Archive for December 2014

MORE JAVA JOE'S! I Seriously Love This Place.

By | Published Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Hello! It hasn't been long since I last updated this blog! Haha, so anyway, I went to Java Joe's again!
Amy, for the first time EVER drove her car with me and her younger brother, Jason, to school! NO BUS RIDES FOR US, WE ARE COOL KIDS NOW. Lol no, that's not gonna be a daily thing. Only when Amy has to work at the coffee shop. 

 Strait after school ended, the two of us headed to Java Joe's. We jammed out to my phone's music, including Robin Sparkles' "Let's Go To The Mall", OK Go's "The Great Fire", and when Amy had 3 minutes to get to the coffee shop before being late, "Where Did The Party Go" by Fall Out Boy played to hype us up. 

 We got there JUST in time. 

 Bailey was in the coffee shop, although it wasn't her shift. From the chaos of yesterday, she had managed to lose her voice. She didn't stick around for long because of that. She just wasn't feeling well. 

 Rosa had told me that she'd be arriving soon, so I sat around on one of the couches of the coffee shop and knitted as I waited. 
Later, Rosa updated me that her mom decided to do some Christmas shopping, so she'd be later. I took this as cue to just order my food myself. Around this point in time, Tyler (Have I ever mentioned him before? Well in the time that I write this, he is Rosa's bae) arrived, so we ordered food together, and ate at the bar. I had realized that I only had with me five dollars, but noTHING ON THE MENU SOLD FOR FIVE BUCKS. So Amy so kindly let me 'borrow' (which I will return in the form of a mix CD, probably) money from her own wallet. That doll. 
Tyler shared a similar predicament, so Amy lent both of us money. Heh. Thanks, Amy, you're fab. 

 I ordered the Cheese Steak, and Tyler got the Triple Grilled Cheese. The service at the moment is kinda slow, but I'm sure that it'll improve as time goes on. I mean, it is only the 2nd day of business. I also hope that if business gets better, the prices will be able to go down, because phew 8 bucks is kinda a stretch for a couple of high school students without a job. 
The food was seriously DELICIOUS. It was SO. GOOD. 
At one point, Tyler left his seat to check out the arcade, and I grabbed his plate and 'hid' it. I vowed that I'd get take pics of record things in Java Joe's, so here is a video of what happened when Tyler got back.

Yep! 
Okay, so I finished my food, and payed for my meal. Tyler put the remains of his grilled cheese in a to-go box for Rosa's later consumption.

When Rosa DID finally arrive, the three of us headed to the arcade and played FAMILY FEUD! A hecka old game inside a box that was dusting, and the information extremely outdated. But oh man, was that game INTENSE. Saving you from the anger, frustration, anxiety, happiness, and all the other emotions that were wrought from that game, I ended up winning. 

 Once that was through, we exited the arcade to find that it was already dark outside! WOW the time had really passed. 
For the remainder of my time there, the three of us (and occasionally RJ) sat at the couch I was at before, and read from my book of Politically Correct Bedtime Stories. Hilarious. That book's rendition of The Princess and the Frog (Renamed 'The Frog Prince') was... it was a shock. I was horrified. It started out so, y'know, politically correct, and ended with politically justified murder? 

 And lastly, here an unflattering picture of us hanging out on the couch and things.


Thanks for reading!
-Jess

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JAVA JOE'S

By | Published Monday, December 22, 2014

Hello. It's kinda late as I write this, so I'm gonna keep this as brief as I can, while making it detailed enough so my future self can read this and be brought back in nostalgia. 

 SO TODAY, DECEMBER 22, 2014, BAILEY'S MOTHER'S COFFEE SHOP, JAVA JOE'S HAS OFFICIALLY OPENED!! I was able to go there tonight and seriously, I love it.
The walls are a nice, calming light green. As it was an hour til closing, it wasn't as jam packed as it's been reported it had been earlier. I ordered a small hot cocoa, (ugh so delicious) and my dad got a mocha. 
The entire staff is filled with people I know from school. Amy and Bailey, Matt, Tyler Sansone, John Grady, Padrick, Jen, and one other kid spotted from the kitchen that I didn't recognize. 
Matt was the one that took my order, and for him actually being nice to me, I gave him a considerate one dollar tip, which realllyyyy excited him. (Kinda cute). 
Rosa came over, and while we drank our hot cocoas, we caught up briefly. It's hard to believe that I haven't seen her in person in a month. Like, it feels like no time had passed, but when you think about it, Nerdsgiving, the last time we saw each other, was essentially today, last month. WOW. 
Anyway, it was real nice seeing her again, as well as Crystal Caruso. She was like "JESS! I MISS YOU, MY SWEET SAMSON!" to which Amy, who was manning the cash register, was amused by my nickname "Sweet Samson". IDK Crystal's always been calling me that. It's like the name that ONLY SHE is allowed to call me. She also sometimes calls me Jessica Samson (my full name). But 'My Sweet Samson' is her preferred name. 
Crystal was playing chess with Marcus at the bar. 

 After finishing our hot cocoas and snacks, Rosa and I headed over to the ARCADE (YES. THIS COFFEE SHOP HAS AN ARCADE.) and we played pool! It was my first time EVER playing pool, and guess what? I WON!!! I BEAT ROSA!!! AYEEE!
Amazing. 

Not too long after that, it was time for me to depart. 
I really enjoy Java Joe's. I'm going again tomorrow after school. 

 Thanks for reading!
-Jess

 P.S. 
I really wish I had taken pictures. Maybe I'll film a video of the Nerd Herd hanging out there for the ShowsBeforeBros channel?? :)

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Brock.

By | Published Friday, December 5, 2014

Hello. Wow, it's December again. 
This week was not the best. In fact, it was mainly exhausting. 
Last Saturday, November 29, 2014, Brock, the cute little birdie I've had since 2009... passed away. It's... heartbreaking, honestly. You know how you're not supposed to pick favorites between your kids? Well, out of Brock, Brooke, and Ellie... Brock was always my favorite.
Anyway, the last full night he was around, he was very ill. Like he was visibly more sick than he had been for the past couple of weeks. I just thought it was a thing that'd pass when I began noticing Brock being less active and tired. Then he started shedding a lot of feathers. Like, the top of his head had a bald spot, and the feathers around it were clumped together. Not sure what that was about. 
He was always sleeping or eating. He didn't sing as much.
On that last night, his flying didn't look to good either. He'd fly lower than normal, and he struggled flying for a short period of time. That was concerning. I knew something was very wrong when I went to pet him, and he didn't jump away, or put his foot on my finger to keep me from touching him. He just... accepted it. He stood on my hand, and didn't bother to move. The poor thing. 
My dad and I did the best we could to help keep him warm. His feathers were all poofed up. Looking at him wrapped up in a fluffy sock... I sort of sensed that his story would end soon. I pushed those thoughts away, though. 
Eventually, Brock to favor of being nestled near my neck in the little pouch of my sweater. I laid in my bed, watching youtube videos on my phone for a while as he slept cuddled up against my neck. I took pictures of this, because he'd never done this before. I sent the pics to my friends to share the moment. 
When I was tired to the point that I wanted to sleep, I wasn't sure what to do. I worried that if I just let myself fall asleep with Brock cuddled up with me, I might turn over in my sleep and crush his tiny body. Not wanting that, I brought Brock back downstairs near his cage and wrapped him up in his warm sock again. I wished him goodnight and went to bed. 

 Around 6AM, I was half asleep, and heard someone walk into my room, and then leave. 
Around 9AM, I woke up fully and brushed my teeth. I walked out of the bathroom, and my mom calls from her bedroom, "Jess, did you go downstairs yet?"
My immediate thought was, 'Oh no. He's dead'. 
I ran down the stairs and look at where I've left Brock on the table. He's not there. I look in the cage, and I see Brock in the sock as my dad and I have wrapped him the night before. He didn't look much different. His feathers were still fluffy. His eyes were open though, a blank, dead look in them. 
I croaked, "Brock? Brock!"
My voice cracked as I reached and pet my bird's feathers. I stood there for a moment, staring at him, frozen. My mind comprehending what I'm looking at. What had happened. Brock died. My sweet Brock. Gone. As the tears swelled in my eyes, I ran into my room and just sobbed. 
To my friends who I sent the pics of us cuddling together the night before, I told them the sad news, and I ruined their fun time together. They were very supportive for me, so I'm thankful for that. 
Ugh, I just... 
I cried for maybe fifteen minutes. 
It didn't really hurt as much as I thought it would. Maybe because I saw it coming? I'm just... really sad. 

 All week during school, I'd just be walking in the halls, and an "I miss Brock" would spring up into my brain. 
And I do miss him. I miss his fluffy feathers, his bad singing... I really wanted more of that cuddling to happen. Ever since I got Brock and Brooke back in 2009, all I wanted was a bird who'd do exactly what Brock did the night before he died. So... at least I got that type of 'closure' from him before he left. 
This first week of December, 2014.... not off to a great start. 
But for real, I never expected Brock to be gone by now. I thought he'd have at least a couple years left in him. Looks like I thought wrong.

Thanks for reading. 
-Jess

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