Discuss Auto Insurance over a Cup of Java

It can be a difficult task choosing car insurance because there are so many companies and many important factors to consider in making this decision. Literally, your well being depends on choosing the right coverage for your needs. I personally prefer a relaxed atmosphere like a coffee shop for making such important decisions. Take your laptop and log onto the Safety First page of American Car Quotes and read the most important feature of auto insurance policies. Safety is the first rule in driving so its no wonder it would be the first recommended consideration in choosing a policy.

Drink Italian Roast if you like a Rich, Bold Coffee

My husband Cephas and I have experimented with coffee roasts and flavors as well as brands. In our experience, we learned a lot about our coffee preferences. I want to share that with you now.

Along with flavor as a pre-requisite for favoring coffee, scenery plays a vital role. In this photo, Mount Shasta is looming large in the background while Cephas enjoys the rich taste found in this cup of Starbucks coffee with espresso shots. He likes it with raw cane sugar and half n half.  We have both learned that we favor this cup of coffee while traveling. But when we are camping or visiting family and friends, we buy Starbucks or organic Italian roast coffee beans and grind them to the espresso grind to release the potency of the bean’s rich taste.

There are several ways to brew the ground coffee. We have used electric automatic drip coffee makers without paper filters because this is closest to the French press taste. The French press method is preferable so the coffee oils will be preserved. From the first sip until the last, this is the essence of heaven.

Avenue of the Giants Redwood Cafes

The scenery and ambience of this historic Redwood highway is both breathtaking and awe- inspiring. For coffee lovers, the trip is even more memorable because of the quaint coffee shops and coffee booths along this twenty-five mile stretch of magnificence. To truly enjoy the drive, take your time and stop at all the little towns and historic sites along the way. Take in the view, enjoy the natural settings and pause a few minutes at each of the coffee shops to experience the flavor the Avenue of the Giants has to offer.

If you’re heading north, the first stop is Phillipsville. Be sure not to blink more than a few seconds or you’ll miss this first rest stop on the tour. It is filled with small adventures that include a Mexican restaurant purported to serve cuisine extraordinaire. A country market stocks all the basic snack foods and a collection of fine local wines. Sign their guest book and grab some brochures to help guide the rest of your Redwood country tour. It stays open till 7pm daily.

The town post office is just a couple doors down from the market so you can mail all your post cards to friends and family. Keep them up to speed on the fun details of your adventure. Spend a night or two at the Madrona motel. Take your rest in a room that wafts of the cottages in the 1950’s. Soak in the atmosphere and let your cares be absorbed by the redwood tree essence and pure mountain air.

In my Travels I’ve visited lots of Coffee Shops

I am a bonafide Starbucks fan! No contest. Give me a choice in coffee shops, I’ll choose it over another any time. When I select coffee in a grocery store or specialty health shop, I always look for Starbucks brand first. If there is a good organic brand available, I give it strong consideration…unless there is a Starbucks Italian roast available. In my travels with my husband Cephas, we have visiited dozens of coffee shops and cafes but I have not shared many of those adventures with my readers. It’s time to start sharing.

Meet the incredible mascot for Joe Monkey in Oregon. I love this adorable monkey. Unique identity for a coffee shop, don’t you think?

When we visited this unique coffee booth, it was relatively new and still building. The plans included an outdoor sitting area, pavilions, organic coffees, teas, smoothies and foods. These industrious local folks were planning to bring a community together by hosting events at their shop. Vendors were part of the scene for special events with Joe Monkey serving up great drinks and food.

I am contacting the owners of this shop who should be celebrating the end of their first year to find about the success of their grand opening and their first year’s business. It is my hope to get updates and an interview. I promised the owners to give them a little free press in the spirit of community so I’ll keep that promise to the best of my ability. When you’re traveling in Oregon, be sure to drive by for a great cup of Joe and tell them The Midnight Writer sent you.

Cephas Drinking in the View of Mount Shasta and a cup of Starbucks

Last spring we took a tour from the coast of California into the Redwoods then over to Mount Shasta. Our trip took us through some scenic high mountains then up through Oregon into the National Forest of the Ochocos. From there, we drove up to the Dalles and followed I-84 along the Hood River. This leg of our journey was awesome filled with mountains, rivers and waterfalls. The one thing that stayed with us to all these sites was good coffee. The photo below is one taken of Cephas standing with Mount Shasta for his backdrop.

Does the view improve the taste? Of course it does! Even if it’s Starbucks. Cephas had fun posing for this photo. He likes the TV show NCIS so this is his impersonation of Gibbs drinking all the coffee on the show.

We have some favorite coffee flavors which include Italian roast ground espresso fine on the top of the list. Pike’s Place is one of our favorites but I personally prefer this with vanilla flavor and two shots espresso added. Cephas likes it the same way but often puts in raw sugar then adds lots of half and half. I add lots of cream to mine as well. This flavor is best when it’s hot. French Roast would be our second favorite on the list if we are brewing our own Starbucks. When we can’t find our favorite coffee shop, we look for a place that serves organic coffee or we buy a pound and brew our own.

Do you know my favorite place to enjoy a perfectly brewed cup of coffee in the morning? I love to sit by a campfire in the morning when we camp in the high mountains in the summer time. It’s a great way to watch the sun rise higher in the sky while smelling the essences of nature.

Visit the Blog Onederlnd and Read the Random Banters of Randy Christenhusz

I have to tell you that this review is a true pleasure because I was impressed with Randy's blog onederlnd DOT com. First of all, the captioned header title caught my attention and intrigued me. It's a spin on the word "Wonderland" in my mind which spelled captivation to me. I knew that I was clicking onto a creative writer's blog. Do you know how many blog titles are just run of the mill and outright boring?

Hats off to you Randy for your creative flair. Just so you know, the title of the blog is The Blog of Randy Christenhusz - Thoughts on Everything while the header subtitle reads Random Banters of .....Stuff.

Great thinking again Randy. You played on those variable keywords to increase the reader's intrigue with your subject matter even further.

I have a confession to make. When the page opened up I was expecting another blog that I would have to politely critique in an effort to find the good qualities to write about in order to help encourage the author to make the proper changes....without offending or discouraging. It is tough to be a good critic. On ONDERLND, I did not have to make any effort. The receptive eye pleasing layout of the blog was an immediate pleasure. As I started reading, I was even more gratified to be reviewing a quality blog.

Randy is making some changes to his theme about which he notifies the reader immediately in a nice little pop up that appeared when the blog opened, where he apologizes for any mess. I did not find any thing out of place. This layout is clean and neat with a good order to the posts. Titles are clearly displayed. Ads in the sidebar are neat and properly limited. At the top right side bar you will immediately find the rss feed button, twitter and email prompts to help you follow Randy's Random Banters and his blog.

Font size was perfect for the eyes and the colors blended easily with one another. The true pleasure for me lay in the writing style - above all else. Randy writes on variable topics which shows he is a versatile writer with a broad view of the world. His content holds that personal touch with a professional prose that is refreshing. I found all the sentences to make sense with complete thoughts and actually find the content interesting enough to read down the page onto various blog posts.

Randy, you have a winning blog and it will be a pleasure to follow you on your freelance writing/blogging journey. I love your outlook on life and hope you continue to share it with the world.

The Midnight Writer

An Important Role as a Writer Means Being a Good Critic

As a freelance writer, one of the most important yet most difficult tasks I find myself faced with is learning to be a good critic. I review lots of written material in my personal and professional life. I love to read! Blogs are part of my reading list because they are an innovative part of the modern world. Today, I am reading a new blog called Critics - Today.

To be fair, I need to critique this blog honestly to help the writer grow in the freelance writing world. This blog is about being a critic, so my review serves the same role that this blog serves as its function. Writing about ads, music, jewelry, advertising companies, web hosting and a wide range of topics, the writer Vishwakarma (read his full profile to learn more about him)- exercises his talent in being a critic on a daily basis.

Reviewing other people's work and being objective about it is a difficult task because most writer's who are new at this side of the work want to be sympathetic. Let's face it, writing is a skill or a talent, for some, that can be a challenge to utilize in the freelance writing market. Vishwakarma writes with an optimism that I find refreshing. His site is clean as far as layout and does not contain too many window dressings and flashy ads so I am able to view the titles and blog articles easily. The background and layout are also basic, being black lettering on white background, is very easy on the eyes.

As I stated above, I want to be a good critic so I might need to point out any flaws in this blog that I found. This is not to be critical for the sake of negatively impacting the writer's emotions in a negative way. On the contrary, I want to learn how to encourage new writers to grow and blossom so their confidence and talents will increase to help them become a success in the freelance writing industry. This is a competitive market, probably the most competitive industry today. Vishwakarma does a great job by selecting a variety of topics that are well written for a person that is not a native of America.

Here is one bit of advice I would give this author to improve blog ranking in order to compete in a good way on the American literary market. The writer's English is good enough to be acceptable. Thoughts are clear and concise, but sometimes come across a little choppy because the sentences are too short. Carry over in thought patterns using English requires a good command of the English language. Study the composition side of English written blogs, books, and listen to audio recordings to gain a better understanding of English syntax and our ever common slang terms. New ones pop up everyday.

I recommend that since you write for Smorty Vishnakarma, review blogs written by native born Americans, like mine, so you can continue to practice being the good critic you already are and you can improve your English writing skills by reading lots of English composition. Keep up the great work. I like your reviews on products and really enjoyed reading your optimistic viewpoints. I know that Critics - Today will be a successful blog in the blogging market if you keep writing as you are. And please, take my criticism from my heart to help you increase your chances of obtaining more blogging assignments under the tight constrictions placed by many advertisers who seek English speaking writers.

This blog is one to follow on culture in India. I really enjoyed the reads about the temple so take a look at Energy Entrained in Music. The photo is captivating. I've never been to this country but would love to visit sometime. Thanks for sharing with such passion.

The only other piece of advice is to write more often so your rank will increase. I would suggest a minimum of two posts per week. Most companies who hire writers for reviews require this minimum post number per week.

Readers, please visit and encourage my new friend to share more culture, reviews and music with us in the critics corner. I'll be visiting again soon.

The Midnight Writer