iced tea and blue raspberry ring pop

So I’m sitting here on the porch of my parents house, a sunshine yellow little thing encased by a white picket fence a mere block from the beach. This town is such a cliché it could be the set of a movie about a little California beach town: everyone frequents Main Street, which only features the classic “mom and pop” shops and diners; people live on their bikes and surfboards, some of these houses have been here since the 30’s, the local newspaper has a “surfer of the week” and the Crime Log tells more stories of lost sea lions and injured seagulls than actual crimes, and gossip and stories can spread like wildfire.

As I sit here on the sunny porch of my sunny house I watch the small town pass before my eyes. People come in and out of my life on the porch, neighbors to say hello and ask how I’m feeling (much better after my horrible illness of the past week or so…pardon my French but tonsillitis is a bitch), passersby to say good evening and remark that they’ve met my parents or they love our flowers, my sister to lament the fact that all we do is watch sports (her complaint, not mine), and of course the occasional cat who knows this town better than anyone and if only he could talk, would assert his rule over all mankind. (its a very social place, a small town where everyone talks to one another)

In a span of a couple hours so much has happened in front of me or near me (p.s. whoever is grilling, I’m a great guest if you’d like to share). It just makes me think of all that happens around us in say, a year, or even a lifetime. In this metaphor that is slowly taking life in my brain, people pass in and out of our lives. Sometimes the ones you wish would stop and say hi never glance over and others (like the sketchy old man with his dog) take forever to finally walk by and make you feel really uncomfortable the whole time. Sometimes acquaintanceships never advance into friendships and sometimes you’re stuck with people for way longer than you would hope at a job or school. We try to fight this natural thing by keeping people around longer than naturally happens or forcing people out before time has run its course (and sometimes that's the way the lifespan of the relationship is determined) but I guess its important sometimes to just step back and recognize that this is part of the system.

water

I was recently at the Undergraduate Interfraternity Institute (UIFI), which was an amazing experience and I'm so glad I went. It consisted of a considerable amount of interacting in groups, bonding and talking about problems and solutions. After my tonsillitis/sore throat affliction I became obsessed with my water bottle, determined to not lose my voice or be in serious pain and miss out on the full extent of my five days in Indiana.

Anyway, somewhere along the way I realized people need to talk about themselves less. This is my life lesson for the day apparently and its not an easy one, especially when meeting new people. You want to tell people "I really love candy" when in reality those are just empty words until you show people that you almost always have candy with you and eat it often. At that point, you might as well have not even said anything. That time could have been better spent learning what food the people around you seem to have around and eat often.

In situations where you meet people and get to know them in only 5 short days, talking about yourself some may actually be necessary but its pointless unless you take time to know other people, not just make them know you.

constant comment hot tea

I've always said CC tea makes me feel at home. I mean that literally of course because I actually do drink it at home. a lot.

Today I've had more than usual because I've had a sore throat for a couple days. Lucky for me, last night I stayed up watching glee until 3 in the morning. Why is that lucky you wonder? Because I saw the episode "Laryngitis" Where Rachel Berry discovers she has tonsillitis and thinks its the end of the world. (but honestly...what isnt the end of the world for that girl?) So anyway I get to thinking, "tonsillitis is a total normal reason for having a sore throat since I haven't been doing any extreme yelling recently and I don't feel like I'm getting a cold." So I checked out my tonsils and they are quite beautiful of course but also a little red and swollen. And also according to Rachel Berry, tea, meds, and learning to shut up every once in awhile will help. (in case you remember the episode, she was on antibiotics but according to WebMD, thats only to help fight off strep if you are prone to it or if you have really bad tonsillitis, so I'm sticking to Tylenol) So I'm taking her advice and drinking lots of tea.

Ironically my immune system seems to care what's cool, and not only on Glee. Prime example: I got appendicitis right before Meredith Grey on Grey's Anatomy a few years ago. Just another reason why my life should be a TV show, I get more in common with these leading ladies every day (these two examples are both kinda whiny though, keep in mind that my show would be a severely entertaining comedy and there will be very little whining) I guess I'll just have to settle for a blog for now though. :-)

By the way sorry for a month's worth of posts in a day, I'll really try to keep up better.

May 16th Everything green tea

This one's just a short funny story: I ordered an iced tea at this little diner Sunday morning after church. This was a new place that we'd never been to so they didn't just automatically bring me tea like the other place we go. They asked if I want green or tropical, ideally I just wanted black tea but if I had to choose, green must suffice. When I got my glass of green tea it came with a giant sprig of mint floating on top like a flower exploding out of a vase and a chunk of lime hanging out on the rim. Seems like the green tea here comes with everything green in the kitchen.

(p.s. it wasnt very good...too many flavors)

May 10th half sweet half regular tea

I went to Florida early in May, where sweet tea is the norm and adding your own sugar is an unnecessary inconvenience. For most of my immediate family, sweet tea is too sweet so I became used to being the only one to order the sweet tea. The day we left however, my dad order a "half and half tea"--half sweet and half regular. It was the perfect blend and we all had refill after refill. This tea came from a little fish joint that hardly made any impression on anyone who walked by but for my family it had a special feel to it. It was one of my grandparents' favorites, although they hadn't been there in a few months. We all smiled as my dad shared the silliness of Grandma and Pops' usual order and talked about the lovely weekend we had had with our entire extended family. My dad had the task of telling their usual waitress that we were in town for my grandma's funeral, that she had been sick for a few months now. The waitress was just one person who knew my grandma, and who will miss her. The weekend was overwhelming to see all the people she touched; she was actively involved in her community and church and it seems she made an impression everywhere she went. I can only hope to have as many people pay respects when I pass on. Our family alone accounted for over 50 people. It's amazing to me that two people can lead to a family of that many, and that many wonderful people. I had an amazing weekend sharing stories and remembering Grandma with my cousins, aunts and uncles, sisters, nephews, Pops--the whole Christovich crew. Her life and her death brought us all together and she will always be remembered and loved.

May 2nd cream soda and blue raspberry sno shack

Sno shack is the sign of summer, at least for Bakersfield, CA. Near the end of April, I received a text telling me of the beloved blue hut's icy return for the next 5 or 6 months. Thats how big a deal this place is. Worthy of informing people who live 2999 miles away. So naturally upon my return to the Bakersfield summer I visited sno shack as well as all the other hometown places I thought existed everywhere until I moved away.

Going home is weird enough after eight months in college but its especially weird when a) you dont live there anymore and b) no one else is home from college yet (because Northeastern gets out freakishly early) It's fun to be the local celebrity for a weekend and interesting to think back to where I was this time last year. Senior prom was a day I had marked in my calender months earlier, finals and classes were funny at best, and the people around me were the same ones I'd known seemingly all my life and either couldn't get be rid of soon enough or thought I couldn't live without. Oh how times have changed but its best to not forget the past and how it has gotten you to where you are in the present.

April 27 republic darjeeling full leaf black tea

If you don't know how I feel about things with hokey names that try too hard to sound fancy or clever, let me tell you, I'm not a fan. That being said, "darjeeling" should just drive me crazy. In this case however it didn't. Heres why: my mom came to Boston for a couple days and the two of us went to the Melting Pot, a pretty nice restaurant. As always, I ordered a simple iced tea. The iced tea that appeared at my table was no where near simple though. First the neat cocktail napkin. Then the long skinny iced tea spoon. A sturdy glass with just the right amount of ice and a bright lemon perched on the rim. A little cup of sugar packets (lots of white/real sugar ones too! none of that fake stuff for me) And then tada! the main event: a tall curve bottle of pale black tea with a rustic Republic of Tea label. I was in awe. I was overcome with excitement. I took pictures on my phone. Clearly, I'm easily impressed. So moral of the story, if you want to give something a fancy name, it must actually be fancy.

The parents came to visit the weekend before I moved out, creating the assumption that they were there to help move me. However I don't believe they ever even came to campus, but their visit was a nice escape from my own packing/studying for finals. Its funny how something like basically moving across country a couple times a year can seem normal. I'm proud to report that I have now stowed away most of my belonging in a little storage unit in Roxbury and brought my summertime clothes and amazing memories of this past year back to the golden state.

April 18 regular mysteaque iced tea

So one of my favorite places near campus is red mango (similar to pinkberry, which I also love)

One particular day, April 18th actually, I went in and noticed a huge display on the menu featuring their 3 all natural, hand-shaken, whole leaf, probiotic iced teas. Naturally, I had to get one because a) I love iced tea and b) I love anything with a bunch of adjectives to promote it. Let me tell you though, this yogurt place should stick to what it knows. My iced tea, obnoxiously called "mysteaque" was supposed be vanilla flavored green tea but ended up just tasting like watered down taffy. I do of course, recommend some fro yo from red mango with any variety of fresh friut topping and plenty of other options (my usual: original yogurt with strawberries, blueberries, and chocolate chips)

The following day I went to a red sox game (if you're a fan, you may remember the game that was called in the ninth inning because of the rain and then that inning had to be played the following day because it was a 1-1 tie) Well I was in the outfield bleachers during that game, wondering how in the world it was that cold during a baseball game. The rain noticeably twisted around into snow flurries in front of the bright stadium lights. As cold as that was, and as boring of a game it may have been, it was my first baseball game of the season and therefore my official start to spring. Happy spring everyone (WAAAAAY late I know but I'm trying)

tall dark cherry mocha frappaccino

I like to try new things these days at the old Starbuckles and I figure the best way to go about this is to read the signs. Twenty bucks says the people at Starbucks know the good drinks better than I do. So the sign has said "try a dark cherry mocha" for several weeks but since it is no longer winter, but rather a beautiful 65 degree spring day, I decided to frappaccino my mocha. In case you were wondering, it is delicious and I thoroughly recommend it; I would describe it as a lighter-tasting, drink-version of a chocolate covered cherry. (and sometimes they put chocolate shavings on top, which honestly would force a smile onto anyone's face, right?)

First and foremost, I would like to apologize for my month-long hiatus. it was completely unintentional. Unfortunately I don't get graded for my blog.

Starbucks:

1) Starbucks has cupcakes. Really good cupcakes. I didn't know this before a few weeks ago because evidently only certain Starbucks get cupcakes. Of the 3 near me, only one had the little sweet cakes from heaven with an additional dollop of amazingness on top. Upon ordering my red velvet event, the barista carefully extricated the spot of color from the display of chocolate and vanilla and placed it in a fascinatingly specific cupcake box. Perhaps I am alone in my love of a) small boxes and b) product specific supplements, but let me just say this cupcake was an enjoyable experience.

2) Starbucks has a sense of humor. Five days ago, Starbucks released it's plan to start offering new sizes, the Plenta (128 fl. oz.) and the Micra (2 fl. oz.) in response to requests from customers. This "plenta" would certainly come in handy for people you need to stay caffeinated all day but can't get away; it makes perfect sense! And the adorable little micra gives new meaning to the phrase of "shot of caffeine." Of course, five days ago was April Fools Day. This was the perfect article, just outlandish enough that people would know it was a joke, but supported well enough that people would be drawn in. These are the April Fools jokes I love; my school newspaper used to release some sort of April Fools or The Onion-esque edition with articles exactly like this. So when I saw this on a friend's facebook, I fell in love with Starbucks all over again. I haven't been on the other side of this written joke in awhile, and I love to see people and companies not take themselves too seriously.

Tea:

a) Attention blood donators, tea (and other caffeine) reduces your blood's ability to retain iron. Before you donate blood, try to lay off the iced tea for a few days (Trust me, I know its a challenge, but donating blood is a great cause, totally worth it.)

b) Tip for brewing tea: If you want stronger tea, use two tea bags. If you just leave the one tea bag to steep longer, your tea will start to become uber bitter and not worth your taste buds. With extra tea leaves however, the tea will just become more flavorful and a perfect match for your high standard taste buds.

Life:

I) You've made it this far, why not go all out.

i)If you're involved in something, be involved, make your voice heard, and BE CONFIDENT! (sorry, inner cheerleader thought caps lock was necessary for that statement)

ii)If you're doing well in classes, don't slack off because the grade doesn't matter, test your boundaries to see just how well you can do.

II) Life is not a fairy tale.

I do not live in a fairy tale or dream world. As unfortunate as this may be, I'm ok with it because I know that I would hate living in a fairy tale. Prince charming is probably actually a jerk because he knows he's charming so he has become a player throughout the years. The big castle probably has horrible draft problems and is in constant need for repair. The serendipitous fate that accompanies most chick flicks is not only unrealistic, but quite boring. If everything magically falls into place one day, what am I to do after that?

III) Know yourself.

When you tell people what you believe, they respect you a lot more if you are firm.

Know your standards, hold people to them.

Know your opinions, persuade people.

Know yourself, make people love you.

organic oolong tea with peach

So this tea is a grocery store buy, a brand only Vons has. When I saw it in my California store I knew I had to snatch it right up. Why you ask? It's just tea...must snatching really be involved? Yes, because things like Oolong tea don't come around everyday (neither do words that start with a double O [although according to dictionary.com there are over a hundred useless double O words])

Oolong tea leaves are picked and left to ferment until the leaves are 30% red and 70% green and then rubbed together and dried and magically turned into tea for you and me. This is why Oolong tea is so rare, it takes a professional oolong tea person to know when it is at just the right point between red and green teas to call it oolong. Be sure to note the red is referring to the color of the leaf and not red tea (rooibus). Rooibus typically originates from South Africa while oolong originates from Eastern Asia. As I now notice, my bottle of tea claims to contain "organic black tea." So basically oolong tea is underdeveloped black tea without the baby status of green tea. Its the awkward teenager of the tea family.

So just for fun heres some fascinating double O words:

ooze: to flow, percolate, or exude slowly, as through holes or small openings

oothecae: a capsule containing eggs, as that of certain gastropods and insects (cool word not definition)

OOTB: "Out Of The Box"

oory: 1) shabby, dingy 2) melancholy, languid

oophorosalpingectomy: surgical removal of one or both ovaries and the cooresponding Fallopian tubes.

Oonagh: (pronounced oo-nah) a girls name

oolemma: (the definition is some boring biology term no normal person needs to know but isn't this fun to say?)

oof: the sound one makes when struck in the abdomen (thank you dictionary.com for pointing out the obvious)

and of course

oodles: a large quantity, dozens, gobs, many (it also clarifies that the origin is unknown)

Green tea with pomegranate and mint

This is a special "Paula creation" tea. Two tea bags in one cup for a delightful expression of originality. Overall though, it's not that great. Even though I left the green tea with pomegranate in way longer than than the green tea with mint, the mint is too overwhelming. eh, you win some, you lose some.

Or as I heard a little old man say once, "you win some, you lose some, and some get called for rain delays...those are the best because there's really nothing you can do about them."

And in honor of that baseball quote (because what else do they call for rain? tennis? who cares about that?) It is 1 month, 20 days, 4 hours and 58 minutes until the Dodgers home opener. But have no fear friends, there will be no rain delay. There are no official statistics on this but I'd be willing to bet that Dodger Stadium has the fewest rain delays of any MLB stadium, or maybe it is tied with Angels Stadium.

So on this rainy day in Boston, I wish all my lovely readers sweet dreams of sunny skies and baseball season.

Revolution citrus spice herbal tea

In the hopes that you'll forgive me for being MIA for a week, (midterms...ugh) I shall now provide you with two in one day!

first off, of course, this tea...its delicious and it was a gift because it is similar to PF Changs orange spice tea, but honestly, I'm sick of it. the box must have come with 50 tea bags because I feel like this is all I drink. Perhaps this is just because this is the only tea I actually own rather than swiping from the dining hall.

Random fascinating tidbit: I went to the bathroom today (you're fascinated aren't you? just wait, there's more) in the architecture building. I open the door to the stall and my brain sends me a little signal saying "Yeah I know Bladder just told me we have to go in there because that venti iced tea filled him up, but I'm not sure...I'm pretty good at judging spacial distances (its pretty much my job) and I just don't think we are going to fit in there." So, I checked the handicapped stall. Eugh...back away. Back to the mini stall to cram myself in somehow. Once Bladder was happy, Brain got back to his antics. So I measured the space in between the toilet seat and the inward opening door. 3 inches. Is that where my legs are supposed to go? Surely I'm not the only one to discover that this is a problem. In the architecture building of all places!

So next article of business: I'm hosting a CONTEST! Legitimately. There will be prizes. It will be fun. Alright, hold on though, before you get too excited, remember--I am not an interesting person. (I told you that in the first post) Therefore, my contest might not seem interesting either. But you should still be excited.

Backstory: I bought a cadbury egg today for $0.48 on a whim. Everyone knows the creme filled deliciousness is best frozen. Everyone also knows that when you have one thing in your freezer it is easily forgotten.

Contest:

Guess when I'm going to eat the cadbury egg!

Comment on this post with a date (spring break is next week so I'll be gone Feb 27-March 6)

I pinky promise I wont look at the comments until I bite through crunchy chocolateyness into the gooey/cold cremeyness.

Whoever is closest to the date (over or under counts) wins a prize from me!

Things to keep in mind:

I'll be gone for a week.

I wrote this whole thing about it.

I have a lot of candy in my room.

Easter is coming up.

Do what you want with these facts. I am not supplying interpretations, just facts.

Also, to comment you have to sign in

if you don't have a blog, you can sign in with a google account

if you don't have a google account, I recommend you get one because google is taking over the world

If you don't believe my google takeover theory, tell someone to post it for you or send it to me on facebook in a message labelled secret or something

While you're doing that whole sign in thing, click the "follow" button...I like pretending a lot of people are reading.

P.S. if you want me to read your comment on this post before whenever I eat my carbury egg just post it on the other post from today.

P.P.S. If you think I'm crazy, yes I am. If you think my contest is crazy, yes it is. If you don't want to do the contest, don't its ok...you can still read my blog without doing the contest.

water/venti iced green tea

So I came to sit in Starbucks but figured out I didn't really want anything. Even if I did, I cant leave my spot now after having to scope it out and swipe it as soon as the guy previously sitting here vacated the area. I think I'll get an iced tea to go before class so I'll add my future order to the title.

The group of about ten people to the right of me is clearly some sort of study or discussion group. There are a couple of older adults and the rest are obviously students. I think one of the women is even the student's professor or advisor, as she is facilitating the discussion. They were all sharing stories of AA meetings and the people they met there, family members with various ailments and tough situations, work and class experience, etc. Starbucks support group? I love when I see people in these situations. We unload our problems on people so often we take it for granted that its special to have another human being who will take our feelings into their heart and take care of you when you need it. I have some advice for life today that is a little deeper "than don't sleep on the couches at Starbucks because it's creepy." Be conscious of when others really need your support (and aren't just ranting perhaps) and bring them in so they know they have comfort and someone to talk to in you. Also, pay attention to what you tell other people. If you scare them away with only talking about the negative in your life, they may not know when you really need them.

Live. Love. Live love.

tazo black tea at home

I drink tea in the dorm in the same fashion that chain smokers smoke cigarettes. Rather than using my last cigarette to light the next, I just make the most of my tea bags. This works best with something like the tazo black tea because it is ridiculously strong (like, dip the tea bag in and pull it back out strong) I could work at Starbucks with this skill of steeping Tazo I possess. I wonder why they don't have their own brand of tea though; there is Starbucks coffee and Tazo tea at Starbucks. Oh well, don't fix it if it isn't broken.

I actually walked by a Starbucks today. It wasn't my Starbucks though, one off-campus, and it was crazy busy! Today's President's Day so no one has school or work and it's supposed to be 41 degrees today so everyone was out on the town.

Children in Boston are officially the cutest kids in the world. I love seeing the families all bundled up in the city. I really wish I was under the age of 10 and could pull off a warm hat with an animal face and ears! Anyway, this story is about a particular little girl outside the Starbucks. This little darling was living the life--chilling in her stroller with no one bothering her but with loving parents standing nearby. Grasped in her miniature hands was a blueberry muffin approximately the size of her head. muffins and cupcakes are slightly daunting to anyone who wants to eat in public (do you eat the top then the bottom, or bottom then top, or attempt going in from the side...?) Little miss pigtails was completely fixated on this muffin though and dove right in without a fear of the blueberry on her nose or the crumbs on her lab. I wanted to point her out to everyone I saw just because you couldn't look at her without smiling. :-)

Happy President's Day

tall white mocha (an old classic)

I've been getting this drink for years--just enough caffeine to keep me going for awhile but it basically tastes like sugar, none of that coffee bitterness.

So in the spirit of the coffeeshop and my love of tea, here's something for the mind:

7 random facts about coffee~

1. It all started when Ethiopian goats used to dance when they had coffee berries. (I would pay BIG money to see some [well-treated] dancing goats)

2. Bathing in coffee grounds and pineapple pulp improves skin quality and reduces wrinkles.

3. Rise of Islam helped rise of coffee because alcohol was not allowed so people switched to coffee.

4. Hawaii is the only US state that grows coffee

5. 1675 king of England banned coffeehouses because he thought that’s where people met to conspire against him (he was probably right, revolutions start in coffeehouses…that’s why I’m here, of course)

6. Coffee is the second most traded item on earth. Oil is #1. (Priorities, people.)

7. “Cup of Joe” comes from "GI Joes” in WWII who drank a lot of coffee. The "Americano" (espresso and water) comes from them too because that’s what they drank. (Probably wanted to make it last longer.)

And 7 random facts about tea:

1. Tea is second only to water as far as most consumed.

2. People have been drinking tea for thousands of years

3. All types of tea come from the same plant, it just depends on when you pick it. (remember that commercial from a couple years ago where the guy goes on the quest to understand white tea and the little old man says something about baby tea?)

4. If you don’t like milk, drink tea. Builds strong bones! (and strengthens the immune system, lowers cholesterol, helps the heart, reduces risk of cancer, fights tumors, )

5. Tea also helps quell hunger (don’t diet, drink tea!)

6. Excessive amounts aren’t bad (whew) In fact, its recommended you drink at least three cups a day.

7. Iced tea was invented in America (Go us!)

So that was for the mind, make yourself some tea (or coffee if you must) for the soul. Happy Thursday.

Medium iced tea. regular. plain. nothing in it.

I went out on a limb yesterday and stopped by dunkin donuts for some caffeine before class and remembered why I never go to DD. The tiny little dunkin located basically in a hallway and a doorway was excessively crowded between classes so the workers (should I still call them baristas?) were all awry and generally unpleasant (although these Dunkin Donuts people are not rumored to be particularly pleasant anyway). So the woman who was taking orders suddenly had an important mission to attend to, abandoning me at the register with the non-English speaking woman who had been previously preparing peoples' drinks. I order my plain bagel and medium iced tea (easy right?) and she doesn't understand. She grabbed a hot cup and asked me what size. I said iced to get her in the right section at least. Then I said medium. She asked what size again. I pointed to the exact cup. Then the abandoner came back and asked me what I wanted so she could punch it into the cash register. Meanwhile the confused one is asking me something about my tea. I say black tea. regular tea. plain tea. (how many more ways can I describe this?) Finally I turn to the abandoner and she says (in a way that conveys her annoyance/bitchiness) "what do you want in it?" Me: "nothing!" her: "thats all she was asking!"

WOW!

THEN, some girl took my bagel, looked at it in clear confusion because it was not her bagel, reached in to the bag and touched my bagel before I could inform her that it was, in fact, my bagel. (Note to people: don't touch food if you suspect it might not be yours)

So this brings me to a bigger picture beyond my general dislike of Dunkin Donuts. Dunkin Donuts is not a coffee shop; its a pharmacy. People come in get their dose of whatever poison and get out. Their cups even have a little man running across the bottom because "america runs on Dunkin" America literally runs. according to Dunkin Donuts. But really I still consider DD an East Coast thing only. There are none on the West Coast and only a few scattered about in the middle and westernish states.

People always ask me what the differences are between California and New England and I have finally figured out how to respond. New England runs on Dunkin; they get their caffiene and get on with their lives. Californians sit in their Starbucks and read the paper, meet with people, chat about life, or go to the drive-through Starbucks on their way to somewhere else. We all know Californians live in their cars but could it be that this makes them more relaxed and laid-back? More "lets chill at the coffeeshop" than "give me my caffeine." I would even take this argument to the fact that West coasters are more social. (I know, that’s quite a claim, but hold on—I have a theory for this.) People in California or other driving-centered locations have a release, an escape, from other people: their cars. Drivers must pay attention to other cars but not directly people. People on the East coast, particularly in cities, have to rely on public transportation or walking where they are in constant contact with others. So as a California girl I will profess my love for my car and my coffeeshops and quit with the overgeneralizations and tangents.

Grande vanilla rooibos tea

I've gotten this African red tea before in the Snapple iced bottled version. The main difference I can see between these two is the amount of hype; Snapple advertises this red tea as the last great discovery the Earth will ever find. Starbucks just throws it up on the menu board with all the other Tazos. C'mon Starbucks, this is something special (obviously it's special--no one can pronounce it) play it up!

Something Interesting:

College students are truly fascinating creatures. We are entirely inconsistent with what we say we are. We say will do anything for our grades, unless that means studying on Friday and Saturday night. All we want to do is sleep, unless we have an exam or paper we have neglected and must stay up all night to study or write. Or, of course its a Friday or Saturday night, we'll forgo sleep as well. We call our dorm home and love our friends like family, but really, sometimes we just want to go to our real home with our parents and our dogs. This is a personal deception, too; its mostly unconscious lying and confusion.

Something a little disheartening:

Think about how much time you spend waiting....waiting for grades, waiting for someone to email you back, waiting for the light to change, waiting for something interesting to happen, waiting for anything...

Something to negate the previous disheartening statement:

I guess to look at this in a positive light I'll throw in some food for thought: enjoy the moments spent waiting. Write down the things you're waiting for so you don't forget and file them away. I like to think of my brain as a giant filing cabinet. When there's nothing I can do about a situation, I file it away and lock it up. I've got a bunch of cool magnets and post-its and whimsical things on the outside to keep me entertained while I'm ignoring the said uncontrollable thing. I have a daily calender titled "3600 things to be happy about." Everyday I post a page to the filing cabinet and smile while I wait.

Well that's all for today, I've got work to do...

Tall skinny cinnamon dolce latte

First things first. I might like the nonskinny version of this drink. I'm loving the 90 calories but I need a little something more. The worst thing is when something tastes watered-down. Also, me ordering this implies that I know what I'm doing when I order, at Starbucks or elsewhere, whereas in reality I am the Queen of indecisive ordering and getting the same thing every time I go. Please don't be disappointed in the future with the large number of venti iced green teas I get.

I may never know why, but today inspiration hit--inspiration to try something new at Starbucks and to start a blog.

So I started with that because people like Starbucks; people usually find things like what people order interesting. I, on the other hand, am not interesting. And I don't intend to be. Let me rephrase, this blog is not about me. It is impossible for me to not write through my personal lens and within my personal sphere but hopefully thats a looking glass you'll want to look through with me. I don't expect you to want to live vicariously through me.

The question still remains: What is this blog about? Tea and other fascinating things, duh! Such as,

Observations about the people around me:

The slow and obvious judgement of a girl on girl interaction

The awkward professor failing to go unnoticed in a sea of students

The girl who talks too much on a lunch date :-(

the guy sleeping in one of the comfy chairs (who does that!? sleeping at Starbucks=sketchy)

The students who fool themselves into thinking they are working even though they inevitably revert back to facebook

The group of girls that somehow make up 80% of the noise in this place

The give-me-coffee-quick types

The wannabe artsy people that sit in coffeeshops with their plaid and v-necks and floppy hats

The wannabe wannabe artsy people that awkwardly sit and judge everyone else in the room (yeah that’s me)

insightful things I learn in school:

Your opinions matter. voice them.

judge people. act appropriately based on your judgements. slap people who say not to judge. (just kidding I added that last part in; they can't teach that in schools.)

although Obama resembles Hitler in rhetorical style, its not very nice to make the comparison because our society has made Hitler synonymous with evil and President Obama isn't evil. (through my lens, political pessimism and optimism are more important than republican and democrat)

women's senses increase astronomically when they are ovulating which makes them more sensitive to the other gender and more likely to partake in the act of reproduction. (this is not an overshare; its fascinating, continuation of the human race at it finest)

minimum wage is less than it should be according to inflation rates. (I probably won't include things like that often because its a bit of a downer and not very fascinating)

And of course!

Things about tea/coffee/starbucks etc.

the best coffee on earth is harvested by the poorest children in the world. drink tea . (got this fact courtesy of a friend)

Starbucks used to double-cup their drinks before someone invented the sleeve in 1997. They didn't really stop double-cupping until fairly recently though. The sleeve is "60% post-consumer fiber" according to my cup right beside me. Thank you Starbucks, Love Planet Earth.

I love the song "Falling in Love in a Coffeeshop" by Landon Pigg. It's the one that goes "I think that possibly maybe I'm falling for you" and was in that cute AT&T commercial

Coffeeshop songs are included in this category. Right now they're playing Jesse's girl. I'm a fan.

and I feel I need to give myself a loophole, so the final category is

Other fascinating things: (i.e. whatever I want to talk about :-))

love from my starbucks to yours,

Paula