tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89636059347925369682024-03-14T00:05:09.742-04:00Le Harbor Bungalow CafeReggie Stitelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03755815959428016123noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963605934792536968.post-22525526475075919152015-02-16T20:43:00.000-05:002015-02-16T20:43:49.254-05:00Has the Barista Been Kidnapped?Of course not. It's more likely he was taken in by a family of bears and traipsing up and down the Appalachian Mountains. But that's not quite true either.<br />
<br />
<i>Well where the frappe is he? </i>A rabid cafe drinker might ask. <br />
<br />
Yet again, our barista has his head in the clouds. More specifically, <a href="https://soundcloud.com/reggie-styte" target="_blank">a sound cloud</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Reggie Stitelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03755815959428016123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963605934792536968.post-43412280282581266332013-12-24T09:29:00.002-05:002014-01-10T15:49:48.780-05:00Killing Your Audience<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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The holiday spirit infected the Point Called Fell’s like
rabid ratcoon. Le café was no exception. Gingerbread chai’s aside, the barista
hauled in a 7-foot, snow-sprayed fake pine, Shelly strung up the cellar
dwelling multi-colored Christmas lights and about 30 patrons carried a holiday dish to
the café bar to hoot it up over some freshly shucked oysters and booze.</div>
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“Hey, how’ve you been? Where’ve you been?” Frank was so
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floor before his table.</div>
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“Wow, and I thought I was early,” said the barista.</div>
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<br /></div>
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“So what’s with you? It’s been weeks,” Andrea inquires as
the barista handed Shelly a jug of eggnog and potato chips.</div>
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<br /></div>
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“So much, where to start? Well, the book I’ve been editing for my
friend is now released.”</div>
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<br /></div>
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‘The musician—about forming a band?”</div>
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“Yes—exactly. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Killing
Your Audience…and Why They Deserve It</i>. Are you on Kindle?”</div>
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“Yeah.”</div>
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“It’s <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Killing-Audience-deserve-Forming-Getting-ebook/dp/B00HGXW5VG/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1387890952&sr=1-1&keywords=killing+your+audience" target="_blank">available for download</a> this week. Check it out.”</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzRxEbL1by2vWi8HXyaEtWxlSFIZTZX5SgBdfazf3jlQirr4mQF6rVrsuV3mwejksQcooBPXIuBSXjhpI8_cpgOpfgNcMHd2BzkacEEGwWfRwV84mTR7Ppf3es86CBKXij5jGSFGBabbk/s1600/KYA+cover.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzRxEbL1by2vWi8HXyaEtWxlSFIZTZX5SgBdfazf3jlQirr4mQF6rVrsuV3mwejksQcooBPXIuBSXjhpI8_cpgOpfgNcMHd2BzkacEEGwWfRwV84mTR7Ppf3es86CBKXij5jGSFGBabbk/s320/KYA+cover.png" height="320" width="223" /></a></div>
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“Let’s try out these oysters,” the barista made his way
towards the back of the room.</div>
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“Be careful of them raw shuckers,” Curmudgeon Jim advised.
“I have more than one friend who got hepatitis C from them.”</div>
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<br /></div>
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“That’s why you’re supposed to shoot them with vodka,”
explained Jawbone holding out a bottle.</div>
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<br /></div>
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“So who is this fellow that wrote the book,” Curmudgeon
asked.</div>
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<br /></div>
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“A guitarist I played music with in San Diego. We had a nice
run in a band called Riot House.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Look here guys!” Picture Jim snapped a photo.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“He volunteers at a high school music program. Couldn’t find
a book to guide his students, so he decided to write it.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Guide them how?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“It brings the young, aspiring musician out of his bedroom,
through his garage and into the clubs—practically step-by-step. Will’s more a
storyteller than a writer—and his stories are priceless, candid.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Slurrrrrrrrp!!! </i>“Mmmm…tasty
oyster,” exclaimed the barista. “Get me some eggnog, I don’t want to catch
anything.”</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Save some room for my chicken-fried steak,” said Jawbone.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I can’t get too filled up, man. I’ve got to perform in
about an hour.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“What? Where?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Baltimore Songwriter’s Christmas party. The encore
performance of the <a href="http://harborbungalowcafe.blogspot.com/2013/12/noggin-it-up.html" target="_blank">new eggnog song</a>!" </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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“Well since you’ll be here tonight, come by Leadbelly’s
Christmas night. Odds are I can talk Curt into letting me play it then. This
baby’s goin’ straight to the top!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Reggie Stitelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03755815959428016123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963605934792536968.post-79584460080064606292013-12-11T12:42:00.000-05:002013-12-24T09:41:14.513-05:00Noggin’ It Up<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Chalkduster;"> When the brisk wind whistles by </span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Chalkduster;">And brown leaves float to the ground</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Chalkduster;">The trees they stand there naked </span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Chalkduster;">‘Til winter’s snowflakes abound</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Chalkduster;"> This is the season </span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Chalkduster;">To roast a yule log </span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Chalkduster;">And settle by the fire </span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Chalkduster;">With a glass of eggnog</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4sPqn4K66_FnJn4sXTo4G7DlX964PtGBss4ts-wLcSUapecmf1Md5yXRYs6GfrGPEw7oqdnI_rWAu0hX37624m-HFBkOq_y5s6yOvGIz6wsrahy3N3JWgdGWCKrif7faGs0Yzj0K0QYc/s1600/moose+nog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4sPqn4K66_FnJn4sXTo4G7DlX964PtGBss4ts-wLcSUapecmf1Md5yXRYs6GfrGPEw7oqdnI_rWAu0hX37624m-HFBkOq_y5s6yOvGIz6wsrahy3N3JWgdGWCKrif7faGs0Yzj0K0QYc/s200/moose+nog.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Chalkduster;">Nananana, nananana
noggin’ it up </span></b></i></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Chalkduster;">Nananana, nananana
noggin’ it up</span></b></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Chalkduster;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Chalkduster;">Nananana, nananana
noggin’ it up</span></b></span></b></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Chalkduster;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Chalkduster;"> </span></b></span></b></i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Chalkduster;"><i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Chalkduster;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Chalkduster;">Nananana, nananana
noggin’ it up!</span></b></span></b></i> </span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Chalkduster;">Be it rum, brandy or
bourbon </span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Chalkduster;">Cognac, vodka or beer</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Chalkduster;">Mix me up an eggnog</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Chalkduster;">I’ll spread your holiday
cheer</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Chalkduster;">When this cup fills me up</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Chalkduster;">And my belly’s a heavy load
</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Chalkduster;">Pour one more before I reach
the door</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Chalkduster;">And keep me off the road</span></b><span style="font-family: Chalkduster;"></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Chalkduster;">The ‘nog goes way back</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Chalkduster;">To the Middle-Aged centuries</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Chalkduster;">At full moon near the Caves of Odin</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Chalkduster;">Skulls were raised in ceremony</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Chalkduster;">Later Cluniac monks got real drunk</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Chalkduster;">On a posset of egg, milk & fig</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Chalkduster;">They drank so much of that righteous stuff</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Chalkduster;">Their stomachs got real big</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Chalkduster;"></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Chalkduster;"></span></b><span style="font-family: Chalkduster;"></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Chalkduster;">Nananana, nananana
noggin’ it up </span></b></i></div>
<i>
</i><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Chalkduster;">Nananana, nananana
noggin’ it up</span></b></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Chalkduster;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Chalkduster;">Nananana, nananana
noggin’ it up</span></b></span></b></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Chalkduster;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Chalkduster;"> </span></b></span></b></i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Chalkduster;"><i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Chalkduster;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Chalkduster;">Nananana, nananana
noggin’ it up!</span></b></span></b></i> </span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Chalkduster;">Be it rum, brandy or
bourbon </span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Chalkduster;">Cognac, vodka or beer</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Chalkduster;">Mix me up an eggnog</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Chalkduster;">I’ll spread your holiday
cheer</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Chalkduster;">When this cup fills me up</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Chalkduster;">And my belly’s a heavy load
</span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Chalkduster;">Pour one more before I reach
the door</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Chalkduster;">And keep me off the road</span></b></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Chalkduster;"></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Chalkduster;">Then along came America </span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Chalkduster;">With a plethora of farms,</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Chalkduster;">Cheap Caribbean rum & nutmeg</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Chalkduster;">And a heaping of Christmas charm</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Chalkduster;">Nananana, nananana
noggin’ it u</span></b></i><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Chalkduster;"><i>p...</i></span></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Chalkduster;"><i> </i> </span></span></b></div>
Reggie Stitelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03755815959428016123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963605934792536968.post-91426972000920621342013-12-10T15:07:00.000-05:002013-12-10T15:07:09.929-05:00The Angels<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I'm a beat up old soul stuck in a town with no heart</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
If I hear that damn song again I'm gonna swallow real hard</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Where are the angels with flowers in there hair?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
There aint no such women here, in my beer I will stare</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The barmaid is kind enough to hand me a smoke</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The sidewalk is cold but that woman's a joke</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
She can't name a song to play to save her own life</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
So I stick out my thumb and I hitch the next ride</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The club down the road is much of the same</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I can't find no coffee & I can't find your name</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I'm running in circles & seeing in doubles</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Can't you tell my heart's broken? Don't you know I'm in trouble?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
So I throw back my beer & I trip down the stairs</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And I notice the stars, never knew they were there</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Then I felt a warm touch, soft lips on my mouth</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
She said, "Let's get out of here & travel down south."</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The angels are out there sometimes in disguise</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Never expected, always a surprise</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I picked a flower & duly prepared</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And placed it upon her angelic soft hair</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Reggie Stitelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03755815959428016123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963605934792536968.post-11382181474049173522013-09-12T11:42:00.002-04:002013-09-13T00:50:04.408-04:00Coast-to-Coast in a Tesla<i>Le Harbor Bungalow Cafe</i> is on a hiatus, as our barista has been recruited on a coast-to-coast road trip in an electric car.<br />
<br />
Please follow along at<a href="http://arniesadventure.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"> http://arniesadventure.blogspot.com/</a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghc21BwFOyo_xcH6XyqN6QUjgIqGt1adleum_fQV22skFOdI9R5i051pKJEitLkGsMjP8BurhlgOxfc9C5tyclU6rMhzTohoHR4Q1LlFiiIcbcF5VOnc_orT4YWewUH7uQYQOPWEgNeV8/s1600/Reggie's+Inspired.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghc21BwFOyo_xcH6XyqN6QUjgIqGt1adleum_fQV22skFOdI9R5i051pKJEitLkGsMjP8BurhlgOxfc9C5tyclU6rMhzTohoHR4Q1LlFiiIcbcF5VOnc_orT4YWewUH7uQYQOPWEgNeV8/s320/Reggie's+Inspired.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Reggie Stitelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03755815959428016123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963605934792536968.post-12260240775461243912013-08-13T23:28:00.000-04:002013-08-18T16:59:26.983-04:00Stinky Joe, part one<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sunday morning’s yawn was a wider yawn than most mornings.
But this morning the barista nearly cramped his jaw his yawn was so deep. His
commute to open the doors of le Harbor Bungalow Café morphed from a brisk 90-second
walk into a 90-minute highway drive. Departing at 6 a.m. from his folk’s Old
Creek Home, he navigated his newly acquired set of wheels. A 36-foot Holiday
Mansion it was not—though he was dangerously close to acquiring a 30-year old
houseboat. So close, in fact, he was forced to scrap a previous story:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Greetings Landlubbers!”</i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
barista had been waiting months to utter those words as he walked into his
sunny Friday afternoon shift.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Well
if it isn’t Popeye himself!” Steve yelped.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“I
can’t sail yet,” the barista spoke. “Gimme a year.”</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“You
actually bought a boat!” Buck exclaimed.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Livin’
the dream, baby,” the barista said, matter-of-factly. “Housewarming party next
weekend. You’re all invited.” </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">*****</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The barista was docked at a wharf
on the east end of the neighborhood—a serene spot relative to the bustling
square. A cast of characters trickled over throughout the humid day: Hound,
Abby, Buck, Jawbone, Shelly, Leon, Skip, Angie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Most of the usual suspects were mingling about the deck, cabin and dock.
An old-timer named Blu who is a staple at Leadbelly’s sparked a joint. The
barista squinted. It’s actually a pocket vaporizer. Angie strummed a guitar
while Buck mixed the drinks and Jawbone told jokes. After sundown a couple of
the guys lowered themselves in kayaks and paddled beyond the dock while the others at the party indulged in
cocktails and cigarettes on the deck of </i>The Walrus<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
skies glowed with a gray haze from the city lights. </i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The moon challenged the red, neon Natty Boh face for the brightest reflection in the harbor.</i> The harbor was a mildly
chunky, mossy green. (Think the color of the Incredible Hulk.) Blu paddled his vessel around Hound and attempted to pass the pipe from his canoe to the barista’s
kayak, but lost his balance in the transfer and tipped both vessels over—with Hound
nearly joining them. The barista got a full swallow of yacht-disposed gray-water
as he submerged. This dumping is not only legal, it’s encouraged by city slip
managers. Attempting to re-enter the kayaks was as fruitless as a sunbather
attempting to unscrew a fresh jar of garlic-stuffed olives, so Blu and the
barista swam through the indecipherable muck while Hound and Steve towed the kayaks.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
barista was sick for months. He broke out in a horrible rash and his tongue
turned green. No more making out. Unable to work, he was late paying his health
insurance and his policy was canceled. Unable to secure a loan due to poor
credit from mistrusting a friend in a San Diego real estate investment, the
barista was forced into bankruptcy. Depressed, he intentionally jumped overboard
with </i>The Walrus’ <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">anchor tied to his
leg. His body decomposed—coincidently over the remnants of Fister Mishy, whose
limp body Leon tossed into the harbor a month earlier after he died from a
fungus infection acquired from the barista’s previous apartment in Fells.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thank the patron saint of coffee the barista never bought
that boat. Now he sports a ’97 Astro Van. Cruising the United States’ route
numbered 83 that morning, his excitement bubbled like the contents of a keg
transported on its side in the back of a large station wagon. For his new
lifestyle was intended to broaden the 90-percent of his life he spent within a
six-block radius. This excitement was short-lived, though. As he concluded his 90-minute
drive into the city, an impatient woman trying to get around the turning Astro
rear-ended him. Unable to wait for two cars to pass, this woman desperately needed
to get to the red stoplight 20-yards ahead of the barista’s van. Sunday
morning. Seven-thirty a.m.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">*****</i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Any word yet?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Philip Cole limped into le Harbor Bungalow Cafe with the help
of his cane. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Phil is a kind old fellow,
but his once-happening life has been reduced to a morning blueberry bagel, an afternoon
routine of feeding cats, with evenings wishing he never agreed to have back
surgery. He and the barista have a few things in common. They both spent substantial
time residing in Philadelphia and Harrisburg; they each are performing
musicians and they share a disdain for climbing steep staircases to get to
their rooms—which, for two-and-half years were 50-yards apart from each other
on the same block of Fells. Phil’s question refers to their second commonality,
as listed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Our next meeting is a week from tomorrow. I should have an
update then,” the barista explains.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“It’d be neat if we made it, huh?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I have a good feeling—but I hope it’s not too risqué. We’ll
see.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Phil is a classically trained pianist. He plays two or three
restaurants or clubs a year. In his heyday, Phil warmed up for Frank Sinatra
and scored movies for Andy Warhol. (“He’s an asshole,” Phil once said about
Sinatra.) Phil’s been playing piano for as long as Frankie Avalon has been
singing—they grew up together in the same South Philly neighborhood. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The barista had been sharing his songs with Phil—copying
compact discs for Phil to listen at home—when an idea floated across his mind. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Maybe Phil will collaborate on a song for
the Baltimore Songwriters competition.</i> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last spring, Phil agreed. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“So which songs did you like?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“The first one on the second disc caught my attention.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“</span>Stinky Joe! Folks request that ditty in all three of my acts.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“It’s clever. Reminds me of early Tom Waits and Jonathan Richman.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“When are you free this week?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“How about noon Wednesday at Big Bertha’s?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I’ll bring my bass and recording gear.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So the duo met at the back door of Big Bertha’s—an oyster
house in the neighborhood square where Phil often gigs. The barista carried his
acoustic bass, microphone stand and cable bag. Phil carried his black cane. He knocked
and the door opened. Phil greeted the chef as they walked by the kitchen. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Hey, Cole! What’re you doin’ here?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Oh, just helping Reg with a project. We’ll be upstairs for
a bit.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On the second floor they entered a
room with a 25-foot ceiling. One of the walls was mirrored giving the space
more natural light from the windows on the street side—and giving the barista a
deceptive feeling there was more than met his eyes. Cafeteria-style folding
tables and chairs congregated in the center of the room. A large serendipitous
angel hung opposite the windows with white Christmas lights strung from her
wings. Underneath, Phil bellied up against the house piano. The barista set up
his gear to the right of Phil, tuned his bass to the piano and sipped Chai. Phil nodded at the barista who engaged the recorder.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/Cf8ydgWqMuk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">To be continued…</i></b></div>
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</xml><![endif]-->Reggie Stitelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03755815959428016123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963605934792536968.post-1968543335919086302013-05-17T10:09:00.000-04:002013-06-22T15:39:07.269-04:00S.O.S.—“I’ve Been Kidnapped”<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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The computer keyboard lie soaked on the barista’s desk. Scales lined
the keys. The key of C scaled through the 1970's, wood-grained, stereo speakers—Cole’s piano. Startled
by the scene having just keyed into his apartment, the barista dropped his gig bag, plopped onto his new desk chair,
rubbed his eyes and read the open letter on the computer screen:</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Landlubbers!!!</i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I’ve
been kidnapped! Again! Save me! Get me a bigger tank! And more food while you's at it! And not that “optimal growth formula” bottom feed! I am not a science
experiment!</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifs4guNycslP83dWIL670qzvZJw_1K4qmaNE0Eha6-pmrwCA48S74dc8BazuAEosvteweXx9Ydb91e6jYU-ntm8niuMDrW_2rWdsdnoFjuah65ytaUVcZD5eRj30SvfmaK_jIufFPizts/s1600/DSC02316.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifs4guNycslP83dWIL670qzvZJw_1K4qmaNE0Eha6-pmrwCA48S74dc8BazuAEosvteweXx9Ydb91e6jYU-ntm8niuMDrW_2rWdsdnoFjuah65ytaUVcZD5eRj30SvfmaK_jIufFPizts/s320/DSC02316.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I’ve
lost all track of time. Somehow I ended up in the barista’s apartment—but I
much preferred Leon’s basement. Of course </i>le Harbor Bungalow Café<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">—after <a href="http://harborbungalowcafe.blogspot.com/2011/11/fister-mishy.html" target="_blank">Leon found that heavenly lake-of-a-tank</a>, was the salt of the water—But now that tank lays unused in
this sucker’s kitchen! Then he either wrapped this smaller tank with Christmas lights or
dropped acid in my water; I haven’t quite got it figured. Either way,
hearing him croon about warm beer and cold women, and stinky ‘ho, is downright abrasive.
But Philip Cole? Now </i>that<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> cat can play!</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Serenity!—Wisp
me away to shining seas of tilapia schools! Anywhere but here! I’ll do
anything! Even…even…Wean me on harbor water! I should be wondering when the next
tide is coming ashore, not wondering why the barista needs to dry his hair so many
times a day.</i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Affinity,</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mister
Fishy</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">—and
that’s another thing. This whole <a href="http://harborbungalowcafe.blogspot.com/2011/11/fister-mishy.html" target="_blank">dyslexia-as-clever whaleshit</a> has got to
end. Pey-pey named me and if the barista thinks I’d be insulted because I
share the name with a human-run company that hunts and sells my cousins for
dinner, he’s wrong! </i></div>
Reggie Stitelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03755815959428016123noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963605934792536968.post-26897633953844632402013-02-21T12:51:00.000-05:002013-03-04T15:12:03.624-05:00City Cries Po'<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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An unsuspecting tourist finds
herself lost when looking for one of Baltimore’s museums. With a friend she
approaches a man walking along the streets made famous by the popular
television crime drama <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Wire</i>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Which one of these is the Poe
House?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
“Look around lady, every one of
these is a po’ house!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Claudette relates the story to the
barista as he prepares a couple of lattes for her co-workers at the Fleet
Street Market. Discretely in the back of the cafe, a painting leaned crooked on the wall.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWh6a6TkaoDzCR6YLP9tIdEHI6bYB5H0RAYx7Rmixr3FY9dxquO0o35SkjZ8nt8Fs3KC9i5S2pb5LGnEbZ-3n2h0NtetrLpDUv1pZywuiAILH__XU6rXsQkRSDXmBPx5OeORR7G4A84ac/s1600/Scan.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWh6a6TkaoDzCR6YLP9tIdEHI6bYB5H0RAYx7Rmixr3FY9dxquO0o35SkjZ8nt8Fs3KC9i5S2pb5LGnEbZ-3n2h0NtetrLpDUv1pZywuiAILH__XU6rXsQkRSDXmBPx5OeORR7G4A84ac/s640/Scan.jpeg" width="443" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>"YOUNG EDGAR ALLAN POE" 2002 </i></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
<i>Oil Painting by cafe patron & Baltimore native Frank King </i> </div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The barista has been preparing a
follow-up to his 2011 story <a href="http://harborbungalowcafe.blogspot.com/2011/12/poe-etic-licensing.html" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Poe-etic Licensing</u></i></a>. Since that time, what decisions have been made regarding one
of the City of Baltimore’s literary museums—the Edgar Allan Poe House? Research
led the barista to the following stories:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/jacketcopy/2011/08/could-the-poe-movie-save-edgar-allan-poe-house-baltimore.html" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Could the Poe movie save Edgar Allan Poe’s Baltimore house?</b></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Los
Angeles Times</i> 08/08/11 </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<a href="http://baltimorepostexaminer.com/edgar-allan-poe-house-and-museum-needs-a-savior/2012/09/14" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum needs a savior</b></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Baltimore
Post-Examiner </i>09/14/12</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<a href="http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2012-09-25/entertainment/bs-ae-poe-house-20120925_1_poe-house-poe-baltimore-jeff-jerome" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Poe House to close Friday, hopefully temporarily</b></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Baltimore Sun</i> 09/25/12</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/26/edgar-poe-house-vandalized_n_2190368.html" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Edgar Allan Poe House vandalized while closed during transition</b></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Huffington Post</i> 11/26/12 </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<a href="http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/columnists/poe-house-falls-dark-as-ravens-soar-188470961.html" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Poe House falls dark as Ravens soar</b></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Winnipeg
Free Press</i> 01/26/13</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<a href="http://www.salon.com/2013/02/03/are_the_ravens_responsible_for_the_fall_of_the_house_of_edgar_allan_poe/" target="_blank"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Are the Ravens responsible for the fall of the house of Edgar Allan Poe?</b></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Salon</i>
02/03/13 </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The City of Baltimore made
international news by refusing to continue to fund the museum. It seems Poe
carries as devout a following as the Raven football squad named after his poem,
just more geographically diverse. Yet the city government is distancing
itself from Poe’s legacy? The barista is confused. He realizes money greases
the wheels of government, but he also thought tourism accounted for a sizable
fraction of the city’s coffers. According the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Salon </i>story, Baltimore City claimed it could not afford the $85,000
a year it cost to run the museum. Yet our elected officials afforded an
$180,000 commission fee to do its job—restructuring the operation.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The commission recommended the nearby
B&O Museum operate and renovate the Poe House, according to the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Huffington Post</i> story. So the city afforded
another $180,000 to make that happen. Let’s do the math: $180,000 for a
commission, $180,000 to a city funded museum, Poe House operational cost
$85,000. That amount of funding could have kept the museum open for over four
more years. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
According to the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Baltimore Post-Examiner</i>, the non-profit <a href="http://poeinbaltimore.org/home/about_us" target="_blank"><u>Poe Baltimore</u></a> will take over the operations this year, with guidance from the
B&O Railroad Museum during its first year. But the city-led transition began
on a sloppy note. From the November <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Huffington
Post </i>story:</div>
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<br /></div>
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The (wooden) stairs disappeared
days after the (Poe) museum was closed, said Steve Sharkey, acting director of
the Baltimore Department of General Services. The graffiti (on the front door)
occurred more recently, and was painted over within a week.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
A gap in funding left the Poe house
vacant and vulnerable—like many of its neighbors. But the city is not the only
local entity with a stake in Poe’s legacy—and with the resources available to
preserve it during the museum’s time of need.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
The barista remembered that not
only could he <a href="http://www.baltimoreravens.com/ravenstown/mascots.html" target="_blank"><u>e-mail Poe</u></a>, but he also could <a href="http://www.baltimoreravens.com/ravenstown/mascots/school-visits.html" target="_blank"><u>bring Poe to school</u></a>
and even <a href="http://prod.static.ravens.clubs.nfl.com/assets/pdfs/Ravenstown/mascots/poe_coloring_page.pdf" target="_blank"><u>download Poe’s coloring page</u></a>! From the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Salon</i> story:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
The Baltimore Ravens have yet to
step in and help support the Poe House, in its past or future incarnation,
despite many, many calls and newspaper Op-Eds asking them to do so (including
the barista’s). The problem? According to a spokesperson for the Ravens, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the
city hasn’t asked</i></b> (italics mine).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
The <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Baltimore Post-Examiner</i> elaborated:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Chad Steele, director of media
relations of the Baltimore Ravens told the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Baltimore
Post-Examiner</i>, “We are not aware of anyone approaching (the team) on this.
This is an important project, but we can’t do them all. We’re very involved in
a number of community projects right now.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
barista’s initial stance—offering the Ravens operational duties—changed after
reading the Ravens’ lame excuse. “Screw them! I bet their fans don’t even
realize why they drape themselves in purple every Friday.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Because
it’s the team color,” an unsuspecting patron quips.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Because
it’s the color of the curtains in the <a href="http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/178713" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>poem</u></i></a>,”
the barista snarls. “The house is probably better under a nonprofit’s watch
anyway—people who actually appreciate the spirit of ‘The Raven’, rather than
just the licensing-free marketing appeal. ”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div>
Reggie Stitelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03755815959428016123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963605934792536968.post-7436152251122933782012-12-27T18:37:00.000-05:002012-12-28T02:16:08.963-05:00“Our Boy is Hurting Right Now”<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Leon burps, wipes his mouth and gives thanks for Hungry Andy’s
pit beef sandwich. In the well-lit restaurant around the corner from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">le café</i>, he reclines at his table. It is
a gloomy Monday night, a week before Christmas Eve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The stout, army veteran with beard and build
reminiscent of Santa Claus, sole patron in the shop, peers at a television
adjacent Andy’s ordering counter. The channel is CNN.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">More details emerge in
the Newtown school massacre. What really motivated the killer?</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A familiar voice interrupts the noise of the newscast.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Well look who it is!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The barista strolls into <a href="http://hungryandys.com/home.html" target="_blank">Hungry Andy’s</a> with a cold weather knit cap on
his head and stuffed backpack on his shoulders.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Hey, man,” Leon says.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Well look at you with the long hair,” remarks Andy as he
walks out from the kitchen.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Gotta hide it at the shop. Can’t be serving hairy grub, you
know,” explains the barista as he drops his pack on the chair beside Leon. “You
goin’ to the café Christmas party tomorrow?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Yeah, I think so.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The barista walks to the counter, “So, Andy, that was me on
the phone, I gotta run.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Oh.” Andy turns towards the kitchen to return with a
plastic bag containing a cheese steak and a side of sweet potato fries. “Ten
dollars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Neighborhood discount.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Awe, thanks, Andy. Keep one for yourself.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“So I’ll see you tomorrow?” Leon asks.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Something came up. I’m leaving town before dawn. Won’t be
back til late.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Where you goin’?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Long story. Ask around at the party tomorrow.” With that,
the barista pushes open the double doors and walks into the mid-December cold.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Leon turns his attention back to CNN.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">He loved his video
games. StarCraft. He spent days planning, plotting and executing futuristic war
strategies. And then there’s this, Lanza was at a shooting range three times
over the past six months, at least once with his mother.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">~~~~~</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The sun rises, barely visible as it struggles to penetrate
the gray clouds in the seven o’clock hour that is Tuesday morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The barista and Abby are driving through
Delaware, the proud, first state of the Union, </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Since the barista winterized the Dolphin, Abby offered her
car for the five-hour impromptu road trip. Abby has patronized <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">le café</i> and lived in the Point called
Fells years before the barista arrived on the scene.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She often grades the writing of her eighth
grade English students during the barista’s Sunday shifts.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“So this is turning
into a type of college reunion,” the barista reflects, “There’ll be folks here
I haven’t seen in 15 or so years.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“It’s nice that so many are making the trip,” Abby responds
with sad smile. “No doubt they can use the support.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The barista digs his sunglasses from his backpack. It is
when he rests them on his nose and ears when the daydreams begin.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The year was 1999,
springtime. The place was Philadelphia, on a softball field. The barista is on
second base after launching a double into the right center gap. Rekos steps up
to the plate wearing flip flops. He might as well be swinging a wiffleball bat
on the beach. Then he lines a base hit in the hole on the left side—a la Nomar
Garciaparra—as the barista races home. </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">That’s how the season
went that spring. That Pi Kappa Phi squad swept the La Salle intramural
tournament and advanced to the City Six tournament at Temple where we had our
asses wiped. One of the barista’s fondest memories—along with his first inning
dinger at Temple to give La Salle their only lead in the playoffs—was of his
flip-flopped first baseman.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“It’s about time we stop for some coffee,” Abby decides.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In agreement, the barista pulls into the next rest stop
where they stretch their jaws and their legs. It was a short night’s sleep. He
tries to wrap his mind around the events of the past weekend. Cooling off the
coffee in his newly purchased paper cup, the television wrestles away the
barista’s attention.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Abby appears from the sugar and cream station, “We gotta go.
At least three more hours—if no traffic through Philly and New York.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The barista wipes his eyes, nose and makes his way back out
to the car.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">~~~~~</b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The New Jersey turnpike is a monotonous drive—straight and
flat with smokestack scenery. Toll booths and traffic disrupt the cruise
control, while speeding cars weave between big rig trucks which—at one point or
another—block one or three of the four highway lanes. In Abby’s car a recording
of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Storytellers</i> plays on the stereo.
It is the bootlegged, unedited, unaired appearance by the Black Crowes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The barista slips into another daydream during the acoustic
rendition of <i>Nonfiction</i>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">It is the autumn of
2003, in the parking lot of Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego—where the barista had
been living for four years. The barista scored a ticket to the Chargers—Patriots
football game from his buddy JM.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A group
of guys are drinking light beer and barbecuing hamburgers and hot dogs next to
their cars. A couple of the guys—Ryan and John—recently moved to the southern
Californian city. They were college buddies with JM at Northeastern—certain
Patriot fans.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“So who are you
rooting for?” Ryan asked the barista.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“I don’t have too much
of a rooting interest. I kinda like both teams. I’m really an Eagles fan.”</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Eagles?” Ryan said
with an air of disbelief.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Yeah, well, I grew up
in PA and went to school in Philly.”</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Where’d you go?” John
asked.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“La Salle.”</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Really?”</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Yup. Class of ’99.”</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The next question
inevitably gets asked when discussing colleges, and invariably—in the barista’s
experience—the answer is ‘no’. Unbeknownst to the barista, the law of
attraction was in effect.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“You don’t know Rich
Rekos, do you?” John asked.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Do I know Rich Rekos?
I’ve only played a hundred beer pong games against that joker. We only pledged
the same fraternity. Ha! You know Rich?”</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“We grew up together
in Connecticut!”</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Long, lost brothers:
the barista, John and Ryan become instant friends.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
*****</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is half past ten o’clock when the barista and Abby pull
into a nearly vacant rest stop in Danbury, Connecticut—well, nearly vacant if
you discount the lineup of big rig trucks at the weigh station. Most
importantly, the bathrooms are quiet so Abby has a place to change into her
dark skirt and turtleneck. The barista slides on his gray suit and fixes his
green tie from the passenger seat. He then dials Ryan and John. Each are
married with children now, and settled in New England.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Hey, bud,” greets the barista, “You guys want to meet for a
bite?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Nah, you go ahead without us,” Ryan says, “John’s
grandmother made blueberry pancakes. Let’s rendezvous at the church.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Looking dapper, the barista and Abby saunter out of the gray
morning into a bright Danbury deli.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“We’ll take a cup of broccoli soup, a Reuben…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“And a newspaper.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They sit by the window at one of the two simple tables and
wait for their lunch. Abby reads the headlines. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A week of mourning: Funeral details set for some school shooting
victims.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">First responders knew ‘it was something bad’</i></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The evidence: Investigators trying to determine what led to rampage.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="right" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">--from The News-Times, Danbury, CT</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Reuben and a soup,” the gentleman announces in his New York
accent as he delivers the order to the table. “So where are you off to today?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Well,” the barista hesitates. “We’re going to a funeral. A
buddy of mine’s daughter was a victim of the shootings.” The confession chokes
him. As the words flow from his mouth, his stomach twists like a washrag being
drained of water. It was the same feeling he first felt upon waking Saturday
morning, when he read John’s text message:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Rekos’s daughter was
killed in the school shooting yesterday. That was our hometown. Our boy is
hurting right now. I’ll try and take care of him as best I can. Horrible.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I’m so sorry,” the gentleman nods, “Ya know, I’m a retired
cop from New York City. And I ain’t seen nothing like what they’ve seen over
there. My heart goes out to you and the family.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Thank you.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">~~~~~</b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A line of cars stretch at a standstill nearly three tenths
of a mile on Sandy Hook Drive, from St. Rose of Lima Church to a packed diner
adjacent the highway. Time quickly approaches noon, so after exiting the
highway the barista pulls into a bank parking lot to avoid the wait. As he and
Abby walk along the sidewalk, through his sunglasses he notices a man crouching
like a catcher, wielding a camera with a long-range zoom lens.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“We just had our picture taken,” notices the barista while
the Connecticut State Police herd the media away from the church parking lot
and the memorial.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As Abby and the barista walk across the street, two lines
form, wrapping around the entire front of the church—the same church from eight
years ago where Rich married Krista. Inside, it is standing room
only.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The silence is deafening. The organ begins to play. The
hearse arrives. The tiny coffin provokes more tears. The priest’s wand cries
holy water. And the stuffed toy horse slouches atop the little casket.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The mother and the father stand near, exuding both courage
and anguish. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The barista prays for sustainable strength for the affected
parents. He prays for protection and peace for their families. He prays for the
change that will thwart this disturbing trend that has taken hold of America. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">In Loving Memory of
Jessica Adrienne Rekos. May she ride a horse into heaven.</i> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Rich & Krista have now established the
"Jessica Rekos Memorial Fund." Donations can be made at any Wells
Fargo location, and will be used towards a riding camp/scholarship at Jessica's
barn, as well as other projects in her memory. Your contributions to this great
cause would be greatly appreciated by the Rekos family. Thanks for your
support.</span></i></div>
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<![endif]-->Reggie Stitelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03755815959428016123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963605934792536968.post-60336965246356898502012-11-30T19:24:00.000-05:002016-12-06T22:24:06.771-05:00Teasing the Anti-Christ<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
“As your lawyer, I advise you to chug a Pan Galactic Gargle
Blaster!”</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Last month saw the return of the Fells Fun Festival to the
neighborhood. The event not only aligned with Orioles Magic, but also with
surprise guests at le Harbor Bungalow Café. The barista turned to face the
counter as he steamed some milk. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“P3PO!! Welcome back, broseph!!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Surprised?!?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Not really. Would’ve been more surprised if you didn’t
hitch a ride with mom and dad and sacrificed this booze-fest.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Brother-of-barista was unemployed and searching for work. He
recently earned his law degree, but the results of his BAR exam were still
being processed leaving him in a state of limbo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mother- and father-of
barista followed the barista’s brother in the door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After exchanging pleasantries they sat at the
bar.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“How was the drive down?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“The drive was fine,” mother-of-barista said. “Parking was
the tricky part.” Parents-of-the-barista live 80 minutes via automobile north
of the Big Crabcake, in the same house—the Old Creek Home—where the barista
came of age.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Welcome to the city. You see why I choose not to drive.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Quit the small talk and bring a cherry and cheese danish
this way,” father-of-barista said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I thought you were on a diet.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I’ll start it again in January.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Whatever you say. Here meet Shelly, le café’s new owner.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As the barista dug around in the pastry case, Shelly and
parents-of-the-barista talked about how the barista is great a person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On this day in particular he <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">was</i> great, as he easily could have
succumbed to his hangover from the previous night’s celebration.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The hometown baseball club won their first
playoff game in 15 years. The barista believed the victory was due in part to
he and his friends’ enthusiasm and insistence of doing a shot for every play
that went the Orioles way. Yuengling, Jack and Jose kept the defending American
League Champion Texas Rangers at bay.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But if the flattery inflated the barista’s ego, it was only
temporary.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“We have some mail for you.” Mother-of-barista passed an
envelope across the bar.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Uh, oh.” The barista immediately identified the source of
the letter. “I’ve been waiting months for this response. I self-addressed the
return envelope to you in case I didn’t renew my lease over the summer.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“What is it?” Shelly asked.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I submitted a story to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Sun
Magazine</i> for publication. This is the moment of truth.” The barista
imagined opening this letter in the privacy of his own apartment, but everyone
was anxious to hear the news, so the barista ripped open the envelope and began
to paraphrase the letter aloud.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Thanks…we’re sorry to say that your story is not right for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Sun</i>…this isn’t a reflection on your
writing…process is highly subjective…we wish you the best…yada, yada…Clark, I
think it’s time for that Gargle Blaster.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As the barista decides whether to submit his story
elsewhere, he would like to tease the opening excerpt for those café
patrons who did not read an earlier version last December. Without further
adieu, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Le Harbor Bungalow Café</i> is
proud to present</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Laughing About the Anti-Christ</i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">…and other
gap-bridging techniques of a self-appointed ambassador between cultures</i></b></div>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Teacher, you know the AntiChrist?”</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>An awkward silence came over the
sidewalk café.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“No, Ali.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know the AntiChrist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Would you like to meet him tonight?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I laughed, trying to lighten the mood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My students giggled, too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>Was
Ali implicating me—calling me out as an antichrist?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">There I sat in Rabat—Morocco’s capital
city—between sips of espresso discussing the Antichrist with a group of about
ten curious Moroccan English language students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Understanding between us was not a given, it was a challenge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sunny, cloudless spring day was a Monday,
so we met outside on the patio of a local café.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Across the round, white, wrought iron table sat Ali.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Likely he was asking whether I was familiar
with the story about the second coming of Jesus, who is supposed to lead an
end-of-times battle against the evil Antichrist as preached by the prophet
Mohammed, founder of Islam, and as mentioned in the final book of the Christian
Bible, Revelation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I also knew Ali
was bright and somewhat mischievous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Had
I somehow insulted him?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A native of Rabat, the 24-year old was more
interested in slang and clever dialogue than proper grammar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Shorty’s got bahdenkedank!</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">” he was keen to
exclaim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ali gleaned much of his English
from trendy American movies and music as well as through written correspondence
on the online social networking pages of his American acquaintances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This learning technique was common among my
Moroccan students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Loose-lipped and
short, Ali mixed a manner that was part attempting to keep up
with his peers and part trying to take the lead in conversation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here Ali had the lead, on a topic he was well
versed.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Yes, I am aware of the Biblical story of
how the Antichrist fools good people into worshiping him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I understand the story as a metaphor,” I
tell my class, hoping to segue into a comparison technique lesson. “Do you
think a large bank could be the Antichrist, by deceiving good people into
worshiping its money?” </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Months earlier I would have avoided such
verbal sparring sessions faster than you could say </i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">salamu alaykum</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But two years later, in my Baltimore
apartment, burning incense from </i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jemaa el Fna</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">, I wonder if I was being
paternalistic—by challenging their religious beliefs and attempting to expand
their minds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My main reason in traveling
to Morocco had been just that:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to expand
my mind.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Reggie Stitelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03755815959428016123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963605934792536968.post-86412170799239547462012-11-29T13:52:00.000-05:002012-12-02T20:33:11.720-05:00Re-creating Paradise<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Well I haven’t seen you in a while.” </div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Andrea is the sushi chef at a quaint little Scotch bar three
doors down from le Harbor Bungalow Café.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The hangout does not serve food every night of the week, but every
Wednesday Andrea starts rolling at 6 o’clock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Before she punches the clock, Andrea stops by for a large coffee—dark
roast.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I kinda miss working Wednesday nights,” the barista said as
the coffee carafe he was pumping coughed in his face. “That writing class I
took last fall set me on a routine where I get hump day off.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“No class this year?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I’m doing an independent study,” he said with a grin as he
grinded more coffee beans. “Reviewing my creative nonfiction notes from Towson,
continuing the blog and reading required texts for students at Naropa.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Ahhh…Colorado.” Andrea said as she paid for her coffee. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Yeah, wonderful country,” responded the barista. “A couple
of my college buddies have settled that way over the past decade. If they had
it their way I would move there, find a band and contribute to their debauchery.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Why don’t you?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Well, it’s so far from where I grew up. And I should be
around for such transitory events: weddings, funerals, parents becoming
grandparents, brothers becoming fathers and lawyers…and myself acquiring a
sister and a nephew.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Of course.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Remember, I lived out in California for ten years. Didn't get back much.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“That’s right.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I’m in a different phase now—which is not to say I’m not
tempted!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Andrea laughed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Well, it’s about time to put on the rice. You should come by for
sushi.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The barista rates Andrea’s sushi the best in the
neighborhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also agrees that scotch
is a superior pairing over sake. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
with the warm fireplace in the back…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“You know, tonight might be the night.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Andrea closed the café door
behind her and a burst of cold air invaded the warm café.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The wind smacked the barista in the face. He
began to daydream as he tended to the espresso machine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He thought of the creative nonfiction writing
class he aced last fall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He thought
about hiking downtown with his <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/splaffretailsite/" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Splaff</i></a>
backpack tight around his shoulders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
remembered how he would hop the public bus north of the city and finish his
assignments on the stop-and-go drive up York Road to Towson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He remembered how without that class <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">le Harbor Bungalow Café</i> would not
exist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then he thought of the topic
of his first major assignment. The topic in many ways paralleled the Colorado
lifestyle his friends were living. What was so important that he needed to
write about?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What did he feel the need
to record so that he would never forget?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>More importantly, can he ever re-create it within a closer proximity to
his family?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Excerpt from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Dolphin & the Mountain</i>:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Many
people think of San Francisco as Northern California.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But five-and-a-half automobile-hours beyond
the Golden Gate Bridge is a town…a region…an expanse of country in that very
same state of the Union that pushes San Francisco further south with each wind
along the mountainous interstate pass.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
region is home to the kind of real estate to make a Monopoly game board
envious: Lake Shasta, Lake Siskiyou, Castle Lake, Castle Crags, the Pacific
Crest Trail, the headwaters of the Sacramento River, the McCloud River (and
falls…all three of them), the Eddys, Black Butte, Mt. Lassen, Glass Mountain, the
Righteous Hole, Panther Meadows, Thumb Rock, dozens of pristine, isolated, see
clear to your toes alpine lakes, five glaciers and enough trees and rivers to
make logging and bottled water companies filthy rich.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Skiers and snowboarders breed in the hills
and compete in national championships and EuroCups.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Black bear and cougar not only reign at the
top of the wildlife food chain, they serve the local, rival high schools as
mascots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the center of it all,
geographically and emotionally, is a revered and worshiped snow-covered mass of
volcanic rock visible over 50 miles away in every direction, Mt. Shasta.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Inherently,
Mt. Shasta moves. The Mountain’s sheer mass stands heavy and accountable,
guilty as an accomplice in shifting the earth’s plates at speeds beyond human
perception.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Boiling springs curiously
adventure deep within the volcano’s caverns, carving the Mountain from
within.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Water bubbles emerge from dark
to light, grow and pop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Evidence.</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Steam meets the brisk outdoor air.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">More evidence.</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Yet
Mt. Shasta has no need to move.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Glaciers
meditate in the Mountain’s saddles, ebbing and flowing inordinately slow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Adorning Ponderosas, pines and firs stretch
their green needles in the high wind, tightening their grip into the soil and
rock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clouds and shadows and snow
gravitate—float, creep and fall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Human
perception awakens, as the Mountain offers a different face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, the Mountain’s face changes as often
as the human face changes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like the moon
to the earth and like many beings before me, I also gravitated toward the
Mountain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I needed to climb it—to the
top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I needed the Mountain to move me.</i></div>
Reggie Stitelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03755815959428016123noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963605934792536968.post-10807138545501182902012-10-12T16:09:00.001-04:002012-12-28T03:09:01.876-05:00Visiting the Oracle<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
“So Shelly, you won’t be able to reach me for a few days,”
said the barista as he placed a bagel breakfast sandwich on the Panini
press.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I’m going back to Shenandoah.”
<br />
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<br /></div>
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Change was in the air.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Summer slowly was turning into autumn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Our barista had hired a new barista who picked up one of his shifts at
the café this week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Dolphin had a
new, safe parking spot with a newer pearly white rear door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the events unfolded, the decision made
itself.</div>
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“Cool! Who you going with?” Shelly asked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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It was a busy morning at le café: three employees behind the
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bar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These patrons were eating, waiting
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<br /></div>
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“Myself.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Really?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you want
one of my dogs?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you have a gun?”</div>
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<br /></div>
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“No, no…I’ve done this before. I’ll be fine.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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“Are you sure? How will you protect yourself?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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“I have a hunting knife, some pepper spray…oh, and my
redwood staff.”</div>
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<br /></div>
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“Isn’t that where you saw three bears?” Monroe interjected
as she pulled shots of espresso.</div>
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<br /></div>
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“Yep!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“You should take my gun,” Shelly pleaded.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“This is the second time I heard you try to pawn off that
gun,” said a voice from behind a laptop.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I’m not taking it,” said the barista. “Bears like me. I’m
one of them.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“What will you do there?” asked the patron who ordered the
bacon, egg and cheese bagel—which now rests on his plate, cheese melted in
front of him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The cheese was smoked Gouda—a
favorite of both Shelly and the barista.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Read, write, hike…pick the guitar…speak with the oracle.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“That means smoke a lot of pot,” Shelly said as she motioned
her fingers to her mouth as if she were inhaling a joint.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“No, no,” said the barista. “I have prepared some questions
for her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will look for her under the
waterfall where I plan to swim.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Are you shittin’ me,” the patron asked.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Yeah,” the barista said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Although he really wasn’t.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">~~~~~</b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Who has a couch in their car, but not in their apartment?
The barista, of course. He pondered this idea as he lay stretched on the
Dolphin’s foldout couch in Shenandoah the next morning, a stone’s throw from
the Appalachian Trail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The air was at least
ten degrees cooler in the mountains than the city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A gentle breeze penetrated the camper and was
a treat for him to breathe in deeply.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
his seven spice chai tea steamed before him (nine spices if honey and whiskey
are to be counted), the barista picked up his acoustic bass guitar and played
the following set of original songs:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://harborbungalowcafe.blogspot.com/2012/06/fox-bear.html" target="_blank">Fox & Bear</a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Vagabonding</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Music Spell</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Cupid Blues</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Mirage</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Purgin’ the Blues</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Burlesque Pirate</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Grass-Stained Heart</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Stinky Joe</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Three little birds jumped and chirped outside the Dolphin’s
screen door as he finished playing and singing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A joyful smile crossed the barista’s unshaven face.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mid-morning he arrived at the park ranger station to look
for maps and acquire a stamp for his national parks passport. He bellied up to
the counter.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I’m looking for a nice, quiet swimming hole,” the barista
said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Well, we don’t call them swimming holes,” the
thick-moustached ranger said. “But there are places to get your feet wet.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His last sentence might as well been
accompanied with a wink. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The barista was in luck.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The ranger highlighted a circular hiking route on the
barista’s map, and then marked an X in at least six spots along the way for the
barista to cool off in the mountain water. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i><br />
<br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Near
one of them may be the oracle</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">, he thought.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">~~~~~</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The heat of the sun warmed the cool mountain air.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each step along the trail warmed the barista
from the inside, forcing a mild sweat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In his backpack was a water bottle, at least three different granola
bars, a pita loaded with hummus, tomato and fresh basil, a hand towel, a long
sleeve shirt, a notebook, pen, lighter, pepper spray and homemade popcorn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He could not find his hunting knife, but
carried his redwood staff as a cane.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If
his mountain boots and beach shorts clashed, it could be argued that his blue
bandana and sporty shades tied his attire back together. He practiced pranayama
yoga breathing with each step: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Inhale,
pause…inhale, pause…inhale, pause…exhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaale.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Back in the Dolphin laid two books the barista was reading
at the time: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">There is a River: A Biography
of Edgar Cayce </i>and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Visions and
Prophecies</i>, from the Time-Life volume <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mysteries
of the Unknown.</i> Ideas of a sixth sense fascinate the barista.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the past decade he held a preference for
working in, rather than working out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Does
he hold the potential to travel through time in his dreams, as Edgar Cayce did?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The barista wondered as he wandered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After two or three miles along the circuit
hike, the barista noticed a stream paralleled the trail. It flowed in the same
direction he walked—southeast at the time. Small pools accumulated water, but
not nearly enough to swim. He stopped, sat on a log and watched the water. He
wiped his forehead with his towel. He drank some water from his bottle. He
snacked on the pita and polished the meal off with some popcorn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He then stretched and coaxed his body off the
log with his redwood staff and began to walk again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the moustached forest ranger’s X’s was about to mark
the spot: Rose Hill Falls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The barista
came upon the falls from the top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
stream cascaded down about ten or fifteen feet into a pool of water nearly six
feet deep and twenty in circumference. The trail started down into the gorge,
but about halfway from the water it returned back up. The barista continued
down the slope. When he reached the bank he rock-hopped between the pool and a
second, smaller cascade. He set his pack on a boulder on the opposite bank from
which he came and took a deep breath.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Like much of Shenandoah, Rose Hill Falls was calendar-worthy.
The barista surveyed the scene. Splashing water dominated the soundscape.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With few hikers on the trail, peace and
privacy prevailed. The sun peaked through the trees, though most of the scene
was shaded. He found a pebble and tossed it into what he hoped was the deepest
part of the pool. It slowly fell far enough to where the barista deemed it
safe. Small, finger-length fish moved about. No sight of snakes or other
unwanted creatures in the pool. He temporarily relieved his boots, bandana,
sunglasses and shirt of their duties and placed them by his bag on the
boulder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Squatting on a rock next to the
pool the barista slipped into the water feet first.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So determined the barista was to soak in the mountain water,
he never thought to check the temperature with his fingers, or feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>An intense chill shot up his spine and across
his scalp as he submerged completely. The waterfall was muffled. Adrenaline
rushed through his veins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His gasped as
he returned to the water’s surface. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Woo!!! That’s friggin’ co-old.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The barista stood in the pool and the water reached just
under his arms. He kicked his feet up and began to float as his breath slowed
to a more relaxed pace. The jolt connected him with the mountain. He was
enveloped and remained in the pool undisturbed for about ten minutes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Climbing out of the pool, the barista sat on the sun-soaked
boulder and dried his face with his towel. He could feel the cells in his body
vibrate from the effects of the frigid water. His mind was clear, nearly free
of thought. That was until he thought about the oracle. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The barista knew a traditional oracle is a person who can
verbally answer questions posed in a “yes-no” manner. He also knew that he was
the only person at Rose Hill Falls at that moment. What he didn’t know was if
any souls happen to be floating about and if they could play the role of an
oracle. Sitting with his legs crossed and his eyes closed he began to throw out
questions to the universe.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Was it a good idea to
come here?</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Yes.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Am I on the right
path?</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Yes.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Should I continue to
dream of owning a cabin in the woods?</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Yes.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Should I act on that
dream soon?</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">…no.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A hesitation in the last answer gave the barista a reason to
pause. He tried his best to clear his mind and pose the next question that
popped in his head.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Should I have stayed
with the cinnamon girl?</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">…no.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Am I meant to have a
womanly companion?</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Yes.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Is it someone I have
already met?</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Silence. The barista wondered if his allotted number of
questions were up.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Am I to have a child?</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
More silence. The barista asked one final question before
resting.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Did the thief who broke
into the Dolphin last month rip off my hunting knife?</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Yes.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">~~~~~</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The third sunrise gave the barista notice that his time in
Shenandoah was nearly up. He begrudgingly returned power to his reception-less
mobile phone to acquire the knowledge of time. In <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Visions and Prophecies</i> the barista read:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Albert Einstein showed that past,
present and future need have no fixed status. In theory, at least, it is
possible to perceive them in varying order—future before present, for instance
(p. 9).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He brewed some chai tea for the road, tightly secured the
items in his camper, rolled down the windows and blazed down Skyline Drive.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The trip to the mountains refreshed the barista, but he certainly
was not ready to leave. But le café beckoned. Routine beckoned. He took comfort
in the thought that his routine was less routine than the average person’s
routine, without trying to prove it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Returning to his couch-less apartment less than an hour
before his afternoon shift he packed his bag for work. He dug up a tape measure
so he and Shelly could rearrange the machines behind le café bar. While digging
through his toolbox the barista was taken aback. Staring him in the face was
his lost hunting knife.</div>
Reggie Stitelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03755815959428016123noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963605934792536968.post-85261564004086286932012-10-05T12:55:00.000-04:002012-10-14T15:43:22.337-04:00Off to Argentina: Rest in Peace, Otts<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The sound of birds tweeting
turned the barista’s head on his pillow.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“Call me when you get up…it’s
about Otis.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Jennifer’s text message was
foreboding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During the returned phone
call, the sad, inevitable news was delivered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Otis had passed away at the weathered age of 79.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Thin veils are worn by many characters here at </i>le Harbor Bungalow
Café <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">to respect and maintain a certain
amount of privacy</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Just as </i>bungalow <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is a mask for </i>row home<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">, </i>Otis
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">has been a mask for </i>Otts <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(or </i>Autz<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">, as I’ve seen it spelled both ways).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Now, as Otts passes into the afterlife, the thin veil known as Otis will
be checked at </i>le café<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> door.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Like many retired, single men, le
café was a second home to Otts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
retired merchant marine and jazz musician, Otts came of age at the Point called
Fells.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was Jennifer’s very first
customer when she opened her shop six-and-a-half years ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the first things our barista learned
on the job was to set Otts’ morning paper cup of coffee (which was served with
a dollop of whipped cream) aside behind the counter, so he could re-use it that
afternoon when he returned from the neighborhood Good Will.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Often, Otts would return with a second-hand
treasure—but only if he scored a good deal on it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The barista remembers an electronic keyboard,
an African mask, a gemstone necklace and never before has he seen a couple of
fellows so excited about a hardback, unabridged Bible-of-a-dictionary like the
one Otts found and gave to Frank.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“They don’t make these like they
used to,” Frank said at the time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">~~~~~</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Two years ago, not long after the
barista first moved to the Big Crabcake and landed the position at le café, he
found himself scrambling for a place to live.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Misplaced trust earned him a place living out of his backpacker’s tent
in a spare bedroom—which one had to walk through to get to the bathroom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While living there, the barista never
realized so many English-language words had meanings opposite of what he
learned in school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Words such as
loyalty, promise, contradiction and faithfulness were used as if his girlfriend
was running for political office.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
old-timers’ unabridged dictionary was deemed irrelevant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“What would you think about
house-sitting at my apartment,” Otts said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“What?...Really?...When?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“I’m going to travel to Argentina
soon,” said Otts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I’m just waiting for
a good deal on a plane ticket.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Probably
some time around the holidays.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have a
lot of things that I’d like to have someone keep an eye on.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“What will you do in Argentina?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“I’m thinking about opening a
café.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The barista was taken aback.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Was fortune finally smiling down upon
him?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Was
Otts serious?</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The old-timer checked the
fluctuations of his stock portfolio on his laptop computer, placed it behind
the bar and retired for the afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“Think about it,” he said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The barista picked up the
telephone and dialed Jennifer.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“What do you know about Otts and
Argentina?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“Ha!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He’s been talking about that trip for
awhile,” she said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“So long it’s getting
harder to take him seriously.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Other patrons heard the story as
well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One even went as far as to suggest
Argentina was a metaphor for the afterlife.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The barista was desperate and had nothing to lose so he visited the old
fellow’s place after his shift one, gray afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Only a few blocks from le café,
the old Polish community hall had double glass doors and a buzzer at the busy sidewalk entrance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few minutes later Otts appeared, and with
his hands shaking as if he were reaching for his morning cup of coffee, he
pushed open the doors for the barista.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“Come on inside.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The building was large and
smelled like a retired folks home, which it seemed to have morphed into over
the years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They rode the elevator three
or four floors up to a wide, dormitory-style hallway with high ceilings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was no row home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Otts keyed in his apartment door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first room was the kitchen with a view of
the bedroom behind it—a studio apartment at first glance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Items were stacked and cluttered on the
dining table and counters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The walls
were covered with paintings and African art.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The floors were filled with shelves, coffee tables, end tables,
speakers, turntables, an entertainment center and his bed—like the barista’s, a
simple mattress on the floor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Walkways
were narrow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It truly looked like a Good
Will outpost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If not for the high
ceilings—10 or 15-feet high—one would feel swallowed up. The barista didn’t own
many things at the time, but the few he did wouldn’t fit—or would get lost—in
this joint.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“Here’s another room,” Otts said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Ah, ha!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bathroom, </i>the
barista thought.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it was also a
bedroom—packed with more stuff: musical instruments—including an upright
bass—shelves, trinkets, cool, unique souveniers—enough to open up a shop of his
own.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“So is most of this stuff staying
here when you travel?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“I can move a few things to my
storage unit,” said Otts. “But for the most part, yeah.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The barista was grateful for the
offer and thought hard about how this could work, but in the end he politely
declined.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His situation carried more
urgency and he was able to land a nice private, empty space even closer to the café a
few weeks later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His patience was
rewarded—the same patience, with the same definition as the one he read about in
the old timer’s dictionary. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
barista’s mind was at ease.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><b>*****</b> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Soon after his move, the barista
again found himself in the old man’s apartment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This time it was a sunny day.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“See, I accidentally knocked it
off the table and the dust cover cracked,” Otts said as he toyed with one of
his three turntables.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“If you want it,
it’s yours.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The barista lost a few things in
his hasty move, two of which were a turntable and stereo receiver. (He managed
to rescue his vinyl collection.)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He gave
Otts fifty bucks for a receiver and Otts generously gave him the functional,
dust-coverless turntable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He then drove
the barista to his new home down the street.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Otts never did make that trip to
Argentina.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For that, the barista was
sad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But to get a fleeting glimpse into
this man’s life—a man who lived a full life and who reminded the barista of his
own grandfathers, was a pleasure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“Top my coffee with some whipped
cream today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This one’s for Otts.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The day before Jennifer broke the news of Otts’ passing, the barista learned
that Art, another former daily patron and musician passed away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two days prior to that, he learned skin cancer
got the best of George.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The barista
fondly remembers George as the man who would ask for his receipt and take the
numbers on his bill to play the lottery at Royal Farms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He promised he would share his kitty with the
barista when he won. May they, too, rest in peace.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">For more about Otts, see the previous post </i><a href="http://harborbungalowcafe.blogspot.com/2012/05/whats-shakin.html" target="_blank">What’s Shakin’</a>.</div>
Reggie Stitelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03755815959428016123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963605934792536968.post-28828557016262862072012-09-20T16:44:00.000-04:002012-10-14T16:29:11.870-04:00Camper Karma<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“</b>I’ve got a door
here, man! This thing’s un-drivable!”
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
These words were spoken at a fairly high volume by our
barista to the driver of an 18-wheel big rig truck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Caribbean gentleman walked around the
front of his nicely polished red machine—decorated with quotes from the Bible
painted on its doors—fairly fumed after not being able to make a right turn at
a traffic light onto a two-lane, 30-mile per hour speed limited city road known
as Eastern Avenue.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“You’ve got to mooove!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The barista knew that he was parked legally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also knew that he was not going anywhere
with the unhinged, rear door of the Dolphin in his hands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What should he do?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How did he ever get in this position?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b>*****</b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Sorry I’m late, I overslept the alarm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This never happens.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Monroe was scheduled to open the shop that Sunday
morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a good day for the
barista to arrive early—a hot, sticky, summer Baltimore a.m.—which he did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her words sounded eerily familiar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Words the barista may have spoken in the past
to another blond barista.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Don’t worry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
nothing I haven’t done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At least you’re
here.” With three customers already at the door, our barista was grateful to
have the help, though he heard from a not-to-be-named patron that Monroe has
been late before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So he didn’t leave her
completely off the hook.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“But you know,
Monroe, now I might have to rewrite your college letter of recommendation.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Riiiiiing, riiiiing…</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Reg, it’s for you.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Yehllo?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“This is Jackie from EZ-Storage. How are you today Mr….”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Not good if you’re
calling me at work on a Sunday morning.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Your camper has been vandalized.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“What?!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When?!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How?!”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Overnight, somebody must have climbed the fence after the
electricity went out.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Electricity?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“The grid went out and our back up never kicked in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We may not have the video.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Well, did they break in?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“The police officer doesn’t seem to think so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But you should come over here and check it
out.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The barista just started a rare Sunday double shift.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not much time for extra-curriculars on
potentially the café’s busiest day of the week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But soon after lunch he mounted his trail bike for the Park called
Patterson and then into Highlandtown where the Dolphin was stored.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He understood this section of Highlandtown was poor and
rough, but his camper was parked on a busy road behind a gated, keyed entry and
seemingly safe under 24-hour surveillance cameras.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the time the barista figured the Dolphin’s
chances of being left alone were better here rather than parking in the densely
populated Point called Fell’s—which is a chore given the narrow streets and the
overpopulation of automobiles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plus, the potential for parking tickets and
vandalism is fairly high.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without a
driveway or garage, parking pretty much sucks in the city.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sweat dripped from the barista’s brow as he keyed in his
code to lift the gate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The 3-mile trip
usually takes him 15 minutes on bike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This day’s ride was closer to ten.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He sped past the office where Jackie stood and angled straight for the
Dolphin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pieces of the door lay on the
ground in the distance as he turned the corner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He slowly hit the breaks and took a closer look.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwLKyvaOyekmbnGK89LBycgot1BRve21FmNPL3Go2nAZLZFV8MA5IEEI1yPz3Dliyf7iqjzn-AjLoXq3If1PcPJ5cZ86oyOz_79rM_EGJ4R-07zI7bi94WAqlRdowpxxjf5SEFo1BAI_I/s1600/8010+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwLKyvaOyekmbnGK89LBycgot1BRve21FmNPL3Go2nAZLZFV8MA5IEEI1yPz3Dliyf7iqjzn-AjLoXq3If1PcPJ5cZ86oyOz_79rM_EGJ4R-07zI7bi94WAqlRdowpxxjf5SEFo1BAI_I/s320/8010+001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
*****</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A hungover Buck was in the café that Sunday June afternoon
when the barista originally received the news.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For lunch the barista made him a grilled wrap with cream cheese, apple
slices, deli turkey, tomato, lettuce and a good showering of Frank’s hot
sauce.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Three days later Buck got the
rest of the story, ordering the same lunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“So what’d they say?” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Well, the cop said in his report there wasn’t a break
in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I swear I locked the front
door—which somehow was left unlocked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Plus the glove box was open, along with the overhead compartments!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thing was, though a blanket was flung around,
I don’t think he took much of anything ‘cept the change in the console—which
was lifted and placed on the passenger seat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The cop is such a slacker.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He
could give a shit.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“What about the door?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>You got insurance?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Not comprehensive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
figured behind a locked gate and under a surveillance camera I’d be alright.
Huh!...So I have to somehow rebuild this door.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“You should take it to King Architectural Metals.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
*****</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Though the burglar broke in through the Dolphin’s back door,
he must have locked it behind him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>EZ-Storage finally received a video from that night showing a young male
using some sort of rock in a failed attempt to break the back window.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But with a crowbar-type device, he managed to
pry open a hole wide enough to reach his hand and arm around to unlock the
door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About a minute later the video
showed him exit from the driver’s door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So much for the police report stating only “vandalism”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The barista telephoned the police officer and
received no reply.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He tries not to judge
the competence of the force by this one example, but then remembers the rant
from the owner of Broadway Bicycles who said Baltimore is fourth in the nation
in bike thefts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The barista’s bike was
stolen from the first floor of his apartment the month after the Dolphin break-in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that’s a different story…Or is it?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The metal shop Buck suggested was adjacent a traffic light
on a two-lane, 30-mile per hour speed limited city road known as Eastern
Avenue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He found a parking spot on the
corner and waltzed in.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I need a door for a 1986 camper van...”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“What are the measurements?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Hmmm…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Here’s a tape measure, come back with the numbers.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The barista had put off the inevitable long enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He needed to unlock the back door to properly
assess the damage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But he knew this
would likely cause the door to collapse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There was no guarantee he could secure it back in place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He procrastinated at the storage unit so he
wouldn’t have to leave the inside exposed while he was in the metal shop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now was the time.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Key.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Click.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Boom.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Half of the aluminum door frame remained on the hinge, while
the other half stayed with the door—which now laid flat on the sidewalk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The barista measured the damage and was
grateful the door frame—despite being separated—was in salvageable shape.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Repositioning the crooked, busted door back
on the camper was no treat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, unless
you were one of the curious pedestrians walking by.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Styrofoam door needed to be carefully—and
simultaneously—slid inside the top and hinged part of the frame.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The skin was loose from the damage—on both
the interior and the exterior of the door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Gravity was no help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Neither was
the cars speeding by.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And neither was
that foghorn blowing for the fifth consecutive time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Can’t
he see I’m busy?</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“You’ve got to move!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A stout, Caribbean truck driver’s rig was nearly jack-knifed
attempting a 90-degree, right turn between the center concrete median and the
side of the legally parked, door-less Dolphin.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Two men’s miserable situations collided.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The barista tossed the door between the couch
and table inside the Dolphin and pulled off a seven-point, not so much turn,
but adjustment to his parallel park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
trucker waved directions at the barista through his rearview mirror before waddling back to his wheel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The barista
fretted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The trailer nearly cornered the
Dolphin’s shower.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then somehow, the
large man maneuvered his beast of a machine between the concrete center road
divide and the Dolphin, and never looked back.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was soon after, with the barista in his most frustrated
mind, that an angel appeared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course,
the weathered, middle-aged man with a gray go-tee and large hands did not
appear to be an angel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s part of
the beauty of the story.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“What was that about?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Too many people in the city, I suppose.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I heard your story in the metal shop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This your camper?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Sure is.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I’ve got a Toyota camper, too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>`Bout the same year as this.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Right on.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Say, I’m a metal sculptor,” the stranger continued as he
surveyed the damaged door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I’ve got a
welding shop in Ellicott City.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You find
the material, I’ll help you piece it back together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bring it by on a free weekend.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Are you serious?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“My name’s Bill,” he said, as he handed the barista a
business card.</div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
*****</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
About three weeks later Bill and the barista were swapping
traveling stories as they pieced, stuffed, glued, clamped, framed and welded
that busted, 26-year old door back together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Little Feat and the Allman Brothers Band played on the stereo in the
background.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“We were in the mountains east of L.A….not even December and
we watched it snow…”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“…Then the cop looked in my pack of cigarettes and found the
joint.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The campers parked next to each other looked like long, lost
brothers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The storm had passed in the
barista’s mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was again, light and
clear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
"What do I owe you?"<br />
<br />
"Well, just $30 for the materials."<br />
<br />
"What? No, no. Take this," the barista handed Bill five 20's.<br />
<br />
"I didn't help you for the money," said Bill. But he did accept two 20's for the material.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then in the distance, both of the men
could hear a light howl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“What’s that noise?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“I’m not sure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it
sounded like it came from the road.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
"Sure did. I'm itchin' to get back out there." </div>
Reggie Stitelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03755815959428016123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963605934792536968.post-51900860461769662262012-07-04T20:00:00.001-04:002012-10-14T16:34:55.914-04:00Freedom<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Surrounded by pillows the barista lay. The oscillating fan next to his bed kept the
sweat from beading around his temples, for now.
Non-reliance on air conditioning makes him feel strong. Amazingly, the un-watered Christmas tree
clippings that garnish his room have retained their green needles. <i>If they can deal with the heat, so can I.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Today is Independence Day here in the United States. The barista prepared <i>le cafe</i> for the pre-fireworks festivities at the Point
called Fells. Amongst the patrons nobody except for
Mohammed could answer the barista’s holiday trivia question, “Who was the first country to
recognize the United States as an independent nation?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“France?” photo Jim
guesses.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“Nope.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
After all, one can say they are independent all they want,
but until one’s neighbors’ acknowledge it, freedom is a myth. Do you know the <a href="http://harborbungalowcafe.blogspot.com/2011/12/mesherfinpleased-to-meet-you_20.html" target="_blank">first country</a> to recognize
our independence?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
This morning as he laid in bed, the barista wondered what he liked most about America. Where was his freedom most apparent? <i>The
National Parks. The great outdoors. In nature. </i>He remembered that his travel journal was stashed near his pillow. He began to read about his recent trip to the Blue
Ridge Mountains in Shenandoah National Park. What is more American than a summer RV camping trip?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Shenandoah Mountains kindly greet the cinnamon girl & me as we awake at our
campsite. The Dolphin motored us to this
near-empty camp ground a day prior, but we chose to pitch a tent anyway. Sleep under the stars. As we unpacked the yellow & gray backpacker’s
tent a three-foot diamondback greeted us from out of the brush. Not coiled, but
wrapped over itself, the rattler was neither threatening nor threatened. Cinnamon was not stirred. I said, “Hello”.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">After
munching on some pepperoni calzones baked in the camper we started along a Mattew’s Arm circuit
trail: Overall Run. On about mile three
we winded up along a forested ridge where a moose-of-a-bear stumbled along.
Initially I thought it was two or three bears.
But as the black furry shadow approached from about 40 yards away between
trees and boulders, I realized this was the biggest bear I have encountered
outside of a zoo--easily 600 pounds,
maybe 700. The beast must have sensed us
watching him as he turned his head in our direction. We retreated back down the trail out of
sight. I readied the pepper spray as a
last resort, nearly prepping the camera as well. As we hoped, the intimidating, pointed-eared creature
disappeared upon our return to the ridge about five minutes later.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">About
half way along the 9.5 mile circuit, we discovered a timely swimming hole. I had been on the lookout for a place to cool
off from the 90-degree (F) heat. The pool
was about six feet deep; beneath one bubbling cascade and above another. Enough room for about four people to kick it without being up on each other. Sixty degrees and refreshing! Cinnamon wet her feet while I dove right on
under, bandana and all. Memories of
Shasta & the Righteous Hole surfaced.
A few other hikers found the swim before & after us, but we had a
good 20 minutes of privacy. The view above
& below the rocky cascades was calendar worthy. </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br />
<i>After
regrouping, we began towards Overall Run Falls—a 93-foot waterfall hidden
amongst the trees of the Blue Ridge. We rested
at an overlook where the sun would soon drop across the valley. On tired legs we trekked up & up &
up, back to the campsite where the Dolphin meditated. Too tired to fix anything fancy to eat, we snacked
on hummus & salsa. I made time for a
star-glaze then met my cute travel companion for some mountain dreaming. It was a wonderful 35<sup>th</sup> birthday.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBSgK-HW4jchD9oUZ4vTY8Ht-NvedxHN6iArQIjOwhYFF5Wf1Z6ZXSmu0z3CQQ2iZapOBASiwIlo3IVVkaaW2x2n3J5Sd8xoZ7gLmraX1p7ys67YJeTG2ednZZlraR1kXb64jcUxClI5Y/s1600/swimmng+hole.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBSgK-HW4jchD9oUZ4vTY8Ht-NvedxHN6iArQIjOwhYFF5Wf1Z6ZXSmu0z3CQQ2iZapOBASiwIlo3IVVkaaW2x2n3J5Sd8xoZ7gLmraX1p7ys67YJeTG2ednZZlraR1kXb64jcUxClI5Y/s320/swimmng+hole.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF15WfBK44YMzJdMWm_N7RvQ3_GREOV9NQgYv1dGpBxnC_LbcqVBi7C1UFv21tVZUgd-D7d57CtJy2yPRkpoaWl-JnMlM-EQr_7BybXBy1DeyzZV_O8dF5cLMJZX2sykJWjXPxysk_0p0/s1600/swimming+hole3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF15WfBK44YMzJdMWm_N7RvQ3_GREOV9NQgYv1dGpBxnC_LbcqVBi7C1UFv21tVZUgd-D7d57CtJy2yPRkpoaWl-JnMlM-EQr_7BybXBy1DeyzZV_O8dF5cLMJZX2sykJWjXPxysk_0p0/s320/swimming+hole3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Happy birthday, America.</div>
<i> </i></div>
Reggie Stitelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03755815959428016123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963605934792536968.post-36805195297260470252012-06-27T23:00:00.000-04:002012-10-14T16:35:50.453-04:00Fox & Bear<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
A bear stumbled to the city,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
after hibernation.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
A fox wandered from the alley,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
caught his attention.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Far from the forest what are you doing here?</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The fox was jilted & she needed some cheer.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And for the bear, the same was true.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
They traveled & they sang,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The two became one.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
But the fox moved so fast,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And the bear could not run.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Where are you going? I'm content right here</i>.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The fox felt jilted & she needed some cheer.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And for the bear, the same was true.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The fox ran away,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
It's all the bear's fault.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Can't find the words,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
To unlock his heart.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Back to the mountains I don't like it here</i>.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The fox was hot & she needed a beer.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And for the bear, the same was true.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And for the fox, the tears were true.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And for the bear, the same was true.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Reggie Stitelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03755815959428016123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963605934792536968.post-52630113776014154312012-06-25T22:38:00.000-04:002012-12-02T19:41:50.962-05:00A Summer Day in March<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Today I declare a turning point!</i>
The city bugged the barista like a spoiled kid with clueless
parents. The mountains drew him as the
moon pulls the tides. Resistance was
futile The Dolphin was poised. Dumb asses at work and at home brought the
barista down. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">If not for the cinnamon girl, I’d be gone by July.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Deano nearly turned on the conditioned
air in the car as he drove the barista back to the Big Crabcake. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“It nearly feels like June
today,” the barista said to his pops. “But maybe we should save the Freon for
summer.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Spring fever gripped the barista
like a slugger grips his bat in the Grapefruit League. He was returning from a weekend at the Old
Creek Home to ring in Mart’s 33<sup>rd</sup> year on the planet. While there, he patched the roof of his
mini-recreation vehicle. The Dolphin sat
idle on Deano’s driveway for a year-and-a-half.
It had to move.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The barista armed his self with a
silicon gun, climbed out the skylight and lathered all around the 27-year
old roof. He installed a new battery for
the engine. He propped up the ceiling
above the overhead bed with a bamboo rod.
Beads of sweat dripped down his cheek, so he slugged a Lord Chesterfield
Ale. He wiped away the mouse turds
bordering the sink. He aired out the
mattresses; then aired out his lungs. He
reminisced about the 5000-mile road trip he took in the Dolphin nearly three
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But the soil under the barista’s
feet proved fertile. He did not know at
the time, but he was about to be promoted at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">le café</i>. Responsibility
knocked. So he would stay. He hired a new staff. He embraced the position Shelly graciously
offered him on Jennifer’s thoughtful recommendation. But he planned an escape to the mountains—if
only temporary. Shasta was too far, but
not Shenandoah.</div>
Reggie Stitelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03755815959428016123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963605934792536968.post-65894321213593467452012-05-31T22:47:00.001-04:002012-05-31T22:47:36.240-04:00"Not Her Type"<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
A special treat lies ahead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For those who have ever desired to more easily
visualize the establishment which is the inspiration for <i>le Harbor Bungalow
Café</i>, for those who have patronized the shop and listened to the barista retell the
story, and for those who have read last November’s blog post <a href="http://harborbungalowcafe.blogspot.com/2011/11/potentially-reciprocating.html" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Potentially Reciprocating</i></a> and patiently awaited the result of Luis
Guanzon’s music video production, enjoy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The barista raises his mug to both the director and the musician, and is proud to present “Not
Her Type”, a music video featuring Julian Roso.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/AYZ3lXrVIx8?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>Reggie Stitelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03755815959428016123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963605934792536968.post-16636068976662234102012-05-11T22:41:00.001-04:002012-12-02T19:45:42.817-05:00What's Shakin'<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Through the distorted glass of an
empty cookie jar resting on top of the bagel case, the barista spies a frail,
old man with a gray moustache and leather biker hat having just walked through
the open front door. His eyes seemingly hypnotized
by the pastries greeting him at the café entrance.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“Otis! What’s shakin’?”</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Otis used to be the regular among
regulars. He was Jennifer’s first
customer when she bought the shop at the innocent age of 24. But months prior to Shelly taking over the
business, Otis’ visits became less frequent.
The Dead End Tavern became a recurring beneficiary of his presence. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“Oh, nothing. I’ll have a coffee.” </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The weathered man’s hand shakes
like a possessed slot machine lever with attention deficit disorder as the
barista hands him his coffee. Otis
embraces his inner child with a fluff of whipped cream on his beverage. The barista prepares him a chicken salad
wrap.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“So have you been playing out
lately?” Otis blew the saxophone in his
heyday. Gigged all around town. Lived the life—explaining his shaky hands. He and the barista often talk music. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“Sa matter of fact, I’m sittin’
in with some friends tonight.”</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“Where?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“Leadbelly’s…but the big gig is
on the 25<sup>th</sup>. I’m on all night with Curt and Crissy.” That reminded the barista…he never got the
time from G-Tore, the young, acoustic blues duo he was to play with tonight.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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“So have you seen Jennifer?” Jennifer was a local celebrity in the
point called Fell’s: A young college graduate and entrepreneur thrust into
business world. Easy on the eyes,
especially to old, retired men such as Otis.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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“Yeah, she was in the shop
yesterday…and I heard this morning, too,” said the barista as he tucks some
spinach in the black bean wrap with the chicken salad he whipped up seconds
earlier. “I schedule her on occasional
Saturdays.”</div>
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<br /></div>
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“Schedule her?” Otis seemed
confused.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“You didn’t hear? Sally asked me to manage the shop. So I’m in charge of the scheduling, hiring,
et cetera.”</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“Ahh, congratulations.”</div>
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The barista had been fairly
modest about his promotion, choosing to focus on the task rather than talk
about it. While choice baristas were
digging their graves, the barista was searching for recruits to attend barista
camp. He planned to loosen his lips
after a reliable and deep staff was in place.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Eight O’clock.</i> It was the
G-Tore on the phone. The barista would
have to hustle to make it on time: Close
shop, shower, eat, warm up & go! </div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">~~~~~</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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The barista slung his bass over
his shoulder and briskly walked down his apartment stairs, along the sidewalk, over a cobblestoned street, then diagonally across
the piazza of Fell’s to Leadbelly’s.
G-Tore was about to begin their second set.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“Let’s give a hand for
Reggie. He’s gonna join us for this
first one.”</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Shit, no warm up beer.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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The guys waved the barista to the
front corner of the bar. Practically all
the bar stools were taken and standing room was tight around the narrow,
row home-of-a-bar. He plugged in and
followed the slow blues progression.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">They call it stormy Monday…but Tuuuuuesday’s just as bad…</i>”</div>
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The barista met the G-Tore duo at
the open mics they frequented at Leadbelly’s.
The 20-something vocalist has a 50-year-old’s voice: scruffy, yet
soulful. The acoustic guitars weaved and
resonated dynamically. They were quick
friends and the trio would jam on songs by the Allman Brothers, The Band and
Phish.</div>
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The barista is searching for another fun gig. A year ago, the barista tripped
into a summer festival tour with Angelique Henle. He traveled from Kansas to Maine--weekend warrior style. But since Angie’s label folded last autumn,
she put the band on hiatis. So
the barista plans to lure her, along with the G Tore, Hound and Curt & Crissy to le Harbor
Bungalow Café. Sally wants to host open mics at her new shop. The barista has been playing open mics in the neighborhood for a year and a half. He's forged connections. Why not pull as much talent as you can gather in one room? See what happens. So along with Otis' hands, that's what's shakin.<br />
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Following is a clip from the barista's 2011 summer festival tour. That's our hero playing his bass.<br />
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Reggie Stitelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03755815959428016123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963605934792536968.post-7208161396028976502012-03-28T08:08:00.001-04:002012-12-02T19:40:19.244-05:00Repairing a Refrigerator<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Living the life of a barista, like that of a bartender, one is subject to a multitude of stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good stories highlight the imperfections of life, the triumphs and the coincidences.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Retired folks and vagabonds alike, have stories enough to fill their own personal bibles: stories of sailing, serving overseas in the military, on the road with the band, winning the lottery, romance and lack of romance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One tale that branded itself into the barista’s memory was Buck’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Buck recalled visiting his preteen children at their mother’s house one recent weekend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Interrupting the innocent, quality family time was Buck’s 9-year-old daughter massaging her cheeks with a vibrator.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Where did you get that?!</i>” Buck bursted.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">“In Mommy’s desk?”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">“Go put it under Mommy’s pillow.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">“What is it for, Daddy?”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">“Nothing…she can tell you.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">“Hmmm…I bet she uses it to relax.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">At that remark Buck lost his composure and released a hardy, pink-faced chuckle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How can a father remove such a scene from his brain?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">~~~~~</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">We never know, nor can expect, who will sail into <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">le</i> Harbor Bungalow Café—especially after hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Upon receiving the news that she sold the shop, the barista promised Jennifer not to tell anyone until she conducted a staff meeting six days later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His patience was tested—like the silicon-patched roof of the Dolphin in a rainstorm—each time a patron asked, “So what’s new?” If that’s not the most common question the barista hears at the shop, then he’ll stop writing in the third person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And if keeping Jennifer’s news a secret was like putting a cap back on a shaken bottle of Flying Dog ale, holding back the following story—which was relayed to him independently two times, days later—was like attempting to tap a keg of Natty Boh after it bounced down the stairs to a dingy Fell’s Point cellar:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a cellar not unlike the cellar at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">le</i> Harbor Bungalow Café. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Two nights before the meeting that Jennifer planned to formally introduce her staff of four baristas to the new owners, she met with Shelly at the shop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were nearing the conclusion of about a month-long negotiation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shelly agreed to buy <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">le café</i> with her husband, but the shop was her project—explaining the covert conference of two.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sun had long set, the curtains drawn and the front door was locked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fister Mishy lapped around his tank.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The trap door to the storage cellar was open, blocking the bathroom door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paperwork detailing the transfer of ownership may have been on the table before them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nonetheless, business was being conducted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Suddenly, the sleigh bells hanging from the front door began to clang.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A key was turned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two baristas appeared, drunk, and carrying a toaster.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">“Oh…hi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We just came to use the bathroom.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Jennifer was flustered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Uh, this is Shelly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’s here to fix the ‘frigerator.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Soon after, one of the baristas commenced a goofy, intoxicated dance—unbeknownst to him, before his future boss.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The baristas said they came from a neighborhood tavern.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently the bathroom at the watering hole whence they came was not good enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So the bulky trap door was brought to the ground and the barista proceeded into the bathroom while the ownership was being transferred beneath his glassy eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The scene left Shelly bewildered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">“That’s the exact story they told me when they abruptly keyed in months ago, when I was training Lizzy,” our barista said to Jennifer after he answered her frantic phone call later that night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I’ve used Dogwatch’s bathroom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s fine…what do you think they were up to?”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Jennifer could only speculate.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Two nights later certain baristas must have wondered why the refrigerator repair woman was attending the staff meeting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A sense of befuddlement clouded the dense, café air.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">“Meet the new owners of the café,” Jennifer said.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">The color drained from certain barista faces as quick as the urine drained from their bladder two nights prior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not a word was spoken about the incident.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No apologies offered.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Not many folks at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">le</i> Harbor Bungalow Café like the feeling of being taken advantage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So Shelly invited a locksmith to the meeting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He installed a new front door lock faster than half the staff could prepare a couple of proper large, dirty, iced, soy gingerbread chai lattes—in the background of the meeting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our barista found it challenging to disguise his smirk.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Touché</span></i><span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">—but it’s going to take more than a new lock and key to repair this refrigerator.</span></span></div>
Reggie Stitelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03755815959428016123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963605934792536968.post-33764144290093790362012-03-22T16:31:00.002-04:002012-12-02T19:37:39.525-05:00The Delicate Art of Sacrifice<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Decisions reverberate—especially big, life-altering decisions like the one made at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">le</i> Harbor Bungalow Café last month.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">When the barista commenced his present stint at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">le</i> Harbor Bungalow Café, it was no secret that Jennifer had ideas of selling her cozy, quaint, warm and tasty coffee and pastry establishment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, it was her first attempt—which imploded late in the process—that was a topic of discussion during the barista’s first week on the job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nearly a year and a half later—and six years since Jennifer bought the shop—the day arrived.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">“It feels like I’m breaking up with you,” said Jennifer. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The barista sensed something was up, but had yet to connect the dots as they strolled down Broadway after work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I’ve sold the shop.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">“Wow…congratulations!”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">The responsibilities of running a coffee shop while raising a family are many.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For Jennifer they overlapped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her daughter was raised at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">le café</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her infant son was a regular morning visitor in his car seat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now he too, can walk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jennifer’s was a delicate juggling act.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Where she once sacrificed aspects of her family life to manage the shop, now she decided to sacrifice part of her professional life by transferring ownership to an enthusiastic couple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The barista understood.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">“Please stay and help out the new owners,” Jennifer encouraged as the factory lights across the harbor twinkled and reflected in the night water beyond the square.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The barista noticed how tough the decision was for Jennifer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">“Of course,” the barista said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“I have no plans otherwise…have I met the new owners?”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">“I don’t know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’ve been in the shop a few times recently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’s blond, her husband has close, dark hair…I think their teenage kids were with them once.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">The barista actually remembered a couple that fit Jennifer’s descriptions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They stuck out from the crowd not only because they tipped very well, but also because they referred to the barista by his first name—without the barista introducing himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A tipoff.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">“So will you continue baking for the shop?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’re not going to totally disappear, are you?” </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">“I hope to (continue baking).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re still working out some of the details.” </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This could be exciting,</i> thought the barista.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The infusion of le Harbor Bungalow Café</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The binging was over.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The purging has commenced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like Jennifer, the barista also experienced a sense of relief.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Relief that certain aspects of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">le café</i> overdue for change will now be changed.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">But how will <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">le café</i> be changed?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And why was Fister Mishy sacrificed?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Let me introduce you to Shelly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She’s here to fix the refrigerator.</span></span></div>
Reggie Stitelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03755815959428016123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963605934792536968.post-34697391114479970192012-03-14T15:52:00.001-04:002012-03-15T11:39:04.458-04:00Murphy's Law<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">“Those generators kept me up all night,” a red-eyed and irritated Kathleen said. “Make it a large today.”</span></span> <br />
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Walking out the front door of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">le</i> Harbor Bungalow Café, patrons are used to seeing Kathleen’s antique shop, the Chess Club, Ped Ex, and J.A. Murphy’s Irish Pub across the street.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But for two weeks, a reality television crew occupied a string of five trailers obscuring the storefronts and taking half a city block of precious parking spaces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The natives were restless.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">“I’m gonna kill Keith!” Riggs yelled before ordering a dark chocolate mocha.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was about 8 o’clock in the morning, but on this neighbor’s clock it was high noon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“They’ve got a bundle of wires lining our breezeway…my girlfriend’s got paint on her new coat after their half-ass paint job dripped on our gate—all without a word from that clown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m never going into that bar again.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Keith is one of the owners of J.A. Murphy’s, the establishment that applied and won an appearance on Spike TV’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bar Rescue</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Keith is a both a fun-loving boozehound and a persistent businessman who attended university with the barista’s brother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After losing half his staff to a new tavern around the corner, Murphy’s took a turn for the worse, shutting down for nearly a month.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The barista investigated during the re-opening, slugging a few beers while watching the Orioles game as he often would do, but with the air conditioning busted, fans circulated the stench from the dirty taps and the frat house floors making his Yuengling taste like a Natty Boh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Intolerable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now about six months later, twenty-two cameramen, producers and the like patronized <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">le</i> Harbor Bungalow Café on their work breaks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Los Angeles-based crew’s visit spanned two weeks—but they only planned to be on the job for one week.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">“We found some mold on the subfloor and it turns out the jousts are not up to code,” said one of the show’s producers as she ordered some muffins for her colleagues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“So it looks like we’re gonna be here for another week.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">The barista is far from a reality TV buff, but he sensed <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bar Rescue</i>, now in its second season, was either underinformed or conducted poor research.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Word is that the show paints, rebrands, decorates and drums up dramatic relationships—things visible to a television camera. So gutting the basement and replacing 36 hidden floor jousts appeared an unintended "rescue" procedure, but nonetheless contractually binding.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">“Yeah, we’re way over budget,” the producer admitted as she carried away a carafe of coffee for the newly hired construction crew.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“But once we saw the problem we were obligated to say something.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">The big winner from the barista’s perspective is the owner of the building.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many buildings—especially row homes such as Murphy's—on the Point called Fells are a couple hundred years old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One bar even predates the independence of the United States—the same bar Edgar Allen Poe drank his last drink before passing out in an ally wearing someone else’s clothes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This history may be one of the draws for programs like <em>Bar Rescue, Homicide </em>and<em> The Wire</em>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Is it any surprise a neighborhood this old has so much structural wear and tear?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The building owner was under no timetable to fix the issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bar Rescue </i>had deadlines to meet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The production picked up most of the tab.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">In the meantime, most of the television crew had nothing to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were communication majors, not construction workers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So they flew home and back—cross-country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A flatbed truck appeared across the street to receive wheel barrel loads from the cellar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rumors of dead rats bounced off the café walls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The barista and Jennifer were grateful for the spike in business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Few others the barista encountered had any sympathy towards the project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> The barista understood.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">*****</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">“So Friday’s the big day I hear,” the barista asked the show’s producer, after speaking to her crew upon their return.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">“Yes!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Come by at 9 tonight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re giving away free beer,” she replied with a sigh of relief.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The barista had a gig with the CR Experience at Betters of Lead that night and could not attend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But two nights later he popped into <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Murphy’s Law</i>—the rebranded J.A. Murphys—and got the scoop from Dan, Murphy’s spiked-haired, tattooed bartender and musician.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">“Wow, man! This place smells great!” the barista said taking a deep breath of the fresh hardwood floors.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">“Hey, buddy!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Great to see ya.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Welcome to the new joint,” Dan said with a handshake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“What are you having?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’ve got a whole new tap system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But only four of them are hooked up tonight.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">“Hmmm…”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">“I recommend the Kilkenny.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">“Irish Red, by Guinness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sold.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">It is no stretch to say that Kilkenny was the smoothest, creamiest tap beer the barista had consumed this past year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Proper Irish Pub-style brew</i>—from someone who has visited Ireland.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">“So what’s the deal with the new name?”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">“Well, the show wanted to move from the bad associations with J.A. Murphy’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So they suggested Murphy’s Law.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You know, ‘anything that can go wrong, will go wrong’.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That explained the new photos hanging opposite the bar: a banana peal being stepped on, a cow fallen through a ceiling onto a businessman’s desk, among others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">“Ah…you’ve got a new menu, too.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">“Yeah, it’s short and sweet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Suits our small kitchen.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">The barista read the menu: “Healthy” Grilled Cheese—deep fried, Fell’s Fries, Meatball sub… “Simple pub food.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How ‘bout another Kilkenny? ...So other than the floor debacle, any other surprises?”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">“Check this out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They took a sample from our cutting board.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not one, but a colony of E Coli.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’ll be in the show.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">The barista should have been surprised, but he wasn’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“How’d Friday night go?”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">“Packed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People waiting outside two hours in the rain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It kinda sucked, though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of our regulars couldn’t get in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More people just interested in being on TV.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Cambria;">Figures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A fickle, trend-following crowd.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Loyal, regulars outside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pissed-off neighbors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Murphy’s Law in action.</span></span></div>
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</div>Reggie Stitelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03755815959428016123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963605934792536968.post-41481626929802504832012-02-22T16:40:00.000-05:002012-12-26T21:53:11.446-05:00Cash Crop<div style="text-align: justify;">
The barista blames Santa Claus—rather, the myth of Santa Claus—for why he pays attention to certain theories about life and current national and world events. On the surface, the idea that an obese fat man from the North Pole breaks into homes through the chimney to give you things is charming. If only security systems were common in his neighborhood during his formative years. Then the barista may not have been so naïve. Much later he wondered if “Santa Claus” was created by sinister means: An immoral fable on how to bribe your children. He felt deceived.</div>
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Earlier this month sprung Groundhog Day, a holiday celebrated in the United States—especially in greater Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania and among devout <a href="http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2053145600/tt0107048" target="_blank">Bill Murray</a> fans. For the international readers, the idea of Groundhog Day is to instigate an over-sized rodent someone named Phil out of the earth to notice his shadow. If Phil sees his shadow, we are to prepare for six more weeks of winter. Not as clever as Santa Claus, the barista realizes, but just as far from the truth.</div>
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“Do you want me to keep the door open?” a patron asked the barista as he stepped outside into to abnormally mild air..</div>
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“Yeah, sure. I’ve got spring fever.”</div>
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"I’m afraid to think what this summer’s going to be like,” Buck said before he chomped into his veggie wrap at the bar..</div>
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“And Jennifer said tomorrow they’re calling for 70. Winter—the groundhog’s ass!"</div>
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More truth lies in the rumor that Jennifer is raising prices at le Harbor Bungalow Café this spring. It is no secret to the barista that coffee, sugar and paper prices are increasing nearly as fast as home prices increased last decade. Many café patrons are local business owners and equally unsurprised.</div>
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“You hear they’re calling for $5 gasoline this summer?” Buck asked.</div>
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“Good. Get more people off the roads.”</div>
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The rumor as to why this price inflation is occurring is fascinating yet foreboding. In the barista’s mind, this rumor is closer to reality than both Santa Claus and a weather forecasting groundhog. The expression "money doesn’t grow on trees" is a myth, a deception. Money—as in dollars, pesos, euros—metaphorically has been growing on trees for some time now. <i>Fooled again!</i> <a href="http://www.jsmineset.com/2012/01/30/the-impending-undeclared-default-of-5-major-us-banks/" target="_blank">The big men will continue to print more money—money with no backing—until it is worthless.</a> <i>Hmmm…Then what will people exchange for coffee?</i></div>
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Reggie Stitelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03755815959428016123noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963605934792536968.post-1191747556656918712012-01-19T17:31:00.000-05:002012-01-20T11:05:58.773-05:00Blackout<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">“Get ready, FOX News is stopping by at eleven-thirty.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;">The barista turned to read the clock on the
microwave: <i>11:01</i>. “Really?
What’s the occasion?” he asked Jennifer through the telephone.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;">“They’re looking to interview people about the new Internet
bill. What’s the shop look like?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;">“Well…ummm…sparse.”
Inside <i>le</i> Harbor Bungalow
Café’s warm confines was the barista, a first-time patron, a work-from-homer
secluded around the corner in the back and <a href="http://harborbungalowcafe.blogspot.com/2011/11/fister-mishy.html" target="_blank">Fister Mishy</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Many patrons pass their time at <i>le</i> Harbor Bungalow Café because Jennifer offers free wireless
Internet. Maybe the blackout kept them
away yesterday, a day one of Baltimore’s local evening news programs came searching
for their presence. Copyright activists
have provoked free-speech advocates with a proposed bill before the Unites
States Congress. Yesterday a score of
websites—most notable being Wikipedia—staged a blackout, intentionally
shutting down operations for 24 hours to raise awareness of a potential law
they believe is against the First Amendment of this country’s Constitution. Popular web behemoth Google did not
participate in the blackout but they did raise awareness with a black rectangle
diagonally masking their logo. Other
websites adopted similar tactics. The
barista signed an online petition urging his congressmen to oppose SOPA
(Stop Online Piracy Act) a week prior, but the details of the acronymed bill escaped the
barista as he served coffee that morning.
So he warmed up to the two reporters soon after their arrival.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;">“I think I got the free speech aspects of this
thing, but how does it hit home.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;">“It’s a copyright issue brought on, in part, by
Hollywood…and the music industry,” the reporter explained with a smile as her
cameraman staked out a position by the pastry case for a potential interview. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;">“That reminds me of those ASCAP laws, where small
bars were threatened with fines if their hired musicians performed songs which
were copyrighted—unless of course, they paid an upfront usage fee.” The barista
adjusted the microphone clipped to his shirt, which he wore for a sound check.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;">“Right. That
still occurs. Now they are targeting
sites like YouTube and holding them responsible—not the people who post there.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;">The implications of SOPA for a website like
Wikipedia could spell its demise. The
encyclopedic website houses sourced content, but those sources now may want
compensated for the content Wikipedia—to the barista’s knowledge—publishes free
of charge. If Wikipedia has no means to
pay and loses its content, its credibility would be questioned even more than
it is now. But do we <i>need</i> Wikipedia anyway?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;">“Do you use the Internet?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt;">A customer chuckled as if the reporter asked if he
breathed oxygen, “Yeah, I’m using it right now.” The barista noticed the ear buds the guy was
wearing before he prepared his Americano (no space for cream).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">“Have you heard of SOPA?”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">“Ah huh,” the patron agreed to an interview and
conducted a spiel concluding with Netflix’s influence on the home movie
business.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">The barista has worked on both sides of the
copyright issue. During his first
serious job out of university he worked for a newspaper syndicate in San
Diego. It was his job to license
content—i.e. advice columns, political cartoons, comic strips, and editorials—to
out-of-town print publications and websites.
It was a common method to gain exposure and extra wages for a
professional writer. But it was near
impossible to police the entire Internet from reprinting the licensed content without permission. <i>Is SOPA
their lawyers’ solution?</i> He
wondered.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Most professional writers and journalists at the
time—and even now—were not especially well compensated. These are not typical upper class jobs. Writers and artists the barista knows personally
would love their work to be promoted, played to new audiences, forwarded via
email or linked from a blog. Imagine an author complaining that her book was available to read for free at a public library. But at some
point they need to collect, to make a living.
<i>But at the cost of free speech?</i> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Not long after the syndicate gig, the barista played
in a bluegrass trio in Weed, California.
They booked many gigs in the Mount Shasta vicinity at bars under
pressure from SOPA-like ASCAP laws. These
non-corporate, non-franchise establishments—in towns of less than 5000 population—could not afford the ASCAP
music licensing fees. They felt bullied
by henchmen of major recording publishers.
One bar owner complained he could not legally play his I-Pod during business hours under
the new copyright law. The affected owners instructed bands like </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">the Fat Sack of Bluegrass </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">only to play traditional songs in the public domain and originals for these
gigs. Scratch the banjo-Zeppelin tunes. Playing copyrighted material came
with a risk—the bar could be fined, shut down, with the musicians left searching
for another gig. The barista sympathized
with the owners. To the barista, the law
seemed like an awful large net to cast as it targets independent businesses just getting by, who are not making money by the music they play. <i>Do radio stations pay licensing fees?--online or otherwise?</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">Another pumpkin frosted cupcake for thought: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">“Have you ever wondered why the song “Happy
Birthday” is not sung in any movies?” a patron once asked the barista. “Because it costs a small fortune to buy the
copyright.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">The barista better warn Jennifer, lest she some day post
a birthday party clip at <i>le café</i> on
her Facebook page.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">(<i>Editor's note: <a href="http://www.foxbaltimore.com/newsroom/top_stories/videos/wbff_vid_11664.shtml" target="_blank">Click here to view the television news clip</a>)</i></span></div>Reggie Stitelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03755815959428016123noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8963605934792536968.post-46475959025503808392012-01-13T08:00:00.001-05:002012-01-16T12:27:19.694-05:00The Dolphin & the Dilemma<div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Keeping the Hive Alive…Why do
cities grow or die? It’s all in the math.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i> </i>“Are there more of these?” patron Jerry asked as
he read the new cover story of <i>The Urbanite</i> resting on the café bar.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“Behind the front door is the rack,” the barista
said motioning with his soapy hand across the bar to his left.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The freebie was the first issue of 2012 for the
glossy Baltimore magazine. Jerry wanted to relate the article to his
concentrated collegiate studies on urban planning and/or
administration. The Cincinnati Bengles fan is a seemingly bright
fellow who tutors children of rich parents. The conversation between
Jerry and the barista evolved into the topic of automobiles, when from the next
table over, patron and house guitarist Jim turned his head.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“I know how to get 50 miles per gallon in my
truck,” he said grinning, while he adjusted his beret.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A baffled look crossed Jerry’s face. The
barista has heard Jim’s story before. He remembered Jim mixing some sort
of concoction with his gasoline. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“When I get some wheels I’ve got to get that
recipe from you,” the barista said, being careful not to slice his fingers on
the bagel knife as he submerged his hand in the bubbly water of the café’s
sink.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“Anybody can find it on the Internet,” Jim
replied, typing on his laptop machine.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Just then, a spark flicked in the memory stores
of the barista’s head. <i>I have some wheels. The Dolphin!</i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcInyVzmwdGhQeZWSjO_wpXG0QqKOHBLEW0mGaxt4OJmtP00nwoyi1yZMwg1rut_CoZhOwlz3gUg3KmtSCJfLgY-S1uc2rRAwnbPpH3x1-Z9Dwf185KEE1R3fWHoY4XfTOy7UlaolJ1Cw/s1600/DSC00637.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcInyVzmwdGhQeZWSjO_wpXG0QqKOHBLEW0mGaxt4OJmtP00nwoyi1yZMwg1rut_CoZhOwlz3gUg3KmtSCJfLgY-S1uc2rRAwnbPpH3x1-Z9Dwf185KEE1R3fWHoY4XfTOy7UlaolJ1Cw/s400/DSC00637.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“Per chance, do you know how to fix a leaky roof
of a camper?” the barista asked as he dried his hands.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“Aluminize fiber roof coating for trailers.
It’s expensive, but it works,” Jim said with a nod—and without hesitation.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Jim patronizes le Harbor Bungalow Café
often. He will stop by for lunch or tea before giving guitar lessons
later in the afternoon. Sometimes he’ll give a lesson right in the
café. He’s played the guitar for more years than the barista has been
alive (in this lifetime). An encyclopedia of information accumulated in
Jim’s head over the years, though some may call him a curmudgeon. His was
a compelling answer to the barista’s $3000 question—the amount he has been asking
for his camper in an online classified advertisement the past few months.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
1986 TOYOTA DOLPHIN MOTORHOME</div>
<div style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;">
$3000</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;">
22-foot, Class C RV, has three
beds, refrigerator, sink, 4-range stove with oven, dining table for two, toilet
and shower. Only 78,000 miles on a four-cylinder, SR-52 engine.
Mechanically, it runs fine. Cosmetically, the roof needs some repair and
the rear AC needs replaced. This great camping vehicle drives like a
small U-haul and can easily fit into any standard shopping mall parking
space. I once lived in it for 10-weeks, but now live in the city and do
not have the space nor time to use it.</div>
<div style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Should the barista pull the ad, give the roof
repair a final attempt and drive the Dolphin another day?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“If it were my camper, I’d run that baby into the
ground and then get rid of it,” Jerry said.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The sentimental value of the Dolphin to the
barista is through the roof. Maybe that is why it leaks. He
acquired the recreation vehicle within a week of his being laid off from the
newspaper industry in 2009. After six weeks of repairs and
customizations, the barista drove over 5000 miles across ten weeks, from
California to Pennsylvania in time for the Christmas holiday with his
family. The investment paid off handsomely; he was ready to move
on.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
But like a chocolate croissant walnut roll, the
road is tempting. And after the fourth cup of Costa Rican Estate black
coffee, the barista’s mind shifted into overdrive.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
“You’re right, Jerry. Why give it away when
I can drive it into the ground?—then give it away! No bargains!”</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Dolphin remains in Pennsylvania. It
needs to move. Can the camper survive in the hive?—In a dying metropolis?
Maybe, like <i>The Urbanite</i> said, it’s all in the math. <i>Hmmm…20 + 12 =</i> <i>Carpe Diem</i>. </div>Reggie Stitelerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03755815959428016123noreply@blogger.com1