Swampy fields of green ~ just outside of Eugene

So ... I'm on my way up to Portland to get JJ from her holiday visits in New Mexico and Colorado. She was able to celebrate with many friends of ours and a ton of family. While she was away from me & Santiago we made ourselves at home in Eugene OR. I worked a couple of jobs to make some cash, hang with Jakie, AND get to know this "hippie town" a little bit more. It is a fascinating here and although a it tempting to get stuck in the well-documented and proven Vortex of Eugene, we will be on our way down the west coast very soon.

I traveled north up I-5 this afternoon during a heavy, constant drizzle of moisture. The rolling hills of grassy fields, dotted with sheep, goats, farmhouses and barns popped with rich colors under the low-hanging grey clouds.

I decided to take a turn to the west and head toward Corvallis to see what this little town has to offer (aside from Beavers) ... well ... once again a universal, syncronistic event occured! I just DIG these things! I'll try to make it brief ...

Traveling to new towns in the northwest I found that I like to follow the "city center" signs to see what makes the heart of the community tick. Today I found OSU Beavers, wide one-way streets, hazelnuts, and old buildings with bright lights. As I looked for a local market I ran out of road, and settled for Safeway and pulled into the lot. Well, as thing are with me (lucky), I saw a little old church that had been turned into a coffeehouse! Perfect!

After shopping I grabbed my computer bag and lugged it across the street to plant myself for a few good hours of online time. The place is called 'Sivetz Coffee ~ Daily Roasting'. When I walked in I discovered a somewhat desolate room full of counters, equipment, shelves, a kitchen/laboratory, and 3 little tables for the guests.  Hmmm ...

A gal stepped out from the back room and I asked if they had wireless ... she said, "uh - no-o". Poop. So not what I was looking for, but I started telling her about my journey. She shared that they only roast the bean and make/sell espresso machines, then handed me an article about the owner that had been published in one of the industry trade magazines recently called "Fresh Cup", and said, "Read this".

The cover of the magazine was very familiar to me ... it is one that an Idaho coffeehouse allowed me to randomly steal from their massive stash of them. It was the SAME GUY, Michael Sivetz! Weird, eh?

But there's more to this little story ... As I read the article I realized that this man's story rings a bell. During WWII he is the man that invented and took instant coffee to the soldiers. Eugene's One Cup Coffeehouse owner, Okon, had told me about him and shared that he is a big part of recent coffee history; and a very difficult man that would probably not grant me any time, should I seek him out. Then I forgot about him, until I read this article IN HIS STORE! How nifty is THAT??

THEN the guy from the back room came out and started talking about Denver ... and mentioned a familiar name ... Kaladi Coffee!!!  WOW!  He knows my friend, Mark Overly! So I called Mark right then and there ~ that is where Mark got his intense training for his passionate start in the industry!

How's THAT for universal syncronicity!

Livin' it and Lovin' it!

Ciao.