The Spaces Between (me and coffee)

There are several things in life that I love. Most people can say that. My things are simple: cookies, a good cup of coffee, a walk on a nice day, a beautiful piece of art, sitting with someone that I feel absolutely comfortable with, a good book. I also love my neighbourhood, the immediate spaces around me, the things I see when I look out my window. Those who are familiar with my poetry know that I often write about feeling displaced and isolated, and to be honest, in a bigger picture kind of way, that's true about me. But the places I haunt these days are different than the places that haunt me, and even though I know, somehow, that this city is not the place for me, in this neighbourhood I have found a space where I can breathe, move, think, feel like myself. There's a sense of immediacy. And perhaps most importantly, this 'hood has all the small stuff that I don't think I could do without, and it's all really nearby.

I ran out of coffee beans today, so I headed out for a walk, as per this blogging assignment, and took some pictures along the way to the coffee shop. All were taken with my phone, so please forgive the fact that some of them aren't so awesome...

 

 This is what I see when I step out my front door: the Cathedral on 13th Avenue. It's not a bad thing to see, visually. Lots of people go there, not me, but lots of other people. I've noticed it's a happening place on Friday nights, but I really have no idea why. I've only ever been inside once, for a funeral, and most of the time I don't think about it being a church at all. Only on Sunday mornings, when the bells ring.

Also across the street from my front door: the 13th Avenue Coffee House.

 Mondays are always a sad day, because the coffee house is closed. Interestingly, you can always determine immediately when someone isn't from the neighbourhood, because they try to go to the coffee house on a Monday. This is one of my favourite places to eat; I've spent many a warm afternoon sitting on this patio. And actually, it's an especially good place to do editing. Why would I sit inside my flat when I can sit outside here? It's across the street! I am sad that I have to walk past, but it's okay. Today is  okay walking weather. I carry on.

There's a mural painted on the side of Buy the Book, a used bookshop closer to Albert Street, and there are several more of them as you walk down 13th Ave. I love walking around and seeing art in random places.

 Lots of churches along this walk. Always trying to save me...

Once I get downtown I get my coffee from the Atlantis and exit, though normally this is a place where I can sit and write for a while. I often come here to write papers, actually, when I find that I am too distracted by other things at home and am getting nothing done. I used to work here and know that the coffee is top-notch, and I also know which times of day to avoid this place. I get a funny feeling sometimes from the downtown vibe. People in suits everywhere, everyone's in a hurry, everyone's curt and strangely self-important... But it's interesting to accidentally overhear snippets of conversation. And there's something appealing about all the windows. Even if you're sitting by yourself there, you don't feel closed off from the world.

I feel a compulsion lately to check out the progress on the 12th Avenue construction. To be honest, I've been annoyed by this construction for at least a year now - it's making the downtown ugly, and navigation to and from the O'Hanlon's has been a nightmare. This city's plans are interfering with my beer drinking! But seriously, it looks like some decent progress is being made finally, and parts of it appear to actually be finished:

 It's hard to see from this picture, but it looks like there's some art-type stuff going on along the North sidewalk. More art! Industrial-looking, downtown art, which coincides nicely with my favourite elephant outside the Central Library on the 12th Ave side:

 This elephant has been there as long as I can remember, and I spent so much time at this library when I was a kid. Sometimes I hop onto my nostalgia train and I have to go say hello to him. It takes me right back to the days when I read Nancy Drew.

Hey, and speaking of weird, industrial-looking stuff, has anyone noticed the bizarre half-people sculptures outside City Hall? Check these out:

I think they're finished but they're not.

On my way home I stop in at Buy the Book, the used bookshop I mentioned earlier. I'm feeling a little annoyed at this point because it's windy today, and I am getting tired of fighting with my cardigan. I never button up my cardigans. I could, but that's not really how I roll. Also, my hair is long right now, and it's been blowing in my face for the last half hour. But I love used bookshops, the smell, and the feel of an old book in your hands compared to the feel of a new one. There's really no comparison. Paper is different now, books are made cheaply, all that kind of thing. In this space, I smell that old book smell, and everything is better again.

I can and have spent hours in here looking around at everything, crouched down on the ground to see all the volumes on the very bottom shelves, stretching and straining to see everything up high. The owner of this shop knows exactly what he has in stock at all times, which is amazing to me, and has climbed a ladder to retrieve something from a box for me on more than one occasion. Good people. Today it's warm in the shop, and now I feel relief when I get outside into the breezy afternoon.

I re-emerge onto the idyllic, tree-lined street where I live...

 ... and go past the neighbour's shoes.

 This is my favourite chair, btw.

I will drink coffee now. The end.