Rachel’s, coffee, Front 242 and The Hives

the Rachel’s sixth release Systems/Layers has been out for a little while, but i don’t have it yet. they were just in Seattle appearing at On The Boards but due to being both sick and lame at the time (thankfully the former is no longer true) … i missed it. i went to my usual spot early the other morning to cozy up to a coffee and a book and found Systems/Layers was the perfect backdrop for reading. i definitely need to hit the record store.

speaking of reading and drinking coffee, if you are in Seattle, you really need to check out Caffe Fiore. in a town that is known for its love of coffee, it is suprising how many places serve burnt coffee, lattes full of bubbles and lack of crema. Caffe Fiore does it all with care, while pouring fabulous shots (their lattes have the signature leaf in the midst), playing good music (they were playing Catpower the other morning), serving delicous treats (Mighty-O donuts) and providing a pleasant atmosphere (Lauren & Kim are the wonder twins). there certainly isn’t a lack of hip cafes around. Herkimer looks very cool and has wi-fi access, but their furniture is uncomfortable and their lattes inconsistent. Fast Eddie’s Low Brow Lounge in Ballard presses a delicious pot and does much with its small space (the motif is slick and rockabilly). They have lots of trendy mags to peruse though, like Bizarre, Colors, Paper and Black Book. alas, the tables are small and low (best for chatting with friends rather than writing for hours). none of these things are conducive to writing, typing or reading … all of the things i do best at a cafe. and so to recap, Fiore is definitely worth checking out, especially on a rainy morning.

-insert segue here-
did you know that Front 242 still makes music? the Front 242 US site was interesting from a design perspective (okay, my design perspective). i don’t mean to comment on it in a snooty kind of way. i danced around to Headhunter more times than i care to admit. i just hadn’t realized. maybe i am the only one.

in retrospect, i should have wrote ‘The Hive’ as in singular. did you think i meant the band? Mark has a hive. it’s not large or ugly. it’s just a small flat bump on his arm. he can’t stop looking at it even though looking at it makes other parts of his body itch. incidentally, he just told me not to write about his hives because people will think he’s diseased. all of this from one little hive. i personally think it’s a bump from something that landed on his arm and irritated him. he thinks it might be the msg in the cup of nissin noodles he just ate (he belongs to the food-you-can-boil club). i am doing my best to convince him to take some benadryl and not think about it anymore. he’s unconvinced. he thinks i might be trying to drug him. i must go play with the Primo dog now. he’s feeling neglected.