Ending the Drought

Today I had my first coffee in three weeks.



"Oooooh.... coooffeee......ghlghlghlghlghl"

The Great Flood of '06

I have just spilt my very very full cup of coffee all over my desk!

BUGGER!

Bloody twisted phone cord knocked it over!!

I don't usually shout myself a special non-instant coffee, but this morning I splurged. And for what? For a sticky pool of sludge all over everything!!! My phone, my files (eek), my pens, bulldog clips, holepuncher, business cards... (And no, it doesn't help that I am an absolute grot when it comes to putting away things on my work desk.)

Aaanyway, I have embarrassingly made numerous trips to the bathroom/kitchen to get paper towels to mop this mess up. So my desk now looks better than ever - pity about the distinctive smell though... I wonder if anyone will notice...

Just Throwing It Out There

That last post was disgustingly serious, wasn't it? Really. Who am I to tell you where you should and shouldn't breakfast over your weekend? It is your truckin' weekend after all, isn't it??

Well, perhaps. But I'm not quite done with the cafe scene yet...

My concern now rests with the latest trend of people rating themselves on the strength of their coffee of choice. You know what I'm talking about. How many times have you heard someone comment on how strong their coffee is? All the time! (Though these people only whisper their comments quietly to their fellow sippers, and it goes no further than the table.)

Now, consider those people who actually complain to the wait staff about their coffee. Those special special people who should really just spare everyone the drama and inject their caffeine in the privacy of their own home. No coffee is too strong, too tough, nay, too packed with manly bitterness, for these kids. Milk is a soft option and sugar (cubes or otherwise) is for pussy-boys.

And so it goes that, because these junkies are so outspoken and such a hassle for cafe staff to deal with, I cop a super-concentrated cup of ruddy tar every time I order a skinny cap (weak with extra milk and sugar).

Well, I'm not whispering about how strong my coffee is any more! People! I'll give it to you straight! STOP MAKING REALLY REALLY RIDICULOUSLY STRONG COFFEE!!

And as for those jumped-up coffee Nazis out there who'd rather lose an eye than admit that their extra-caffeinated cuppa tastes like c**p, just take a second to put your fat head aside and think about the rest of us the next time you're about to go loco.

I will say no more than that. You know who you are.

Serendipity Baby

Woohooo! It's Saturday. Even though this particular Saturday also heralds state election day and blood test day in my books (double youch), the sun is shining, the birds are singing and it's a snappy damn day.

Partial credit for my enthusiasm today must go to a cute little spot Jesse and I hit for brekkie this morning - 'Serendipity' - tucked away in a wee corner of Kedron Brook Road. You could be forgiven for not noticing this quaint coffee bar. Between the big pizza joints, Coffee Club and assorted retail outlets, it sits quietly; biding its time until some unsuspecting customer stumbles upon one of its sunny spots and pulls up a pew. Which is precisely what happened to Jesse and I.

With an unpretentious breakfast menu which won't hurt the wallet, I was immediately hooked. Lovely genuine salt and pepper grinders adorned the little tables, together with white bowls filled with, (hurrah!), the now seemingly endangered sugar cubes.

After squandering sufficient time sunning ourselves and reading the papers, I couldn't help but wonder why more people don't frequent small privately operated cafes over the large chain brands cropping up everywhere. I mean, I appreciate that if you visit a chain store, you're probably going to find something you like and something consistent. But, to my mind, the consistency of such places is usually in the mediocre level of their service, quality and atmosphere.

So come on Brisbaninianses! Take a page out of Melbourne's book and, next weekend, instead of rushing to your local American styled coffee joint, seek out a hidden gem of charm and authenticity, and post a comment letting everyone else know just how good the little independent guys can be!