pods, but don't use those as often. Nespresso is another kind of machine that does coffee pods, but I've never used that.

I also like to warm up in the mornings with some good oatmeal or grits. Good stuff! I generally go for flavored oatmeal, and I usually put cheese on my grits. You have to be careful warming those up in the microwave, though, as they can overflow and make a mess if you don't watch it like a hawk.

I know what you're probably thinking right about now. "This is the part of the post where you tell us that now you drink all your coffee from your cell phone." Well...

Image by Freepik

Surprise plot twist! I do NOT drink my coffee from my cell phone! That's just silly! Who does that? I still drink it out of an old-fashioned mug. Well, assuming a mug that looks like the TARDIS, or one with a Captain America shield on it, or a sea turtle mug made by my super talented cousin Rika Blue, are what you would call old fashioned. (Seriously, go check out her pottery, and order some if you like! It is amazing!) That said, I do have the Starbucks app on my phone for the rare occasion when I go to Starbucks. I also occasionally order Keurig pods on Instacart on my phone.

Meeting a Legend

Her story is inspirational. She aspired to be an airline captain from a young age, at a time when that was an occupation reserved for men. She pursued her dream, rising from pilot to flight engineer, and eventually became American Airlines' first female captain in 1986. On September 11, 2001, she was flying from Paris to Dallas when she heard on the air-to-air frequency that the Twin Towers had been hit, and New York airspace was closed, followed shortly thereafter with airspace across the country. She was ordered to land in Gander, Newfoundland, where she experienced hospitality that amazed her. Her story is told in the musical Come from Away, and I interviewed her over the internet in 2018 for a blog post for All Things Broadway. In later blog posts (here and here), I told about when the national tour opened in Seattle and I got to meet several people whose stories were included in the musical. Kevin Tuerff invited me to attend an exclusive viewing of the documentary You Are Here: A Come From Away Story, where I met him, Nick and Diane Marson, Beulah Cooper, Bonnie Harris, Kevin Jung, Oz Fudge and others. Though she couldn't make it to the viewing, I met Diane Davis a couple weeks later after attending the musical for the third time. What I did not mention in those blog posts, because it hadn't happened yet, was meeting Beverley Bass. She also couldn't make it to the viewing for the documentary because she had needed to leave earlier in the day.

In 2019, Captain Beverley Bass released her children's book Me and the Sky. I promptly ordered it on Amazon. I also found out she was coming to Seattle! Since I had interviewed her previously and greatly admired her, I sent her a message to see if I could meet her. We arranged an appointment to meet at her hotel near Boeing Field in South Seattle. As I had ordered her book online, I was a little worried it wouldn't arrive on time, but it arrived the day of the appointment, before I left! I had also recently obtained the companion book to the musical, Come from Away: Welcome to the Rock: An Inside Look at the Hit Musical, which had also just come out. With both books, I made the trek south to meet one of my heroes!

We met in the lobby and she gave me a big hug. We went to the hotel café, where she bought me coffee (she rocks!), and we talked. I don't recall a lot about the conversation (I didn't take notes, as it wasn't an interview :-) ), but the meeting was very memorable. She hadn't seen the companion book yet, so she excitedly leafed through my copy. Neither of us had a Sharpie handy, so she borrowed one from the hotel and signed both books. (Unfortunately, I'm not sure why, but the ink faded quickly. Does anyone know if it's possible to restore faded Sharpie ink?)

It was a day I will never forget, when I met a legend who made history. I felt honored that she took time to hug, to talk with me, and even buy me coffee!

Words @ Random

October 25, 2004, I stopped at Tully's for my morning latté on the way to work. They knew me pretty well, and I almost always ordered the same drink that we had decided to call a triple-berry latté. I don't remember if I had started asking for nonfat, no foam and no whip at that point, but they put one squirt of blackberry syrup, one squirt of raspberry, and one squirt of cherry. "Triple berry" was much less of a mouthful than having to say all that, and the baristas were familiar with it. In any case, as the machine was whirring that morning, the barista said, "Airplane." That was a bit unexpected! She was surprised to find out she had said that out loud, and explained that it occurred to her that the machine sounded like an airplane. I commented that it seemed she was saying words at random...then realized that sounded like a song title. So I told her maybe I would write a song and put it on my first album. She liked that. I wrote the song (well, poem), but I haven't recorded an album yet. Maybe someday?

[Side note: A few years later I would start counting calories and discover that daily morning lattés are not the best idea if you need to lose weight. Now I only have them occasionally, generally once or twice during pumpkin spice season. I still drink coffee, though, black.]

A project for a graphic design class
a few years after writing this poem.
I translated the poem into French
and made a poster based on the
visual poems in the Futuristic style.
"Cracked" is the title of the font.

Airplane
Miniature Schnauzer
Oh the joy of saying words at random!
Indubitably
Scrambled
What a way to chase the blues away
Just saying words at random
Meow
Anemone
People look at me like I'm strange
But what do I care?
I'm saying words at random!
Spiffy
Brazilnut
It's so fun being easily entertained!
Which leaves me just one more thing to add:
Xylophone!

---

As mentioned in the caption above, I translated the poem into French for a design project a few years later. Following is the French translation:

Mots au hasard

Avion
Schnauzer miniature
Quelle joie de dire des mots au hasard !
Indubitablement
Brouillé
Quel moyen magnifique de chasser les idées noires !
On n'a qu'à dire des mots au hasard !
Miaou
Anémone
On me regarde comme si je suis fou
Mais ça m'est égal
Je dis des mots au hasard !
Épatant
Noyer d'Amazonie
Que c'est amusant d'être facile à divertir !
Ce qui ne me laisse qu'une seule chose de plus à dire :
Xylophone !

Lessons from Social Media

I wrote most of these back in June of this year and posted them as Facebook statuses. I now present them in blog form. I even memed a few and added some bonus lessons not seen previously.

***

Bacon and coffee are essential to your continued survival, and must be photographed, memed, and otherwise shared with utmost respect and awe. Then eaten and drunk.

LOL also stands for "lots of love." (No it doesn't.)

The world must be alerted when you have "the feels."

All pictures of cats, dogs and velociraptors must be shared.

Any fact check can begin and end with Snopes or Wikipedia. Or The Daily Currant.

All members of the political party you oppose are the Devil incarnate.

The latest death in Game of Thrones, Doctor Who, or any other show you enjoy, is an international tragedy. That also goes for books, such as Harry Potter.

If you do not share this status, either you are completely heartless, or you are ashamed of Jesus and He will deny you before the Father. Or both.

It is absolutely necessary to video yourself singing "Let It Go" and share it with the world. Extra credit if it goes viral enough for Disney to take notice and block the video for copyright infringement.

The Onion, The Daily Currant, The Duffel Blog and other satire websites are reputable sources of news. Definitely take them seriously.

"I disagree with you" = "I hate you and your kind."

Love = complete agreement and approval

If you disagree with someone, it is absolutely necessary to hurl profanity-laced insults at them. Because random strangers appreciate being called every name unfit to be printed in the book?

Everyone you feel is wrong with the world must be informed of their "wrong with the world" status.

Did someone say something that unintentionally hurt your feelings? They absolutely aimed it at you and meant it as a personal and public insult. This person must be taught a sharp lesson by being unfriended, and for extra credit, blocked. This will automatically convert them to your way of thinking. But you won't know it because you blocked them. Alternatively, you can unfriend them and send them a PM explaining what a lowlife they are.

Doctor Who has a quote for everything. If Doctor Who does not have a quote for it, make up a quote and put it on a picture of The Doctor.

Feel strongly about something? Post a status instructing everyone who disagrees with you to unfriend you now.

Every trip to the gym must be carefully documented and shared for the world to see. (Note: while these can get annoying, I have found that when I do share it, it helps keep me accountable. So don't get after people too much for this. They need encouragement, not "cease and desist" notices.)

If all else fails, put your profound (or not-so-profound) idea in a meme. Extra credit: attribute your idea to Einstein. Or Lincoln. Or a Minion.

Always be yourself, unless you can be anyone or anything else, real or fictional. Then be anyone or anything else, real or fictional.

You can combat negativity by posting pictures of superheroes, cartoon characters, or other positive subjects.

Everyone knows the key to fixing the world's problems, and everyone else is clueless and must be told how.

You can't draw worth beans? No problem. Just draw an ugly face and use it to troll others. It will go viral and your poor excuse for a drawing will gain memingful immortality. (Like the word I just made up?)

When God (who is apparently an old man with a long white beard), who makes no mistakes, created every single person in the world, He stood at a table with a beaker, and added a dose of this, a dose of that, and... oops! The perfect God who doesn't make mistakes accidentally spilled His entire supply of a third ingredient into the potion!

It is absolutely necessary to know which character of every show in existence you are.

You will be SHOCKED OUT OF YOUR SENSES what happens when you click on this clickbaity link!

He used clickbait, and THIS happened! LOL!

Minions are surprisingly philosophical.

Always photograph what you are eating.

Memes count as news, and they are definitely accurate.

Anything at all (with the possible exception of Fifty Shades of Grey) is still a better love story than Twilight.

The Doctor must under no circumstances be called Doctor Who. That is not his name. Never mind that's how he was credited until recently, and he was often called Doctor Who in the classic series.

Never mind what Back to the Future says about Marty McFly coming to the future on October 21, 2015. That day is TODAY. In fact, it's been many days since at least 2012.

#Always #use #hashtags. Better yet, ‪#‎overuse‬ ‪#‎hashtags.

If anyone wishes you "Happy Holidays," they are part of a dastardly scheme to take Christ out of Christmas and must be chastised accordingly. Anything less than "Merry Christmas" must be greeted with Scrooge-like anger.

If anyone dares mention Christmas before Thanksgiving, they must be publicly chastised for their crimes against humanity.