Have Coffee Will Travel

On our 15th episode, we chat about the recent strike/lockout at Canada Post. Shawn is a Letter Carrier, so this issue is immediate and personal. Leah and Shawn talk about the strike itself, as well as Shawn's own experience working for the post office. You will also learn a few surprises along the way.More than 55,000 postal workers went on strike on Nov. 15. The Canadian Union of Postal Workers was seeking wage increases, better pensions and improved health benefits. The Union insists that wage increases must be kept in line with inflation, with cost-of-living adjustment payments rolled into the basic wage rate. Weekend delivery was one of the main sticking points during negotiations. Canada Post has pitched seven-day-a-week delivery as a way to boost revenue and "secure the future of the company" as it struggles to compete with other delivery companies. The Crown corporation says it would staff weekend delivery shifts with a mix of new permanent part-time positions and some full-time, which would "create flexibility while not adding significant long-term fixed costs." But the union characterizes Canada Post's proposals as "attacks on full-time work," accusing the Crown corporation of wanting to increase the part-time mix to more than 50 per cent of the workforce. It says it is concerned some part-timers could be scheduled for as few as eight hours per week and wouldn’t be eligible for benefits until they reach 1,000 hours.Essentially, the Union and the Corporation do not see eye to eye on a number of factors. The Canada Post strike has been hard on workers, customers and the economy. The goodish news is that we are back to work and the government has set a few things in motion to try to help. Only time will tell what that means for the workers.This week's podcast promo: EnterpriseSplaining

Our 2024 Orlando and Grand Rapids vacation. Every day is an adventure. Join us as we break down each day's events into small, bite-size chunks.What did we do? Where did we go? Who did we see?Day 1: Crazy weather travel day. Our 4 hour drive took us 6 hours. Our Allegiant flight was delayed. We made it to Orlando, had dinner and went for a walk around our resort neighbourhood. Day 2. Sunday shopping. Picked up groceries for the week at Walmart. Went for breakfast at IHOP. The coffee was gross. The food was just OK. Thrifting in Kissimmee is lackluster. The flea markets are sad and all the same. We finished the day with a bath, drinking wine and reading. Day 3. Monday adventures. Orlando's Vineland outlets. Batmobile Crocs. Disney Springs desserts and the Earl of Sandwich. Jollywood Nights was awesome. We got on Rise of the Resistance without any waiting. And we finally got to ride Slinky Dog. The fireworks were great the the good was fantastic.Day 4. We went to the Lakeland Antique Mall. Lots of fun stuff to see. The time flew by. The layout and upkeep was awful. Too expensive for most things. The dessert we bought in Disney Springs yesterday from Amorette's Patisserie was delicious.Day 5. Wednesday was a shopping day. Davey's Toys was a highlight. The Mercantile was a surprise find that we enjoyed. Acme Toy Warehouse was huge and had lots of vintage, but overpriced stuff. The Lindor store had the best Lindt chocolate. We got some bears at Goodwill and a few things from the Disney Character Warehouse. Day 6. Orlando Beer Spa. Thursday was mainly about relaxation.Day 7. Bishop's birthday. A paddle boat ride. Visiting with Jarman and Jolie and having a few games, drinks and laughs. Final Entry. Wrapping up the weekend. Saturday was travel from Orlando to Grand Rapids. We checked out some antiques. Sunday was more antiques, the Lush store and TSO. The Trans Siberian Orchestra put on an amazing show. Staying at Spark by Hilton was something else. Not the worst hotel, but definitely could have been better.This week's podcast promos: DragonCon Report, ES DCU, ES Trek, ES Who

Disney, antiques, beer, music, food, travel and more!Welcome to the Thanksgiving episode. We were going to do a deep dive into the history of Thanksgviing, but we thought better of that idea. The topic is too vast and full of controversy to be covered easily. Instead, we talk about the things we are grateful for. Family is always at the top of the list. But, let us not forget our warm homes, the delicious food, and the friends we have. There is so much to be thankful for, both at this time of year, and the whole year through.Canada Post is on strike. The mail is not being delivered. Co-host Shawn works for Canada Post. This strike directly affects Shawn and Leah. Strike pay is not very much. Each day, Shawn must participate in the picket line for 4 hours if he is to receive his strike pay. This pay is not nearly enough to cover groceries or bills, but the cause the Union is fighting for makes it all worthwhile. Good paying jobs, a decent pension, and safe working conditions is not too much to ask for. Shawn tries an eggnog White Russian beverage. As a big fan of the film The Big Lebowski, it is almost a requirement to enjoy a White Russian. Leah found a recipe. You will hear Shawn's reaction to his first sip on this episode!Shawn and Leah are excited about their upcoming trip. For a week they will be experiencing Orlando, Florida. Jollywood Nights at Hollywood Studios is just one of the events they will be enjoying. There is a beer spa to visit. The Lakeland Antique Mall is only one of the stops on their thrifting adventures. Disney Springs and the Earl of Sandwich are just 2 of the upcoming attractions to visit. On their final night, they will be in Grand Rapids, Michigan to see and hear the Transiberian Orchestra.And finally, the hosts talk about their ETSY shops and recent sales. Leah's shop is called collectandcaston, while Shawn's is called RustedRobotToys. This week's podcast promo: Cosmic Pizza Podcast

A coffee house is an establishment that sells coffee and usually other refreshments, and that commonly serves as an informal club for its regular customers. The first known use of the term coffeehouse was in 1612. More commonly a coffee house or coffee shop (cafe) serves various types of coffee, espresso, latte, americano and cappuccino.Coffee houses are popular hangout spots in pop culture. The most famous example is Central Perk from the television show Friends. However, there are many more examples. Not only are these places great spots to get together on tv, they also work great in real life. Whether it's the start of your road trip, a neutral place for a first date, or a pit stop along your journey, the coffee house is essential to every day life.Real life coffee shops include Robin's Donuts, Dunkin' Donuts, Starbucks, and Tim Horton's. McDonald's is also becoming known for their great coffee. It seems as though everyone is trying to get on the coffee train.Who was Tim Horton, and what is Tim Horton's?Tim Hortons Inc., known colloquially as Tim's, Timmies, or Timmy's, is a Canadian multinational coffeehouse and restaurant chain with headquarters in Toronto; it serves coffee, donuts, sandwiches, breakfast egg muffins and other fast-food items. It is Canada's largest quick-service restaurant chain, with 5,701 restaurants in 13 countries, as of September 2023.The company was founded in 1964 in Hamilton, Ontario by Canadian ice hockey player Tim Horton (1930–1974) and Jim Charade (1934–2009), after an initial venture in hamburger restaurants. In 1967, Horton partnered with investor Ron Joyce, who assumed control over operations after Horton died in 1974. Joyce expanded the chain into a multi-billion dollar franchise. Charade left the organization in 1966 and briefly returned in 1970 and 1993 through 1996.On August 26, 2014, Burger King agreed to merge with Tim Hortons for US$11.4 billion. The two chains became subsidiaries of Toronto-based holding company Restaurant Brands International on December 15, 2014.The Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL) is a coffee drink made with a mix of traditional fall spice flavors (cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove), steamed milk, espresso, and often sugar, topped with whipped cream and pumpkin pie spice. The beverage is most commonly associated with Starbucks, which first offered the drink in the fall of 2003.This week's podcast promo: Cigar Nerds Podcast

Road trips are an essential component of modern life. What is a road trip? It is a long journey, especially one that is recreational or spontaneous, taken in an automobile. They often involve multiple stops and are often made for simple pleasure. This episode of the podcast delves into all kinds of road trips. Snacks are important on a trip and we talk about some of our favourites.We usually start each episode by talking about what we are drinking. This time, there were no drinks involved. However, Leah did enjoy a beverage earlier in the day. Her boss bought Starbucks. The drink of choice for today for the oat apple-crisp espresso. It was delicious.House moving is over. Today, Shawn cleared out his storage unit. Although he has a few remaining items at his brother's house, mostly everything is now in the home. Organization is the final task.After the preamble, we dredge up memories of childhood road trips. Leah remembers her mother waking them up at 4am. She and her sister were instructed to get dressed and get in the car. No pajamas were permitted. The 7 hour road trip to grandma's house would then take place. Shawn took a road trip with his grandparents in 1989. Mostly they did whatever his grandfather wanted. They saw airplane museums and ship harbours. A lot of driving and a whole load of motels were experienced. The rest of the episode details this past weekend's road trip to Grand Rapids, Michigan. We went to the GoodWill bins, the Lush store in the mall as well as the Lego store and Hallmark. We ate at Bob Evans and the Cheesecake Factory. A major highlight was the Wally's family of antique stores.This week's podcast promo: BatChums

You won't believe this! We have joined the ESO Podcast Network. Established in April 2012, the ESO Network is a podcast network of shows that celebrate a love for pop culture, sci-fi, comics, and all things geek. Your co-host Shawn has been a part of ESO since early 2018. The Have Coffee Will Travel Podcast is the fifth show Shawn has been a part of with ESO. On this week's episode, Shawn and Leah discuss the drama surrounding their recent move. Married since May of this year, the couple decided they needed a home of their own. A new place with no old memories attached. The perfect place presented itself and the couple moved in this past weekend. You Won't Believe This, centers around the drama created by the buyers of Leah's old house. To say the last week has been stressful is an understatement of epic proportions. The good news is that the move is complete, the house is getting organized and Shawn and Leah are happy. We want to welcome our new ESO listeners and thank our loyal fans for continuing to support HCWT Podcast. Our drink of choice this week was the seasonal spirit Crown Royal Salted Caramel.This week's podcast promo: The 42 Cast

Your trash is our treasure! This week, Shawn and Leah bring you on their garage sale adventures. We are talking about what we found to put in our ETSY stores, and a few things we found for ourselves.Not only that, we dive into each item's history and how it relates to our lives.#Pavarotti #Voltron #Funko #coffee #Disney #Netflix #AttackonTitan #anime #manga #minecraft #lego #mickeymouse #VHS #laserdisc #baseball #fantasia

Our Have Coffee listeners are invited to witness the end of an era. After more than 7 years, the Soul Forge Podcast is over. Shawn began the Soul Forge as a form of self-therapy. It was meant to be a conversation about the things that people don't often talk about. Along the way, it became something greater. Multiple guests shared their stories. No topic was ever off-limits. The Soul Forge was a love letter to the future. Shawn hoped his son would one day find it and gain valuable insights into his father's life. Perhaps that will still happen.So, Coffee lovers, sit back, relax, and enjoy this final episode of The Soul Forge Podcast.