Coffee Quest

When we lived in LA, Steven and I were exposed to excellent artisan coffee.  It became a regular occurrence (ie, we got hooked) and we learned to really cherish those little cups of happiness.  Over the last several years, we've tried to find excellent coffee everywhere we've been while also learning to make better coffee at home (I'll talk about that later).  

Here's our favorite coffee by city (mostly so I don't forget over time):

Los Angeles, CA (metro area):

• Balconi Coffee Company (Cold brew is good and the siphon coffee is delicious in addition to fascinating.)
• Coffee Commissary (Espresso, cappuccino, and cold brew are pretty decent.  If they have their biscuits with homemade jam - EAT IT.  I still have food dreams about that damn biscuit.  West Hollywood location preferred.)
• Intelligentsia Coffee (We rotated between espresso, cappuccino, dirty chai, and pour over coffee.  Ignore the overly hipster vibe and enjoy the deliciousness.  Pastries are meh.  Venice location preferred)

Las Vegas, NV:

• Sambalatte (Tip: they usually forget to dilute their cold brew so either bask in the over-caffeinated glory or add some water.) 
• Khoury's Fine Wine & Spirits (Okay, so this is beer and not coffee. We kinda got more into beer than coffee in Vegas. Partly because the beer scene in Vegas is much more interesting than the coffee, but mostly because Jeny/Kevin hung out here and we adore them.  We really came to appreciate this place and look forward to it every time we're back in Vegas.)

Reno, NV:

• Hub Coffee Roasters (We like the cappuccino and dirty chai, their cold brew is hit or miss.  We liked it better when they were just a tiny shop on Cheney street, but the coffee is still pretty good (usually).  Quality control seems to have diminished since their expansion and the consistency of their drinks is less reliable.)
• 32 Cheney Street (I have no idea what this place is called, and they don't seem to have a website. It used to be the original Hub location, but it's a different coffee company now.  But they make great espresso and cappuccino.)  

Seattle/Tacoma, WA (and surrounding areas):

• Cafe Cesura (Excellent espresso, cappuccino, macchiato, cold brew, and dirty chai.  Loved it so much we used to buy the same beans they use  - Caffe Lusso.)
• Valhalla Coffee (Cappuccino is good but they make the very best mocha I've ever had. I'm not really a mocha person, but it was so good I couldn't stop ordering it. We weren't super fond of their beans.)
• Bluebeard Coffee Roasters (We mostly ordered their cold brew and squash bread, both of which are excellent.)

Dubai, UAE: 
      
       in progress

Sven and I tried Espresso Lab a few weeks ago.  It's tucked away inside a pilates studio on a residential street and really easy to miss.  I'm so glad we circled the block twice to find it. Best cold brew I've ever had, and the staff and patrons were some of the nicest locals we've met thus far.

Metal ice balls to chill without diluting.  I really wanted to eat one.

The café Tom & Serg is so easy for us to like.  They have excellent coffee and their food reminds us of LA - heavy Asian and Hispanic influences, super yummy, very pretty, and a tad pricey. 

I love the beakers

Smoked salmon and poached egg                                    Breaky bao (that's Breakfast for all us Americans)

Booked: Bahrain

A month from now we'll be on the beach in BAHRAIN!  Or maybe in the chilled pool if the beach is a million degrees.

Yessssssssssssss

We weren't exactly planning to go to Bahrain, but on his way out the door at 5am yesterday Steven said, "I need a vacation."

You don't have to tell me twice.

Dubai Life: Non-Muslim Groceries

Several of the grocery stores in Dubai have "Non-Muslim" sections where you can buy pork products.  These sections are always completely separated from the regular store (fully contained store-within-a-store) and all your products are wrapped and priced before leaving the area.  This way, the cashier doesn't have to accidentally touch your pork.

Inside this world of pork, you can find things like trotters, sausages from around the world (mmmm chorizo), pigs ears, prosciutto, various pates, chicharrones, and lots of bacon.  But the fascinating part is how many OTHER things are also in the pork section because they contain pork by-products. 

Here are the ones that shocked me the most.  Apparently it's in the gelatin.

Did you know?  

(Please excuse the terrible photos, I was trying to be stealthy.)

Pricey little rainbow porkmallows - $9.45 per box!

The Pop Tarts website says their gelatin is beef derived.  But Dubai doesn't play that game ($4.50 per box).

Graduate to chicharrones instead ($6.21 per bag).

Phoebe: Bedtime Blues

Phoebe has slept on our bed for 3 of the 4 years we've had her.  A couple years ago we even upgraded to a King bed to make everyone more comfortable (she is massive and takes up a huge amount of space).  But for the last 3 weeks, I've made her sleep on a dog bed about 2 feet away from me instead.  I thought life might be better if we didn't sleep with dog hair and paw prints, and if I didn't have to wash the sheets every 3 days, and if we never woke up with Phoebe-induced cricks in our neck and back.  So, I separated our pack.

Of course, Phoebe was not pleased.  For the first 2 weeks she whimpered, and begged, and pleaded for us to let her back on the bed.  But I stayed firm (just barely) and never gave the command to join us.  What I didn't realize though, was how sad it would be when she finally stopped asking.  

For the last week she's come by my side to give me a quick kiss, given us a long and wistful (but silent) look before going into her corner and falling asleep by herself.  And for whatever reason this has made me incredibly sad.  I thought about how she follows me from room to room all day everyday, how fiercely protective she is of me, how excited she gets when we come home, and how she still says goodnight even though I make her sleep alone on the floor.  And then I thought about how I kicked her off the bed just because I want to reduce the laundry load.  It broke my bleeding (and selfish) heart.  The hairless bed is truly wonderful, but it isn't better than my 90lb baby.

So she's back in the bed...and we're cool with it.

Bliss

Gig Harbor House: Buying and Selling

We always knew that selling our house in an unpredictable market only 18 months after we bought it would be an interesting experience.  And oh it has.  My father-in-law is a real estate agent and he keeps reminding me that, "You just never know" when it comes to buying and selling houses.  

And while I keep repeating this mantra, I'm still shocked when we get unexpected news.

When buyer #1 inspection is totally benign, and then buyer #2 asks for $4,000 in repairs.

But while we're on the subject, I've had some time to reflect on the hilarious differences between buying and selling this house.  

Selling our house:

Pricing

Signing an offer

Inspection repair requests

The net sheet

After closing (at least this is how I expect to feel)

When we bought our house:

We had no idea what was happening and it felt like magic.

But as we go farther down the path of escrow #2 I'm trying to adopt a more Zen attitude, inspired in part by my cool as a cucumber spouse.  In a nutshell:

Imma try

Mama

Today is Mother's Day in the US and there's a mama-shaped ache in my heart.  We sent flowers, we exchanged photos, we made phone calls.  But it's still not the same as being there.

I was watching a documentary short on HBO the other day about Ebola orphans (very awkward segue, I know) and one part really stayed with me.  To paraphrase - your mother is the one who loves you most in the world, and no one can love you like she does.  Across time, space, circumstances, and age, this holds true.  

One of my favorite outtakes from our wedding. The mamas are so happy.

Dubai Villa Progress: Little by Little

WE HAVE FURNITURE.
Not a lot, but enough to feel like we're starting to live in this villa instead of squatting in it.  We're embracing the white-on-white-on-white theme because I'm a little obsessed with modern Scandinavian style, and white is always readily available here.  

AND CURTAINS!
This might be more exciting than the furniture.  As much as I love the way our plethora of open windows look, I don't love the way it feels when everyone can (and does) peer into our life at all hours of the day.  And while the curtains didn't quite turn out the way I'd hoped, it's fiiiiiiine.  

FYI - It's still a work in progress and the photos below are super candid (ie - don't judge me for the mess and terrible lighting).

Don't worry, PB still gets to sunbathe on the yoga mat behind the chairs.

Yep, that's pizza.

In short: new country, new house, new style, same dog.