Over the past two weeks, quite a bit has been going on at the shop. New coffees have arrived including Yemen Mocha Sanani, Mocha Java Blend has returned, and I've been working on transitioning to new lots for several coffees, most of which are out on the shelf now. I have been especially hurried because I wanted to make certain things were handled before going to the SCAA conference in Seattle.
I flew into Seattle yesterday and after checking into the hotel, minimally unpacking, and ensuring the in room data port worked, I set out on a pleasant walk around the city in search of the convention center. Several people were concerned that it might be raining the entire time I was here, but the sky was just partly cloudy with temperatures that were a little chilly, but a coat was not necessary. I knew that the convention center was near to the hotel, so my strategy for finding it was simply to walk around in spiral with the hotel at origin. This is probably not the quickest way to find a place, but it lead me to a set of stairs through a little park to an understated entrance. The experience had a wonderful aesthetic to it.
Once inside, I headed for registration. I registered for the conference online as soon as online registration was open back in January so that I would not forget. Due to the early registration, I was expecting my badge and tickets to be mailed, but they were not. It seems that online registration was opened a little before it was ready and my registration was not properly in the system. Comments from the other side of the counter as they were trying to figure out what to do with me convinced me that I was not the first person they encountered who had problems due to registering early. Fortunately, I had all of my registration documentation with me and after a while everything was set right in the system.
By this time, it seemed most of the downtown eateries were closed, but an espresso, a coffee, and a wander later I found a place to eat a sandwich.
Today my plan is to start with breakfast in the hotel, take some Viking Blend Espresso to the convention center where it will be used for Beginning and Intermediate Espresso classes, and attend a Friday seminar on green grading before going to the conference welcome (Jane Goodall is giving the keynote address, so I am looking forward to this) and welcome reception.
I am still on Racine time and as such am awake two hours early, but that has given me time to wake up without caffeine (I will have enough of that later today) and put this up. Time permitting, more trip details will be available in the coming days.