New Guy!

There's a new guy working at CHCC! I don't know his name yet, but when we went in the other night he was there and took my coffee order and was soooo hot! Haha. But seriously. He makes Ben's absence bearable, so far.

Missing home a little :)

Today I was in New York City craving mocha. There was a Starbucks every half-a-block, and I did enter two of them for coffee on two separate occasions, but each time I found myself wishing I could just head upstairs after picking up my cup and sit by the big window of the Coffee Shop, looking out at Germantown Avenue, or watching the people who frequent CHCC who even now feel so familiar to me. I can't wait to sit there again when I come home for Thanksgiving.

so

Hilary's birthday party last week was tres awesome because basically Shelby and I spent the whole time talking to Ben about life and everything. He even showed us how to make an expresso shot!

Bad news is that Ben says he may not be at the coffee shop for much longer. I hope "much longer" translates to AFTER I graduate...

ahh

I was eating the $2.09 toast today and I cursed myself for getting a latte, because I didn't have tea to drink with my jam and bread.

Note from a Yalie

I miss the coffee shop! I haven't found any lattes yet that compare. I miss the taste so much. Send my love

free bread

Julia and I got free bread with peanut butter and nutella and jelly...I dumped it all on the bread at once and ate it up...it was LEGIT amazing.

Dear Shelby

Now that Carolyn and Macrina are gone, it's in our hands to keep this legacy alive, but you haven't written in ages!!!!! Perhaps we ought to recruit some new writers? Who are the other coffee-dwellers who are worthy enough to contribute their coffee escapades?

Love,
Alex

Also...

....apparently there's that new "manager," and all I know about her is that she has tattoos on her forearms.

Sleuthing

Creepy stuff we've/I've discovered:

The tutor's name is Bruce (I don't take credit for that one).

Ben got a 3 on the Euro AP and also took AP World but didn't tell me what his score was. Kate did not transfer her AP credits in college and regrets it.

Tom is 28, dating a girl who is 20 (scandalous!), and lives in Wilmington.

The parking guys

I feel like the cool old guys who run the booth in the parking lot deserve a post, because they're awesome and I haven't seen them in FOREVER because apparently they never show up in the afternoons anymore?? I don't know wtf that's about, but at least I don't have to worry about stickers for now. I do, however, keep a stash of unused/stickered tickets in my car's compartment with the funny button.

Yay parking guys.

German Boy und das Tutor

So German Boy and the Tutor have been showing up a lot more recently. We hadn't seen them for a long time (maybe they went to Germany?) but wherever they were, they're back! Yesterday they matched almost exactly, in khaki shorts and maroon shirts. Ugh, the Tutor is so gross-looking.

Updates on the Straws and Grave Front

CHCS now has...colored straws!! They are the most incredible things ever.

Also, they redid the floor, meaning, yay the grave is gone.

Happy Birthday, Tom!

Today is Tom's birthday! I'm not quite sure how old he is, but of course it doesn't matter to me. His side burns are lookin fine.

so didn't get the point of 'the usual' post....now i do

my usual:

a 16 oz iced hazelnut latte.  all of the time.  and usually a sticker, too. 

I LIVE HERE

hey guys...

so i think i should be added to the usuals because, quite frankly, i never leave.

Tom got a haircut

:(?

He said his girlfriend (pshh) was just screwing around snipping at his head. He was going to shave it all off, but decided it looked kinda good the way she had done it.

RIP, Tom-fro.

The Grave (and Straws)

I realized there were two things I needed to add to this blog. First of all, they recently put this giant sticker on the floor in front of the elevator. At a glance it looks like it could be a picture of spilled coffee grounds, but on closer inspection, it is really an ad for a cemetery depicting a grave. It is kind of strange going down the stairway literally towards your grave. I asked Ben about this new addition, and he kind of rolled his eyes and explained how Sultan allowed it. I think it's kind of funny that we have a grave to go with the death couch.

Another minor thing to talk about is the coffee shop straws. Sometimes they bend and sometimes they don't - it can be quite perplexing.

Oh, actually one more thing. Today Alex and I were driving on Summit and we saw German boy and tutor! I had a kind of reflex and ended up spasming and throwing myself at the window. I'm pretty sure he saw.

View from the top

The giant window on the second floor is another aspect of the coffee shop that I particularly appreciate. Gazing down at the intersection of Germantown Ave and Bethlehem Pike, one can watch funny pedestrians, catch people breaking traffic laws, and be forewarned when a friend or foe is entering the building. The giant window seat is also amazing for reclining and basking in the sunlight on the fifty thousand pillows they have. The other day, when Iz and I were there alone, I got up onto the window seat and started posing for the crowd and the traffic below. Today I spent about an hour being emo and just sitting at the corner table, staring out the window contemplatively. If I could have taken a photo of myself, I would have, because it was so incredibly artsy.

Also, it would have made me happier to have seen Tom today, but he wasn't there. :(

Speedy

Yesterday a fat pug on a leash wandered into the coffee shop without its owner! Ben took initiative and took him outside to look for it. He found the owner, who said his name is Speedy. Ben was so adorable.

June second

I went to the coffee shop alone today after buying my lunch from Top of the Hill. It's weird going into the coffee shop with the intention of staying there but not actually buying anything. It feels wrong. So I got in line and bought a brownie. Tom offered to give me a glass of milk when I didn't order a drink, but I declined (I then showed him my chicken salad/coke). After I ate my shit I realized I didn't have any coke left, so I went back downstairs and asked Tom for the milk, to which he got all high-and-mighty and was like "NOW you come crawling and begging..." The milk was free.

Also, German Boy was there today, with someone who was not his tutor. Except they were sitting like a mile apart, and I only realized they were together when Not-Tutor went to go talk to German Boy (and it didn't sound like German Boy had an accent, but I also have no idea what he said).

Also, there's a new girl with an accent who works there and she must be added to the cast.

Kat: Drew Barrymore or Alicia Silverstone?

You decide.



For me, it's definitely Drew.

also

Short and skinny girl = Kate.

I offered to sing for Tom if he drew me a picture, and he laughed.

I don't wear shoes.

Tom is of the opinion that Kat looks like Alicia Silverstone, contrary to the popular belief that she looks like Drew Barrymore.

I find that if you get an iced latte in a plastic cup, the ice will last longer if you put a lid on it.

Size Matters

Whenever Macrina and I order our drinks from Tom, we both ask for mediums...however, he has lately taken to giving Macrina large cups, whereas I only get what I asked for. This has become an element of our competition for his affections, but I take pride in the fact that the medium lattes taste better than the large ones (or so Macrina says), and I understand that Tom realizes this, which is why he still gives me mediums.

But today I got a large, so now my perception has been skewed to the belief that the large ones are better than the mediums, and this progression clearly means that Tom wants to take our relationship to the next level.

Maybe I'll get a portrait next.

Ben

After picking Leah up from school today, we went to CHCC because I needed my iced mocha fix, and when we walked in, there was Ben. And that Small & Skinny Girl whose name I don't know. It's funny because I always thought Ben was hot, but since I found him intimidating I kind of mentally avoided him. Today, though, we had a really nice moment of eye-contact. I'm so over the intimidation. [see also, '"Not Cooler," A freeform poem about Ben"']

Random love for Kat

Kat is really cool. She looks like Drew Barrymore. I used to not really like her, because she was one of the few who actually charged the extra $0.60 for the parking sticker. However, she no longer does that; either she doesn't do it to anyone, or it's just something special she has for me (I prefer to think it's the latter).

When it was my birthday, she asked if I was going to have a party and offered to have it in her apartment, something which I kind of want to take her up on. Today, she asked how my birthday was and got really pumped when I said I was 18. Unfortunately, she did not give me a large cup when I ordered a medium drink, though apparently Macrina and Julia got the large-for-medium deal (was that the doing of Tom or Kat? hahaha TomKat. That reminds me of a) tomcats and b) the shorthand name for Tom Cruise/Katie Holmes). Hmm.

Airplanes

One of the important features of the coffee shop is its temperature control. In the fall, winter, and spring, the upstairs is normally incredibly hot; however, during the summer, the air conditioners come on, and when they do, it sounds like an airplane taking off.

Self-Portrait

This is tom's self-portrait. It was on my latte today.

A picture...

I found this picture online. Notice Brian in the background, the blonde girl who I see there maybe once a week, and Ben in the foreground (yes). What I find most hilarious, though, is that Julia is getting water in her Springside rugby on the left! I love it.



It's a good shot of the inside of the coffee shop.

One of those odd days

Today is one of those odd days when I'm not sure if I'll go to the coffee shop. Of course, the goal is usually to get there to hang out with people, but there are factors like chores (thanks, Mom), Senior Project, going to the movies, my obsession with conserving gas, and the fact that I really have no money to speak of. As much as I love this place, it is SO expensive. My medium iced mocha costs $4.23. I am always prepared with exact change.

Besides these factors, it is always weird to have a day without seeing Tom or Ben or David or any of the other people who work there. I find that I mostly get Tom withdrawal.

p.s. The owner of CHCC is named Sultan. Add him to the cast.

Themesong

Shelby and I have a song we sing when we order:

I am excited, for my coffee! I am excited, for my coffee!! I am excited, for my coffee!!! YAA! Woohoo one dollar pastries!

Georgetown College Essay

Although I didn't get into Georgetown, one of the essays I sent them was an interview with myself, set at the coffee shop on a snowy winter morning. It's way too long to post here, but I thought it was pretty awesome :)

Save Your Goodbyes

The coffee shop has been a big part of my life this year, so it is one of the things I am saddest to say goodbye to. I included CHCC in this poem about leaving.


save your goodbyes
for when you’re driving and you see a familiar street
for when you get home, and you smell the coffee on your clothing
for when you hear laughter and it resonates in your heart

save them for when no one’s around
say your goodbyes to the air, say your goodbyes in space
whisper them at your own reflection
breathe them in and out

save them for tomorrow
for a year from now
or never say them at all
if you need to hold them close

save them from themselves,
make sure they’re good byes
make sure they sing and spin
and celebrate

save them because of what they represent,
who they’re meant for,
why they exist and are in your mind
in the first place

save your goodbyes
store them up, keep them from harm,
rescue them, put them aside for a rainy day,
cherish them.

my favorite things

this is the most dorkiest thing i have ever written. but it got me into vassar and university of chicago, so whatever. i posted it because there's a line about the coffee shop.

“My Favorite Things”

Gatsby and Les Mis and John Mayer ballads,
The New Yorker and Márquez and local-grown salads,
The Laramie Project and instr’ments with strings,
These are a few of my favorite things…

O’Brien, Orwell, Shakespeare, Zadie Smith,
“Amor de mi Alma” and watching the Sith,
Flying in Cessnas with metal, curved wings
These are a few of my favorite things…

Yo-Yo Ma, Crash, Monk, the R7,
A Capella singing and Coffee Shop heaven,
Silence, the Format, and soft whistlings,
These are a few of my favorite things

When the Rec’s dark,
When life seems stark,
When I’m feeling sad,
I simply remember my favorite things,
And then I don’t feel so bad!

Nicknames

Before we got to be on a first-name basis with Tom, we discovered that he referred to us by nicknames that were dictated by our appearances. It took us a while to figure it out, though. For a while, we thought Macrina was Skinny and I was Tall, but then it was revealed that Macrina was Squinty Eyes and I was Tall & Skinny. Go figure. Not sure if Alex had a nickname? Anyway, Tom now greets us with a smile on that gorgeous, sideburned face of his AND our actual names.

Carolyn's Weapon of Choice

On a cool day: medium hazelnut mocha and wooden stirrer, unless I'm feeling nostalgic. Then I use a metal spoon.

On a warm day: medium iced [hazelnut] mocha and a straw.

electricity

the outlets in the coffee shop are tricky. for one thing, half of them don't work. for another thing, they're practically on the ceiling. so finding one to use usually requires standing on a chair/finding carolyn, and plugging a cord into multiple outlets. we also tend to be kind of nonconventional about what we plug in.



in case you can't tell, that's a dangling i-pod.

Alex, what's in the croissant?

I like croissants that have things inside of them, but apparently this is a foreign concept, as when I first asked Tom, "what's in the croissant?" he gave a puzzled look and replied, "another croissant?"

That being said, they do have croissants with ham, brie, and mustard inside, and they are the awesomest. If an apple turnover or danish is available, I will get it. I also once had something called a Mighty Muffin, which was...mighty.

For drinks, I prefer a medium vanilla or hazelnut latte (iced if it's warm weather), or my recent discovery, vanilla caramel. If I'm not in the mood for coffee beans, I'll go with a hot chocolate with the works. Occasionally I'll have a vanilla mocha for when I'm particularly ambitious. Wooden stirrers for warm drinks, and spoons for iced.

macrina's usual

medium skim latte - with long spoon and iced in summer, straw and hot in winter. before both broke, it was the best having the latte in "the amazing latte cup."

exhibit A



and

brownie/toast with peanut butter

"Not Cooler," a freeform poem about Ben

Walk in coffee purple wood wooden floor sugar sugar look, dark eyes, you think too much! headache ache intimidate dark hair, dark eyes, speak ask your questions simple simple questions loaded questions what can I get you questions arms arms chest purple too cool too cool but human human human remains look I'm here here and same remains you don't know any more than I do I do I do know do not not intimidate feel we're the same equal equal feel same love same same equal again and again know that you're not cooler and I'm just cool enough.

The reason I call this "Not Cooler" is that I have always found Ben rather intimidating, and last week I had an epiphany about the fact that we are actually equals and I have no reason to be intimidated by his awesomeness. So this isn't a stab at Ben, by any means!

dear tom (a haiku)

small vanilla, please
you draw leaves on my lattes
but i wish for hearts

The Death Couch

On the second floor of the coffee shop, there are two leather couches on which patrons may comfortably relax and sip their beverages.

One not-so-very special day, Macrina and I were sitting upstairs, and on one of the couches there was an old man. Suddenly, this old man started coughing excessively. He sounded like he was dying. We wondered if perhaps we should have done something to help, but he just kept coughing. Eventually, he left, and we mourned the loss of this man on this couch.

Some days later, another old man was sitting on the same couch when he fell asleep. Macrina and I concluded that something about this couch brought about death to whomever happened to sit on it, and it appeared that the couch had struck again with this man's passing. He was the second casualty due to the death couch, and we also mourned his loss.


RIP, old man.

This man still haunts the coffee shop from time to time, and continually reenacts his death on the same couch. Since then, he has gained legendary status as "The Dead Guy."

people watching

so looking through my coffeeshop pictures, i realized the majority of what we do at the coffee shop/one of the main reasons we love it is that it is an amazing spot for people watching. it's a place where we can track people's lives, and appreciate eccentricities. for instance, in carolyn's xenophilia, there's german boy. but there are also the less frequent visitors. take amazing fro woman.



sometimes people have ridiculous things on their laptops. laptops are an important accessory at CHCC too.

xenophilia

I found the pictures that attest to our love German Boy and the reason why The Tutor hates us!

We are almost certain that German Boy is German, especially because he a) speaks with what is probably a German accent and b) Mia says he asked her if she "sympathized" when he saw the German flags on her army surplus jacket. Below please find the evidence that I wrote my cell phone number on the steamed-up coffee shop window for German Boy to use as he wished. We don't think he know what to do with it.

Picturebook

us.










coffeeshop table + eraser = <3














cool













latte carving









stalkerish tendencies

Cast of Characters

The people who work there:
Tom, Ben, David, John, Kat, Girl who isn't that nice, Cool Girl with the Nixon watch

The people we see there:
German Boy, German Boy's Tutor, the guy who glares at us when he's working, Kevin, The Dead Guy

Us:
Alex, Carolyn, Macrina...

Feel free to add to this list.

What the hell

This blog is intended for the cataloging of the events that occur at "the coffee shop" in Chestnut Hill. The whole existence of the coffee shop itself is kind of a strange phenomenon in our lives, so why not write about it and see what happens? This blog may last a week or just for the summer, but what the hell.