This year I attended my second Camp Pull-a-Shot.

For those of you who don’t know what it is, it is an event put on by the Barista Guild of America.  http://baristaguildofamerica.net/ This event was made to bring Baristas from all over the Us of A, including Korea, New Zealand and Nova Scotia, and immerse them in three days of lectures, examinations and brewing coffee with our industries best and brightest.

Last year when I attended, I was your usually self-confident, absolutely ignorant barista from your local cafe: Portfolio Coffeehouse.  During camp I got my ass kicked, inspired and encouraged.  I learned a ton! They basically turned me into a monster.  

One year later, I’ve got it all figured out.  I’ve learned all about manual brewing methods, extraction ratios, can pour wicked latte art and even found myself a new pretty job training cafes at a specialty roaster.  

So this year I was ready for the CPAS once again.  I was ready to free the monster that they made me into; let it out of it’s cage and have it annihilate everyone!! …. and then I found I was the same barista as the year before: usually self-confident, absolutely ignorant barista.  So this year I also got my ass kicked, inspired and encouraged.  

This at first was, in all honesty, too humbling.  I worked my ass off this last year. I want to be noticed because every beverage I make, I want to change that person’s life.   However, I then realized I was in a room full of people that are working as hard as they can to chase this untenable tasty beverage called coffee.  They not only want to accomplish the same as me, they showed me how to do it!

In short, the event was an absolutely crazy success for the BGA, my company (true beans coffee roasters), and my career.  Thanks BGA for kicking my ass once again.  

Special thanks to True Beans for sending me there, Lorenzo Perkins, Scott ‘beesexxy’ Lucey, Keith Mrotek, Jason Dominy, Marcus Boni, Mac Pearce, and Noah from Cafe Imports.

The passion you guys have makes the world tastier.  

The new cafe is now open.  Behold ‘berlin’ in long beach.

4th st. between elm and linden.

Day one of Southwest US Barista Competition.

Amazing people, a lot of them I missed.  Too much passion for one room.  All the competitors that I talked to felt let down on their performance.  Not because they didn’t do well, but because they thought the coffee deserves more.  Such humility from great baristas.  

I can’t wait to catch the barista cup tomorrow.  

scha·den·freu·de - delight in someone else’s misfortune

This morning I ran into an ex-girlfriend of mine.  This girl and I loved each other so much, that we hurt each other even more.  I sold her coffee, and we talked.  We didn’t hurt each other.  I said things like “Congratulations”  and “I’m happy for you,” and meant them.

“What a fearful thing is it that any language should have a word expressive of the pleasure which men feel at the calamities of others; for the existence of the word bears testimony to the existence of the thing. And yet in more than one such a word is found. … In the Greek epikhairekakia,  in the German, ‘Schadenfreude.’ ” [Richard C. Trench, “On the Study of Words,” 1852]

I think that there is a part of all of us that we don’t necessarily like or agree with.  For me it’s hard to discern between the actions I make and how I react to what is going on in the world.  It’s painful to see the way I’ve reacted in the past and acknowledge I didn’t think, I just reacted. 

I just noticed this morning that I’m thankful that I am not the only one who struggles with this.  It’s not a personal defeat.  It’s not a Clancy thing.  And I just wanted to acknowledge and admit this in case someone else needs to hear it.   

Recombobulation area? Milwaukee airport has a used bookstore, good coffee and an area to recombobulate. Oh thank you Midwest. Thank you

Amid the facebook updates, I have found a couple of common themes. Some are these are hilarious, some disheartening and others, confusing. I just want to bring this up in conversation, especially to the three of you who have decided to read this. 

  You have the (1) ’OMG, you can’t believe what I’ve been doing; it’s amazing, experience this with me.  I have posted a picture so you can know second handed.’  You have the (2) ’I can’t believe that life happened to me, why do I deserve this struggle? What I am has happened is so undeserved.’ You have the most perplexing post, (3) ‘My life is in ruins and my outreach is this one or two sentences on facebook post.’ But my favorite and what I’d love to see more of is the post (4) ’I want to wish everyone a happy morning.’ Or ‘I just want everyone to know how thankful I am for the love I’ve received lately.’ 

It has appeared to me that the news feed of my facebook has become part of the way I identify with our cultural narrative.  I want to admit that I am affected by the optomism, sarcasm, joy, delight and frustrations of my friends. I am not impervious to what goes on in the world nor do I want to be. 

 My friend’s outlook anddare I call facebook updates reflections, matters to me. I react to what my friends are going through by what they choose to put as their status updates.  I see how healthy my friends are by the pictures that they upload.  These images and posts are not what is going on in the core of their life, but it brings me to the margins of what they think to be notable and share worthy. 

 A couple things for the different styles of posters

Sarcastic friends: FYI David Spade’s career didn’t last long

Optimistic friends: may your hope spread like wild fire and give promise to those thirsting for abundance

Depressed, troubled friends: call those that love you.  we’d love to hear your pain and experience it with you more intimately.