The NFL is BACK!

As you may have heard, the NFL lockout is over and football is back! I cannot express how ecstatic this makes me.

It is no secret that I love sports, especially rugby and American football. I can now rest assured that Sunday and Monday evenings will be filled with professional football!....and homework.

There really is no downside to the NFL lockout being over, except for the fact that I'm a Bengals fan. Yeah, I said it. I go hard for my city, but I won't deny that we have long-standing tradition of misfortune and, well, losing...

Other annoyances about my football situation this season?

1) Aside from being a Bengals fan, I now live in Indiana - Colts territory. Please excuse me while I dry-heave.

2) I have no television in my apartment! At least for a while anyway. I figured I could do without for a while as it would be a distraction, and almost everything I watch is on Hulu or Netflix anyway. It's a luxury I can do without for a while. Unfortunately, what I didn't think about when I made that decision is: a) the RUGBY WORLD CUP starts in September! b) college and professional football both resume. Whoops. Guess I'll have to find a local sports bar to chill in until I make some friends.

No matter the circumstance, I'm glad the NFL is back.

Coffee Shop Review: Bad Ass Coffee Company

Here's a quick review of the Bad Ass Company in Pensacola, Florida:

 I have to say, Bad Ass Coffee Company was a pretty sweet concept. My friend Lise and I needed a pick-me-up before heading to the beach so we stopped in for a quick purchase.

We walked in to a small artificial Hawaiian oasis that specialized in Fair Trade Kona - both pure and blends.

This was a stop in and go sort of trip, so I only tried a latte.  Had I had time to sit down and have both espresso and drip - I probably would have preferred a drip in the end. Bad Ass Coffee is right next to a college campus, so they like to exploit the whole trendy, catchy coffee drink scene with flashy, complicated latte concoctions - something I am NOT a fan of. I settled for  a simple vanilla latte made with soy milk. The latte was over-sweetened with flavor syrup, usually done to cover up a subpar shot of espresso. It was okay, not great. The egg and cheese breakfast sandwich I had hit the spot though. I think it is also worth mentioning that the Frappucinno-esque blended coffee Lise ordered came pre-made out of a transformed Slushie machine. Seriously.

If you want to go to a coffee company with integrity that specializes in fair trade, hit up Bad Ass and try their drip, otherwise you should find a Drowsy Poet location.

Coffee Shop Review: The Drowsy Poet

As you may have heard, the NFL lockout is over and football is back! I cannot express how ecstatic this makes me.

It is no secret that I love sports, especially rugby and American football. I can now rest assured that Sunday and Monday evenings will be filled with professional football!....and homework.

There really is no downside to the NFL lockout being over, except for the fact that I'm a Bengals fan. Yeah, I said it. I go hard for my city, but I won't deny that we have long-standing tradition of misfortune and, well, losing...

Other annoyances about my football situation this season?

1) Aside from being a Bengals fan, I now live in Indiana - Colts territory. Please excuse me while I dry-heave.

2) I have no television in my apartment! At least for a while anyway. I figured I could do without for a while as it would be a distraction, and almost everything I watch is on Hulu or Netflix anyway. It's a luxury I can do without for a while. Unfortunately, what I didn't think about when I made that decision is: a) the RUGBY WORLD CUP starts in September! b) college and professional football both resume. Whoops. Guess I'll have to find a local sports bar to chill in until I make some friends.

No matter the circumstance, I'm glad the NFL is back. It's mid-July. What's the best thing to do? Why, visit dear friends in beautiful Florida, of course!

What's even better to do? Discover local coffee shops in beautiful Florida whilst visiting those dear  friends!

As you can probably gather,  I decided to find some shops in Pensacola, Florida while visiting some friends in the area. During my stay one of them mentioned The Drowsy Poet, a Pensacola area coffee shop with three locations, a main location and two smaller branch locations. 

After driving through the heat and humidity to get there, I was hoping for a pleasant experience. I got it.

Walking in, I noticed that they had the feel of a retired Starbucks, complete with a "drive-thru" and a deep green, circular logo with Shakespeare's face in the middle. When I walked in, I was happily greeted by all of the employees. They seemed to be quite okay with me studying their menu first to look for a product unique to them - something I like to do at coffee shops. Usually when a customer does anything of the sort at a coffee shop they get a pretentious stare-down. Not this one.

After a minute or so I decided upon the Coconut Mocha Poetcchino and an ice water. Usually I avoid blended coffee drinks for multiple reasons: they usually contain way too much sugar and fat, they're crazy expensive, and I simply prefer hot, crafted coffee. I decided it would be a good idea this time though since I was on vacation and very hot from the lack of air conditioning in my automobile.

To my surprise, my drink was ready in about 90 seconds and looked absolutely delicious. When I tried it I was blown away. I've had Mocha/Coconut combinations in coffee beverages before - including the Starbucks frappuccino version. This drink takes the cake in blended coffees for me. It was delicious and the flavors were evenly balanced, not too much espresso, coconut, or mocha. It was an excellent drink.

Upon receiving my drink I decided to take advantage of a my being there and explored the place a little bit. I found that they actually roast all of their beans on site, which is awesome. I was impressed to say the least.

The food, you ask? The food was absolutely amazing. On my second visit, I had a Poet's Salad, a simple mixed greens salad with cranberries, mandarin oranges,  bleu cheese, and balsamic dressing. One word: Yum.

Overall? Love this place. I'd recommend it to anyone in the Pensacola area.

Coffee Shop Review: Sidewinder

Coffee Shop: Sidewinder
Location: Hamilton Avenue, Northside, Cincinnati, Ohio
Website: www.sidewindercoffee.com

As I have expressed before,  I'm very passionate about coffee, tea, and espresso. I've loved all of it since I was roughly 7 years old when I asked my dad if I could try his coffee. Long story short: he obliged and the rest is history.

I'm not one of those stereotypical "Don't talk to me until I've had my morning coffee" people, but I do drink it just about every day. Thinking of it, I rarely ever actually have coffee early in the morning. I feel too rushed. Being a woman makes mornings hard/rushed enough with hair, makeup, etc. I don't need coffee to wake up, nor do I need to add one more item to my morning ritual. If coffee naturally had no caffeine at all, I would still love it - possibly more than I do now. Having said that, I'm not the type of person that likes to throw my coffee into a cup and drink it on the go either. When I have a cup of coffee I like to set an hour aside, find a good atmosphere, and have some "me-time" while I enjoy my beverage. Naturally, a good coffee shop can quickly become my second home.

One of my goals this summer is to visit at least two coffee shops a week and review them. My first coffee shop during this project? Sidewinder in Northside, Cincinnati, Ohio. 

First, let me state that I love Northside. It's creative and eclectic, not to mention it is the home of two Cincinnati gems: Melt (Vegan/Vegetarian friendly café) and Skincraft (Tattoo and Piercing). I'd heard about Sidewinder many times before and have often passed by it on my way through Northside, but have never actually gone in. I decided to change that today in a fit of boredom.

Sidewinder turned out to be a typical coffee house.  The standard mix-matched tables and chairs, chalkboard menus, and local artist displays. It had that kind of a rustic feel that I like in a coffeehouse, but for some reason I just wasn't feeling it. As I walked in I was greeted by a melancholy employee who seemed to be put off by me - staring me down like I was clearly offending him by my presence. I gave him a pass on it though, as it was a beautiful (yet unbelievably humid) Sunday and he was at work.
Strike One.

One of the reasons I decided to go to Sidewinder was that I was seriously craving some French Press coffee. I have been told - by friends and their menu - that they have a French Press option available.

 I quote the menu online:
"French Press, $3.50. Rich, strong coffee, coarsely ground & brewed in it's own little 'french press'."

Denied on the French Press, my plan for delicious FP coffee is foiled. Strike Two.

After my disappointment with both the hospitality and initial coffee attempt, I decided to go with a cup of their daily fair-trade drip coffee. When I asked what kind of coffee they had? Didn't know, couldn't tell me a single thing about it. When I tasted the black coffee before adding a bit of sugar and half and half (as I always do), it was VERY acidic . Bad news bears. Brewing a good cup of drip (or anything for that matter) requires knowing a little bit about the coffee itself. Strike Three.

Something good did come out of this trip though: the food. I originally ordered a Chicken Salad Sandwich on Croissant but opted for a Tuna Salad Sandwich on Croissant when they didn't have any chicken left. No big deal. I was not disappointed in the slightest, as the Tuna Salad was heavenly - perfect ratio of ingredients with an added flair of dill to set it off with crisp cucumber on a toasted butter croissant. The sandwich was served with a side of fresh, crisp, green grapes. Delicious.

Generally whenever I'm trying a new coffee shop I like to order both drip and espresso, but I was so disappointed with the coffee and atmosphere I didn’t even want to stick around for the second drink. Next time I'm in Northside I'll stop in to give the espresso a 'shot' (pun intended) and post an update. Until then, this shop isn't one I would recommend if you want the overall coffee experience. I believe in second chances, so who knows, my opinion may change.

Until next time,

RoboRay

Jumping Back Into the Blogging World

I never thought I would say this, but I've decided to jump back into the world of blogging.

It has been about six years since I was last in the blogging world.  When I was a teenager I had a blog about dance and my life as a dancer. I used it as a medium to keep my friends up to date when I travelled around the country for performances. It wasn't anything special, but it served its purpose at the time. When I decided to retire from dance, I decided it was time to retire the blog as well.  From that point until now I had no reason, desire, or time to maintain one.

I decided recently that I wanted to start a new blogging project. I'm 22 years old, and having just completed my undergraduate college career, I'm kind of stuck in limbo while I wait to move off to graduate school. I literally have nothing to do but hang out and wait until I start my next big adventure.

In the meantime, I have decided to occupy my time with a project. The goal of the project? Have a summer of "firsts". Sounds vague, I know. That's because it is. My objective is to visit and enjoy all of the Cincinnati venues I've always heard about but never gotten to try in my 22 years of living here, watch all of the movies I've heard about but never gotten to see, try new foods, and the list goes on.

Unfortunately, my summer is half-over thanks to graduating from a quarter school and transitioning into a semester school. Despite its short duration, my summer has been a complete blast - and I've already experienced A LOT of firsts that I'll tell you about later. I don't want summer to end (heavy sigh).

I'll be writing about all of my summer shenanigans in the coming weeks. Hopefully, if all goes as planned, I'll be able to continue writing as I make the move to Purdue University in August and tackle my biggest challenge yet: getting my PhD.

If you take a look at my interests on this blog, you should be able to gather what you might be in store for. I have a very wide array of interests and I'm passionate about many things.  Some of my plans include, going to at least two coffee shops a week (I have a deep, undying love for coffee, tea, and espresso) and trying to go through my entire first semester at Purdue without wearing any Bearcats/UC attire to school (harder than it sounds). Most blogs have a specific subject that they address - mine will likely not adhere to that standard. You could be reading about nail polish one day, football the next, and neuroscience the day after. That's just what makes me who I am.

I look forward to sharing my thoughts and experiences,

RoboRay

Side Note: I'm a scientist. Part of being a scientist is mastering a scientific writing style with slightly altered rules of punctuation and usage. It's choppy, it often omits words or replaces words with commas, etc. I'm working on my ability to transition from one writing style to the another, but it's definitely taking some work. I am fully aware that my writing will not be perfect,  though I will try my best.