Eccentric Tea Woman

  Jack arrived at the beer house, ready to indulge in his weekly two beers. He got out of his Jeep, grabbed his journal and latest read, and walked inside the small yet lively place. Several people were seated at the tables with their various choices of beer, and Jack already knew that today was going to be a fantastic day. He sauntered up to the counter to place his order - a lively IPA with hints of lime and hibiscus - then carried his glass to the patio area outside. He sat down at one of the wooden picnic tables, placed his items in rigid order on the table, and glanced around at the other patrons. He allowed himself a small smile, knowing that today, oh yes today, would be the day for him. Today, he would finally get the courage to speak to someone, preferably a woman. He sipped his cold IPA and frowned a little; perhaps he needed some chips as well. Jack stared longingly at the interior of the establishment, knowing that it wouldn't take him long to procure a bag of locally m

  I woke up and knew that everything had changed. I glanced around as I yawned and stretched, seeing the leftover results from last night's party all over the floor. Yes, I thought with a smile, it was a fun time. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and planted my feet on the hardwood floor, ensuring that I wouldn't topple over when I stood up. I stood up. I placed my hands on my hips. I grinned. I entered the living room and noticed a sleeping form on my couch. The figure gave a loud snore, and I realized who it was. I kicked the figure lightly, then stood back as Paul rolled over and yawned loudly. My mouth tastes terrible , he groaned as he focused his bloodshot eyes on me. Did you just kick me? Time for you to leave , I replied in a sincere tone. It was a lot of fun last night, but I need to get ready for work. Paul sat up and scratched under his armpits, reminding me of a bear, then replied - got any matches? He began to pat down his rumpled shirt, then noticed a ma

  When Olivia woke up on a rainy Saturday, she realized that everything had changed. She looked at the rain storm outside her old windows in her bedroom then smiled as she slid out of bed. She walked down the narrow hall to her kitchen to prepare a cup of tea then stopped as she reached her living room. There were beer bottles all over the floor, along with issues of The New Yorker , several poetry books, and an ashtray overflowing with cigarette butts, some lipstick stained, and others just stained. She glanced at the sight, then plodded towards her kitchen. She really wanted a cup of tea. A rainy Saturday means that I can stay in and watch movies , she thought as she prepared her kettle. Olivia lowered her bag of Earl Grey tea into the mug and said aloud, “I don’t care anymore. All of it. None of it.” Although her words barely came out in a whisper, she felt as though the world heard her finalizations. Once everything was ready and the kettle slowly boiled the water, Olivia returne

  Ever since I decided to move my small business from Etsy to Shopify, I have received several emails from supposed people who claim that while they LOVE my website, they have the power to make it SO MUCH BETTER! They have the tools to increase my followers, drive more traffic, and make more money because honestly, who wouldn't want to make more money? Yesterday, I received an email from a man who had seen my YouTube channel  and told me that while it looked good, he was able to make it SO MUCH BETTER! More followers, bigger, faster, the works! I reached out and told him that I was fine with what I had. He thanked me for replying and added that if I changed my mind, I could reach out to him. I blocked him. I took a deep breath and asked myself (and later my boyfriend): why are we so consumed with making everything bigger, faster, cooler, with more dollar signs? Why can't we just accept it (whatever IT is) as what it is? Why not enjoy the moderately designed website, the moderat

  For the longest time, I worked in Corporate America by way of investment firms and banks. I completed my tasks, got paid, made some friends/associates, and felt a little empty inside but it was what I had to do. I had bills to pay, an apartment to upkeep, and my life to enjoy. One day in 2019, I decided to leave my current job because I learned that my manager not only threw me under the bus with regard to a work assignment but also when I confronted her with the truth that yes, I had completed what she claimed I didn't, she never replied or acknowledged that she was wrong. I couldn't work under those conditions, and so I turned in my notice and began the shaky path of being self-employed. For those of you who don't know, I own an online tea business plus I am a published author. I guess I am a creative professional or something along those lines. I spent some time working solely on my loose leaf tea blends and my novels that would be published either through my publisher

For quite some time, I have been an avid player of MMORPGs, specifically World of Warcraft and recently, Guild Wars 2 . I love the feeling of when I am about to delve into the fantasy world riddled with quests, meeting NPCs, and avoiding/engaging with other players. The scenery of each area, coupled with the sweeping music, makes me happily lose an hour or two of my day. However, it has recently dawned on me that while these games are fantastic to play, there are many lessons to learn regarding life. Here are several that I learned: One - Life is NEVER black and white. When you begin your journey into WoW or GW 2, you spend time creating your character. The race, gender, profession, and even colour of hair are quite important. You even get to choose your affiliation (Horde vs. Alliance) and so when you strike out into the world, you steadfastly hold on to what you believe in. However, the more you level up, the more you begin to see the blurred lines, that not everyone is pure evil no