Old Town Plaza Continued..

Thank you friends for following and praying for Sound City! We have received an offer from the bank. The offer was a little bit more than what we had originally asked for, but we responded with another offer in hopes the bank will agree with the terms that Russ has placed before them.

Russ also wondered over to Olympia Coffee Roasters today and chatted with the owner, Oliver, to discuss further plans on starting an account. I can't begin to tell you how EXCITING this is for me. By starting an account with this roaster we'll have ample training with their baristas, and these dudes know what they're doing. My baristaexchange and james hoffman knowledge is about to go hands on and I can't wait. Brew methods, dose/weight, temperature, pressure, milk, coffee, la marzocco, latte art... face to face interaction with the pros. So exciting!!

My passion for coffee that has been developing over the years makes this journey an extremely enjoyable one. It can be easy to dive into coffee and lose vision of why we began Sound City Coffee to begin with. Coffee is all about community and that is the real drive behind our shop. To meet people, to build relationships, to be in the community helping when no one else wants to, loving people who know one else wants to love, supporting people who have no support. I love coffee and I care a lot about it, but it doesn't compare to the feelings I have for this community.

Over the course of this week we are hoping to hear back from the bank about the second offer we gave them and we will be trying to sign the lease as soon as we can. Our launch date remains April 24th. The faster we sign the lease, the faster we can work on the space and the faster we can open up shop. Keep those alarms set for 1:29 and I'll be sure to keep you posted as the week goes on.

Thank you so much for your support!

Old Town Plaza

As most of you know, Sound City is in the process of starting a coffee shop in Tumwater. I've filled you in on the sweet equipment we've acquired, the specialty coffee industry and our potential space in the Old Town Plaza. Currently the space we are trying to rent is in the bank's possession which is making the process of signing the lease move slower than we'd like.

We sent a proposal nearly three weeks ago to the property manager, who is basically the middle man between us and the bank, and she keeps telling us "It is sitting on their desk for revision. We will get back to you soon."

Our goal is to be able to have the lease signed and be in the space by Easter Sunday (our launch date). The bank is moving fairly slow and I'm pretty anxious to hear back from them. Russ Knight, pastor of Sound City, is going to be contacting them throughout this week trying to get some sort of idea about what they're thinking as far as the lease goes. Russ has picked out some other spaces that are available in Tumwater, but I must admit, our team definitely has our hearts set on this space.

Here are some pictures I took during our last visit:

It's obvious that this space is ready for a coffee shop to move in, and we are MORE than ready to set up! As this week moves along I'm asking my blogging pals to come along side Sound City and pray for this space this week. Of course, if this isn't the space that God has provided for us please pray that He would quickly shut the door so we can move along to other potential spots. I'll be setting an alarm on my phone this week for 1:29 to go along with Philippians 1:29 that says "For you have been given not only the privilege of trusting in Christ but also the privilege of suffering for Him." It's easy to forget that trusting in God alone is such a privilege. I can't wait to see what's gonna happen over the course of the next few weeks.

Thanks for the prayers and support!

Febs

So February has been awesome so far. I thought it best to send an update in photos this time around..

This is my friend Jess that I used to work with at Forza. She moved here from NC with her husband, Drew, who is in the army. They live in Dupont and are now plugged into Life Church, where I help lead worship and am currently serving until Sound City starts weekly this April. Jess and I spent an afternoon one day painting pottery. This is her with her husband's new popcorn bowl!

We didn't paint these cute mugs but we did use them to enjoy some Batdorf and Bronson=)

You can't really tell, but I made a box (green and brown) and etched birds and branches on the top. Seeing how I'm not ultra crafty, I was happy with the result.

One afternoon I went up to Ballard and had coffee at Aster's Cafe with my friend Zach.

Aster's is cool for various reasons and the fact that they serve up Intelli's Black Cat and various Stumptown blends is one of them.

My friend, Zach.

coffee is amazing, really.

Got a chance to go down to Portland with my friend Melanie to watch a show at The Woods. It was definitely the coolest venue I've ever been to.

My brother came to town recently and we got to go to White Pass and ski for the day.

Definitely saw some fresh powder on the mountain.

When we got back we hit up Dirty Dave's Pizza Parlor and ate dinner and played some Pac Man.

Now THIS is our new espresso machine and our first HUGE purchase for our new coffee shop in Tumwater. We're so excited about it! I can't wait to get it hooked up in our future space and start making drinks.

Here is one of our Mazzer grinders we got for decaf.

And here's our Mazzer for our regular. Hopefully these grinders will be filled with Big Truck espresso provided by Olympia Coffee Roasters. (those guys are awesome)

La Marzocco.

Many Drafts but Few Posts

Dear Oly Living Followers,

My sincere apologies for my ever so belated post, again. Truth be told I have several drafts saved on my computer that I never return to, finish and post. However, I am thinking about blogging. I do start to write, but after one page in Microsoft Word I forgo the post and instead proceed to the "save as" button. I can't tell you what it is that keeps me from posting what I have written down but my posts have yet again fallen into a very inconsistent pattern. Or maybe we can say that they aren't inconsistent any longer because they have been inconsistent for so long that now inconsistency in my posting is the usual. Either way, it has been more than a few weeks since my last post and catching you up on Olympia Living is crucial.

-First, the church.

We have grown out of Russell's house and are now looking for a space of our own and I do believe we have found it. There is a plaza on Tumwater Blvd and Capital that's occupied by Infernos Pizza, a Teriyaki restaurant and a gym amongst other things. Before Tumwater had built the government buildings that sit across the street from this plaza and before this plaza had any business in it, our potential space was occupied by a Forza Coffee shop. The shop has totally been set up for coffee, so hopefully by the spring/summer time we'll be up and running as the only specialty coffee shop in Tumwater. We'll definitely be using the space for Sunday evenings, but hopefully throughout the week it will be a superb alternative to the Starbucks that's down the street. We have had various meetings with roasters, taken trips to look at equipment, gone to barista competitions and basically dove head first into reading and researching about speciality coffee. As of now we have purchased two Mazzer grinders, an espresso fridge, and a La Marzocco Lenea espresso machine. We are still in the progress of sorting out the lease and we'll still need to purchase our choice of pour over equipment (V60, Chemex) and furniture, but we're really doing this.

-I've lived in the NW for six months.

It's been a real trip, let me tell you. It's amazing to see who I was coming into this move and who I am now. It's crazy to see what God has done in the life of Sound City and the Knights, this coffee shop and my life having now lived here half a year. I'd like to say it's been rainbows and butterflies every step of the way, but it definitely hasn't. The winter time has taken a toll on my morale, but I've learned to push through weird times like those. I'm definitely anticipating July, when the summer time kicks in and the rain subsides.

-My job is going well.

I'm meeting a lot of people in the city of Dupont, but like I said earlier it will be nice to be working in the specialty coffee industry rather than your typical franchised Starbucks, Forza or Cutters Point. It will be nice to work with people to care about coffee and their customers. This will also provide a means for me to work full time 45 plus hours and be able to move into my own apartment (preferably one that is close to the shop so I can bike there each day). But Forza has been good. I've made some great friends and thankfully I'm getting more hours.

-Kennewick and it's Finest citizen.

A few weekends ago I took a much needed trip to Kennewick to visit my friend Tyler. The drive is about four hours long, but it's a pretty drive to say the least. I love this state, it's unfortunate that it's so far from everyone that I love in WV. The weekend was out of this world minus the fact that I broke down, alone, in Benton City. It was horrible, but my car is fixed now and everything turned out okay. I can't even tell you how thankful I am for Tyler. Before I moved I knew that it was going to be so crucial having him live to close to Oly, and now that I live here crucial doesn't even describe it. We both have definitely had to adjust overtime. There's just something about having a friend to help you out along the way. Tyler is awesome, and I'm not just staying that because he follows this blog (lolz).

-Aaron's Grad School

So most of you know, a friend of mine back home has applied to some schools in the Northwest, Univeristy of WA and Western WA University. Both are great schools and we've been praying a lot about it, however, we just heard from UW this week that Aaron didn't get accepted, so we were a bit bummed. He should be hearing back from all the other schools he applied to soon, and I'm praying WWU in Bellingham has got a spot with his name on it.

So there are a few updates for my trusty followers. You're prayers and support have been monumental throughout this journey.

Cortez, Adley and Phyllis

I had a day off from work this morning, not surprising seeing how Forza has given me seven hours this week, so I had some time to do some serious thinking, and I do mean serious. In recent Olympia news we got a new bird feeder in our “side” yard (we have no backyard), and it has provide some entertainment this afternoon. Not to my surprise, today I noticed several little birds gliding by, making a pit stop at 4708 Durham. I couldn’t help but think, what does our feeder mean for our new feathered friends.

I then closed my eyes (we’ll say for dramatic effect) and began to see things their way, or at least the way I would like them to see things, our feeder in particular. What if, just what if, these fowl recognized our bird feeder as their Wendy’s, T. Bell or McDonalds. What if our bird feeder was their drive through while their morning outing for worms was their gourmet meal from… Olive Garden (because I know nothing about gourmet food and I’m content with saying Olive Garden is gourmet because in my case it is on the pricey side of living).

So what does our feeder mean for them? What kind of food are Leona and I serving to our new guests? I have yet to decide because I have yet to nail down the exact mentality of these visitants.

Perhaps we serve some sort of Mexican cuisine. The sparrow sitting on the ledge outside my window, nibbling away at his meal is Cortez. Taking a break from the reality of his job as SBBP (Spanish Boarder Bird Patrol, obviously) he stops to grab some refried beans, rice and a San Miguel. He works to maintain the peace at the boarders with the French, not because they are French or Spanish birds, but just because it’s their native tongue. Cortez’s stop at our tiny Mexican Bistro is his only quiet escape.

There is also potential that to these birds we serve a variety of organic vegetables, hummus and some equivalent to Stacy’s pita chips. Adley a down on his luck Wren has stopped by as a frequent flyer. He knows that 4708 is a place he can grab a healthy bite to eat, because his health is all he has going for him these days. He stops by, grabs some squash and green pepper and forgoes the chips, but uses his pepper dipping into our mouthwatering hummus. Maybe Adley is seeking some entertainment, therefore he peers through the sliding glass window to catch an episode of Mad Men Season 2, thinking right along with me, that this show is incredible, yet Peter is his favorite character, which I don’t fully understand.

And then of course, maybe it was Phyllis that stopped by this afternoon. Phyllis in her mid 70’s out for a quiet flight looking for a cup of coffee and a muffin, in which in this case we serve. Phyllis has been married for 52 years to her Avifauna Academy sweet heart, Charles. Together they hatched six babies four of which are female and two of which are male. Their sons and daughters have provided several grandbirds for them and each Sunday they all come to Phyllis and Charles nest for lunch. On Monday Phyllis is usually tired, today in particular. Today she needed more time to relax than usual after spending the day prior in the kitchen fixing a rather large meal. Relaxing, a cup of coffee and a muffin was just the way to do it, therefore Phyllis dropped by our place for some R&R.

Well maybe I did have too much time on my hands today, but then again maybe ornithology is something I’ll dive into this year. After all, it is a new year.

Sporadic Updates are Second-Rate

It has recently come to my attention that it has been quite some time since I’ve posted about the happenings in Olympia, WA, and needless to say things are good and I’ve been rather busy.

In the month of November I got a job. You are now reading the blog of a Forza barista. Forza is a coffee company based in WA and has one location in Denver, I believe. It’s a pretty sweet set up and things are going well so far. I’m meeting a lot of people and getting to spend after hours hanging with some coworkers. Being a barista wasn’t necessarily my plan when I went to college for four years, but according to USA Today the unemployment rate for college graduates is at it’s highest since 1970, lucky class of 2010 eh? However, I think Forza is a great place to work temporarily. They can only give me part time right now, so after my trip home for Christmas I’m hoping I can pick up another job at another coffee shop somewhere else like the Starbucks in Tumwater, Mud Bay on the west side or Oly Coffee Roasters downtown. We’ll see how things go though, one day at a time.

Thanksgiving was fabulous. Prior to I was thinking I would be missing home and wishing I would’ve bought a plane ticket in order to spend the holiday with my family. But Thanksgiving in the Northwest was one of the best Thanksgivings I’ve had yet, no offense friends and family in WV. I was invited to have dinner with some church planters at Kyle and Terry Lewallen’s house. Aaron Dawson, a friend from home, was visiting that week so he got to come along as well. It was a great time of fellowship and bonding with the Surround the Sound team and it’s always great to spend time with Aaron. It was all something to be very thankful for, that’s for sure.

Aaron’s visit was wonderful. Picking him up from the airport was one of the greatest moments in the past four months. I’ve felt so alone over the past three months, being without a job and not in school made it a bit hard to make friends my own age, and it was an indescribable feeling to be amongst my best friend again.

We spent time in Seattle at Pike Place and downtown and also hung around the U-district. Aaron looked at UW as a potential grad school and we did some coffee shop hopping around town so he could get a feel for what he would be in for in case he decided to apply. Obviously he loved it. This place fits him to a tee. We also spent a lot of time in Olympia at the cities various coffee shops and delis reading comics, essays and The Wind Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami (aloud mind you). It was a wonderful visit, and I was so glad to have him here for the holiday.

In other news, Sound City is growing and we’re now looking to rent a new venue because we are outgrowing Russell’s house. We’re hoping to find a new home for the church by Feb or early March, at the latest. It’s exciting to see the new faces and who has been consistent in attending our monthly meetings. I have yet to get any of my friends to attend. They’re pretty much uninterested, which is totally okay with me by the way. We may have different worldviews, but we agree on most anything related to music, coffee, art and literature, so we enjoy each other’s time.

Thus ends this brief update about my life in the Northwest. Find me on Facebook for more updates that are less sporadic.

Something Worth Blogging About.

You may now welcome me into the “job club” if you want. I got the call from Forza Coffee Company today and I go in tomorrow for some paper work and to get some training. I know it isn’t within my degree, but that’s okay. It’s something I’ve really been trying to wrap my mind around over the past few weeks. I’ve come to realize that I want nothing more than for my parents to walk around town telling their friends I’ve done something great, something that would make them feel proud, and in my mind making coffee isn’t the job they were hoping for. But then that’s what I’m telling myself and not necessarily what is true. According to them they’re proud of me regardless, what a load off my back.

So I embark on my Forza journey tomorrow.

My friend Tyler came to Oly this weekend for his birthday, and what a weekend it was! It’s always great to have him here, someone who has been in my inner circle of friends for quite sometime and someone I know I can be real with. You just can’t beat those friendships. We spent the majority of our time talking and drinking coffee in various shops such as Mud Bay Coffee Roasters, Wagner’s Café and Bakery and Cutter’s Point. We celebrated at Cascadia over an awesome dinner and “Birthday Questions”, The Clipper where we sang our “go to” karaoke jams “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey and “Walking in Memphis” by Marc Cohn, and later we ended up at Jakes where we danced to hits like “Single Lady” by Beyonce and “You Can Do It” by Ice Cube with various European techno jams in between until purchasing Tyler a birthday hotdog and calling it a night. I think he had a good time, I know I did and hopefully he can move west very soon and get out of Eastern Washington.

So the weather has been pretty intense lately, it’s been getting dark at 4:45 and it’s been raining basically non-stop, but I’m still enjoying it for some odd reason. I must be made to live here because with each week that passes I love it more and more. A friend from college is flying into SeaTac this Sunday and words can’t describe how excited I am! We’ve been counting down the days since I left in August and the day in nearly here! Only six more days to go!

So there’s a small update from me to you. The Northwest is treating me just fine.