Madness or Passion, Fun Times!
Feels like the universe is trying to say something –
Here’s to all of you feeling pressed up against the glass, trying to breathe and think and create and map. Just keep doing these things. I know you are sad and heartbroken. I know you have lost loved ones and I know you feel lost too. But I also know that resilience is real. Break out. Break free.
I am here too. I think we can all agree. We are here.
Cafe Coco is missing this gal, for sure! I got to visit before she quit and see her in action roasting coffee beans.
Amoretta — she’s an euphoric cloud of angel dust!
Back in March I checked out the coffee roasting production going on at Cafe Coco. Most people do not realize that for the past 4 years all the coffee served at the Cafe and at Coco’s Italian Market has been roasted in house. This small set-up is just barely keeping up with demand as it roasts about 2.5lb per batch. Speaking with the solo roaster, Amoretta Taylor, I received some insight into this local, underground coffee system.
She says when things are in full swing, she can churn out about 5lbs per hour… all while working the counter, taking orders and delivering food to tables.
As soon as I walked in, she offered my a fresh pull of her 3 bean roasted espresso. She’d been working hard for the past day calibrated a new grinder for that perfect, ultra fine grind for that delicately pulled shot of espresso. Beautiful crema dreamily danced upon the rich, robust drink in a tiny cup of my favorite type of coffee. It was chocolate, velvet, butter with a lingering leather finish. Soft, orange nuances drifted through my palette with a fantastic smoothness.
As for Amoretta, she has moved on from the Cafe. We are all looking forward to seeing what is next for this classy boss.
Yokohama is not the Hawaiian name for this destination, but it has stuck. Keawa’ula Beach is the real name of this gem. It is all sunshine, white sand, crystal-clear water with wonderful waves. This is definitely a locals’ beach and the one day we visited, it seemed to be a scooter rally. Lots of family cook-outs and groups of teenage friends. This beach is far from the tourist attractions and commercial buildings. Seductively secluded if you’re able to visit during the week when everyone is working or in school.
On our way to Yokohama beach (the very end of the road on the West side of the island heading North), Rachel pulls the car over at mile marker 17. We walk across the road and head into a the side of a small mountain – Makua Cave.
Little seemed to be known about the cave. There were no signs or lights. After a bit of research I found a small detail. Legend says that a shape-shifting shark god lives in the area and visits the cave through an underground tunnel to the ocean. Doughty, A. (2015) Oahu Revealed.
This was our day to leave for our island trip. The ONE cold day of winter, we arrived at the airport by 5:55am and were at our gate by 6:15am — Our flight was at 8:00am.
I always have anxiety about missing a flight and I am always early.. it has become very annoying, but it is just the way my brain works.
Because of the light dusting of snow, the plane had to be de-iced.. The captain assured us this wouldn’t take more than 20 minutes. 30 minutes later, we were ready for take-off.. BUT, we had to wait our turn. Needless to say, we were touching down in Atlanta, GA at the same time our connecting flight was leaving without us. Mad rush to the Help Desk. This day seemed be chaos for many travelers, especially the ones from up north. Delta told us we had missed the ONLY flight to Hawaii that day. Why anyone would fly further from Hawaii and then take the long-ass flight for 10+ hours is beyond me. This was not the ticket I had purchased, but Delta changed my flight plan a month later, and then we missed it anyways. After much coercing at the counter, we were able to push the desk to switch airlines to get us to Honolulu! So we waited, and then took Delta to Las Vegas, and then we waited and took Hawaiian Airlines to Honolulu! Arrival time: 10:30pm Hawaiian Time! And oh so happy. We had been traveling 18 hours. Look at our Happy Faces:
This is Kyle’s first time. The sand was cool on our feet on Waikiki and the air was so fresh and the sounds of the waves so soothing. The excitement of the visit kept us up to 2:00am (6:00am Nashville time).. then we crashed for some hours before the birds and the sun woke me up at 7:00am in PARADISE.
Tastes like someone’s used shoes, tire tread, open chemical jars. Not bad. Really drunk.
Viniculture & Viticulture
For the love of all things fermented — the wine grape is the most cultivated sugar bomb and has been since antiquity.
