FAVORITE COFFEE SHOPS #3--STARBUCKS, ROSE HILL, KIRKLAND

Rose Hill Starbucks
Kirkland, WA
(Hawaiian Odysseus photo)

See that window to the left in the photo above?  

Follow the T in STARBUCKS straight down, and that's right where I sat  for several hours this afternoon and early evening producing two blog posts--the one just before this entry entitled, MY BIGGEST ROLE TO DATE, and a post for Hawaiian Odysseus 2 about my grand-nephew, Ryder Silas, being THE PERFECT SUCCESSOR (to the E*Trade baby model).

My knock on Starbucks, as compared to Tully's, is that the former doesn't place enough importance on having good, comfy furniture and ample table space for writing, doing homework, engaging in business activities with a plethora of electronic doodads, or holding hands with and gazing into the eyes of a sweetheart.

Well, I must say, I have had to eat my words today.  I really like the spaciousness of this Starbucks.  There is no physical partition between the bar area and the seating area, and yet there is a definitely implied separation between the two areas without giving anyone a claustrophobic or overly segregated feeling.  

There has been a steady flow of customers through this shop for the several hours that I have been here. Even so, no one has had to stand around looking for a place to sit.  There are four large, well-cushioned chairs in the center of the seating area.  Lots of tables border the three walls--the one you can see in the photo above and the two adjacent to that wall.

One of the first anomalies I noticed was that the entire day shift crew, except for the manager, were dudes. When the evening shift arrived, there were two females.  Either way, though, there was a pleasant ambience during the entirety of my stay here.

An outdoor patio was not used at all today, but as the weather gets warmer, I can imagine a host   of people in casual summer clothing will be utilizing that extension.

The majority of customers were Caucasian, with the next largest ethnic group being East Indian. There were a couple of Japanese women.  In the evening, I observed an Afro-American male at the bar.  I was the only Pacific Islander. (I found this interesting in that the area I live in--the Rainier Valley on the southeast side of Seattle--has the opposite makeup.  Of course, I am usually the sole Pacific Islander in that area as well. That's always a lot of fun.)

Kirkland, like the other two major eastside cities, Redmond and Bellevue, is considered to be an affluent entity.  This was reflected in the predominantly middle- to upper middle-class persona of the customers I saw in here today.

                                                                                                                                                                   

(Hawaiian Odysseus photo)

The parking lot has an abundant amount of well-marked spaces.  I took the above photo in the early afternoon.  As I write this, it is 7:10 PM (Hey, the red hot Mariners game just got under way!  Go, M's!), and the parking lot is more than half full.  

A couple of male students--one with a Russian accent--are sitting directly behind me.  The American is a loudmouth, pressing his point home with his companion about a homework assignment.  Even with his over-the-top volume, there continues to be a pleasant atmosphere in this coffee shop.

I've had a venti Vanilla Soy Latte, followed by a venti Americano (the latter being free because I got it as a substitute for a bold brew, which is normally free because I use a registered gold card).  There is enough caffeine in me to keep me going through the grueling 8-hour baking shift which starts at 10 PM for me.  

My stay here at this particular Starbucks has been an enjoyable one.  I was able to produce three posts, including this piece.  In a few minutes, I will use the restroom and then pack my stuff up in preparation for a light supper at Safeway and a bus ride from Kirkland to Redmond.

(Hawaiian Odysseus photo)

All in all, it's been a good, productive day.  I really like this Starbucks shop, and if I were Yelping, I'd give it a five star rating.  In homage to the terminated Gubernator, 

I'll be back!

TRANSITIONS

It is a quarter of five on this very chilly autumn day, and I am writing this while enjoying a Starbucks venti mocha, seated comfortably on a brand new coffee-colored sofa. This particular Starbucks kiosk is located in the recently renovated Safeway grocery store at the corner of Martin Luther King Avenue and Othello Street in the Rainier Valley of southeast Seattle.

I am dressed appropriately for the evening, warm in my black sweater with the white artificial fur collar. My long-sleeved Hawaiian Fire shirt, a gift from my son, Richie, who lives in Honolulu, overtly hints at my ethnicity.

The Rainier Valley has a large black and Asian population. With the introduction of a Sound Transit Link light rail and attractive pastel-colored townhouses, the area is gradually undergoing a gentrification as droves of upper middle class white Seattleites, disgruntled with the traffic jams, sirens, increasingly expensive urban parking, and burgeoning homeless population migrate to this area.

Having lived in this community for the last year and a half, I have come to love and appreciate the ebb and flow of its heartbeat. Like me, it struggles with atrial fibrillation. This traditionally high crime area has slowed down somewhat, but every now and then, there is a major hiccup. Fairly or unfairly, depending on one's perspective and blogging persuasion, the area is still generally perceived by Washingtonians as the least ideal place to live. On a weekly basis, one still reads or hears about the latest shooting, stabbing, or robbery. But even with the mostly gang-related and domestic violence incidents, from an inside looking out point of view, there has been a noticeable settling from the historical unease and restlessness that once pervaded this valley like a dense fog that refuses to move on.

I like to think of it as an inevitable rite of passage...a weariness, as it were, of all that is funky and irrational and just plain stupid. It's a phenomenon not unlike the similar experience of the old cons in prison--the penal dinosaurs, as they're referred to with great deference from the general population as well as prison staff. You hear the legends and the layer upon layer of exaggerated feats of daring, but you miss in the here and now the overwhelming exhaustion that overcomes those who, for decades, chose to live against society's grain. If it's true that the universe will continue to bring back the same lesson until one finally gets it, then we're talking about a very patient universe and a very stubborn and/or ignorant recipient. Until one day when that person wakes up and realizes just how tired he is of resisting...and finds some comfort in the relief of letting go and simply being.

A parallel maturing experience is going on in the Rainier Valley. As a private citizen, I feel safer. As a writer, I am passionate about observing firsthand and recording my observations. As a resident, I am very proud of my neighbors and their collective efforts to ensure that this valley is all about reinforcing the true and compassionate ideals of family and home.

It's now a quarter of six, and with this past Sunday's advent of daylight savings time accentuating the effect, it is already very dark outside. I have about a three-quarters of a mile walk back to the house, but a year and a half after having moved into this neighborhood, I walk with greater confidence that I will arrive home safely.

The universe, you see, has more final exams in store for me.


                           
                                        

                                                                                             

FROM THE 2ND HIGHEST STARBUCKS SITE IN THE WORLD

Columbia Center Building
Seattle's Tallest Skyscraper
(Hawaiian Odysseus photo)

Today, I wanted to treat myself to a Caramel Frappucino, venti size, and I wanted to engage in my blog activities while reveling in the magnificent view from the 40th floor of the Columbia Center, smack dab in the heart of downtown Seattle.

From this vantage point, I can see the details of the underbellies of incoming planes as they maneuver through their approach flight patterns, eager to touch down at either Boeing or Sea-Tac Airports. For a moment--and a fleeting moment, if you will--I reluctantly flash to the newsreels that played over and over and over again on our television screens on that fated September day a little over 8 years ago. At the speed of light, I thank God that the giant silver birds that pass over me this idyllic Seattle afternoon are manned by friendly pilots.

Somehow, the magical perspective from this lofty site makes me forget about the dismal sports seasons the Emerald City has suffered through the past couple of years.

So what if the occasional (um, okay, chronic) drizzle cloaks this city in eerie black and white film noir apparel?

It's just me, my laptop, this delicious frapuccino, and the musings of a vagabond lifestyle that color this Pacific Northwest metropolis as night covers it with an ethereal blanket.

An hour from closing time, I am waiting for my four auctions on eBay to end so I can record the necessary information and prepare the packages for mailing.

Meanwhile, I want to share with you that my son and I had a gmail chat this afternoon (his midnight). He's been very busy taking beaucoup photographs in gorgeous Florence, Italy. He added that he'd get back to his blog sometime in the next few days. Speaking of which, I really like how he's added the amazing European landscapes, architectural and sculptured classics, and lively portraits to his blog. He certainly has a photographer's vision.

Back to the eBay theme...

What am I selling? Some of the best fly tying/fishing hooks out of Korea and Japan--respectively, the Dai-Riki and Tiemco brands! Ten years ago, when the general populace was uncertain as to whether or not Y2K was going to be the most awesome and ominous computer plague to hit the planet, Rita and I opened up a Mom and Pop business on the burgeoning internet auction giant. At first, I was selling fishing flies that I had begun crafting in the early 90's. But it got to be such a pain in the neck (really, the long hours spent with one's neck at an unnatural angle is certainly an invitation for early arthritic onset), that I decided to go to a least labor-intensive practice--that of selling fly tying materials and supplies to other fly tyers. The fly tying hooks just happened to be our highest volume commodity.

It's a humble venture, but it's helped pay for some of the smaller family expenses as well as contributed to the fine Christian education of both of our children. In addition, it's been an adventuresome and educational foray into online entrepreneurship. How wonderful to have customers from every state of the Union as well as from every continent of the globe. Most importantly, it has set an example for my children about the good things that can happen when diligence, sacrifice, and perseverance fire up our dreams.

Just this morning, I was musing about our 100% positive feedback rating from almost 5000 unique customers. We serve a wonderful God who blesses in such sweet and mysterious ways.