Getting Old

You know you're getting old when you can't drink coffee past 7 pm and still fall asleep. I used to be so tired reading for grad school that, in an attempt to stay awake, I would drink HOT coffee while sitting up at the kitchen table. Still, I would fall asleep on top of my books. In college, I would drink 10-12 cups a day . . . wouldn't have survived as an English/History major without it. Wow, did those profs assign some reading and writing! Ruined my knees, too, sitting on them while writing at my computer in my dorm.

Now, two years later, I can drink half a cup and be awake for hours. Maybe it's other stresses. And my legs are still bent beneath me, and my knees are still hurting. And there's a half-finished latte in the refrigerator, patiently waiting for tomorrow morning. What a shame.

Cool Beanz

As a coffee aficionados, my friend and I decided to check out a newly-opened coffee shop at 1325 30th St. in Rock Island . . . Cool Beanz (website in the works). Started by a recent Augustana College graduate, it was a coffee shop reminiscent of those I used to frequent in my own college town of Bloomington, Indiana. In that way, I felt immediately at home and at ease.

The menu: Extensive. I finally settled on "The Original Dirty Peanut" ($4.22) . . . with a name like that, how could I got wrong? This particular smoothie was sans espresso, which is generally a deal-breaker for me, but it did have a couple of my other favorite flavors--peanut butter and chocolate. And a mysterious ingredient called "smoothie cream." When I asked the cashier what "smoothie cream" was, she identified it as a white powder. "You know, smoothie cream." Nope. Don't know. Sounded very sci-fi to me, but I gave it a shot. We sat down and waited patiently for our drinks.

The decor: The walls were painted a warm yellow, covered sparingly with what I can only imagine were South American artwork and photos. We sat on a large, brown, leather sofa, the kind that lets you sink down into for some private girl-talk. Halfway through our chat, however, the owner asked us to get up so she could reposition the furniture, a move I've not experienced in a coffee house before. Why not wait until we were gone? I'll admit I was a bit miffed by her request.

A recent Dispatch article gives a bit of background on the owner and the cafe's history, and I'll admit I'm more forgiving of the couch-move after reading it. Once we learn more about people, we forgive them some of their imperfections, I suppose.

It was a good 15 minutes before our drinks arrived, which was a bit surprising to say the least. Still, I had some good conversation to keep me occupied. While eventually sipping on our smoothies, we stared at what looked like a fireplace inside a fish tank and an old grandfather clock.

I do appreciate the small business owner, and I would love to return, despite the slow service. Lord knows I'm not on top of my game at every given moment!