FAVORITE COFFEE SHOPS #2--TULLY'S AT THE CHINATOWN/INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT

Tully's at the Chinatown/International District
(Hawaiian Odysseus photo)

An overcast day in Seattle, an anomaly for this late in the calendar in past years but a common occurrence this year.  

I seek comfort from the ashen morning sky in the familiar and homey ambience of Tully's at 625 5th Avenue S. in the Chinatown/International District.  

Starbucks may be the reigning coffee champ, but Tully's--a very close second, in my opinion--appeals to me with its willingness to invest in very comfortable and utilitarian chairs and tables.  Forget the tiny circular tables that leave no room for the laptop to rest easily for fear of pushing the coffee cup off of the table...or, worse yet, spilling the java onto the electronic device, thus ensuring the early demise of both.  Tully's may very well replace the coffee, but the burial of the laptop is imminent at dusk.

After my graveyard shift at the bagel shop, I caught the Sound Transit 545 bus from Redmond at 6:26 AM across the street from my favorite all-stop grocery/department store, Fred Meyer, and--almost an hour later--arrived at a bus stop on the northeast corner of the block where this Tully's takes up residence on the southeast corner.  Across the street--due east--is the world-acclaimed Uwajimaya store where I shop for Asian/Pacific Islander items I can't find anywhere else in this city as well as enjoy an occasional local boy's meal.  After finishing this post, in fact, I plan to go over to Uwajimaya and purchase my favorite pastry as of late, SWEET RED BEAN BUN, only $1.35 per generous-sized piece, at the YUMMY HOUSE BAKERY.

For now, I am enjoying my window seat at Tully's, nursing a tall cup of their morning brew.  My earlier caffeinated drink had been the Americano with coconut syrup.  As long as a customer remains in the shop, subsequent drinks are free.  FREE is a decent four letter word.  I like FREE.

I AM free.  Free to make decisions like coming here this morning to work on my eBay marketing and accounting.  I thankfully recorded five more sales of fishing hooks.  

http://stores.ebay.com/Lords-of-the-Fly

You've been with me long enough, dear reader, to know that the above link was coming as soon as I mentioned fishing hooks.

That's how I ride.

After all, at almost 59 years of age, and after working almost five years at the bagel shop in the Microsoft capital of the world, Redmond, Washington, I am transitioning back home to Walla Walla County next month.  A lot of changes and adjustments are in store for me, not the least of which is an earnest attempt to re-create myself.  Much of that will be critically riding on two things, each of which I passionately invest a great deal of time and energy in--my business on eBay and my writing.

Soon, very soon, so soon that I can taste the delicious liberation of it, I will no longer have to commute almost four hours each day and tear my body up in the process of baking 10,000 bagels each night and living/sleeping a vampire's hours.  

Soon, very soon, so soon that I can taste the delicious involvement of it, I will be able to pursue my self-imposed writing assignments and explore entrepreneurial interests for longer periods each day. This will be crucial to my goal of developing a viable source of income that approaches and, hopefully, gradually surpasses what I earned as a bagel baker.

Right here, at this very moment, I am thinking and declaring powerful affirmations for my Odyssean success.  

Indeed, while enjoying valuable alone time at one of my favorite coffee shops, Tully's, at the Chinatown/International District, I celebrate my upcoming return home to my Ithaca (College Place) and my Queen Penelope (Rita).

FAVORITE COFFEE SHOPS #1--INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT STARBUCKS

Starbucks

505 5th Avenue S

Seattle, WA 98104

I am not certain what other cities around the country are like (with the exception of Kapaa and Lihue on the island of Kauai, of course), but I am so grateful for the coffee shops in the Emerald City and other towns and cities nearby that offer its customers free Wi-Fi.  

My blogging would have been so limited if accessibility to the internet had not included these exceptional services at the big chains as well as independents.

Today, I am beginning a series of introducing you to just a handful of the coffee shops--mostly Starbucks, Tully's, and Seattle's Best, but also, hopefully, some of the independents as well.

I arrived here at the Starbucks just a few minutes ago and enjoyed an enchilada pie I'd picked up earlier at the Othello Safeway, a little over a half mile from the house I'm renting and conveniently located near the Sound Transit Link Light Rail Station.

A short 16-minute train ride found me arriving at the International District/Chinatown Station.  An escalator ride up to the street level and a very short walk later, I was at the coffee shop.

As I write this at 2:36 PM on Earth Day Friday, there are approximately 40+ people in this shop. Because it is located in the midst of light rail, bus, Sounder train, and Amtrak stations, this is without a doubt one of the busiest Starbucks shops in the greater Seattle area.  

Here, one will find an eclectic mix--students, senior citizens, young parents with their children, streetwise teenagers, yuppies, businessmen in suits, policemen, firemen, security guards, the homeless, the disenfranchised (ex-felons, drug users, those trying to kick drugs except for caffeine), writers, photographers, artists, and one Hawaiian Odysseus.

From my vantage point in the southwest corner of the store, I can see the attractive courtyard through which the above-mentioned bus, link light rail, and train passengers hurriedly pass through en route to and from their jobs, businesses, schools, or shopping activities.

It is a surprisingly beautiful sunny day.  We are, after all, two-thirds into April already, but the stubborn winter has refused to let go...not unlike the way I am with my adult children.

Nevertheless, I'll take it--this respite gift of pleasant and comfortable weather--and exercise my mind and soul as I utilize the energy within this particular coffee shop and share it vicariously with you.

What impresses me most about this shop are the baristas (any employee who operates an expresso machine) and partners (other employees, so-called because they all own Starbucks stock as a perk of working for the internationally acclaimed company)--usually all female and predominantly Asian or Asian-mixed, even a Pacific Islander from my home state--who have to be experiencing a great deal of stress due to the immense crowds that pass through this shop.  But like surfers who see past the dangerous waves and adeptly ride them in an unspoken alliance, these young adults and their personable Japanese male managers casually flow with the ebb and tide of customer surges throughout the day.  

My Hawaiian friend who works here just passed by as I finished the last paragraph.  She called out as she headed down the hallway that she had checked out my blog.

"Oh, that's nice, Uncle!  That's so nice!"  she exclaimed.

"I'm glad you like it, 'Drea!"  I responded.  

And therein is the spirit that prevails within this Starbucks shop.  These busy employess make it a point--and I attribute this to excellent corporate training and great management on Ken's part--to honor and uplift their patrons.

We can only begin to wonder at how this bit of ALOHA SPIRIT affects each customer's day and,  God-willing--permeates the city with atmospheric warm fuzzies.