Starbucks and Travel

Starbucks:

Depending on location,

either a place for businessmen and some women to come and sit doing The New York Times (or any Times for that matter) crossword in ink while gulping coffee and indulging in work conversation.

Or a place for young people to study (so they say), play card games (smile), and discuss the dramas of their lives.

For me:

A place of aloneness, observation of people and objects, and in general a place that spikes my curiosity. I am planning on spending an entire day in one of these legal, narcotic producing establishments. Just because I have nothing better to do when school is out.I think it would be fascinating to watch people all day. Literally. And not in a creepy, stalkerish way.          


 I need to get out more.

I have a friend moving to New Zealand. Excited for him, but it is awakening in me my travelling gene. Where are the days when I would move from country to country? A month here, a month there. Hop on a train and go. I miss it. I relished those times so, but I now have an even greater appreciation for them. I want to go visit everyone I haven't seen in forever. Maryland, England, Romania, Ireland, etc. I want to go to the places I have almost gotten to go in my life. Turkey, Greece, Norway, Finland, Mongolia, Australia, and the list goes on and on. I guess I shouldn't complain what with growing up in Europe and already being able to go and experience so much in such a variety of places.I definitely still have the wanderlust to go all over though.

Bring on The Rain

Rainy days never get me down. In fact they make me incredibly happy.

Lovely morning at Starbucks, doing homework and practicing French with the manager.

Run through the rain, loving the feel of the wet.

Rather quirky mood in French class that did not go unnoticed by Madame Funaro. Did my best not too be too sarcastic. Luckily she found it humorous.......or so I think.

Lunch with Jen and Trevor.

He was so precious. Three weeks old now.

Work. The weather must have been acting on the kids as well, as they were unusually strange.

Dominoes with Ruth, Sarah and Rachel. Let my giddiness get the better of me. I fear I will never be a lady.

French and voice homework then home.

Tomorrow is going to be absolutely lovely.

Les Parapluies, L'église et Un Café

Spent the night at Q's as we were enjoying cheese, bread and wine while watching a French musical.

Well, half-watching. We both fell asleep toward the beginning of it. It is rather interesting to watch to learn French and to practice listening. Otherwise it is mainly on the corny side.

Woke up in time to run home and freshen up and throw a load of laundry in. Then off to the Richardsons. 

Lovely and encouraging sermon on the fruit of the spirits with a particular focus on love. I always enjoy Sundays. Had a friend voice some of my thoughts about influencing those around us and witnessing to them. How if we could just reach one person for the lord that is equal to reaching many. We don't need to worry about the world or how they will be saved. That is the Lord's work and we are his instruments. He will bring it about. Naturally this doesn't mean we sit casually by on our derrieres  and do nothing. But we aren't the ones bringing anything about. We aren't the ones that change people or the world. 

Starbucks after church for some peaceful aloneness. Not so alone, as almost all of Overland Park seems to have had the same idea. But sitting in the corner in a brown,leather, comfy chair, sipping on iced chai, listening to the murmur of voices, texting a friend and enjoying the internet and a PG Wodehouse book, is utter bliss compared to the hectic week I just had.

Here Comes Your Man (As Sung by Meaghan Smith)

outside there's a box car waiting

outside the family stew

out by the fire breathing

outside we wait 'til face turns blue

i know the nervous walking

i know the dirty beard hangs

out by the box car waiting

take me away to nowhere plains

there is a wait so long

here comes your man

big shake on the box car moving

big shake to the land that's falling down

is a wind makes a palm stop blowing

a big, big stone fall and break my crown

there is a wait so long

you'll never wait so long

here comes your man

there is a wait so long

you'll never wait so long

here comes your man

Choice Song, Coffee Observations & Pointless Questions

Simple little things.

All I want are simple little things.

All I need is someone beside me to have and to hold, someone to love me as we grow older.

Simple little things, Simple little dreams will do.

"Lizzie, is my blue suit pressed?

Lizzie, kinda' scratch between the shoulder blades.

Lizzie, are the children all in bed?"

That's what he'll say. I'll say, "My husband."

Simple little things.

All I want are simple little things.

All I need is someone beside me to have and to hold, someone to love me as we grow older.

Simple little things, Simple little dreams will do.

While studying French at a local coffee shop, drinking French vanilla chai, one of my favorite pastimes is that of people watching. I wish I had a spy camera to catch them in their conversations, their looks of contemplation. Where are they from? Where are they going? What are their dreams? Of course some of them don't mind chatting on their mobiles and as their vocal decibels increase, communicating with you their superficialities. Who tells their deepest thoughts, passions and priorities loud enough for the person at the table adjacent to them to hear? Unless, perhaps when you are in a spiritual or political conversation.

Why doesn't Starbucks have an almond flavor?

Is Donna Reed really the epitome of the American housewife?

South Pacific is a go. Very thrilled to have been accepted even if it is a minor part. Prefer those anyway.

Praying very determinedly at the moment. The semester is coming to an end at UMKC, and the applications for nursing are being reviewed. I don't know what I will do if I am not accepted. I know God can do the impossible, and yet maybe what appears to me to be impossible is not only very possible but also not His will. If a thing isn't His will then I most assuredly do not want it. However, I wonder if I can be so completely focused on what I think or believe to be His will, that I am blind to what really is His will.

Feeling a tad homesickish for Austria.

Once in a Blue Moon

It's been a while. but I shan't rehash the last two and a half years. You (whoever you are) must be content to my enlightening you on my days events starting day before yesterday.

Saturday, April 17th

Went to my Acting One class and practiced my monologue. Need to work on my goals and playable actions more. I also need to try to like Chloe, the part I am playing.

Q and I left class early to get some shopping at Cosco in. Lunched on samples. Delicious, organic, decaf coffee. Cliff bars. Beef jerky. Then we went to her apartment and had yogurt and talked, listened to music, practiced turns.

Left Q's place and went to her mum's for a hair appointment. A very cultural experience on Southwest Blvd. Enjoyed listening to them all chatter away in Spanish, trying to pick up what I could. Q's mum did a marvelous job on my hair. Finally received the cut I have been wanting. Felt beautiful all day and still feel rather fetching. Must be sure it doesn't go to my head (no pun intended), however I am just so pleased with it.

After the haircut, Q and I went to auditions for Gladstone Theater in The Park. We were an hour early, so we went to Starbucks to fill out the application and enjoy a beverage. Talked to the barista who was positively a hippie.

Auditions were a blast. I wasn't the best, but it was a fun experience. Read with a guy who wasn't shy.

Rushed Q home afterwards so she wouldn't be later to work than she was. It was so nice to spend the day with her. And from it all we went away with a couple secrets.

Went home, dressed for the evening, bought some lilies and went to Shawnee Mission Medical Center to see Jen, Jason and the Trevor, the newest addition to their family. I held him for five minutes. I love babies, but am still a bit unsure with newborns. They remind me of bobble heads. he was/is precious. Has Jason's dimples. Sat with them for a bit over an hour. Jen's dad and uncle came and chatted as well. You could tell that he was one proud grandfather.

At 8:30pm I left them and Osnat picked me up at the hospital entrance, leaving my vehicle there. We went to PNL. Up until then I had only been to the Drum Room at the President's Hotel. We went further down and further in that night. Starting off at an Irish pub, then to The Flying Saucer for a delicious meal of Brie, Gruyere and salami, bread and terrible mojitos. I switched to wine, as the bartender was incapable of improving the drinks. Then we meandered around a bit ending up at the Drum Room. Best drinks of the night. The live jazz was splendid, but a bit too deafening. Had guys try to pick us up. Left the Drum Room and explored some of the hotel. Osnat wouldn't let me go down the halls due to her having seen The Shining. We lounged on a capacious loveseat on the second floor, by a piano. Talked of spending the night (too much for our purses), taking a taxi, just sleeping on the loveseat. By now it was 2:30am. We decided to go get breakfast, I drove. We went to the well famed International House of Pancakes. It was rather crowded, mainly with teenagers (since they couldn't go out to bars) and drunk adults (who went to too many bars). Had a pleasant breakfast. Again guys tried to get us to join them. Returned home at around 4am.

Sunday, April 18th

Woke up around 8am feeling refreshed. Took my sweet time scrunching my hair and preparing for church. Walk out the door to my car, to realize that I locked my keys in my car. Called the Rogers, who thankfully had just driven onto the highway. Fifteen minutes later I was in the car with Ruth, Sarah, Caleb and Rachel. They thought it was quite funny. (I realized that what happened was that when I got home, I tossed my keys in my purse, then decided to leave the purse in the car, locking the car, slamming the door and thereby locked the keys in. My mother had just helped me do some spring cleaning and hadn't come across my spare. Which I thought odd.) We arrived at the Richardsons and had a lovely morning reading in Galatians.

Back at home, I googled "How to break into a 1991 Toyota Corolla." Referring to that, calling friends and asking Ron next door (I always seem to go to him when I lock my keys in the car), I attempted to break in. Unfortunately I didn't have the right tools for such an undertaking, and so we didn't get very far. It looked like I would have to call the locksmith or at least a towing company. I gave Arnold a call to see if my policy covered roadside assistance and he said he had a spare key. Go figure. So my aspiring career as a master car hijacker came to a sudden halt.

Starbucks Guy tried to get together with me. Said he needed advice. Something about being a lost sheep. Told him to find a new shepherd. ;)

Dinner at Sweet Tomatoes with Grandma and Arnold.

Today

Slept till 8am. Straightened my hair. Went to French. Went to work. Salmon and mashed potatoes for dinner.