FOR ROB

As mentioned, lack of new material requires rummaging around in the recent archives. Our colleague from Strasbourg, Rob, may appreciate this, caffeine addict that he is. Found at a coffee shop on Manchester Road in Maplewood. Maybe I'll have some time to get out on the street this afternoon. Heaven knows there is nothing going on around here but at least the weather is nice.        

City Daily Photo Theme Day: Coffee Houses And Cafes

I had to really stretch for this month's theme. Visits to coffee houses are very rare for me. No time in my crowded life for such leisurely pastimes, and the only ones close to my office and home are Starbucks. So what to do?

This is the coffee bar in my office. My staff got one of those Keurig single-cup-at-a-time coffee makers, one of the most wasteful and environmentally unfriendly products around. I don't drink coffee during the day, the people who work with me are wonderful, and so I don't make a fuss about it. Still, this makes me think back on a few wonderful cafes we've visited: Cafe de la Paix in Paris, sitting at St. Louisan Josephine Baker's table; Cafe Sacher in Vienna; even Cafe du Monde in New Orleans. 

Tomorrow morning at our home, though, once again it's French roast, brewed inky black and strong enough to clear a clogged drain.                

First Snow

I'm sure some of you are under a meter of the white stuff by now but we're not that far north. We had our first dusting last night. What better way to get home on a cold, snowy evening than by following a tanker truck of fresh, hot coffee.         

I'm Bored

Early Friday evening at the St. Louis airport. Flight to Chicago running 2.5 hours late. Will miss the rehearsal dinner and party. I'm bored. Reduced to taking pictures of the coffee machine at the American Airlines club.        

Cafe San Luis

We spent yesterday afternoon visiting a small, family owned coffee farm near the hamlet of San Luis (how appropriate). Victor, the proprietor, tends his plants with the greatest care. They teach you the proper way to make and drink coffee, Costa Rican style. Buy his stuff at http://victorsfarm.com/. He'll ship it to you and you won't regret it.

And to make it a very special day, it was the fifth birthday of his daughter, Maria Angel!      

Buddhas In My Office

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From the archives. Well, this is in St. Louis if not exactly about St. Louis. Actually, it's my desk. The little figures remind me of the impermanence of technology and coffee trends, whispering the principle of non-attachment to squeezable rubber toys, however holy. Oh, and what's that hand thing in the background? Click here.

WHAT I CAN'T DECIDE: what to do for theme day next week. I have an idea, though. Don't know if I can find all the props I'd need.

TOMORROW: Society For The Support of Penniless Lawyers