We started getting the Kansas City Star a few weeks ago, Thursday through Sunday, for some ridiculous low price and KT saves more from the coupons than it costs us. She doesn’t actually read the paper though, but I do. I love starting my mornings with Zoey in my lap reading the newspaper. We have a somewhat out of place comfortable chair that sits in our dining room by a window so we read the paper the mornings that it arrives by the early sunlight. Somewhere around six Zoey wakes up and we walk out the front door together to measure the weather of the day and pick the paper up off the grass.

Nick may or may not be awake at this time too, but he is like his mother in that mornings are not time for activity, but rather for slow steps toward consciousness. Zoey is like me though and we fast waking morning people like to get started with something engaging in the morning like some daughter-daddy time and a cup of coffee. She’s not interested in the coffee yet, which is fine since I don’t wnat to compete for it in the morning. At around seven or so the paper is read ancd Zoey loses interest in me and goes to pull her brothers hair while he watches Curious George. ANd that is how we start most mornings.

It’s been a lot longer than I thought since last I spoke here. Third year medical students started yesterday, so I was preparing them for greatness last week and handed out the Sprint/HTC Touch to each of them. I actually think this is the best pocket pc device out right now even though it lacks a keyboard, which is why it was selected. The time leading up to and immediately after the handout burned off a few years of my life though, hence the lack of posting here. The only issues I’ve had thus far are some general windows mobile issues, and having to deal with and negotiate general corporate issues. Oh, and FCC, state and FERPA issues. That done, I think this is a huge step in the right direction away from the clunky old Palms I’d been handing out every year.

Next big work project is preparing for the tablet pc handout, then presenting another virtual microscopy talk the same day tablet orientation ends.

I also spent all last week with a nasty cold. That was fun, on whatever cold meds I was on as I certainly felt no nervousness while delivering an hour and a half of Touch orientation feeling ahalf asleep/dead. I’m sure the students appreciated it. I feel bad having them stuck in a room with me yapping at them for that long.

Nick appears to be potty trained, which is awesome and I hope it lasts. He also seems to have overcome his double ear infections and now we just need to figure out if he’s ignoring us much of the time or if he’s having trouble hearing us. I think it’s the former, but I guess I could give the kid the benefit of the doubt and look into it a bit more.

KT’s birthday is in two weeks, so send her love and presents. It’s an important birthday so I think I’ll buy her a garbage disposal or some other great symbol of love and affection.

I forgot to post pictures of my trip to San Francisco this past May, so here you go!

I’ve been doing a little tour of Macchiato makers in my little area of Kansas City. So far, in order of preference, I’ve been to:

1. Room 39
2. Cupini’s
3. Cafe &
4. Latte Land
5. Hi Hat
6. Starbucks
7. Jazzman’s Cafe
8. Roasterie Cafe

Room 39 is my favorite and is just a quick walk from work. Plus, it’s not every day that I get a Penguin Rosette. Great food, great coffee, nice people, what’s not to like?

My main criteria are that the place makes a good Macchiato and that the baristas be friendly. If you don’t have good service then I could give a damn about what you’re slinging behind the counter, which is why, surprisingly, I won’t be back to  the Roasterie Cafe any time soon. It’s too bad, I actually like the coffee, but I’ve been there a five or so time over the last couple years and have never felt welcome. I went yesterday carrying Zoey and she got nary a look or a comment. Perhaps my parental bias is kicking in here, but my daughter is FREAKING ADORABLE and you can kiss my ass if you can’t even give her a smile.

Cupini’s surprised me because I’ve lived her for a while now and just now got around to ordering a drink from them. It was surprisingly delicious and the micro foam was really well done and not too dirty. Latte Land makes a consitently good Macchiato, they are friendly, though perhaps on the low end of the scale, but I’ve found the chains to be pretty consistent as far as the quality of the corporate character.

Cafe & is great, may not make the best cup in town, but I feel more welcome here than anywhere else. I can’t wait for the new shop to open, right across the street from the old location, one block from my house. Eddie Delahunt has got to be the nicest proprieter and best host around.

I like the people at Hi Hat too, but the coffee isn’t really the style I like and always seems a little bitter. My Dad likes it though, so I guess they are doing something right. They are very nice though, and always take the time to chat a bit with every customer.

Jazzman’s makes terrible coffee, no getting around it. They’re in the hospital though so I’m captive I’m in a hurry or if the weather’s bad. They’re pretty nice to me though and they have pretty tasty food and packaged sushi, so it’s not all doom and gloom. There’s a Starbuck’s in the hospital too, but they’re already closed by the time I’m ready for my afternoon stop.

I have many more places to try out as I expand my tasting radius, feel free to offer any suggestions in the comments too.