Poem: "Coffee Solves All These Problems"

[ysabetwordsmith]

This is the freebie for the January 2015 Creative Jam. It was inspired by a prompt from alexseanchai. It also fills the "Warming / Cooling Drinks" square in my 12-17-14 card for the genprompt_bingo fest. This poem belongs to the series Polychrome Heroics.


"Coffee Solves All These Problems"


Claire rose on Saturday morning
and put the coffee on, the rich smell
waking up body and brain alike
as she warmed her hands on the mug.

She drank one cup with breakfast,
black and sweet, her face reflecting
in the smooth surface of the coffee.
Then she had another while packing
the things she would need for the day.

Claire walked across campus
to what had been a student dorm
before Easy City bought it and turned it
into the Laguardia Residence Hall
for homeless veterans.

It gave them a place to stay and familiar company,
convenient to various stores and restaurants
plus the campus itself for those who wished to study.
The whole place was swarming with activity
as students helped make it more homey.

Horticulture majors dug in the raised beds
to plant herbs and flowers, or carried
houseplants up the front steps.

Other students brought boxes filled with books,
fragrant with the scent of paper and leather,
donated by various libraries and the campus bookstore.

On the way in, Claire crossed paths with Poindexter
lugging an enormous box with a picture
of a deep green slow cooker, plus a cookbook
balanced somewhat precariously on top.

"This is from Gumbo Ya-Ya,"
he said. "What are you bringing?"

"A French press," she said.
"It makes twelve cups of coffee.
The French club chipped in to buy it."

The students and various other benefactors
were trying to make sure that every common room
had something nice in it for the new residents.

Housefather Arturo Santos directed people
with the confidence of a traffic cop,
routing the veterans to bedrooms.

Housemother Edna Beauregard guided
the students bearing gifts to common rooms.

Claire helped Poindexter put down
the slow cooker and its cookbook in Suite 108,
then headed to her assigned location
around the corner in Suite 107.

Valentina, also known as Neon Girl, was already
in the bathroom left of the door, stocking it
with shaving equipment and men's cosmetics.
"Hi," she said. "I brought stuff to make the guys
more handsome, but looks like they don't need it!"

Two young men in wheelchairs, Holden
missing his left leg and Donjae missing both,
grinned and laughed at her remark.

A middle-aged man in a white t-shirt,
who introduced himself as Reno, was
dextrously cracking eggs in the kitchenette with
a super-gizmotronic arm evidently controlled by his mind.

"This coffee maker is from the French club,"
said Claire. "Thank you for your service."

"You're welcome, and thank you for your support,"
he replied. "We want to do all kinds of things,
but we're not in top shape, we're tired,
some of us feel a little low. Coffee
solves all these problems!"

A boy who looked no older
than Claire came into the suite,
led by a golden retriever in a sturdy harness.



"Watch your step," Poindexter warned
at the same time the men in wheelchairs
chorused, "Trip hazard, twelve o'clock!"
although the guide dog stopped short of it.

The three of them quickly dragged the luggage
out of the way so the new boy could enter,
the residents directing him toward a bedroom.

Claire recalled that the veteran housing program
intended to capitalize on their familiarity with
communal living and team bonding to foster
new ties that would give them a support network.
Hopefully some of them would later move
into an apartment or a house together.

She set up the French press while
Valentina measured the coffee and water.

"Wake up and smell the coffee!"
caroled the blind boy, Jaimeson, drawn back
into the kitchenette by the dark aroma.

Claire thought she could sense her gift working,
a subtle shift in luck that should help
improve life for this little household.

Poindexter gave her a discreet thumbs-up
to confirm it, which made her smile.

Coffee couldn't fix everything, nor could
her superpower, but they could definitely
make a lot of things better.

* * *

Notes:

Housemother Edna Beauregard -- She has ruddy skin, short blonde hair, and blue eyes. She served in the Army for eight years, with two tours of duty, before retiring to raise a family. Now she works as the housemother at the Laguardia Residence Hall for veterans in Easy City. Edna collects army memorabilia and has a whole display case of toy soldiers.
Qualities: Master (+6) Organization, Expert (+4) Combat Veteran, Good (+2) Collector of Army Memorabilia, Good (+2) Mediation, Good (+2) Nurturing
Poor (-2) Nearsighted

Notice that Terramagne-America has allowed women in combat for a lot longer than our world has.

Housefather Arturo Santos -- He has tinted skin, gray hair, and brown eyes. He served in the Navy for twelve years, which is where he learned to cook for the masses. Now he works as the housemother at the Laguardia Residence Hall for veterans in Easy City. Arturo enjoys tinkering with things and repairing items rather than replacing them.
Qualities: Master (+6) Leadership, Expert (+4) De-Escalation, Good (+2) Galley Cook, Good (+2) Handyman, Good (+2) Honest
Poor (-2) Low Education

Reno Cardenas -- He has tinted skin, brown eyes, and black hair starting to go gray. His left arm is severed near the elbow, replaced by a super-gizmo that he can control with his mind. He served for twelve years in the Air Force. Now he lives in Suite 107a of the Laguardia Residence Hall in Easy City. Reno loves playing poker and other card games. He dislikes underground or windowless spaces.
Qualities: Expert (+4) Veteran Pilot, Good (+2) Card Games, Good (+2) Fast, Good (+2) Steady
Powers: Average (0) Super-Dexterity
Poor (-2) Claustrophobic

Holden Morrisett -- He has fair skin, blue eyes, and light brown hair. He is missing his left leg near the hip and uses a wheelchair. He served in the Marines for three and a half years prior to his injury. Now he lives in Suite 107b of the Laguardia Residence Hall in Easy City. He enjoys playing wheelchair basketball and memorizing the stats of other players.
Qualities: Good (+2) Marine Veteran, Good (+2) Followship, Good (+2) Honorable, Good (+2) Memory, Good (+2) Wheelchair Basketball
Poor (-2) Choosing His Own Path

Donjae Roberson -- He has brown skin, brown eyes, and very short black hair. Both legs were severed near the hips, so he uses a wheelchair. He served in the Navy for just over two years prior to his injury. Now he lives in Suite 107b of the Laguardia Residence Hall in Easy City. He enjoys playing wheelchair basketball and collecting basketball cards.
Qualities: Good (+2) Dependable, Good (+2) Leadership, Good (+2) Navy Veteran, Good (+2) Spatial Intelligence, Good (+2) Wheelchair Basketball
Poor (-2) Hates Flying

Jaimeson Tate -- He has brown skin, one brown eye, and nappy dark brown hair worn short on top and shaved at the sides. He is fully blind, his left eye missing and his right nonfunctional. He navigates with a guide dog, and wants to learn how to pinpoint people with his other senses. Prior to his injury, he served as an Army sniper, but it wasn't even a year before he was sent home with a medical discharge. Now he lives in Suite 107a of the Laguardia Residence Hall in Easy City. Jaimeson prefers playing dice to cards, and particularly excels at Pirate Dice.
Qualities: Good (+2) Dice Games, Good (+2) Keen Senses, Good (+2) Making Friends, Good (+2) Sense of Humor, Good (+2) Veteran Sniper
Poor (-2) Fully Blind

* * *

"We want to do a lot of stuff; we're not in great shape. We didn't get a good night's sleep. We're a little depressed. Coffee solves all these problems in one delightful little cup."
-- Jerry Seinfeld

In our world, New Orleans is taking steps to get homeless veterans off the streets. There are ways you can help homeless and other veterans.

Houseplants, desk plants, flowers, and herbs can make people happier. Learn how to care for raised beds and houseplants.

Reading can make people happier too. Old books smell like home to many people, thus create a sense of security.

A French press can make up to 12 cups of coffee. Some people think it tastes better than coffee made in other ways.

See the 8.5 quart slow cooker and the cookbook. You can also find many crockpot recipes online.

Bread makers like this 3-pound model have several advantages.

Brewing coffee, baking bread, and simmering soup are among the smells that cheer people up.

Good cosmetics can boost confidence for men as well as women.

Comments

Easy City?

[dialecticdreamer]

Darn, I was hoping there would be something similar in Urbanburg!

I like this. Then again, the idea of building community instead of moving like a single, isolated speck in a sea of strangers is probably one of my favorites, ever.

It's the whole scene, the image of a new apartment being filled and furnished, that appeals most, I think. I'd love to have the house down the street on my block, too.

Amen on the French Press, btw. Even though I don't drink it, there is a distinct difference in /smell/, too.

Re: Easy City?

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> Darn, I was hoping there would be something similar in Urbanburg! <<

It's possible that somebody will start one there too. The project is meant to be replicable. This is actually one of two sites that Easy City acquired, for people who prefer urban living. They bought a campground for the rural folks.

I'm pretty sure that this is inspired by another project which already has locations in multiple cities. Project Life Support fights suicide by creating a support network for suicidal people. There are residential, live-in, and visiting levels of support. It's kind of like having a sober companion, only these are living companions and the relationship is meant to be permanent even though the level of support will hopefully change. They identify what makes people's lives unlivable and try to fix that, which usually starts by providing security, meaning, and and company. They started out with sharehouses, then added apartment buildings for live-in assistance and independent living, because suicidal people are often homeless or at risk of becoming so. Given that background, it's easy to see how the veteran housing program can be expanded too.

>> I like this. Then again, the idea of building community instead of moving like a single, isolated speck in a sea of strangers is probably one of my favorites, ever. <<

Yay! I feel the same way. I think the loss of connection to a place and a stable group of people causes many problems. Terramagne has higher awareness of social needs, so they have various programs designed to foster connections.

>> It's the whole scene, the image of a new apartment being filled and furnished, that appeals most, I think. <<

I thought about moving days, how much more fun and less stressful it is when everybody pitches in together and makes almost a party of it. Somebody probably ordered a truckload of pizza for supper!

>> I'd love to have the house down the street on my block, too. <<

Wouldn't that be cool? Putting it on campus benefits the veterans by giving them close proximity to goods and services including education. But it also benefits the students through volunteer opportunities, people with lots of life experience who can help them do things, potential interview subjects for students of history or journalism, etc.

>> Amen on the French Press, btw. Even though I don't drink it, there is a distinct difference in /smell/, too. <<

Fascinating. I love the smell of coffee, although not the flavor.

Re: Easy City?

[mdlbear]

Love my French press. It's a 20oz, which means that in theory I could get two reasonable-size servings out of it. In practice, it nicely fills my 16oz insulated mug (if I don't put the lid on).

Re: Easy City?

[ysabetwordsmith]

Thanks for the input. I'm glad to hear from French press fans!

Re: Easy City?

[thnidu]

Oh yes, French press, yes yes!

The one disadvantage to my thinking is that they're a little difficult to clean out well, esp. since the grounds should not go down the sink. I also use paper (Melitta) filters in a holder shaped like a funnel, only with a line- instead of point-shaped outflow at the bottom, in a flat base that will sit on the cup. That way I just throw them out, grounds and all. I'd compost them if I had any use for compost -- I have an apartment, no yard.

This also means I buy my coffee in two different grinds, because the French press takes a coarse grind and the filter a medium fine one.

Re: Easy City?

[ysabetwordsmith]

Fascinating! Thanks for sharing.

Some apartment buildings have started a shared compost bin because it reduces garbage volume. Compost can then be used onsite (if people have houseplants or the building has landscaping) or donated elsewhere.

Re: Easy City?

[thnidu]

Nah, I live in one of just two apartments over a coffee shop/restaurant that closed shortly after I moved in, alas.

[alexseanchai]

Sweeeet.

Thank you!

[ysabetwordsmith]

I'm glad you liked this.

[stardreamer]

Even as a freak non-coffee-drinker, I can appreciate this. Especially since I don't have to smell it from the screen! :-)

Thank you!

[ysabetwordsmith]

I'm glad you enjoyed the poem.

You're not a freak; I know other folks who dislike coffee. Even I don't like to drink it, although I love the smell.

Re: Thank you!

[stardreamer]

Sadly, American society does consider me a freak; as with many other types of prejudice, it's not so much in the overt expression as in the small details of everyday life. I've only encountered the overt version once -- the wide-eyed, "You don't drink COFFEE??!!!" in a tone of complete incredulity -- but look at the standard "hospitality" layouts at business meetings, in hotel rooms, etc. You're lucky to find tea at all, and if you do it's Lipton* and/or herbal blends, and in most hotel rooms your only option for hot water is to run it thru the coffee-maker, which yields coffee-flavored tea. :-(

Coincidentally, this came up in another one of my online communities last week, in the context of "things that make people feel excluded". Someone mentioned that the constant drumbeat of "writing is fueled by coffee" in her NaNoWriMo group felt as if she was continually being reminded that she didn't belong. I don't get that feeling exactly, but it is painfully obvious that American culture considers coffee-drinking to be a universal norm just as heterosexuality, good health, and neurotypicality are considered universal norms.


* Lipton in England isn't bad. Lipton in America is... not up to that standard. Oh, and if you're an iced-tea drinker, you want to avoid Gold Peak. Brewed Gold Peak is only mediocre, but if the restaurant makes it from concentrate, it's VILE -- the iced-tea equivalent of Bluebird orange juice.

Re: Thank you!

[ysabetwordsmith]

>>I've only encountered the overt version once -- the wide-eyed, "You don't drink COFFEE??!!!"<<

I've gotten that a time or too. I tell them, quite frankly, that I'm spoiled. I remember what coffee was/will be tasting like a millennium or more in the future. It tastes the way it smells. Imagine a modern coffee snob's reaction to wild arabica beans. Yeah. That's how I feel about this stuff. :P

The schenta in Blueshift Troupers is like that. Someone took live coffee beans through a jumpgate, and the jumpgate thought, "I say! That domestication process is not finished at all. Here, let me fix it." And there was schenta, and it was very very good.

>> but if the restaurant makes it from concentrate, it's VILE -- the iced-tea equivalent of Bluebird orange juice. <<

I would have said Tang or Hi-C. Orange-flavored fluid.

Re: Thank you!

[ysabetwordsmith]

Oh, and if you haven't read "The Waxahachie Tea Party" you should.

Re: Thank you!

[lilfluff]

For fun try being someone who enjoys neither coffee (at least as a drink, I like coffee flavored near anything else) nor tea. If I'm in the mood for a hot drink then it's cocoa. At work I can count on one hand the number of times there's been even one cocoa packet nestled in amongst the tea bags.

Re: Thank you!

[ysabetwordsmith]

Wow, that's got to suck.

I'm used to having to provide my own sustenance at many places.

Re: Thank you!

[book-worm5.livejournal.com]

I realize this is from months ago, but I wanted to chime in as another non-coffee non-tea drinker, though I will occasionally try herbal blends if that's what's being served. Generally I stick to water, sometimes hot chocolate as you said. My work also has packets of apple cider mix sometimes, which I enjoy well enough.

As for the story itself, I'm enjoying this thread so far. Hopefully Claire's little boost will help these folks out.

Re: Thank you!

[ysabetwordsmith]

Hot apple cider with spices and/or caramel is a favorite. Sometimes coffeehouses have that starting in autumn and running through winter. Sometimes you can find hot lemonade if there are activists or theatre majors around, because they may not want the caffeine of lemon tea.

[chanter_greenie]

I like this! Valentina's quip made me giggle, and the chorused trip hazard warning seems pitch perfect for veterans. That made me instantly like those two, though I can't tell if it's the obvious military aspect, the clue they've both clearly got, or what.

I don't know if it's Starfleet that's biased me this way (Trek fan since age 12 or so) but I seem to have a fondness for military types. I'm just realizing this. Hmm.

Awww golden guide dog! Golden guide dog doing exactly what they're supposed to do, too. :D The fact that Jaimison is paired with a golden retriever says something about him. Fair warning, I'm bringing my own experiences with guide dogs into play here. It takes a certain sort of personality to work with, say, a German shepherd versus a lab or a golden. Personally, I know I haven't got it! A shepherd (except for a few very marshmallowy exceptions) would metaphorically walk all over me. The fact that Jaimison has a golden (confident, friendly/social, known for silliness) says something about his personality. Is he more the easygoing type when he's not actively working with sniper skills?

Thank you!

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> I like this! Valentina's quip made me giggle, <<

Yay!

>> and the chorused trip hazard warning seems pitch perfect for veterans. <<

Thanks for the vote of confidence.

>> That made me instantly like those two, though I can't tell if it's the obvious military aspect, the clue they've both clearly got, or what. <<

I think they're going to stick together, having common experience in seafaring. They've also spent time around other disabled veterans of various types, so their situational awareness for that is high.

>> I don't know if it's Starfleet that's biased me this way (Trek fan since age 12 or so) but I seem to have a fondness for military types. I'm just realizing this. Hmm. <<

Hey, whatever floats your boat. I have this residence hall and the Dumont Veterans Retreat out in the country as the Easy City solution to homelessness. You can always prompt for more. Creative Jam isn't even over yet, though I do need to write stuff for prompters I haven't covered thus far.

>> Awww golden guide dog! Golden guide dog doing exactly what they're supposed to do, too. :D <<

Yep, although a verbal warning helps too. Jaimeson and his dog are a fairly new team -- the injury itself isn't all that old -- so there's no guarantee of perfect performance yet.

>> The fact that Jaimison is paired with a golden retriever says something about him. <<

*grin* Yes it does!

>> Fair warning, I'm bringing my own experiences with guide dogs into play here. <<

I have a little experience with assistance dogs of various types that people around me have had, along with other working dogs.

>> It takes a certain sort of personality to work with, say, a German shepherd versus a lab or a golden. <<

Agreed. Shepherds are sharp, hard workers. Labs tend to be more mellow than the other too, good reliable dogs. We had a black lab once (ironically, named after a character's dog and not the other way around).

>> Personally, I know I haven't got it! A shepherd (except for a few very marshmallowy exceptions) would metaphorically walk all over me. <<

Yeah, you really have to prove dominance with them.

>> The fact that Jaimison has a golden (confident, friendly/social, known for silliness) says something about his personality. Is he more the easygoing type when he's not actively working with sniper skills? <<

Bullseye! Look at his character sheet again, and you'll see both Making Friends and Sense of Humor listed.

I kind of suspect that the guide dog will wind up doubling as therapy dog for everyone in the unit. Goldens are great for that: steady enough to cry on, wacky enough to cheer you up, but not so hyper as to get on your nerves.

Re: Thank you!

[chanter_greenie]

I did spot that when looking at the character sheet a second time. Yay! I can easily see that golden doubling as therapy dog too; goldens and labbies are great to have around when someone needs friendly fuzz therapy. :) The icon I used previously, for information's sake, is of my guide dog of eleven years, one dearly loved, much-missed mellow yellow lab. He was provider of snuggle and wag therapy for a few people himself over the years, including me.

Tangentially related, I hope nobody in that hall is allergic to dogs...! Oh double-coated breeds and their fur. :)

Now this really *is* unrelated. I've had the idea in my head forever that Valentina/Neon Girl could do something with her ability in a search and rescue vein, whether that's marking a path in an obvious way, sending up a neon flare, or something else. Maybe one of the veterans puts her onto that...? I may just have to prompt for this.

Re: Thank you!

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> I did spot that when looking at the character sheet a second time. Yay! I can easily see that golden doubling as therapy dog too; goldens and labbies are great to have around when someone needs friendly fuzz therapy. :) <<

Cool.

>> The icon I used previously, for information's sake, is of my guide dog of eleven years, one dearly loved, much-missed mellow yellow lab. He was provider of snuggle and wag therapy for a few people himself over the years, including me. <<

How adorable!

>> Tangentially related, I hope nobody in that hall is allergic to dogs...! Oh double-coated breeds and their fur. :) <<

In a whole building full of people, someone probably is. But you can't exclude service animals for that reason, which can make it hard to find housing for people with severe breathing issues. The best solution is to put the people with allergies on a different floor than the people with service animals. It looks like they're putting people with disabilities on the first floor. Some of the function space is upstairs, but there are alternate modes of navigation if necessary. Access to the critter-frequented lower floor may be a challenge for anyone with serious enough allergies. But each suite has living, bathroom, and kitchenette facilities so at least the basics are taken care of.

>> Now this really *is* unrelated. I've had the idea in my head forever that Valentina/Neon Girl could do something with her ability in a search and rescue vein, whether that's marking a path in an obvious way, <<

That would work. She can sort of put temporary super "paint" on things.

>> sending up a neon flare, or something else. <<

I'm not sure about that one. So far she might be able to leave trails of color behind her fingers, but I doubt more. With practice, if it was something she really wanted, maybe. There are times when just making a big splotch of color is useful, like snow rescues.

>> Maybe one of the veterans puts her onto that...? I may just have to prompt for this. <<

That's a possibility. I know that the Dumont Veterans Retreat is going to get into that sort of thing. The place starts off with some very basic obstacle equipment and they quickly expand it. That gets some other first responders interested, because the vets are hoofing their disabled buddies through the course as part of the team, the ones who want to go there. It creates a rare and valuable resource of training-day "victims" who are actually pretty tough.

Prompt if you wish. There's no reason a would-be makeup artist can't volunteer for SAR on the side.

allergies vs communal living

[callibr8]

What kind of heat does the building have? Radiant heat is best for low-allergen situations, as well as usually being fairly energy-efficient. Oh, wait - this is Easy City, so it's the 'C' part of HVAC that will be the most challenging, right? In which case, they probably have some kind of per-unit A/C, sort of like hotels, maybe? That would avoid the problem of central air transmitting allergens, at least.

As for the common areas ... always-on HEPA and/or electrostatic filters for those areas - unless Terramagne has something better? Then there's the question of how to balance hard surfaces (easier to clean and less trapping of allergens) with comfort. Since I'd expect that janitorial jobs pay better wages there, I'd think that most buildings would get frequent and thorough cleanings with low-toxicity products...

That spurs yet another line of thought: the last few decades have seen a huge increase in severe allergies in our world. Do they have the same problem, or did they get on top of it sooner and avoid the over-sterilized environment which contributed to ours? Does the Aegis vaccine base address any of this? Have they debunked the vaccine-autism scare that has led to widespread under-immunization and its dire consequences here?

I'm going to stop there, before any more worms crawl out of the can in my brain. :-)

[technoshaman.livejournal.com]

You can tell Seinfeld is from Back East. "Little cup" and "coffee" do not juxtapose in Cascadia. I once rejected an otherwise lovely 11.5oz cup for not being big enough. And I wasn't even born here! :)

Instantly recognised art imitating life, in the Big Easy also taking care of its vets. My Vet friends here are a little envious ... and hope it catches on.

Yay!

[ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com]

>> Instantly recognised art imitating life, in the Big Easy also taking care of its vets. <<

I'm glad you made that connection. It was part of the inspiration for this poem, which is kind of a reward for civilized behavior. Good city, have a cookie. :D

>> My Vet friends here are a little envious ... and hope it catches on. <<

That's understandable. I hope it catches on too.

I think that getting people into a whole private apartment would be more costly and time-consuming, and that barracks don't offer the privacy that stressed-out people need. A residence hall -- and the retreat center out in the countryside -- seem like a reasonable compromise. Gathering people into small, stable clusters also encourages bonding so that they have a support network. There are also a few places within each facility for people who need a completely private unit.