Coffeeneuring Trip #6

    The day after Halloween always seems a little bit of a let down for me. I'm never quite ready for it to be over, and waking up this morning was no exception. I was feeling a little North nostalgic after last night's adventures, and generally from riding around. I set out to find coffee, not by searching the internet or planning, but just by riding. Splattered pumpkins littered the suburban path, with a true feast for crows, who took to cleaning the streets with alacrity.
     I decided to see if there was any coffee shops near Central Market on Aurora in the set of strip mall type shops there. There didn't seem to be any shops that specifically sold coffee. Still, listening to NPR, I decided to keep riding south, not on the Interurban Trail, following the road behind Marshall's, and then onto Aurora, to see what shops were there up close and to generally just be about on my bike, sure I would eventually find coffee. 
       However, coming dangerously close to the end of my podcast I decided to just stop at the first place that sold place I could get a latte. My headcold hasn't dissipated and noting the lack of bike parking along Aurora made me feel sour and annoyed. At 145th I saw a little espresso stand, purple, and a barely a stand at all. The windows were somewhat frosted and only a florescent sign indicated it was open. 
      The shop didn't seem to have a name, just "Espresso" advertised in bold across the top, its address however, is searchable on Google Maps and you can get a street view: 14507 Aurora Ave N, Shoreline, WA 98133, and the girl behind the counter was in the familiar costume of the street vending coffee girl in Seattle. By that I mean, she was dressed in a bikini, though tasteful, which seems a rather cruel thing to do to a server in the winter months. We chatted over our Halloween night and she asked where I was going. I explained I was heading to the store after and she asked how I planned on managing. I laughed and pointed at my basket, and explained it was only a light trip, or I'd have my trailer too. She marveled at my 'determination' which I always find odd, especially when I think the other person is facing far greater extremes. I'd rather bike in the rain than serve coffee in a bikini. 
      When asked how I was going to carry it, I again laughed, and again, pointed at my basket. She expressed doubt, but I assured her that it was a sound method, and practiced many times. 

Many, many times

The pumpkin spice latte was good, if overpriced, and I set down 145th to the Interurban Trail. I had planned at stopping at the trail head, but the benches were all occupied by groups of people, so I headed a little further down stopping at the nearest bench. It was nice to sit outside without feeling obligated to be inside and locking up, or outside because that's where my bike was, but just to be outside, enjoying the blue sky. A coffee shop without walls.

The sky is way more blue than shown

     Combining my coffeeneuring trip with a grocery run meant that my little dog stayed at home, which he didn't mind in the least, but sitting in the sun, finally peeking out from the clouds, I missed his company. 

Pictured: Not my dog

What my dog was doing when I left, and when I came back

    There was the usual Saturday thoroughfare, a guy with his friend announcing "Their are no life forms detected," before screaming out imaginary coordinates. Marching back and forth down the trail, before heading back south. I felt amused, like I had wandered, unknown, into a Philip K. Dick novel. Though, there is nothing light-hearted about deets. There were other cyclists, one guy, who looked like he was on a folding bike saw me and said hello, and another guy walking his shepherds admired my wheels.

Sun on my saddle

The particular bench I stopped at

     I sipped my drink, enjoying the early afternoon, and flipping over to listen to Sparks Nevada (another Thrilling Adventure Hour production that I enjoy), and mused on the passing October. There's been a lot of exciting bike announcements, and I'm very much looking forward to the Gala, Saturday, Nov. 8th (hope you already have your tickets), and I'm hoping to go to a Dia de Muertos celebration this Sunday It looks like a lot of fun, and you can find more information about it here. On the whole my coffeeneuring trip, after hitting the grocery store on the way home, was 3 miles, a good mile of that made in wandering the streets behind Marshall's and Central Market and just cruising. 

    After this weekend, most of the upcoming events will of course, be Christmas themed, and given it'll be my first year not in retail in...over seven years, and not living next to/in North Pole, Alaska, in four, I might actually enjoy Christmas. I mean, don't bet money on that or anything, but its possible. 

   There's only one more coffeeneuring trip left, and this next one I hope is more sanguine, or at least, more social. 

Cheers! 

Oh, almost forgot, my mother sent me this video which highlights a reason to wear your helmet other than cars.