severe weather alert

new england and the pacific northwest have profound discrepancies in their definitions of severe weather.
new england severe: Snow flurries or snow showers. 8 inches accumulated. Very cold. High 16F. Wind gusts from 25-30 mph from NE.
pacific northwest severe: Variable rain showers with a chance of snow showers. Trace accumulation. Cold. High of 36F. Winds variable 5-8 mph.
the warning is wisely issued, however. have you seen these western-types drive in ice or snow? yikes.

xmas list

1.

for Peet's sake

peet’s is my all time favorite coffee roaster. of all time.

life increased in beauty when they decided to open coffee shops throughout the western continental u.s. i can’t remember the first one i visited, but we’ll just say it was walnut creek, california, off of ygnacio parkway. because my cousin worked there and it’s my first memory of a peet’s.

and steadily since, they’ve graced the Pacific side with shops selling not only their delicious beans but coffee drinks as well. i never knew a cappuccino could be so wonderful.

did you know they have loose leaf tea, as well? black currant is amazing. so is the royal Darjeeling.

we have often thought that our future relocations should, in fact, be determined by the location of a Peet’s. interesting fact: there are no Peet’s in Montana. bummer, huh?

skip ahead several years and we find ourselves in the Portland metro area. and while i don’t expect the ‘Couve to have a Peet’s the nearest one (to our chagrin because we knew the distance could not keep us away but just prolong the travel and increase the gas bill) was in the Hollywood district of Portland.

but... as the Lord shines His rays of happiness on His children, even in the minor details of life, He has granted us a Peet’s in the ‘Couve. and all this month the festivities roll.

on fridays when you buy anything, you get a ¼ lb of beans free. (this is an invaluable event inasmuch as i have thus discovered the bean of the year: Sierra Dorado Blend. so complex you can have it as a meal all on its own. also, while drinking it you can sing “El Dorado... Reno’s shining star... feel the excitement!” an old jingle for a casino/ski resort of some kind from the early 90’s.)

free coffee is available 1-3 pm and you can choose what size you want. and yes, i get the large, and no, i can’t get through half of it. but harken to this fact, dear reader: reheated Peet’s drip coffee tastes better than the americano or coffee any other chain can offer. every time.

one important understanding must be made. don’t microwave in the paper cups. it gets plasticky smelling. but even then, it’s the health issue that’s a concern. not the taste. reheating is king.

is this necessary? is this... pathetic? is this ghetto?

to which i respectively respond: yes. probably. and most definitely.