“It’s amazing how how relatively smooth not having power went.” said Brian T. Barch, chief roaster at RoosRoast , as I walked passed today delivering a hot espresso from our propane and motorcycle battery- fired Nuova Simonelli machine.
I could tell it was going to be one of those days. After staying up too late with my wife drinking too much Rose’ and watching the new, Tom Cruise, James Bond movie on Amazon. I woke up at 4:30 AM reminded of the sand storm scene in Dubai (only I wasn’t climbing the building with high tech sticky gloves.) I watched and listened to the wind as it approached shaking the trees. Silver maples, black walnuts, pines and oaks went sideways and groaned in what was reported as 60 mph winds! I ran around the house closing windows and got back in bed excited that the storm was bringing cooler temperatures.
At 7:00 am when I went to start the 1957 Metro Van and it was dead. I changed cars and took the aging Subaru Forester and my mood grew weary as I saw what the storm had done overnight, folded construction fences, down tree limbs, the blinking lights on S. Industrial, and dark windows of businesses. My fears became real.
Yes, the power was out, but what to do? No, way to make hot coffee so I wandered around the shop thinking it might be better to just close. Then I poured my self a small Ice Bomb no ice. After about 7 sips the mission was clear. I called a criagslist ad I had saved in my phone about a generator in Brighton, It was a personal listing for a store. Nice guy on the phone but they weren’t going to open till 9:45 and he said they were getting a lot of calls. Next call, my go to man for Ann Arbor, Gerald Rush. “What the hell you going all the way to Brighton for?” He was right? What was I thinking? I wasn’t. Next stop a store I didn’t even realize was in Ann Arbor or what they sold. Weingartz on Jackson at Zeeb.
The rest is what small business success is made of. Luck, a credit card and a business that delivers fast. In out generator.
9:30 am RoosRoast was severing hot Lattes and cold milk, and we were busy! Annarbor.com came down and took some pictures, take a look.
The A2R2 crew were satisfied with ice coffee and we even had a little a2r2p2 session with Donald Harrison, Bridget Knile, Wade and Violet.
Thanks to all. See you tomorrow