6.12.99

    Just to revisit the "Change is Bad" theme for a moment... there are six coffee shops in one block by the University. A down-on-its-luck meat-market bar by the name of Guido's has been turned into a Starbucks. Two doors down is a favorite of Chelsea and I, Espresso Roma, where she and I went occasionally to languish in the shaded courtyard, penned in by the surrounding buildings, to read and feed sparrows.

    About five stores away and towards campus is the University Bookstore which has a large coffee counter serving Full City Brew which is, I believe, a native Eugene coffee company. Across the street is a little coffee hut that has an excellent selection of biscotti. Then we're headed back up the same street, about six shops over, to Coffee People. Coffee People came to that street about my second year in college. I tried to get a job there in desperation to stay in Eugene over summer and not have to go "home" to Texass and my parents. I failed the interview miserably by guffawing incredulously at the question, "What makes you a Coffee People™ person?" I thought he was joking. He wasn't. I went to Texass.

    Finish up the block and cross the street where next to the 7-Eleven is our beloved Glenwood (favorite coffee there: the Velvet Hammer, ooh-la-la). Cross the street once more, and again, and then you're back at Guido's/Starbucks. That's six — count 'em — six coffee shops on one street block. I think there's also a bakery thrown in there which also serves a variety of coffee drinks. How? Why?

    Back to our programming...

    This day was spent at various graduation ceremonies for Simmy. He graduated with a double major in Archaeology and Geology. We went to three ceremonies including the big, mass ceremony at Hayward Field. By the last ceremony we were pretty fed up with speeches and anemic from surviving on coffee all day. We completely lost it when one of the professors at the Geology ceremony started his speech with "I'd like to keep my comments brief" and his next sentence was: "At the dawn of human civilization..."

    Surprise, surprise — his comments weren't brief.

    Afterwards, I tried to get some munchies from the buffet table but was elbowed by two old ladies lunging for the cheese. Thankfully, we headed back to Simmy's for a post-grad family get-together. It was a blast with people dancing and laughing and grubbing on ribs.

    A handful of us then followed Simmy and an archaeologist classmate to their professor's house (who had just earned his PhD) and this posh party with a live band and fountain of vodka. We noshed on more grubbin' food and drank too many glasses of wine. (Buy King Estate's Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris next time you're in the mood for something yummy and different.)

    Back to High Street to grab John and then off to Rennie's. We talked and gabbed until the crush of Rennie's became too much and then went to some bar called Arthur's. The bar was supposed to be "hip" but I thought it looked like a bar trying too hard. I had a dirty Vodka martini which pushed me over the edge. John and I danced to some crazy song and then we went to Laura's (an on again, off again flame of Simmy) to loll about on the floor and eat nachos.

    A good time was had by all.