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Trixies Coffee

Trixie's Coffee


Last Updated: 11/21/2009

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Gender: Female
Status: In a Relationship
Age: 27
Sign: Sagittarius

City: ROSEVILLE
State: Michigan
Country: US
Signup Date: 1/5/2006

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Friday, November 20, 2009 

Current mood:  busy
Category: Friends
Saturday November 22 & Sunday November 23, between noon & 3pm, Trixie's Coffee will be hosting a Candle Light Moving Sale.  There will be cups and mugs to take, tables for $100, and chairs for $25.  Tammy (w/Metta) will be selling her jewerly, too!  Feel free to bring your accoustic guitar & play us some tunes or maybe some candles and a smile.  Come by and enjoy the old coffee stomping grounds one more time! 

There will be a $5- suggested donation to help us pay off our debts, especially for those who would like to take souveniers....BUT...It is not required for entrance.  

Donations will be greatly and lovingly appreciated!

Love, Love, Love,
~Trixie's Coffee~
12:18 AM 
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Friday, November 06, 2009 

Current mood:  accomplished
Category: Life
10 years ago while sitting in my favorite diner, Monty's, I had the idea for Trixie's Coffee. I envisioned a late night coffee hangout where people could meet, drink coffee, read, write, study, have creative ideas, and be allowed to smoke. 2 years later, with financing help from my parents, Trixie's Cafe' & Coffee House was born. We opened December 21st at 6pm, the day after we had gotten our final approval from the Health department. Every time the door opened I jumped. I was completely surrounded by family, but I was still anxious since I desperately wanted to provide the best coffee and service available. Customers came in and loved the place. It was exciting and fulfilling, but the life of a start up was tough. I worked every night from 6pm to 1am. I didn't get nights off. I couldn't go out with my friends to the bar and during the day those friends were at work. Working such odd hours became lonely. I couldn't be every customers friend, I had a business to run. That was when I got my kitty-cat Trina. She lived with me for years at the coffee shop and helped to keep me sane. Eventually I had a bit of relief when several wonderful customers volunteered to work for tips, and in my naivety, I accepted their offers. Mike Wolgamuth, Ian Lee Lamb, Matt Bruhns, Dan Daniels, Amber, Katie, and eventually my sisters Colleen & Maureen, were the first of our employees. We experimented with menu items, opening earlier, having music nights, and then hosting a Tuesday Night Open Mic. Months later, Sunday Poetry Nights were born from the mind of Ian Lee Lamb on one particularly slow Sunday night when we desperately wished to entertain ourselves. When times got tough, my parents came to the rescue. Working shifts for free, tweaking the menu, designing ads, & installing the first water fall in an attempt for more ambiance. All that time, I lived in the back of the cafe', sleeping on the shop's couches after closing time. I decided from the beginning to put off paying myself until the business was profitable, but Trixie's never became profitable and for 8 years I have survived solely on tips and coffee shop food. My tips averaged out to about $8 a night. But you must also understand that Trixie's was like my first born child. I would do anything for her benefit or survival. I walked, talked, ate, slept, and breathed Trixie's. I love Trixie's unendingly.
..
Trixie's first espresso machine was a one group Espressimo that eventually couldn't handle the loads we were placing on it. Then we moved to several personal/home units that also could not stand up to the constant demand for espresso drinks & steamers. Somehow, through the grace of God, our friend and Shock distributor Carl Zeuner sold us Izzie. Izzie is a La Marzocoo, the Porsche or Lamborghini of espresso machines. She is an amazing piece of machinery with 3 group heads, a double boiler, and a 220 electrical draw. Unfortunately, to date, Carl still hasn't received the $6,000 that he sold Izzie to us for. Times have been difficult, the economy has tanked, and Trixie's being a discretionary business - has suffered greatly from this downturn. Carl has generously given us extension after extension, wishing for our success, instead of demanding receipt of the money he is rightfully owed.
..
1 or so years into our Tuesday Night Open Mic, a stranger walked in the door, one of Manton's good friends. He offered to help out and host if one was ever needed. He was "hired" on the spot. Dave Martin was a God send. He hosted open mic dilligently and with a love for music that I'd never seen before. We worked together & hung out with each other all the time. We had been the best of friends for two years, so dating seemed the next best thing. After a few years together, Dave graciously opened his home to me and my cat Trina, allowing me to have a real home...something I had never been able to afford. But working together, living together, and being so dependant on someone eventually leads to an unhealthy relationship.  The last year or so of our relationship was wrought with arguments and resentment. I was unable to contribute to the house hold bills and worked late hours...my shift was a completely opposite shift from what he was working. Time spent together was spent silently or fighting. We were no longer a team and we certainly weren't friends. I thought taking my dependency out of the relationship could help things. It didn't. And to add insult to injury, I left when Dave needed the most support; 6 or so months earlier he had been diagnosed with MS. I'm sure that his physical and cognitive disruption added to all of our relationship woes. I wish I had done things differently. I lament the loss of all those years of friendship and companionship. But he got me back I guess, because he took many of my personal items, my cat Trina, some business items that belonged to Trixie's, and also refuses to speak to me. 
..
As an additional result of our break up, Luna's Tuesday Night Open Mic was born. The loss of Dave's support and the competition on our most essential night, tore Trixie's apart at the seams. After only 2 months, I could no longer afford the rent for my $250 a month room at my friend Kevin's house. I started living in the office again. My family pushed me to live at my Grandma’s house in Berkley, but I couldn't afford the gas to get back and forth. Our $300+ open mic night dropped to less than $100. We were losing money like crazy. That one night alone had kept Trixie's afloat, and now Trixie's had nothing.
..
While I was attempting to figure out my relationship with Dave, a good friend from high school got back in contact with me. Everything about us was complementary. And then, to top it all off, he loves jazz as much as I do. We talked and it was pleasant conversation. He supported my efforts to open up for commuter mornings. He felt that my 12 hour shifts were noble instead of crazy. He gave me words of wisdom and the strength to persevere. When I left Dave, Milton was visiting in town. Having a friend to commiserate with during such a difficult change was nice. That weekend Milton and I started dating. It moved fast. We got engaged in July on the pier in Pensacola, Florida. All of my trips to visit Milton have been lovingly paid for by him. He expects no rent or financial assistance, and only wants me to get another job if it makes me happy. Luckily down here in Baltimore, there are many job possibilities. Boutique managers are in demand & federal jobs are everywhere. I can actually support myself in the Baltimore/DC area. There are no jobs available to me in Detroit. All the manager positions are taken and my only resource would be to become a waitress. I would be putting myself in the same boat as before. Moving down here and allowing Jeff to take my shifts just made sense.
..
Speaking of Jeff...I must declare...that he was by far the best employee Trixie's ever had.  He worked late hours, would cover a shift at the drop of a hat, tolerated getting paid late on several occasions, and was the patience and zen that Trixie's often needed. Without Jeff, Trixie's would have closed a long long time ago. I don't know what we would have done with out him. I will forever be in his debt for being such a great friend and loyal employee. One day, the universe decided that Jeff needed a little sister and so we got Grace. There is no way to forget Grace. She won't let you. Gracie started off as an exuberant 11 year old who would buss the tables all afternoon and desperatley beg to be taught how to make espresso drinks. She was a great help. Without these two, my yin and yang, I'd have been lost and alone many times.  I am lucky to have found such a great brother and sister.
..
On October 19th I had a conversation with the landlord. Our rent was late again and his feelings were that I should close Trixie's. I animately disagreed and told him that I was trying to get a loan from the SBA to support my venture. He gave me until the end of October to decide if I was going to leave peacefully, pay the rent to date, or be evicted. We owed and still owe him $2,400 by the end of October. It was a long shot, but seemed like an obstacle we could overcome. Later that same day I received shut off notices from Consumers Energy and DTE for approximately $800 a piece. To top everything off, I was also scheduled to fly down to Baltimore that Thursday the 22nd to help Milton move into our new house. Milton had already paid for the flight and I had promised to be there to help with the move. When it rains it pours, right? All of those events happened in one day, and directly led to my decision to close Trixie's. I was out of options, in a failing business, with no savings, and no other recourse but to close. It was a choice that broke my heart & I knew that many people wouldn't understand my decision. After hours of tears, I announced the final Tuesday Open Mic and Sunday Poetry Nights. The turn out for each show was amazing. I couldn't believe we had positively affected so many people. It was a wonderful show of gratitude and support.
..
In a healthy business, I should have been able to leave for a week or 2, pay the bills online, and pay the employees minimum wage to work my shifts. A healthy business shouldn't have depended on my free labor in order to survive. After 8 years of working for free, I was tired and wanted some relief. I know that I deserve to be paid for my skills. I wanted nothing extravagant. I wasn't looking for dividends or profits; Minimum wage would have satisfied me.
..
Many people don't realize the many sacrifices made by so many people to keep Trixie's running. All those sacrifices were noble, but it is time that Trixie's repays all of those people for their hard work. Until I am able to raise sufficient money to re-open, or until investors become available, Trixie's will remain closed. It is sad, but Patti, Jeff, Grace, & I deserve to be compensated for our efforts. I am not implying that we are angry or bitter, but we are certainly tired and worn out. Please understand the depth of love we all have for Trixie's. We know you loved Trixie's as much as we did. It was no one's fault that we had to close. The Detroit economy has gotten too brutal for a discressionary business, such as Trixie's, to survive. We love you and thank you for your support.
9:03 PM 
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Thursday, November 05, 2009 

i finished the community contact list!
there's just one slight issue

it may be in your junk mail!

it seems that in some cases it ends up there...

so check your e-mail
and if it's not there, then take a look in your "spam"or "junk" area if you have one.


be well 





1:40 AM 
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Wednesday, October 28, 2009 

Current mood:  warm
hello everybody this is jeff. I'm not really sure what to say... I've said this to a few people, but i want to express it to as many as i can. I've been working here (as I am now sitting here at Trixie's as i write this) for probably the better half of 5 and a half years. And as with anything that you do for a long time, It's common for you to get to a point at which you question why, and how long, and if it is still worth it. Well, these periods are periods of evaluation. and I think it's perfectly natural to find yourself questioning anything you do or choose to do for a long time. Because it is ultimately your choice. The thing is, the longer you do something it seems the more important these questions become. And as with anything Iv'e done I've naturally found my self asking these questions and evaluating the worth of whatever it was that i was doing for so long, ie playing guitar, writing songs, working at trixie's... Well, I can can honestly say that I will never worry about these questions in the terms of whatever time and energy i spent working at trixie's. Thanks to the overwhelming presence of all of you and and the myriad of ways that you were able to show me, the answer is clear. I have never been so secure with the worth of what I've done. I will never question the time i spent here. i just wanted to say thank you sunday night was honestly, amazing. and for those of you that are wondering about the the community/ contact list. please be patient I will have those up soon also for all of those interested i urge you to keep in contact would you come to a "rogue show"? because we might have one soon...

12:09 AM 
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Sunday, October 25, 2009 

Come to Trixie's last ever open mic! Music and Poetry- or anything else you'd like. Open Mic starts at 6 PM and goes until whenever we feel like it. We're open from NOON until- well- like I said, whenever we feel like it... We'll figure DAWN. Come out and show your support!

6:15 PM 
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Wednesday, September 23, 2009 

Current mood:  indescribable
There is a phenomenon going on in the Detroit area, a dog eat dog mentality, that is making me sick to my stomach. Instead of Detroiters & the art/music scene as a whole, banding together & supporting each other, they have become what I will now call Detroit Cannibals. About a year ago, Sean Fitzgerald and I spoke of this phenomenon, about how cruel Detroit has become. Listen people, there is more than enough room for all of us to survive and thrive here in Metro-Detroit. Hell, we could each have our own city block if we wanted it! We are nearing the anniversary of the loss of our dearest friend. What a slap in the face it is to his memory that the music community would fall apart in such a cannibalistic fashion. Tonight is Trixie's Tuesday Night Open Mic. We've hosted this event for almost 8 years. There have been several venues & hosts that have tried to break our tradition here at Trixie's. I think they should all grow some gusto & start something that won't tear apart the art & music community any longer. Why doesn't someone start up a Wednesday Night Open Mic up down the street? Or a Saturday Poetry Night? Why, when there are 7 nights to a week, does every one clammer to one specific day? Is it due to the fact that these people are unimaginative leaches that cannot create their own dream? I hope not, because almost 8 years ago, we were sitting around Trixie's, wondering what to do & how to bide our time. Had Luna, then Java House, had an open mic, we'd have certainly chosen another night. So, Support Real & Thoughtful Local Music. Open Mic has never been about competition or making others feel bad, its about sharing and growing the music community. There is room for everyone at Trixie's, surprisingly enough, there is even room for the haters.

Call in sign up is @ 6pm.
586-776-9002.
Show starts @ 9pm.
Rick Charming will be hosting this Detroit Tradition.
12:45 AM 
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Thursday, August 27, 2009 

Current mood:  breezy
Tuesday nights are still going strong as ever!!!

We've been making a few changes here & there, so to update you on everything; 


Open Mic Starts @ 9pm

Call in sign up is @ 6pm (586/776-9002)

Open Mic goes on until 1am

Tuesdays are now hosted by your very own, Rick Charming!
Clean piano requests to start off the night with an anything goes ending!



 


We expect to see you out here!
1:47 AM 
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Saturday, March 14, 2009 

Current mood:  inquisitive
Category: News and Politics


..






 




So, I've finally watched the Daily Show episode & I have mixed feelings on it.  My first thought is that Jim Cramer doesn't run cnbc, so, maybe Stewart should have a cnbc executive on to defend its network, instead of one of its commentators.  My second thought is about the whole concept of a 401K or pension.  I don't think 401Ks or pensions work.  The idea of letting a commission based worker trade stocks for you while you sit back and wait for the money to role in is insane.  I am a firm believer in managing your own portfolio.  No one has your best interest in mind more than yourself & if you do an hour a week of research per company you own stock in, you will be more than informed on how your companies and porfolio are doing.  Would you let a bank decide on how to invest your savings account?  Well if not, why would you let a brokerage fund manage your retirement fund, especially if they earned a commission every time they bought or sold a share of stock with your money?  401Ks & IRAs allow the owners to pick their stocks on their own, but many people feel safe in having a 20/30/40 year option where they don't have any say or control over what is actually bought or sold & at what price it is done at.   Do your homework people and you won't get screwed.  There is no easy money, no riches without hard work, so do your due dilligence and you will be ok.  Otherwise, you deserve to have your 401K wiped out by some company that sold your stocks at a low price and then bought your stocks to put in their own portfolio, only to sell them off at a high price & put them back into your 20/30/40 plan at your expense. 

Good luck & Peace out.
-Trish
4:52 PM 
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Saturday, March 14, 2009 

Current mood:bewildered
Category: News and Politics
This is dedicated to everyone who has never regularly watched Mad Money & also to all those who get their news updates from the Daily Show. 

In 15 minutes I will be busy watching the Jim Cramer/John Stewart episode of the daily show...until then, I will be writing this blog.  From everything I've heard, this is a hilarious episode.  John Stewart totally "owns" and humiliates Jim Cramer...and I love the idea of two of tv's funniest people, duking it out on a comedy show.  According to Stewart, an amazingly poiniant comedian, Cramer has falsely advised many people to buy stocks, such as Bear Sterns...thus ruining their stock portfolios.  

I have a few points on this subject, since I do regularly watch Mad Money. 

#1:  Jim Cramer's talent is in the realm of infotainment.  He is knowlegeable about stocks, but the best part of his show is that he yells & breaks things on national television.  Jim Cramer is neither 100% fact, nor 100% fiction, but what he really does well, is make a very dry & boring subject interesting or at the very least, tolerable.  Cramer's disclaimer is pretty much this:  I am human & make mistakes;  I enjoy having fun & making money;  do your research, 1 hour a week per stock company you own;  & Buy low, sell high.  The best part of that credo is, DO YOUR RESEARCH.  Because, as many forget, you can not take any television show too seriously, even the news.  You must do your own research or you'll take the risk of sounding like an idiot when you speak to someone more knowledgeable than yourself, or worse, you'll lose money just because some funny guy on tv, with a bunch of noise buttons & personality, told you to buy a particular stock.   

#2:  Banks/brokerage firms like Bear Stearns & Morgan Stanley were targeted by a group of mutual funds that haven't been found out yet.  Almost all these large banks & firms failed due to a practice known as short selling.  Short selling is like going to the casino & betting with the house (like in craps where you can bet against another player at your table), but on a national scale.  So, in essence, what happens is that these large firms collectively bet against the firms they wanted to fail, and as the general public saw this, they sold out of their shares of that particular stock.  Due to this debachery, the Federal Government actually banned the practice of short selling from Thanksgiving to New Years in 2008.

My ultimate point is this:  Most people only know 1/2 the story, just like me, writing this blog about a Daily Show episode I have yet to watch.  Tv was created to keep you uninformed, parallelling the time where only the very rich were allowed to learn how to read.  Be educated & inform yourself, because ultimately, knowledge is power.

Now I am going to watch this Daily Show episode;  I hope it is as entertaining as it sounds.  It should be, since two of my favorite comedians are duking it out. 

Luv luv luv,
     -Trish

p.s.  If you really want to know the other half of the story, check out Mad Money @ 6pm or 10pm on cnbc...you can't hulu the show in its entirety, only the lame parts make it on the web...so watch it live for a week or two, and tell me if you think Jim Cramer is as funny as John Stewart. ;)
2:27 PM 
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Thursday, November 20, 2008 

Current mood:  shocked
Category: Friends
Sean Fitzgerald, loved by all who knew him, passed away November 19th at Sinai Grace Hospital in the presence of his loving and devoted father. As far as we know, no funeral services are to be held. Mr Fitzgerald plans to scatter Sean's cremated remains over Lake Huron. A memorial open mic will be held at PJ's Lager House on November 29th. The show will start at 8:30pm & all ages are welcome until 10pm, and a strict no drinking policy among minors will be inforced. PJ's Lager House is located at 1254 Michigan Ave, Detroit, MI 48226. Call PJ's @ 313-961-4668 for directions only. Trixie's Coffee (586-776-9002) will be closed the evening of November 29th, so we may all participate in Sean's memorial. Please support our other local coffee shops that night. :) Thank you to all who have loved and supported Sean, Trixie's, & PJ's.
7:07 PM 
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