EMERGENCY BONUS POST
PSA: HUNTER PENCE HAS OPENED A COFFEE SHOP IN HOUSTON
I've mentioned this very important news to several people who did not display the appropriate amount of excitement, so I feel I should provide some background information.
Hunter Pence made his major league debut with the Astros on April 28, 2007 as an outfielder, and I declared that day that he would become my new favorite player. These were not great times for the Astros, and this incredibly awkward 24-year-old quickly became the most exciting thing about the team (no, seriously, he throws and swings super awkwardly). He's 6'4" and lanky, but he's fast. He has one of the most bizarre throwing motions and swings I've ever seen, but somehow he throws people out at the plate from right field and hits home runs. I'm not going to bore you with statistics and such that you can easily look up yourself, so I'll just tell you - he's good. He made the all-star team in 2009 and 2011. Then one fateful day - July 29, 2011 - Hunter Pence was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. Tears were shed (at least by me, can't really speak for anyone else). Despite the success the Astros have had in the past few years, I never fully recovered emotionally from this tragic trade.
Pence continued to be successful in Philadelphia, and in 2012 he was traded to the San Francisco Giants, who went on to win the World Series that year, and he has remained on the Giants ever since. In the offseason, however, he and his wife Lexi live in Houston (obviously, because who wouldn't want to live in Houston!?), where he (according to social media and such) apparently consumes an absurd amount of coffee at many of my favorite local establishments. Unsurprisingly, Hunter seems to be known as a goofy guy who doesn't take himself too seriously, and is also a huge nerd/gamer. ANYWAY, last week he opened Coral Sword in Houston, a coffee shop that also sells a wide variety of nerdy stuff, and according to this article, will hopefully become a local gamer hub. Obviously, I was there bright and early on day two. I would have been there on day one, but I had work or something.
Coral Sword serves (and sells bags of) Greenway coffee (same as Blacksmith, Prelude, Morningstar, Tout Suite, etc.), so obviously it's great. I ordered just a regular black coffee, but look how cute that sleeve is! And those boxes were full of Morningstar donuts. Pizza is also available, but I was there at 8 AM, so I stuck with the donuts. On that shelf there are Dungeons & Dragons books and dice you can buy if you are so inclined. And if I had taken this picture a little further to the left, it would show an entire wall full of board games (of varying degrees of nerdiness) available for purchase. On the other side was an impressive selection of games available to play while hanging out in the shop. And there's beer! Currently working on convincing some friends to come geek out with me and have a Ben Wyatt-esque beer and board game night here soon (while secretly hoping that Hunter makes an appearance...it could happen right?!). The only downside of this place is that it is not exactly an ideal location, but it's not far. Also, the space is big and there is plenty of seating. I'll be back soon.
The intersection of Houston sports and Houston coffee...this is what Crush City Culture is all about. Now back to your regularly scheduled ramblings.
<3 liz