Missing Eugene

I've found myself really missing much about Eugene the past few days.  What brought it all on was the urge for a good Mocha from Dutch Brothers Coffee, or from any of a myriad of places in Eugene to get good coffee.  I didn't take huge advantage of the plethora of coffee shops and kiosks that proliferate everywhere in Oregon and  Washington, but I always knew it was there if the urge hit.  Rome has one Starbucks, and frankly, I don't consider that good coffee.  Certainly overpriced.  I can make good plain coffee here, and I do so, but a Mocha or Latte takes a good machine. Plus for me, there was always the sense of a little splurge involved.

I'm also missing the crackle in the fall air of Ducks Football Fever.  I'm the first to admit that I don't know a damned thing about football, and have never really cared to learn.  But Eugene is something else entirely when a game, especially a big game, is playing at Autzen Stadium any given week.  Literally, you can feel the excitement and it's catching, even for non-football types like me.  This year, I can almost feel that excitement all the way out here in Georgia, but it'd be a lot more fun to be on-site. I ordered a Ducks sweatshirt the other day, mostly for me, but partly to irritate the many Auburn fans around here. 

I always miss the Eugene Saturday Market and the 3x week farmer's markets filled with fresh, wonderful organic produce.  Frankly, easier and better than growing it myself.  No such thing exists here, and when you can find a farmer's market I'm afraid the variety and quality pale in comparison to Eugene.  And forget the local stores.  Chard?  What's that?  If it doesn't come in bags, or if it isn't collards, forget it.  Speaking of collards, after I cooked that mess of 'em the other day, I remembered why I hated collards as a kid.  Yuk.  So, I guess all those healthy collard plants in my garden are going to see the compost pile and hopefully be replaced by seedlings of something more interesting.  Too late to start seeds, so I'll have to see what HD has.

Back to Eugene.  Missing these things doesn't mean I have any slight desire to move back (although after the elections last week I found myself wishing I'd moved to Western North Carolina, near Asheville, which not only has great organic farms and farmer's markets, but is also more like Eugene politically -- more blue than red.  But, that's another story.  I'm content where I am, but I do miss that Dutch Bros. on the corner next to my apartment building.