Boulder Coffee Shops – Where I go when I need some inspiration

Just follow the sign to another coffee shop

Since I now have a bit of time on my hands I have been spending a fair amount of time in the various coffee shops in Boulder. Most often I’m there for a networking meeting, or a safe setting to follow-up with someone I met at a networking meeting or I simply need to get out of the house and interact with people.  Boulder is one of the few places I can think of that can support so many coffee shops all within about 100 yards of each other…and all on Pearl St. And this is just the East end.

Each one is a little different – obviously – but each serves a great cup of coffee and the baristas for the most part listen to your order. I always order a double-shot americano with extra room and most of the time that is exactly what I get. Most coffee shops always want to fill the cup or mug with water, turning the drink into drip coffee essentially. I don’t know why but they just can’t seem to get their head around leaving room in the cup.  I guess they want me to feel like I am getting my money’s worth.

I go to all of the coffee shops listed below; depending on what I am doing determines which one I pick. So, if you have stuff to do, are meeting someone, or simply want to chill out for a bit, here are my recommendations.

Atlas Purveyors – serves tea and yummy Coda coffee (we know one of the owners of Coda but can still say with honesty, they have great coffee) Every time I have gone into Atlas people are doing some hard work: coding, design, working on plans. A place to get things done. They even have built in desks, with access to outlets. And great art on the wall! I go here when I am preparing my resume, thinking about interviewing questions or preparing for one thing or another.

The Cup serves fair trade, organic coffee, which is roasted locally at Conscious Coffee.
A little more social, a little louder – they were watching the tour last time I was there, and their large garage doors were open so you could step almost directly from the street into the shop. They have a huge room at the back so if you are needing a bit of quiet. I go here to network, to meet and charm people (or at least not offend them) or meet up with people I have met at networking events.

Laughing Goat – also serves fair trade, organic locally roasted coffee from Kaladi Brothers of Denver. This is where you go when you are writing your novel, working on your poetry or just needing to be inspired. Great looking people come through their doors and you know you could write a short story about each one. Superb people watching, lovely and cool – just a great coffee shop. I go here when I have momentarily decided to ditch corporate life to work on my novel “The Welsh Matador”, which was supposed to be a comedy but came out rather sad.

Jet’s Espressoria – They don’t seem to have a Web site so I can’t tell you much about their coffee but I can tell you they bake a lot of their own goods on the premises and they look great. I haven’t tried them but only because I am on this weird paleo-diet challenge with my husband, which is another story all together. I go here to sit in their back area, which is wonderfully shaded by some trees and has cute tables and chairs.

Studies reveals worker morale fell during the recession

This will be a short post unless I get carried away. I was browsing a few different sites this morning to check out what’s going on with that oil spill in the Gulf.  I was scanning the headlines and noticed this one More Employees QUIT Their Jobs As Economy Improves and I thought, “well, hey that’s good news. People are feeling confident enough to take a risk and find something new”. BUT then I read this little sentence “…Studies have shown that worker morale fell during the recession.”  I mean, really, they were not convinced by just one study there had to be studies! The powers that be weren’t convinced by the first study that people may get a bit down when they lose their job, their home value tanks and their family doesn’t have health insurance that they need to request a confirmation study.

The only question I have is how do I get a job like that. Maybe I can do a study on will standing in the rain make me wet or will putting my hand on an open flame burn it.  Ok, I’m finished.

Please. No More Pick Me Up Talks for the Unemployed!

I got a call from, let’s call her Stacey, from Right Management to chat about my resume. To be fair, when I heard her voice I immediately felt like I was getting a call from you pick: (a) the dentist (b) law enforcement (b) accountant/irs (c) attorney (d) bob – the volunteer fireman robo-call, so I know she’s not getting me at my best. But this time I really, really tried.

Anyway, Stacey says “I’d like to spend a few minutes going over your resume”.

“Great, and it must not be too bad if it is only going to take a few minutes” I say. I’m feeling pretty chuffed as I really thought it might require a significant overhaul. So, we spend several minutes reviewing my summary and making some small sentence changes. No big thang.

But then she asks “How are you doing? How is your job search?”

I’m honest and say “I’ve been applying but not much of a nibble yet but that’s ok at the moment, to be honest. After the 7 years of lay-off roulette at Sun, I’m ok with a bit of a break”.

And this queues her buck-up speech and I don’t think I have quite recovered.

Stacey starts off by saying “…well these things take time and if you have the luxury to take some time, losing a job really introduces a whole grieving process. Have you ever lost a family member?”

I say, “no”. And wonder what exactly she means by luxury. I know what she means but that comment left a mark. I should have stopped her there but she continues.

“Losing a job is much like losing a loved one although not as bad. You’ve lost your income, your friends, the place where you used to go every day, your connections and you’ll be riding an emotional roller-coaster, which is completely normal. Give yourself some time.”

It was as if someone had knocked the stuffing out me, released the air in my helium balloon, drank all my wine by mistake and they still have their full glass. I finally responded as cheerily as I could “…thanks, Stacey, I’ll keep those words in mind”. And then hung up and thought is this how losing your job is perceived – that b/c I no longer have a 9-5 I have no money, no friends and am an emotional whirligig.  I know jobs are important, they’re: social, they pay you, they provide structure, etc. etc. but I think we need to update the buck up speech.

The loss of income is catastrophic – no other way about it. But lumping that in with this idea of  losing  friends,  your place in the world, your routine because you are no longer employed is a lot to burden someone with who has lost their job. So, not only are these perceptions of despair projected onto me, I’m actually out of a job too. sheeeshhhhh….I’m probably making more out of it than there is or maybe I just feel that way after writing it all out.

Here’s an idea for a buck-up speech. How about focusing on volunteering? We have all these amazing people out of work can’t we engage them in collective volunteer efforts helping out in their community.  And if you think that is socialism, get your own damn blog.  Or setting up informational interviews where you can find out about different fields and the educational path to get there. Or have one of us recently unemployed teach a class in our field – passing on our expertise and maybe finding a new opportunity.

And I do have friends…