A lemony treat at the Bean Cycle and Matter Bookstore

The Bean Cycle and Matter Bookstore isn't my usual spot (the usual spot being Wild Boar, of course) but I have fond memories of walking into the place upon my first visit to Fort Collins nearly a year earlier and thinking to myself, Hmm, okay, I can do this, I can live in this town. There was just something about it: the bikes hanging on the wall, the bookstore in the back, the friendly staffers, the community vibe. I envisioned myself sitting at one of the tables, laptop or book or freelance project in hand, and found myself pleased with the picture. Yes ma'am, I was sold.

As it turns out, the place is a bit out of my way, so I only end up going to the Bean Cycle for events: they host poets and authors on a regular basis. I found myself there one evening, waiting to hear Temple Grandin speak, a CSU professor and animal-lover with autism about whom I had just read a lengthy article in one of my classes. Since I was there several hours before she was to show up, I settled in to finish up a proofreading project, armed with a slice of lemon tart and a mug (beer stein, really) of black coffee. Maybe the two weren't meant to go together—coffee and lemon never seemed like a perfect combination in my book—but the mellow bitterness of that coffee rounded out the tangy, bright sweetness of the tart, making even sip and mouthful that much more satisfying. A happier proofreader in the joint probably couldn't be found.