VernetteOutLoud

Coffee To Go

Coffee To Go

If we were having coffee, it would be for a quick link up at the coffee shop nearest to my office. And we would have our steaming cups of java to go. It’s been a hectic week around these parts. I started in a new department on Monday and between training on my new desk and still holding the hand of the guy on my old one…I have not had much time to come up for air.

Our cuppas today is of the to-go variety because I still have stuff to complete in the office. And that’s where I’m headed. So sorry that we could not sit and savour our java today. And I am especially sorry that we can’t have our usual catch up, but it really couldn’t be helped.

I still want to hear all your news, so tell me everything and we will catch up fully when the dust settles. What’s happening in your world?

Feel free to share in the comments below.  

#WeekendCoffeeShare is an awesome link-up where coffee is being shared over great conversations. Join in this week’s fun here.

Weekend Plans Start With Coffee

Photo by: Natalie Collins, Unsplash

Because All My Weekend Plans Start With Coffee

If we were having coffee, I would tell that it’s been really busy in my part of the world. And when things get like that, I go back to the basics – sleep and then coffee. Today, we are having a quick cup of coffee, while we catch up. A drink and run if you will, but I’m still going to brew in my usual Saturday slow routine.

Let’s see how did the week go? It was a four-day work week for us Trinis, as Monday was a holiday. However, there were are two things to know about that: 1. Four-day work weeks such when you have deadlines. It means that your those four days actually feel like seven. And 2. We spent Monday being anxious and a little afraid, because we were under a tropical storm watch.

Not So Fun Fact: The storm was named Bret. The last time a tropical storm named Bret was headed our way was in 1993. Tropical Storm Bret was one of the deadliest storms to ever hit our very close neighbour Venezuela and the fact that 2017 Bret seemed to be headed directly for us, was a major source of worry on Monday.

Long rainy night and story short, the storm came with heavy rains and gusty winds. Some parts of Trinidad suffered flooding and homes were damaged. Some parts of our country fared better than others. Most of us were grateful that the impact was not any worse.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that once the storm passed, I was out to work on Tuesday for the start of the longest short work week evah! But I survived, powered by many cups of coffee.

Moving On

Speaking of work and the reason we are having a quick cuppa and catch up this week, I am moving to a new department effective July 01st. Now normally it is tough to ensure that everything is ready for handover, be on top of your work (because the work continues) and say goodbye to the team you have grown to enjoy working with for the better part of four years. But trying to do all of that, in a month with three consecutive four-day weeks…is near impossible.

As a result of enjoying those extra days at home, I am heading into the office today, to get some things done without the distraction of ringing phones and deadline. So sorry to brew and run, but tell me your news and we will catch up fully when the dust settles. What’s happening in your world?

Tell me in the comments below.  

#WeekendCoffeeShare is an awesome link-up where coffee is being shared over great conversations. Join in this week’s fun here.

What Do I Say On Father’s Day

 

Happy Father’s Day.

I sat down to write today’s post, but three glasses of red wine later…still nothing.

I eventually went through some of my older posts written on Father’s Day for some spark of inspiration, but all that got me was a walk down memory lane.

It feels weird that after all this time, I cannot bring myself to write any words of anything today. I acknowledge that I know some great fathers and men I have the utmost respect for…but when it comes to saying anything beyond the trite: Happy Father’s Day…I have nothing.

Squat. Nada. No mas.

Languid

So instead I will talk about the word, Languid. 

languid
adjective
  1. “his languid demeanour irritated her”
    synonyms: relaxed, unhurried, languorous, unenergetic, lacking in energy, slow, slow-moving
  2. weak or faint from illness or fatigue.
    “she was pale, languid, and weak, as if she had delivered a child”
    synonyms: sickly, weak, faint, feeble, frail, delicate, debilitated, flagging, drooping;

After three glasses of wine, the word that comes to mind is languid. I have absolutely no energy to do anything other than float. Float on dreams of what was, what could have been and what will never be. Or is it, what is to come?

I’m not sure, I’m feeling languid.

I wrote a post about Fathers and Daughters four years ago, you should read it. Because it is as true today as it ever was. This walk down memory lane was a reminder that more things change, the more they remain the same. While I continue to grow into the woman I’m supposed to be, and along the way that meant changing my mind, opinions and the way I approached or did things.

The feelings for and about my father…those remain the same. And at this point, that’s okay.

 

Rainy Days Were Made For Slow Starts And Slow Coffee

Rainy Days, Slow Coffee Chemex

Rainy Days, Slow Coffee

Here in Trinidad we get two seasons: Rainy and Dry. We are into our rainy season now and for a pluviophile like myself, this time of the year is my absolute favourite. Because rainy days were just made for slow starts, extra snuggles under warm covers and slow coffee. Guess what, you guys? It’s raining again today.

So join me is a go-slow Saturday, let’s have some recreational coffee, come in for a slow pour over while we catch up. Like I said it’s been a wet week here on my island in the Caribbean. We had a public holiday on Thursday and we have another one again on Monday. So this is long weekend for me.

Fun fact about my easy-going island home, we have one of the highest number of public holidays in the world. We have 18 holidays per year…but we waaay behind Sri Lanka. They enjoy 25 public holidays! In this month of June, we have three holidays, which means four-day work weeks for 3 consecutive weeks.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that the downside of short work-weeks is that you end having to make up for the lost day and that usually means one work day can feel like two or a whole month. And unfortunately Friday felt like a month. So today, feels like an extra special lazy day.

Lazy Days And Travel Stories

This week I shared a bit about some of my adventures on my trip to London. I talked about exploring Bath and how much of good time I had in just a few short hours. I have been craving a jet fuel fix lately and what keeps me sane, are those travel memories and the ones I plan on making later on this year.

The funny thing about that London trip is that it has taken me this long to post anything about it. I had such an amazing time and I felt like I truly met myself on that trip. It was such a monumental, personal experience, I wanted to keep it all to myself.

Has that ever happened to you? Have you travelled to a new place and had such an amazing experience that you want to hold on the magic for as long as you can? You want to cherish all the memories over and over but only you, because sharing would mean sharing the magic too?

Tell me in the comments below. I would love to hear some of your favourite travel memories and experiences and if you were never the same for it. 

#WeekendCoffeeShare is an awesome link-up where coffee is being shared over great conversations. Join in this week’s fun here.

Do What You Say You’re Going To Do

To Do List, Do What You Say You're Going To Do

I am so ashamed.

Yesterday I published a post that was incomplete, just so that I could say, I hit “publish”. I will admit, I was tired and the day’s errands got the better of me. So by the time I sat down to get my post together, I could barely keep my eyes open.

I sorta started writing it and it wasn’t flowing and I was like eff it I will publish as is and come back later and do some edits. Which I did. But I don’t feel good about it. I think that if you’re going to do anything, you don’t half ass it, you use your whole ass.

For the record I really wanted to substitute the actual cuss words for the word cuss, as I have been doing in my posts lately. But as I have learned while driving in my island paradise home of Trinidad &Tobago, sometimes the only thing to make you feel better after a bad drive, is a loud and very satisfying FFFF!!!

But I digress.

Do What You Say You’re Going To Do

So, I was delinquent with my coffee share post yesterday. To make up for it, I decided to read all of the posts in the #weekendcoffeeshare link-up aaaand leave a meaningful comment on each post.  I’m 19 for 19 at the moment. I feel mighty proud of myself too.

Tough work, this reading 19 blogs and leaving a meaningful comment. I’m having a cuppa while I’m doing it, just to make the “work” lighter. The great thing about sharing over coffee, is the snap shot you get into the lives of other people all around the world. You cannot beat this blogging community for that. And I love it.

Always Follow Through No Matter What

Today’s commitment to reading and commenting on all the blogs in the link-up taught me a little bit about myself. I honestly wanted to give up mid-way. 19 blogs to read and comment on…is a lot of blogs and a lot of comments. And I mean, who would know if I just hit “like” and kept it moving? Who would know about my little commitment to read all the blogs, right?

Follow through. That’s what kept me going. I would know that I made a promise to myself and didn’t keep it. And if I could compromise on this little thing, I’m leaving myself open for bigger compromises. Always follow through. Don’t do it some of the time. Or when it feels good or is convenient. Always.Do.It.

So my friends, do exactly what you say you’re going to do. Every time, without fail. You’ll be happier for it.