I have discovered a local (1)haunt that I have (2)made my own: Steamer's West. It's a cafe/ restaurant I can pop into in between my interpreting jobs for a quick bite to eat. It's a simple place, actually a converted mechanical garage. It has been renovated to be appropriate for serving food, but has maintained the two large mechanic shop doors, and its very basic structure. It's only open until 3pm every day, and it swarms with customers until then. That's a good sign, I think. The simple, clean food and good quality coffee keep the humans coming back. There is a quaint outdoor seating area that overlooks Memorial Park which is considered the center of Wenatchee. You remember, the park with the splendid trees. The doggy people of this town can bring their pets, enjoy the view, and socialize. After a quick break here, I can head back to work and get there within a few minutes. There is a second good reason I come here regularly: my daughter works here. We get to chat a little as she operates the espresso machine, and, occasionally, she will give me a free cookie. Now that's a ritual I certainly approve of. My little routine here is on my list of what I call 'The simple pleasures in life.' The founders of Starbucks had as one of the premises of their company the human need for 'a third place.' By that, I mean that apart from home and work, we need a third place where we can hang out and feel at home. Gordon Bowker, Jerry Baldwin, and Zev Siegl were influenced by a Dutch entrepreneur who introduced them to the coffee culture which we have had for centuries in Europe. He showed them high quality roasting techniques, and they (3) married that with the place with atmosphere where people like to linger. I actually remember when Starbucks really became big in the early 90's. Since their tremendous growth then, the United States has adopted what I call 'a cafe expansion.' There are cafes everywhere that are designed to be 'the third place' in almost every community. They are an upgrade, I would say, to the well known American diner which was more of a restaurant. Now you can find swarms of online business owners filling these cafes, working at their laptops whilst sipping coffee., as well as groups of friends and retirees who get together for a good chat. Its a real evolution of culture, and a much nicer place to write podcasts than at my kitchen table. Grammer points. 1. 'A local haunt' is a wonderful, I would say slightly comical expression about a place a person likes to go to. Obviously only a ghost haunts a place, but I think it is because of the implied frequency of visits that the place of choice is described as the noun 'a haunt', meaning the place that is visited. a. The Fox and Crown pub has been our haunt for over thirty years. b. That abandoned house became a haunt for groups of teenagers up to no good. 2. To 'make your/my own' means to take possession of either literally or figuratively. In the podcast I say that Steamer's West has been made my own. Obviously I don't own it; it simply means that I have emotionally adopted it, I like it, and I frequent it. a. With a bit of creativity, the lady took the secondhand cabinet and made it her own by painting a beautiful fresco on it. b. We recently discovered a small secluded park in the neighborhood, and we have made it our own. 3. 'To marry something with something else' is the same in meaning as to join or connect very suitably. a. The chef married the roast beef with a slightly spicy red wine sauce. b. The teacher successfully marries important content with exciting delivery.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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