This is a weird time of year. Here in Berkeley it's a gorgeous day, sunny, though chilly. The magnolias are already blooming. It's not spring yet, not even winter. The looming New Year makes a guy think about transitions, the passage of time, new stuff—the usual. The numeral 2005 sounds new—shiny and pristine, just out of the box, wheareas 2004 sounds (already), old, scratched, a little battered, like my camera cellphone (which I bought in 2004). This blog is one of the transitions for the new year. I've started it This is a weird time of year. Here in Berkeley it's a gorgeous day, sunny, though chilly. The magnolias are already blooming. It's not spring yet, not even winter. The looming New Year makes a guy think about transitions, the passage of time, new stuff—the usual. The numeral 2005 sounds new—shiny and pristine, just out of the box, wheareas 2004 sounds (already), old, scratched, a little battered, like my camera cellphone (which I bought in 2004). This blog is one This is a weird time of year. Here in Berkeley it's a gorgeous day, sunny, though chilly. The magnolias are already blooming. It's not spring yet, not even winter. The looming New Year makes a guy think about transitions, the passage of time, new stuff—the usual. The numeral 2005 sounds new—shiny and pristine, just out of the box, wheareas 2004 sounds (already), old, scratched, a little battered, like my camera This is a weird time of year. Here in Berkeley it's a gorgeous day, sunny, though chilly. The magnolias are already blooming. It's not spring yet, not even winter. The looming New Year makes a guy think about transitions, the passage of time, new stuff—the usual. The numeral 2005 sounds new—shiny and pristine, just out of the box, wheareas 2004

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Ahhhh, the Wi-Fi

6:19 PM Tuesday, September 20, 2005

[Gay red umbrellas in front]

Since I got my iBook laptop there's another Berkeley cafe where I'm starting to hang out more often. The reasons: 1. Free Wi-Fi 2. Decent espresso and and food 3. Friendly staff with baristas who know what they're doing.

It's a small place, almost a hole-in-the wall, but cheerful with comfortable tables and art on the gold-colored walls (currently small quilts). There are two outdoor tables with gay red umbrellas in front. The umbrellas and the coffee roast are a product of Italy's Illy enterprise, a global company which deals in the essentials and the accessories of an espresso culture. Says the Illy website: "It all started in 1933, when the enterprising Francesco Illy founded illycaffè in his family's home of Trieste, Italy. Two years later, Francesco invented the illetta, a revolutionary espresso machine that substituted steam with compressed air. The illetta, the first automatic machine, enabled the enjoyment of high quality coffee throughout Italy."

By the criteria of my three-part blogpost on North American espresso, Fertile Grounds is a reliable source of a drinkable, yea, good, if not great espresso. (It has to compete in this region with Bluebottle, Peets, and others, but it is less dicey than Starbucks because of the consistent knowledge of their baristas.) As for the food, there is a limited but wholesome menu of Meza-style cold dishes (hummus tahina, tabouli) plus the All-American tuna salad. In other words, one can satisfy much hunger while avoiding the carb-laden pastries made with trans-fat that populate most coffeehouses. As for the Wi-Fi, ahhhh, the Wi-Fi. Most espresso joints charge for the Wi-Fi. I have never used it in such places. I just drive home, or somewhere else. If you're in the area, try Fertile Grounds, but leave a table for me.

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