What If

Einstein is seen here asking, "What if I lick that frozen metal pole?"

"What if...?" A question pondered by all the great Greek philosophers and smart people throughout time, (mostly though they were Greeks who taught others to ask this question.)  Regardless, it's quite the deep thought if you ask me.  The possibilities are endless.  Two words can help cure cancer, inspire greatness, lead to ending hunger or in Mr. Brick's case help decide on if he will wear his circa 1986 high-wasted flare legged white jeans or not.  "What if I wear my white jeans today?" Okay, wait! I gotta stop right there, I just had a mental image that was just really bad for this Greek Girl's noggin. White jeans on Mr. Bricks is like the Pope wearing a speedo or Lady Gaga wearing a turtleneck.  Either way, it's just plain wrong.

Anyway, back to the question at hand.  "What if..?"

It really makes me wonder, "What if Mr. Bricks can actually mentally go deeper than anything other than fastfood?" Here is my impersonation of 5 minutes in the mind of Mr. Bricks as he makes his lunch selection:

"What if McDonald's ever stopped making the McRib?" Would I find a way to survive? "What if McDonald's would make a Green Diet Coke Milkshake?" Maybe I should patent that and sell it to them in exchange for a lifetime of fries.  What if McDonald's joined forces with Slim Jim and made Slim Jim French Fries?" That would be great, then I could have a lifetime of Slim Jim fries of course after I patent that and sell it for a lifetime of McRibs of course.  "What if McDonald's changed the #1 meal deal to be a Double McRib with Slim-Jim fries and a Green Diet Coke Milkshake?"  Then his brain would instantly freeze and he'd become like one of those wax figures in Maddam Tusseau's wax museum. (Side note: no matter how famous I ever get I never want to be embodied in a wax sculpture.  That is by far one of the most creepy things ever invented.)

Okay, like I was saying.  Every great philosopher has always asked "What if?" It is kind of how we get everything around us to be made or invented.  Questions like:

"What if the world were round?" - Columbus 1492

"What if we could travel through time?" - Einstein 1930's (still working on this one)

"What if I could walk on the moon?" - Neil Armstrong 1960

"What if we protest the tax on tea?" - American Patriots 1776

"What makes this apple fall to the ground instead of float away?" - Newton 1500's

"What if we gave peace a chance?" - John Lennon  1969

"What if we could make tasty delivery pizza?" - Papa John 1984

"What if we sell coffee in Styrofoam cups?" - Mr. Donut 1956

Sometimes I ask, "What if Mr. Bricks DID get me a record deal?" Then I would be able to buy all those glorious new sneakers I got my eye on.  Or "What if John Rzeznik from the Goo-Goo Dolls were to produce my next album?" Then I would most definitely have my first, second and third Grammy in no time.  This leads me to ask "What if I do become really famous, will they make one of those creepy wax sculptures of me anyway?" My goodness I hope not.

Have a blessed day,

Ava

xox

PS ~ What if you passed on this blog on to 5 of your best friends?

Where In The World is My Coffee

Where in The World Did I Get This Perfect Beverage?

I decided to take my love for coffee and do something really fun with it. I'm going to start tweeting twitpics of me and my coffee from where ever I am at. So now it won't matter if I am in Manhattan or if I am at the Matterhorn (Disneyland or Switzerland) or if I am in Auckland, New Zealand  or in Oakland, California you can now virtually share that cup of happiness with me through the magic of Twitter.

If you don't already follow me on Twitter make sure you add me   @avaaston

I was trying to explain to my manager Mr. Bricks, who is a NCD (non coffee drinker) what the special allure of coffee is with me and I think it comes down to the smell. I simply love the smell and taste of coffee. It's my crack. If the PoPo ever started doing random caffeine testing I would fail for sure.  I am pretty sure this Greek girl is over the legal caffeine limit 24/7.

I will be the first to blame my coffee addiction on my Greek heritage. Drinking coffee in Greece is like going to a Yankees or Mets game in New York. It's the national past time. It is not uncommon for Greek people to sit in a diner and drink coffee and chit-chat for hours. I think that is why of all of the coffee I can get, I like coffee from a Greek diner the best. Its part taste, part smell and part atmosphere. When it comes to making coffee, they know how to get the job done - it's how the Greeks roll.  This coffee is sipped, often loudly, quite slowly. One cup of coffee often lasts a few hours, however recently, Greek coffee has become popular with the younger generation who order "doubles." Now that's what I am talking about!

Demitasse Cup & Saucer with Greek Coffee         Photo © Jim Stanfield

Authentic Greek coffee is a stronger thick coffee that is cooked on a stove in a little pot called a briki.   In Greece it is not uncommon to see a bunch of older ladies sitting around drinking coffee in these tiny cups and when they are done with their coffee they flip it over onto the saucer. And then when it is all dried they flip it over and by the mark or stain line from the coffee that was in the cup they can read into your future. I am not sure how accurate it is because in all of the times I have had the stained crusty grinds read from the bottom of my coffee cup no one ever mentioned I would someday have a manager who is addicted to McDonald's. I would have loved to see that one coming at me.

Spoken like a true addict, I don't care where I get my coffee from just as long as I get my coffee. I am not a coffee snob because I like just about all coffees. I do love Dunkin Donuts and also McDonald's coffees. So when Mr. Bricks decides to have his McRib fix and wants me to join him at McDonald's, I will decline the spongy fake pork sandwich on a roll, but I will enjoy  a cup of McDonald's Premium Roast Coffee that is made with 100% pure Arabica beans, which gives their coffee a rich medium roast taste. Yummo.

I Love McDonald's Premium Roast Coffee

I am not fond of Starbucks hot coffee, but I do like a good Cafe Americano espresso, and love their iced coffee .  I also love love love their Mocha Double Shot in a can. You can't go wrong with that for an afternoon pick me up after a long Jillian Michael butt-kicking work out.

Always good for a 2:30 pm  pick me up!

When I am at home I have my own machine that I can make all sorts of Greek magic with. No top hat, rabbit or magic wand needed

Home stash for when I don't want to venture out

Sometimes you also can't beat a slice of NY Pizza and an Ice Coffee. If I did an official in-depth study of how much coffee I actually drink, I think I would end up realizing I drink more Ice Coffee than hot coffee.  But when I drink hot coffee it must only be with fat-free half & half creamers and a splash of sugar. No milk or skim milk for me. I don't roll like that.

Have Coffee, Will Travel

So follow me on Twitter and enjoy a cup of coffee with me. If in your hometown or in your travels you have found a place that serves a good cup of coffee, let me know as I'd love to hear about it! I'm on a coffee quest!

Blessings,

Ava

xox

Step Away From The Coffee Cup

                                                       Ava Aston                        Getty Images © 2011

Of course I'm smiling in this photo, I have a cup of coffee in my hands. The photo was snapped of me as I walked back to my car after getting my morning cup of coffee yesterday. I think the photographer was waiting for me. For those of you who are daily readers of my blog, you might remember the time I sent my manager Mr. Bricks undercover at this Dunkin' Doughnuts location to find out what other people thought of me. The blog was called Undercover Boss.  You can read that blog post here. I must admit, I thought it turned out pretty funny.

I love, love, LOVE coffee. I seriously think I should check myself into the hospital and have an MRI done on my noggin. I highly suspect that caffeine is running through my veins and that coffee is my blood type. I know it is silly that I am powerless over a freshly brewed cup of happiness, but I am and I admit it. I did try to check myself into a Coffee Drinkers Anonymous but they kicked me out. Apparently, they are called 12 steps, and not 12 cups!! Hey, I just thought I was working the program. Personally I have always thought coffee as one of the major food groups anyway.

So, I showed Mr. Bricks this photo of me that was taken and he said I look hypnotized by the coffee aroma. He said my eyes looked glazed over. That was coming from a dude with a lazy eye. Then Mr. Bricks asked if I got him a glazed doughnut? His eyes are going to be glazed over when I smash a dozen glazed doughnuts into his noggin some day. He is not right I tell you.

Did you know Mr. Bricks doesn't even like coffee? In fact he doesn't like any hot liquids, which includes teas, coffees, soups, gravy's  and most sauces. When I was interviewing managers I should have asked him the question, "Do you drink coffee?" But I didn't, because I thought all normal people drink coffee....but then again there is nothing normal about Mr. Bricks.

Did you also know that in some prisons coffee is the currency for the inmates because they are not allowed to have real money while they are locked up in the big house? When they go to the canteen or the "store" as they call it, they buy bags of instant coffee and then repackage it into little baggies of individual serving amounts. That is what they use to pay other inmates to get tattoos, buy cigarettes, homemade liquor and any other illegal drugs that they want, but can't buy at the "store." I know all of this because I am Greek and smart...and because I watched an episode of "Hard Time"on the National Geographic channel. When I started watching the show I thought it was a co-ed prison because there were guys and girls in the same cells. But as I looked closer I realized those guys....ummm, they were girls. In this case it wasn't Dude looks like a Lady it was Lady looks like a Dude - just sayin'.

Seriously, I couldn't handle being locked up like that. But if I ever was... it's nice to know at least I could still get my coffee!

Blessings,

Ava

xox

You're The One That I Want

A couple of years ago I was invited to audition for a Broadway revival of Grease.  At the time I thought it was what I wanted more than anything.   In fact, it was the one thing that I wanted so badly that I was considering making a side deal with God during one of my prayers.

I was so tempted to bow my Greek little blonde head and say,"Oh God I want this role more than anything -- I promise that if I get cast as Sandy, I will go to church every single Sunday -- even if there is a blizzard."

My justification was that it was a nice touch to add the part of a natural disaster not even being able to stop me from fulfilling my committment. So the blizzard was added simply as an emphasis to the importance of it.

Just like my Mom would always tell me and my sisters how she had to walk two miles a day to school, in the freezing rain. I am convinced by adding inclement weather to any joke, story or prayer request adds validity, I'm just sayin'!

I was pretty sure at the time that if I got that role of Sandy it would have been my ticket to stardom.  I now know that is not true, but it certainly was my perception at the time.  I guess I was all excited and giddy because casting for the role was being done in a very unique way, via a reality series competion on NBC called "Grease: You're the one that I want."

Well, I didn't get the role and you know who did? Neither do I  and that's my point! I was so sure that the whole reality series scenario was going to be the big break for me or for whomever got that role. And it wasn't. The reality series was generally panned by all of the television critics and tanked in the ratings, so I am thankful I wasn't even a part of it.

How many times has that happened in your life? Maybe with a new relationship where you think..."Oh I just know this is the guy/girl for me"  and then 6 months later you're digging your keys into the side of their new Candy Apple Red Ford Mustang Coupe.   The reality is we don't always know what is in own best interest, although we think we do. However, we are all given free will to make the right and wrong choices. (ok, ok the whole keying a car -- not so much a good choice)

On certain issues some decisions are much easier to make. It is apparent to me that my manager Mr. Bricks makes more wrong eating choices than I do. I too would be a little spud if I did not eat healthy and did not work out. But I choose to do what I feel is right for me.

Sometimes we can want something so bad and despite it not being a good thing for us we feel we must have it in our life. People with addiction problems face these type of decisions every day of their life. I may have my share of daily muckery, but I am thankful I do not have any addictions.  OK, wait...I lied. I do have a serious problem. And I have heard that the first step is to overcoming an addiction is admitting that you have a problem. So, Ok...here goes:

My name is Ava Aston and I am addicted to coffee.

Blessings,

Ava

xox

Please visit my website: www.avaaston.com