Every day is a new day, I'm thankful for every breath I take.

She's alive!  Two blog posts in a month, people -- rocking and rolling is what we call that. 

Life in NYC is great!  I started work last week and really like my store.  I'm currently at the Starbucks in Park Slope, Brooklyn, and am having a great experience thanks to Lydia (SM), Celina (ASM), and all the awesome partners who've been so welcoming and understanding for the first few days as I got my groove back.  Thank goodness working at Starbucks is like riding a bike, or three weeks of vacation would have been my downfall.

Next week, I move to another store in downtown Brooklyn to continue my Brooklyn immersion.  I'm excited to work there for a couple of reasons -- it's super busy, and the store manager is from California!  (She moved here a year ago.)  It will be awesome to keep learning about high-volume cafe market from someone who's been through some of the challenges I face in mindset-adjustment.

But ENOUGH about work!  Time to tell y'all a bit about what I've been up to.  I'll let some pictures do the talking ....

Park Slope Starbucks.

The angel that greets me at my subway stop in Brooklyn every morning.

Awesome chalkboard greets customers inside.  The artwork is done by Meggi, a partner at the store.

Happy birthday to Cristiane, one of my roommates!

I surprised her with strawberry cheesecake brownies -- delicious, if I do say so myself!

Wild Rise is an up-and-coming pizza "joint" run by the son of some regulars from Fresno -- small world.  And some of the most amazing pizza I've ever had.

As you can see, Carlos and I dug in before I could remember to take a picture.  Well worth the trip to Brooklyn!

Waterfront dinner -- the view of downtown Manhattan from Brooklyn Bridge Park.

There's a new Starbucks in town!  An AMAZING redesigned flagship store in the heart of Times Square.

Coffee wall a la Pike Place.

What we do and why we do it.

Giant RTD case with two pastries cases!

Media and retail wall!  Take a picture on the other side, post it to a social networking site, then see it displayed in the store!  Buy exclusive merchandise!

Our mission is to inspire and nurture the human spirit ...

... one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time.

I want to wake up in that city that doesn't sleep.

I live in New York City, y'all.  How crazy is THAT.  (Trust me, it's kinda crazy.)  But it's been awesome so far.  Really, how can anything that constitutes a three week vacation be anything but awesome.  I've been having fun exploring the city, looking for housing, and reminding myself that I'm home now.  Here's photographic evidence:

(Sorry the pics are small and kind of wonky.  It's been a while since I've used blogspot.)

Columbus Circle, one of my favorite places in the city.

Brunch for my birthday.

My favorite kind of building.

View of downtown Manhattan from the Staten Island Ferry.

The Statue of Liberty.

World Trade Center site.

Brass quintet in Central Park.

A view of downtown Manhattan from the Brooklyn Bridge.

Me on the Brooklyn Bridge.

The Brooklyn Bridge.

Me enjoying ice cream from the place with "the best ice cream in the world," according to a customer in Fresno.  It was pretty good.

There was a photo shoot going on.

Said ice cream parlor.

Now I'm in New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of ....

 

May flowers grow taller.

Hola, familia! I know it's been forever, but life hasn't been very exciting since March. Here is a photo-heavy update in lieu of any real news!

For Earth Day, I volunteered with Starbucks to plant trees and do clean up at Millerton Lake.

Indiana was lots of fun: Banging my head on the Munchkin Rain Gutter, grocery shopping, Steak & Shake-ing, Abbey graduating, and eating!

Back at home, I've killed an African violet, and actually I'm almost proud of that. Mom said they're impossible to kill if you water them at least once in a blue moon. I DID water it just a bit once a week or so LIKE SHE SAID, and it still died. Impressive. Especially considering they LET me plant trees in the wilderness.
BEFORE:

AFTER:

Clementine has figured out how to jump into the dryer. Oh, joy.



I got my hair did: cute and highlighted. Love it!
BEFORE:


AFTER:


That's all for now. Hope everyone is well.

Day trip to Avila.

I went to Spain and lived to blog about it: Did you see?

Day 5 was our trip to Avila. John, Carlos, and I planned to be up and out in time to catch the 830a train, but the boys slept in and I wasn't going to be THAT guest who awakens everyone. Perhaps I should have been because we ended up missing the train by fifteen minutes. Ah well, more time to hang out in the station, lucky us.

(Again, all photos are courtesy of Carlos and John because they are good friends, and I am a lousy photographer.)

First was a common Spanish breakfast of café con leche and napolitana de chocolate (coffee with steamed milk and a chocolate croissant -- breakfast of champions!). We wandered around outside a little until we were driven inside by the window and settled down to play cards in front of a closed Burger King (which sells beer, which is so weird).



True to form, my competitive nature emerged during our first round of Egyptian Rat Screw. See the concentration? But then Carlos taught me Spit, and it was downhill from there -- note the evil gleam in his eye!


Our train left at 1130a, and we were on our way. The Spanish countryside reminded me of the lakebed of Kaweah when the waters are low -- hills and valleys spotted with trees. Two hours later, we arrived in Avila. It was freezing, but at least there was no snow.

Avila is famous for its fortress, constructed of brown granite in 1090, surmounted by a breastwork, with eighty-eight towers and nine gateways (thank you, Wikipedia).


Once inside the old city, we stopped at the Iglesia de Santo Tomé. Once a church, it is now a museum of Spanish and Roman artifacts. (Or so I gathered from my limited ability to read Spanish signs. The boys were of no help!)


We admired to the cathedral.


It was guarded by lions and built into the fortress wall.


The cathedral was open for visitors, but for a price. Instead, we decided to look for a restaurant recommended by John's coworker from Avila -- Tres Siglos. It took forever but wandering around the narrow streets surrounded by ancient stone was neat. Until it was just plain COLD and we were ready to eat.


Appetizers -- pickled white aspargus drizzled with mayo (me) and patatas revolnados (the boys).


Dinner -- fillet steak (the boys), barbequed beefsteak (me). Yes, that piece of meat is so long that it had to be folded under to fit on the plate. Yes, it was riddled with fat, and I had a heck of a time making my way through it. Yes, it was delicious and worth every bite!


After the wonderful meal, we made our way to the wall. Whoa, that's high.


Looking out over the rest of the city.


Evil Knievel -- I mean, John.


"Sir John, the marauders are coming!" "Never fear, Lady Erica, I'll defend you!"


One last look.


After coffee, the train ride home (beautiful sunset), and Renting it up on the metro, we were finally home. What a great day.