The Starbucks Ritual…

Richard and I walk to Starbucks each morning to get a coffee and the Chicago Tribune…it has become our morning walk where we get out of the apartment for an hour or so and get some exercise and we usually talk about our day…what we have planned for the rest of the work day.

The other day Richard was intently staring off into the direction behind us as if in deep thought. I asked him what he was thinking about…he laughed and said nothing really but have you ever noticed the ritual of people fixing their coffee? The bar where you get just the right combination of sugar, cinnamon, half and half, etc. was positioned right behind me.  

So for the next 10-15 minutes we watched people prepare their coffee. Now I have to laugh as I watch some of these people…some pour out just a little bit of coffee to make room for just the right amount of half and half. Some give an quick shake of cinnamon or maybe two to top of their coffee before they put the lid on and yet the man that grabbed two wooden stir sticks and created a tepee effect with them…small on the top but large on the bottom in order to give a full sweeping stir to his coffee was probably the best.

But who am I to judge on how people make their coffee…as Richard will tell you I am probably the most obnoxious when it comes to making my Starbucks coffee. I am so bad that I can’t even do coffee through the Starbucks drive through because…they just don’t quite do it like I want it.

I order my standard, Venti Pike with four pumps of Vanilla and ask them to leave room for cream. (Now they never leave me enough room so I always have to dump just a little in the garbage in order to make room for the perfect amount of cream) Then you add (4) packets of Sweet N Low and then the half and half. Stir and then put the top on…now here is where my OCD kicks in and Richard will just look at me, shake his head and laugh! (He is a no fuss black coffee drinker!)



Venti Pike!

The top has to be put on in a specific way…the opening must be directly across from the seam of the cup. (Did you know that if you put the opening directly on the seam of your cup it will leak? Well it does! Usually down the front of a white top on your way to an important meeting.) So listen up…make sure you don’t put the opening on the seam of the cup or you will be sorry! Just a fair warning…Okay but that is not the end of my OCD…the cup sleeve that keeps your hand from getting burned when you hold the cup should also be put on the cup with both seams aligned. There is really no reason for this…it’s just the way I want it!


So there you have it…I don’t think Richard thinks I am so weird now that he has witnessed the Starbucks Ritual. It’s not just me…I would venture to say that all people who drink Starbucks coffee have their own quirky way of making their coffee. It is all very normal…but knowing Richard…he probably still thinks we all have issues!

A Quiet Welcome to Chicago…

My apartment is amazing…yes I think we splurged a little but it was so worth it…my first day was spent unpacking and getting our office set up for Monday. We ran out to the grocery store to get our kitchen stocked; did you know they deliver your groceries right to your apartment? How cool is that? Here I am wondering how the heck you lug your groceries through the streets. They deliver them right to your kitchen counter.  Oh yea…I am really liking this!

We ventured out for dinner to Big Bowl (one of our favorite) for some sangria and appetizers. I love the fact that I can walk anywhere…really never a need to get into a car! Walking hand in hand through the streets of Chicago is exciting as you take in the beautiful architecture, the many restaurants and the people. People of every culture and skin color, wearing clothes from every type of taste you can imagine. My eyes take it all in and it runs through my mind like a screen play. The feeling of exhilaration runs through my body…the feeling of a hustling city excites me, it always has!

We crashed early, only an hour time difference for us but we were exhausted from traveling and running all day. As we settled into bed for my first night in ‘CHI’ town the city lights drifted in through the wooden blinds; normally I want a dark bedroom to sleep…but not tonight. I want the blinds open to soak up the street lights. I fall asleep easily with Richard hugging me...with the sounds of the city below us.

This country-suburban chick had no problem with the sirens reeling by at 2AM or the woman shouting and laughing from the street at 3:30 or so this morning…I just drifted right back to sleep because I am now a city chick!

'CHI' Town Here I Come...

Today is my last day at home for a while…I am heading to Chicago to give the big city a try! I can’t even tell you how excited I am! For the last week I have been packing to make sure I have everything I need. As you know a girl can’t have too many clothes. Being from Florida my wardrobe consists of sundresses and flip flops and to make it even worse…I work from home so I barely get out of my sundresses or my gym shorts. It is still a little chilly in Chicago so I have to make sure I dress in layers…layers means more suitcases.

Why Chicago you ask? Well for one reason, I absolutely love it and I love the feel of being in the big city. Everything within walking distance, the hustle and bustle, shopping, the arts and of course Starbucks is like two blocks or so from my apartment. You have to understand that I grew up in a little town about 50-miles north of Baltimore, Maryland. Mostly farming communities…the nearest mall to us was a 25-mile drive. Now that I live in Tampa Bay things are much closer but it still has a burb feeling compared to living downtown.

For my Christmas present Richard rented an apartment for a month. It’s a three bedroom duplex a few blocks from Michigan Ave and it is absolutely gorgeous! We can work from anywhere so traveling is something that we love to do. While I have always traveled for work before, I can’t say that I ever took the time to enjoy my destinations. Richard and I work together so we turn every business trip into personal time whenever possible.

I can’t wait to share my adventures with you so stay tuned…I intend to get a Cubbies game in as well as some bike rides along Lake Michigan! Hope to also get a little extra inspiration for writing while I am gone!

See you next week from ‘CHI’ Town!

Mother’s Day 2012

Mother’s Day for me this year has some extra special meanings to me…I won’t be home for Mother’s Day this year. For the last 26 years I have spent Mother’s Day with my kids but not this year. This year I am heading for Chicago for the month to experience downtown living! I am truly excited and so looking forward to the time.

As for celebrating Mother’s Day we are having what we like to call ‘Fake’ Mother’s Day. It’s like celebrating Thanksgiving with family when they won’t be there for real Thanksgiving.  I still have to celebrate the holiday with them even if it’s not on the correct day. I know…it’s just the Mother in me!

Anyway this Mother’s Day is special on so many levels…the most  magical one is that my daughter & Tanner are expecting their first baby…our new little granddaughter is expected to bless us in August. I am beyond excited and so looking forward to being a grandmother! Celebrating Mother’s Day with my daughter on her very first celebration brings me such joy. Over the past few months as we talk, shop and prepare for this precious baby girl I have bonded with my daughter on new levels. I have loved seeing her so happy and enjoying her pregnancy. She will make a terrific mommy!

The second magical reason this Mother’s Day is special is that my own Mother will be here with me to celebrate. Not more than a year ago my Mom was fighting colon cancer. She moved in with us to help her make it through the year of chemo she endured and today she is healthy and cancer free so having her here is a miracle.

Mom & Me in Key Largo!

Wait I have so much more…I know I am a bragging mother…

Both my son and step-daughter were engaged this year. My son Kyle proposed to the love of his life, Tara, this week. And Charles proposed to my step-daughter in March…so it looks like two beautiful weddings are in our future for next year. We have enjoyed having both Tara and Charles in our lives over the past few years and look forward to many, many more!

As I write this article, we say Happy Birthday to Ella who is the beautiful daughter of my step-son Richie. We are excited that we will get to spend a weekend with them in Chicago to celebrate Ella Bella’s birthday! With them living in Chicago we don’t get to see them both as often as we would like so we enjoy the times we do get to spend time with them.

While in Chicago Richard and I get to spend Mother’s Day with his Mom and Step-Mom…it will be a special treat for me to celebrate my first Mother’s Day with both of them. I am happy that Richard gets to spend the day with these two special ladies in his life. They raised this wonderful man that I get to spend the rest of my life with!

So as you can see…it has been a busy year for me. While I have two beautiful children of my own, I have gained an additional two more, equally beautiful, children as well as two grandchildren.  I love having all of the kids around us and participating in their lives any way we can. They grow up fast and soon they have lives of their own…that empty nest syndrome is rough to get through the first couple of years…but after that…you start to enjoy your own life again and you enjoy watching your children build their new lives.

Tara, Kaitlyn, Kyle, Me, Declan, Charles & Leanna
(Missing Tanner, Richie & Ella)

Happy Mother’s Day 2012 – Enjoy!