Every Saturday morning, I go out for coffee. This has been my ritual since the late 90s. Usually I bring a book or two, along with a writing journal and even my laptop on occasion. I don’t like socializing during this time, as it is the only point in my week when I can relax.
One of the hardest parts of moving to a small town in Alabama is the lack of quality coffee shops. Notice that I didn’t say quantity of coffee shops. While there is no Starbucks here, there is a Books-A-Million coffee shop, along with one catering to Christians (which has lousy service), one for Hippies (that’s oddly uncomfortable and overpriced) and one that is almost perfect.
The almost perfect coffee shop would be better if everyone else didn’t think it was almost perfect. The place can get rather noisy, with a TV blaring and kids playing darts in the far corner of the room. If it was a little quieter, it would be absolutely perfect. Unfortunately, the kind of quiet I like probably means they wouldn't be in business long.
Last week, the Hippie Place moved to a new location. I had great hopes because the exterior of the building looked so old. It had heavy antique doors. I wanted the interior to match the classiness of the exterior.
But alas, as soon as I entered, I knew it was the same damn place. The inside looked exactly like the old shop, albeit the new location was bigger. Too bad it still looked like a tacky, bare stockroom.
I couldn’t bring myself to buy a cup of coffee. Instead, I headed for my almost perfect coffee shop. But the whole thing got me thinking: If I ran a coffee shop, how would I want it to be?
I’d want it to be the kind of place where people could read and write whatever they wanted. I would want it to be an intellectually-stimulated place where people could learn. Of course, there would be games for people to play. I’d want it to be dark, classy and cheap with damn good art on the walls.
And so… Some people’s blogs are classrooms. Some people’s blogs are soap-boxes and townhalls, I want my blog to be like a damn good coffee shop.
Hence the redesign.
New links – some familiar, some new. I’ll be putting up more links soon, but not too many. No need to overwhelm.
For my coffeeshop’s artwork, I’d encourage you to visit Prague Daily Photo. I can’t remember how I stumbled upon it, but I’ve been hooked ever since. A visit a day is like having cool coffee shop art on the walls.
For reading material, scroll down a bit. On the right, you’ll see the front page of an American newspaper. If you click on it, the image expands, allowing you to read it. Click further and you’ll be able to actually read that paper. Newspapers rotate, so each visit will show a different newspaper.
Simon, that fabulous 70s/80s game is just above it. It doesn’t increase my stats or benefit me if you play. I just happened to love the game as a kid and wanted to share it. If you choose to play at work, you should know that it makes noise. So don’t let your boss catch you.
Yes, there are ads. I’m experimenting with it. If you have any comments, feel free to email me.
More changes are forthcoming. Soon, I’ll be able to talk about them. For now, kick back and chill out.
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