Ode to Anchor Coffee House

Blog post No. 427

Right off the hop, I want to point out that while the location Huron Line is gone, the Anchor Coffee House and bakery in Walkerville is going strong. I’m ecstatic that they have managed to keep the Walkerville location open during the pandemic. Sadly, due to heightened risk, I haven’t been much support. I am enjoying a cup of local Chance coffee while I write this. I bought a bag when I stopped by to pick up the books that had been for sale at the Huron location. It’s good, but nothing replaces actually going there. The atmosphere, the people, the other customers—there is something special about going to a good local coffee shop and spending a little time enjoying a good beverage.

Kitten Bomb

Blog Post No. 413

It’s been a week since my last post, somehow. In a year with not a lot to say, for some reason, last week was even less worthy of a blog post. I kept up my struggle with editing Break/Interrupt (yay) making some progress but not enough. I had a nice video hang out with Arvin over the weekend. I, uh. I’m not really sure what took up the rest of my time. Part of the problem is that my routine has been shaken up and I’m really good at blaming that for my lack of motivation. Another part is that nothing is really happening and it’s a miracle that I’ve been able to come up with topics each week up to this post. And finally, I still haven’t been able to get my feet under myself after that three month marathon of daly writing.

A Little True Story

Blog No. 368

I had to go into work on Monday. I usually get the day off and make up for it sometime over the weekend. The shift started later in the morning, so I went for breakfast at one of the places I wrote about earlier in the year. I enjoy taking my time at meals, and I had plenty. The restaurant was empty when I went in. It was a rainy morning and they had some quiet music playing that matched the mood. The songs were familiar, but nothing I’d heard before. I was served right away and sat with my coffee looking out the window at the wet street.

Even the Smaller Ones

Blog No. 195

Last weekend I was invited to Essex for a Farmer’s Market. Initially, Christian and I thought we were going to be at the Busker’s Festival in Walkerville, but that fell through. Somehow, as if by magic, the organizer of the Farmer’s Market called up Christian, asking if we’d like to get a table there. I’m not sure how things work out like that some times, but it seems to happen a lot with us. We’ll be wondering what to do in the coming month and be invited to an event, or another author will tell us about something we haven’t heard of yet. Most of the events are small, but that doesn’t matter much. Sometimes it’s nice to have an easy day filled with nice people.

Working in Coffee Shops

Blog No. 182

There is a running gag on the internet and television about people with MacBooks in coffee shops. It’s funny. The idea is that people are more interested in being seen than in actually doing work. Which is sometimes the case. Coffee shops and cafes are often filled with people either getting a quick lunch, enjoying a slow coffee, or the other thing. I’ve been in many places where nearly every table is beset by a laptop wielding individual (one per table). It doesn’t matter if it’s a Starbucks or local establishment. The coffee shop is a place to be.

Daylight Saving Time is a Jerk

Blog No. 173

Daylight savings sucks. What the heck world (or at least countries who follow the archaic rule). There has been study after study about how daylight savings is a bad thing. Productivity goes down, accidents go up, people are inevitably late (or early depending on the season) and sleep cycles are put out of whack for weeks if not longer. It costs money and I believe it shortens people’s lives. And for what? An extra hour of sunlight? Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for that sunlight, but at what cost? Besides, it’s already been figured out that we’d get the benefits of the time shift all year. So why only do it in the summer? Let’s make this switch our last and stay at the hour ahead forever.

Needing a Novel

Blog No. 133

I was in Anchor Coffee House the other day, enjoying a coffee and talking to the staff. (That place is kind of like my Cheers). I had brought in some layout designs for an ad they are putting in the June Zine (to hit shelves soon) to get their opinions, but it had been a while since I had been there, so the talk quickly turned to “What’s new?” After the pleasantries were exchanged, the topic turned to my writing. I was excited to share what I’ve been doing (as I am with any interested parties) and talked a little about the novel. The good people who work at Anchor know a bit about the other things I have and am writing (the stuff at Adventure Worlds, the Zine, and the Collection) and the question came up, why a novel.

Behind the Writing: The Fifth Monday Two

Blog No 124

Before you read this post, you may want to check out the story it refers, especially since it came out only a few days before this write-up.

http://adventureworldsblog.com/2015/03/30/the-fifth-monday-two/

Another bit of info before the post proper, Zine 003 is out in the wild and up on Adventure Worlds. You can get a copy for yourself at such fine local establishments as:

The Squirrel Cage

Anchor Coffee House

Milk

Coffee Exchange

Villains

Dr. Disc

Biblioasis

Walkerville Brewery

Saluté

Paper Heroes

And more

If you’d like to see copies at a specific location, let us know.

Finders

Blog No. 117

Out of all the art forms I can think of (and probably all the ones I can’t) visual art is the most outside my ability. I can carry a tune (and even some harmony) and I can cook well enough. My dance moves are rather lame, but I can follow a rhythm (especially for someone who has never practiced). Writing is something I’ve been working towards, but I’ve always had plenty of ideas, and I know how to plot out a story. I can even tell a joke or two, both verbally and in a scene. I am no expert in any of those fields (though I’m really trying with the writing) but I have enough of a grasp on the concepts that if I put in the effort (that the people I know who excel in those areas have) I can get better. When it comes to visual art, drawing, painting, sculpting, photography, film, etc, I could work for a hundred years and still be terrible. 

Anniversary, Maybe Next Year

Blog No 115

Last weekend, I went to Anchor Coffee House’s first anniversary party. I was a great event and the place was filled with more people than I thought could fit in the building. Coffee was a dollar (which is why I couldn’t sleep that night) and they had a musician playing most of the day (though they usually have music on Saturdays). The little coffee shop that could had an amazing year, starting with a couple who had a passion for coffee and food, opening a place in (essentially) an industrial plaza on a highway road, and drawing coffee loves, academics, and artists (including me) into the fold. They worked hard and treated people right and had an incredibly successful first year. I was lucky to be part of both the night and the year in question.