Strrrretch!

Uncommon Grounds (UG): What led you to Pilates?

Meghan Del Prete (MDP): I was a Dance Major at Skidmore College and began taking the Pilates mat classes offered in the department. I was amazed at how much Pilates changed my body and improved my dancing. I quickly became hooked!

UG: Has working with fitness always been your goal?

MDP: Since I was 4 years old I have loved to dance, and growing up it kept me very active. I was lucky to continue dancing in college. I had a double major though and after graduating I was able to get a job at a graphic design firm doing Production Management and Marketing. It was a fun job, and I learned so much about that field, and running a small business. But after a few years of sitting at a desk all day I realized that I was happier doing something that kept me moving. Pilates felt like the perfect fit for me. The method is very similar to the way you train your body in ballet so it felt natural for me. Initially, I loved the idea of working with dancers because of how much Pilates had helped my own dancing. But as I learned more about Pilates and saw amazing results with all kinds of bodies and injuries I became very excited about having such a wide array of bodies to work with. It means the work will never become boring!

UG: Tell us how “not all Pilates” is the same?

MDP: The Pilates method was started by Joseph Pilates, who called his work Contrology. He spent his life developing this exercise system, and before he died, he asked Romana Kryzanowska to continue his life’s work, teaching Pilates around the world, which she has. Joe died in 1967 at the age of 87 and since then has not developed any new exercises. (Joe never did Pilates on a ball or a BOCU.) Many people he trained or his teachers trained fell in love with Pilates and began teaching the method as well, sometimes incorporating their own variations, and many of them started to offer their own Pilates Certification. A lot of variations on the work have been very good with nice results. But there are some variations that have injured people, which should never happen with Pilates. Obviously, this can give Pilates a bad reputation. Unfortunately, “Pilates” is not trademarked, so although a lot of variations on the method have been “inspired by Pilates” legally they do not have to be called something else.

Apparatus, in its natural habitat.

To be a Pilates Instructor there is no license required or standard in the industry for certification. It is possible to become certified online or attend a weekend workshop. Wherever you take a Pilates class, it is important to find out what the instructor’s certification is. Pilates is not something you can learn in a couple weeks time, or simply by practicing on your own. A good certification program requires passing a test to demonstrate an intermediate level of proficiency to begin, is a minimum of 600 hours spent in the studio training under the supervision of Master Teacher Trainers, includes in-depth testing at various points in the program and awards certification based on an individual’s readiness, not simply a number of hours spent in classes.

UG: Are classes taught in sequence or can people jump in at any time?

MDP: We offer various levels of ongoing mat classes, so you could start at any time. Pilates is very different from other forms of exercise though, so regardless of how physically fit you are we always suggest starting with Private sessions. This allows the instructor to tailor the workout for your body’s needs, and modify the exercises accordingly. In a group mat class you just don’t get that kind of individual attention, which is essential to learning the method safely and correctly.

More apparatus!

UG: When did you move into your current studio and how has the move affected your business?

MDP: The studio opened at the Lofts last July. It has been great to have more space! In our old location we had to move the apparatus into the hallway so we had space to have mat class. Now we are able to have more than one class happening at once. That makes it easier to accommodate our client’s schedules. We also have a shower room, so clients are able to schedule class on their lunch break, shower and go back to work if they want. Also being located in a Condo building has brought in business from lots of people that live or work here.

UG: Have you considered working with other teachers?

MDP: Yes, now that we have room in the new studio, I am working with other teachers. This is something I am really excited to offer my clients. All of the instructors are certified through Romana’s Pilates(TM), so we are teaching the same thing (which is important!) but with different perspectives. From my training in NYC I saw how valuable it was to take lessons with all of the instructors. Working with different instructors at the studio will give you a more well-rounded workout and guarantee that you will not get bored! We may each take a slightly different focus for your workout, or we may choose different exercises to achieve the same goal. Sometimes even the way one teacher explains a concept you have heard 100 times before makes sense in a new way when you hear it explained with different words. I am so happy to offer this kind of studio experience to my clients.

UG: What are your long-term goals?

MDP: Moving to our new space and growing our staff were two goals I have had for awhile, and am so excited to see them taking shape. From here I would like to keep growing our business and what we can offer to our clients and community. There are a lot of ideas I have for bringing in guest teachers and offering workshops and programs for specialized groups, like different types of athletes or specific injuries. Soon we are starting to become part of The Dancer Advantage Program. This was started by a Romana’s Pilates Instructor in NYC, and studios around the world are participating. The program offers private and semi-private sessions for dancers at a discounted rate. It is an exciting opportunity that will allow a dancer to continue taking discounted Pilates in any city they travel to. There is a possibility of scholarships as well, which is even more exciting.

UG: Any advice for folks looking to improve their health or fitness?

MDP: Do Pilates! Obviously I am biased, but I have seen it really work in amazing ways. The beauty of Pilates is how efficient the workout is. In 20 minutes you can work the entire body. It does not have to be a huge sacrifice of time or money, and it does not have to be miserable. Pilates does not hurt!

If Pilates is not for you, I think the important thing is to keep moving! Find something you love that fits with your lifestyle, then working out will never be a chore.

Contact Meghan at meghan(at)reformyourbody(dot)com or 518-871-1315 to find out about some exciting introductory deals that Reform Pilates is offering throughout the month of June!

Simone and friend testing the equipment for safety...

Working at Uncommon Grounds can be a great launching pad for folks in-between schooling and other life situations. One of our brightest employees, Simone B. has worked at our store on numerous occasions in two different decades. Most recently, she joined us at the Saratoga Springs location after a 9 year stint living in Russia (!) and before heading off to grad school in California.

Her time in Russia was spent working for the Peace Corps and for Middlebury College in Yaroslavl. This experience prepared her for an incredible opportunity this year where she served as an interpreter for the Tajikistan team at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver! We were excited to hear her reports from the Games and loved getting a glance at the happenings from an insider’s perspective.

Uncommon Grounds (UG): What got you interested in becoming a translator?

Simone B. (SB): I’m actually more interested in interpretation (the spoken side) than translation (the written). Mostly because I like to talk, love languages, and like smoothing out misunderstandings between cultures, especially Russian and English.

Whistler... wow!

UG: A-ha! You left us within the last year, how does one shoot straight to interpreting at the Olympics so quickly?

SB: I left in August of last year to begin my Grad studies at the Monterey Institute for International Studies in Monterey, CA. I am planning on graduating in 2011 with a Masters in Conference Interpreting, to hopefully work at the UN or with NASA or (the holy grail) as an interpreter at various world sporting events. So I mentioned my interest to my professors, and one of them was able to pass my resume on to VANOC (the Vancouver Organizing Committee). They needed Russian speakers, so I was invited to work as a volunteer.

UG: How many hours would you work at a time? Were you “always on”?

SB: I worked anywhere from 5 to 15 hours a day, depending on what was needed. I was indeed ‘always’ on because I was the only interpreter that they had for Tajikistan, the team I was assigned to.

View of the downhill slope from the Olympic Family Room!

UG: How much of the actual games were you able to catch?

SB: I got to go to Curling (Men’s with Norway’s delightful pants), biathlon (Men’s relay), all the alpine skiing events for men, the closing and opening ceremonies (although I wasn’t really AT them, but rather, behind the scenes).

UG: Please name some other personal highlights from the games…

SB: Personal highlights?? Well Canada beating the US in hockey was pretty sweet, especially as it set off one of the largest, kindest, happiest parties I have ever seen. Getting to carry the Tajik flag during the dress rehearsal of the Opening ceremonies, in front of 60,000 people was also pretty amazing. We got to test out where the athletes were to sit and see the entire show, the night before everyone else in the world did. Some of my friends and I also had a great time at a party for Ghana’s only athlete, the ‘Snow Leopard’ at a local club. And we also took Chinese Taipei’s athlete out clubbing one night. Just being there was a long series of highlights for me.

UG: Sounds truly life-changing! So what’s next for you Simone?

SB: Next??? Hmmm… Well, graduating would be nice
This summer I hope to have an internship with the company that interprets and translates for NASA and the International Space Station in Moscow. That would really set me up for a wonderful future career. We’ll see!!

It's official! Divinyl Revolution is here!

When the word went out that downtown mainstay Last Vestige would be closing its Saratoga Springs location, an audible gasp was heard throughout our small town. What would happen to music? Where would folks spend hours flicking through albums?

Never fear, friends! Former Vestige employee Britney Nasser took over the record store’s vacated space at the end of January and has now re-opened it as “Divinyl Revolution“!

Kid Robot! SuperFishal!

Along with the requisite stacks of used LPs, 7″s, CDs, DVDs and VHS tapes, folks can find new items in the store such as skateboards, Superfishal T-Shirts/books/stickers, Kid Robot products (!), comics, toys, vintage clothing and much more. The stock seems to have shrunk a bit since the transition, but the CD selection seems to be more focused with less “tossers” and more “winners”.

The face draws you nearer!

Britney tells us the store will be holding in-store musical performances and plenty of other events as Divinyl Revolution settles in to its new home. For vinyl lovers out there, look forward to shipments of new and classic LP re-releases to be showing up at the store in the near future. If you have any special requests or are looking for anything in particular, feel free to visit Britney any time – she’ll be glad to help.

For now, stay tuned to the Divinyl Revolution Facebook Fan Page to keep apprised of any specials or upcoming events.

Comics, stickers, 8 tracks, Superfishal Gear and more!

Jason, carrying fuel to get some work done!

Today we’d like to introduce you to one of our long-time customers – Jason Nemec who is at the forefront of the interactive design/gaming field through his work at FutureMedia Interactive, a design studio that recently started an offshoot gaming company called Ghost Hand Games.

We recently chatted with Jason about all the exciting things he’s got going on in his world. Check it out!

Uncommon Grounds (UG): What brought you to the area? Have you always lived around here?

Jason Nemec (JN): My family moved to Burnt Hills when I was going into the 9th grade. I was born in central New York; lived in Oswego, Cazenovia, and Manlius. I moved away to Rochester, NY for college for 5 years or so. I ended up coming back to Schenectady. I found some work here and decided to stay.

I really appreciate this area for its balance. Four full seasons, amazing history, not much traffic, mountains, water, cities, culture, reasonable prices; it’s all here or a short drive away.

UG: Excellent! We seem to run into folks who are magnetized back to the area, either having grown up here or who visit and then something draws them back. How long have you been working with FutureMedia Interactive?

JN: I’ve worked with FutureMedia Interactive for about 10 years. It’s been a great ride. Working in interactive media can be very exciting. When a new technology or platform is available, there’s a mad rush to explore it and push it to see what it can do. As a technology matures, that experimental creative attitude gives way to a more logical, tested, approach. Next thing you have is checklists, “best practices” and ROI. The fact is, there is always an opportunity for invention in any media, it just gets harder to convince people of its value as it matures.

As a designer and a creator, I love those awkward, first steps where everything is possible and there are no preconceived notions of the “right” and “wrong” way to do things. But as the Internet has matured, we’ve had to do the same and we’ve been focusing on picking and choosing the ideas and technologies that work best for a client and their audience.

Spooky, friendly logo! ©GHG.

UG: Interesting. I bet there’s a tough balance to strike when so many opportunities to use so many tools are at one’s fingertips these days. Speaking of new opportunities, how did Ghost Hand Games come about? Any specific reasoning for designing games for the iPhone/iPod Touch platform?

JN: Ghost Hand Games came about out of a craving to make something that is our own. Client work is great, but sometimes you need to see what you can do when you pursue your own creative objectives. We have two games available for download on the iTunes App Store right now: Nut Chuckin’ and Snow Brawlin’.

The prominence of the Apple mobile devices and the accessibility of the iTunes App Store, create an environment where a small developer can make something, and then get it into the hands of millions of people without any of the conventional complications. There are no publishers, no distribution costs, no paying for shelf space, and no packaging. It seemed worth trying and taking the small risk.

UG: A-ha! Very true! Perhaps one day you could design a “bagel-toss” game for us? Now, are there plans for Ghost Hand to expand upon current games for the forthcoming launch of the iPad? Any ideas for large format/iPad specific games?

JN: Yes. We are very excited to get one of those in our hands to see what it can do for gaming. Of all the things the iPad could bring to the party, I think gaming will be one of the most interesting. It could be such a great format for games with its 10″ screen and multitouch interface. The processor is beefed up and there is more memory than the iPhone, so it could be a “legitimate” gaming platform.

Sun Bowl #6.

UG: Seriously – Bagel Toss on the iPad! Now, tell us about your wooden bowls – where did you find inspiration for making these objects? Are you showing / selling them anywhere?

JN: My wood art comes from a desire to make something tangible that will last and not become obsolete. With interactive media, I’ve spent so much of my energy and time on things that are almost instantly dated. People’s expectations move as fast as the technology and something that was cool and innovative 2 years ago is now quaint and clunky. Also, I simply want to make things that still exist when the power goes out!

Wood is such a great material to work with. You can make nearly any form using simple tools. It’s a warm material that feels good to touch. It’s natural and it feels pretty amazing to spend time working with a material that is alive. I do a lot of work with wet, unseasoned wood… so, it really is alive!

Bowls by Jason Nemec.

Creating wooden bowls on the lathe is so gratifying because you can take a log and turn it into a finished piece in one day. It’s direct work, and the results are immediate. There are people right now doing amazing work; taking the wooden bowl or vessel, and carving, embellishing, and cutting it apart to create strange new things. I did a workshop with an amazing artist named Michael Hosaluk last year and it really opened my eyes to the process of creating in wood.

I’m just starting to show my work. I’m having a hard time working fast enough to build a body of work that is large enough to show. Most of my pieces go to friends and family. I did have three pieces in the Redux Art Gallery in Dorset, VT. —two of them just sold! I’ve also produced a bunch of commissioned pieces in the last few months as well.

UG: Excellent! Maybe you can show in our window sometime? Do you have any other other artistic mediums have you worked in?

JN: I was a painting/illustration major in college at RIT. So, I’ve done a lot of painting and printmaking in the past, but I lost interest when I found the Mac and Photoshop 3.0. Since then, I haven’t touched a paintbrush. As far as analog media goes, I feel more connected to sculpture and and object-making these days.

UG: Finally, can you share any thoughts about the new decade, or anything you’re excited about that’s coming up?

JN: I am excited by the humanizing of computers. I’m thrilled to see that computers are becoming more and more about humans connecting with humans rather than humans trying to figure out what the computer wants. I don’t care about computers, I care about what humans can do with computers to achieve and connect and solve. The computer is just a tool, and they are becoming more and more natural to use. I’m excited by touch interfaces and thoughtful software that is concerned with a person’s goals and objectives. I want computers as we know them today to vanish and a new breed of devices to rise up that are made to accomplish more specific tasks… and hopefully some of them are made of wood.

For continuing adventures with Jason -
Follow Jason on Twitter.
Visit Jason’s Etsy store.
Become a contact of Jason on Flickr.

Anna in the lead!

At Uncommon Grounds, we are proud and excited to learn about the places that some of our workers go after working at our stores. We recently caught up with Anna D. who worked at the Saratoga Springs store in the early 00s. She was one of our best bagelers (yes, we made our own word for “person who makes bagels”) of all time, and always had a smile, a few words in German or Spanish for anyone who would understand it and the most gigantic hoop earrings on quite a little person. We were pleased to hear about her travels and adventures as a cyclist and language teacher/obsessionist.

Uncommon Grounds (UG) : How are you, Anna? It’s been awhile!

Anna D. (AD) : I’m GREAT. I’m living in southern California, training and working.

UG : When exactly did you work at Uncommon? It feels like a long time ago, but…

AD : I worked at UG for four years, on and off. 2001-2005, give or take. Some of the greatest years of my life!

UG : While you were working at the store, I remember your obsession with cycling starting. Can you detail how you started and what your path has been with it?

AD : Well, I bought my first bike from Blue Sky Bicycles in Saratoga (and later upgraded to a Serotta, also from Saratoga!) and started going for recreational rides around the area. A friend suggested I try racing, and after coming in 15th at my first race, I just got hooked. I’ve been racing ever since!

After leaving Saratoga, I moved to Costa Rica for 6 months to train, race and teach ESL. While I was there, I was signed to a pro team based in New Jersey, so I moved to Philly and spent a year doing continental races with them.

After that I moved to California so that I could train year-round. I’ve been having a blast since I’ve gotten here. I started in Santa Barbara, then moved to LA and am now in Orange County. I’ve been doing mostly road racing (like the Tour de France stuff, but much less cool!), but this year I’ve gotten into track racing too. It is easier for women to go farther on the track (professionally) than it is on the road, so I am really hoping to go far with that!

UG : Sounds excellent! Rumor mill says that you are now a sponsored rider. What does that entail?

AD : I am an elite, or semi-pro, rider. This means that we are paid to ride. I also get all my equipment (bike, helmet, shoes, pedals, clothing, etc) taken care of. The team also pays for my race entry fees and travel expenses. I also get an additional stipend, or salary. Cycling is different than other sports in that you don’t have to get individual endorsements. At the end of each season, around November, we all apply to teams. We send a race resume which is very similar to a job resume, stating our results and goals and have to do interviews with the team directors. Then they review them all and select their teams. So, whatever team we sign with dictates what our sponsors are–they come with the team. This year, I will be on team Herbalife-LaGrange. Herbalife will be one of our head sponsors.

Anna (on far right) and her team for 2010.

UG : Oh that’s an interesting process. Sounds a lot different than other sports… Have you kept up your language studies?

AD : Yeah, my German is suffering, as I have very few friends who speak it, but I’ve lived in two Spanish-speaking countries in the last few years, which has helped a lot, and there are TONS of Mexican cyclists in the area, so that helps too!

UG : Since we’ve reached 2010, do you have any resolutions for the next decade that you’d like to share?

AD : Going to the Olympics! Or….I’d settle for international racing. Also, I’d like to try to live in one spot for more than a year–I’ve had a hard time doing that lately.

Anna wins!

UG : I wouldn’t be surprised to see you in the Olympics someday! You are certainly very motivated and competitive. Finally, do you have any UG memories you’d like to share?

AD : SO many. Mostly I remember the little stuff. The regular customers and how well I got to know them over the years. How we’d refer to most customers by their order: ex. “pot of English Breakfast…or “burnt pumpernickel”….etc.

What I liked best, I think, is that most of us were on our way somewhere else, but were having a blast during our time with Uncommon Grounds. We were musicians, artists, athletes, massage therapists….we were all people with bigger goals, but having a seriously good time working until we got on our way.

Did you know? Peter Harrison builds art-inspired furniture out of concrete, metal and wood in his studio a few miles outside of Saratoga Springs, N.Y. His Lavassa Line has been his business since he graduated from RIT with a degree in woodworking and furniture design in 1996. Peter is a daily Uncommon Grounds home-brewer who claims he’s a “House (Blend) Man” – starting every day off with a couple of cups of our coffee at home. We recently visited his impressive work-studio to find out about his work, what it was like to build his studio from ground up, and how he finds customers in a sea of over-exposure to media and advertising.

Uncommon Grounds (UG) : Tell us about the inspiration behind your work.

Peter Harrison (PH) : I am inspired by modern materials and have developed a language of construction based on the materials. I use this language to push the limits of furniture. My goal is to create a beautiful piece of furniture which is fresh and intriguing.

UG : What brought you to Saratoga Springs?

PH : My wife and I love the town and it is almost perfectly between our families who live in New York City and Potsdam.

UG : When did you end up in this particular location?

PH : We closed on this place in January 2007. The week we closed we got 30 inches of snow. I didn’t know how much oil was in the oil tank so it was like “Okay, let’s figure out how to do this!”, searching frantically to get someone to snow plow – worried that the house was going to freeze up. We broke ground that April for the studio which was crucial because for me to live here I need to be able to build my work. So I spent 2007 commuting to my old shop in the Hudson Valley and building the studio here. I did most of the construction on the building myself save for excavation, concrete, insulation and drywall but everything else was pretty much me. I got my Certificate of Occupancy in January 2008 and moved February 1st, 2008. In two-and-a-half days we moved 40,000 pounds of equipment. It was pretty brutal; tough days. So by April 1st I was set up and building work.

Peter assembling prototype new work.

UG : How do you sell your work? Is it in stores anywhere?

PH : I’m generally represented by about ten stores and galleries across the country, including Sundari Fine Art in Saratoga Springs. I do high-end craft shows where you rent space at a convention center for three or four days. I do about four of those per year. Upcoming this spring I have one in Baltimore, MD which is the American Craft Council show. Then I have one in (Washington) DC which is the Smithsonian Craft Show which is a hard one to get in to but I’ve been fortunate to get in the last two years.

UG : What is difficult about getting into the Smithsonian show? Is it a crazy application process?

PH : It’s very competitive, same old application but a lot of people apply to it and it is only 100 or so exhibitors.

UG : That sounds like great exposure for your work. What are your ideal customers like?

PH : I need two things to find clients. I need people who love the work and people who can afford to pay a couple thousand dollars for a piece of furniture. Finding them both together has always been a difficult thing, so selling nationally has been important.

UG : I can imagine. What other ways do you connect with customers and potential customers?

PH : I do a design show in New York City called the ICFF, which is the International Contemporary Furniture Fair. This one happens every May. I’ve also been advertising in the back of Dwell Magazine.

UG : Oh, wow! How has that been for you since magazines have been seemingly going the way of the dinosaur?

PH : It was really good my first couple of years, and then last year it wasn’t as good. I think it might have crested. I don’t think it’s all about the (bad) economy. It’s definitely a changing world on a lot of levels right now. For me it’s really important to be riding the wave and not being washed by the wave. I’m into looking to see the new directions and bringing my work along for the ride.

Corrupt companies beware! Laura is on your case!

Uncommon Grounds (UG): Where are you originally from?

Laura Northrup (LN): I’m from Baldwinsville, NY, which is outside of Syracuse.

UG: Did you go to college out there and what did you study?

LN: I went to Hamilton College, near Utica. I studied English literature and French, and I spent half of my junior year in France. Mostly reading every newspaper I could get my hands on and eating pastries.

UG: How did you end up in Albany?

LN: I moved here five years ago for grad school at UAlbany, and I liked it here enough to stay. I went there to study archives, but switched tracks and prepared to become an academic librarian instead.

UG: What are some of your favorite things about Albany?

LN: I like how Albany is livable and interesting, but not too expensive. When I get bored with Albany, there are a lot interesting places within day-trip distance. Also, compared to where I’m from, the weather isn’t that bad.

UG: How did you land the Consumerist gig?

LN: I worked as a news researcher at the Times Union until last spring. Part of my job was screening voice mails for the Advocate, their consumer affairs column. After a while, I started writing blog posts to go alongside the column. I loved doing that, and my regular archiving and research work too, but I lost my job in the Great Mediapocalypse of ‘08.

The week before my last day Consumerist announced that they were looking for an assistant editor to screen their e-mail and post now and then. There may have been divine intervention involved in this. My TU colleagues made me apply, and I was lucky enough to get the job.

UG: What does your work for Consumerist entail?

LN: I’m responsible for writing six posts every day, Wednesday through Sunday. I also screen our tipline, which receives maybe 100-150 e-mails per day. I answer the emails and pick stories that I think would make interesting posts for the site. We get a mix of everything, from links to news articles to people’s own consumer horror stories.

UG: Any juicy stories coming up?

LN: Well, have you seen the frogs they’re selling at Brookstone?

UG: [...]

LN: I’m working this week on something about the Frog-O-Sphere that they’re pushing as a holiday gift at Brookstone. It’s supposed to be a self-contained habitat for a dwarf frog, a plant, and some snails, and I’m checking into whether this is actually a healthy environment for the critters.

Prototype coffee sweater by Hamsterdam HandKnits

UG: Oh, how bizarre. Looking forward to seeing how that turns out! So, tell us about your knitting…

LN: My mom has always tried to get me to knit, but it never caught me until maybe last year or so. I like to make hats because once you finish a hat, unlike socks and mittens, you don’t have to make another one.. I am working on coffee sweaters (see pic, left) which seem to be popular on Etsy right now.

UG: Hmmm… interesting! Perhaps this is something that UG could carry? Anyway, where do you see all of your work taking you?

LN: I’m not sure. This is a totally unique job that I never expected to find myself in, and I love it. Right now I’m just appreciating that I have a job at all, and I love having a job where I can help and educate people, advocate for consumers, and look for pictures of kittens on the Internet.

UG: (*Laughs*) Well, then! OK, to close it out here, could you share an anecdote about what Uncommon Grounds is to you?

The nice thing about being a professional blogger is also that I can work pretty much anywhere. I live nearby and I always know that I can come here to work, get out of the house, people-watch, and consume large quantities of caffeine in a comfortable space. My home office is okay, but it doesn’t have a giant coffee roaster in it. And the artwork here is way nicer.

Kristen sporting one of her necklaces!

Uncommon Grounds (UG): So when exactly did you work here? I feel like it was a long time ago…

Kristen Barrows (KB): I started in the fall of 1993 and worked full-time for about two full years. I think I went away to teach for a bit but then came back to work just one or two days a week for another two years.

UG: Wow! That is old-school! What was it like back then?

KB: Well, 1993 was pre-bagels! We used to have to run down to Bruegger’s to get bagels for ourselves to eat. Then when we finally started serving them, it wasn’t even the full bagel bar. We just had little sides of cream cheese we gave out to people.

UG: Oh, right! Didn’t Dan (Murphy, owner) drive down to New York City to get the bagels back then?

KB: Right, exactly!

UG: So how many employees would work a shift back then?

KB: When I first started there were two or three on in the morning. At one point there was just two of us but he hired one more. At night there would be a few more people for closing chores or whatever. For awhile, there was only one guy who worked here so we told Dan that he had to hire more men. *Laughs*

UG: *Laughs* Sounds like a nightmare to me! Anyway, so was this before or after college for you?

KB: This was after. My first job out of college, in fact. I designed my own major at Skidmore; a combination of art, education and psychology. At one point I moved away from Saratoga to go teach but then figured that I was going to burn out really fast on that. So I’m falling back on my arts degree, ironically.

UG: In knowing you as an artist, I can’t seem to pin down a specific medium that you work with. I can’t seem to say “Kristen is a painter” or “Kristen is a sculptor.” Do you have any specific materials or styles you prefer to work with?

KB: That’s the thing. I work in every medium I can. I just love working with material. No matter what it is. Anything I can do with my hands I will, I’ll try it at least once. With the holidays, I always try and make all my gifts and I always try and teach myself something new each year. Sometimes I take classes; two summers ago I took a welding course. I have more tools than most guys I know!

UG: Are you selling or showing any work right now?

KB: Most of the stuff I am actively selling is the jewelery I have down at Symmetry Gallery where I work. It’s been a little quiet due to the economy. It’s not a necessity item, so it’s a little quiet but there’s still people out there that want to buy handmade things. They want to be able to attribute the work to a human being.

UG: Tell us about Symmetry Gallery; what is your role there? How long have you worked there?

KB: Well, I’ve been there for ten years. It’s kind of a collaborative working environment between a few artists. We all pitch-in many ways. The shop has been open on Broadway since May of 1990 and it was started by local couple, Dianne and Gary Zack who are both glass artists. We carry handmade American glass art from about 150 artists from around the U.S. We always include information about the artists with each piece that we sell. Our specialty is glass because in one form or another Dianne and Gary have over 30 years of experience working with and collecting the medium.

Kristen's handmade glass bead jewelery at Symmetry Gallery

UG: So the work you have at Symmetry is…?

KB: Jewelery that combines semiprecious stones and glass beads that I make in my home studio. Using a technique called lampworking, I use a torch flame to melt glass around a thin steel rod which when removed creates the hole of the bead. Before working at Symmetry, I really knew nothing about glass. But it didn’t take long before I had to get my hands on it, and see for myself what I could make it do!

UG: That was one of your Christmas challenges?

KB: Yeah pretty much!

UG: How long have you been making glass beads?

KB: I’d say about seven years? I love it.

UG: So what do you see for the future?

KB: Right now, I’m trying to get back into silversmithing which is something I started working on at classes at Skidmore. I just recently set up all of that equipment next to the glass equipment so I can start combining the two. Trying to figure out a way to do it so that it’s not arbitrary. *Laughs* I just really like working with stuff!

UG: A-ha! Yes, you do. Well, we look forward to seeing which new art discipline you find next! OK, to close it out, can you share a memory or some sort of personal anecdote about your time working at Uncommon Grounds?

KB: The one thing I remember about working here is that it forced me to get over my shyness. I was big-time shy.

UG: Really? Hard to believe!

KB: Oh, definitely. I was painfully shy. This working environment just forces you to come out from behind your shell. In a way, you have to take charge behind the counter, especially dealing with new people every five minutes. I had to come out of my shell in a big way so that was a huge bonus to working Uncommon.

Uncommon Grounds (UG): How long have you had your business in Saratoga Springs?

Charlie (CH): Well, I started when I was licensed back in 1979 and I practiced on Long Island. I moved up here about 20 years ago. I used to work at a firm across the street for a few years and then I went out on my own.

UG: So you’ve been coming into Uncommon Grounds since we opened?

CH: Yeah, I’ve been coming in here since it opened; since day one. Back when it was the skinny, dark little hallway. It had good coffee and it was a great place to hang out.

UG: Awesome! That is devotion, thank you! So then you went from working for the other architecture firm to opening your own business a couple years in?

CH: After about 4 years, when the bottom fell out of the economy (back) then; anybody who wasn’t a part of the hierarchy was let go. I was probably one of the higher paid associates in the firm, but not a partner of it. You could see the handwriting on the wall. Basically, I was moonlighting doing a little additions on the side and it just became my first real job. That’s what you do as an architect, once you’re licensed if you’re not working for somebody you just start working for yourself. So I started out of my house, then I picked up a partner and we worked out of his garage. Then we got an “office” office. Since then I’ve been on Division Street for 15 years.

UG: How did working on the Uncommon Grounds expansion/remodel in 2006 come about?

CH: Dan (Murphy, owner) came up to me one day, we were sitting on the patio as we always do at lunchtime and he said “Charlie, you’re an architect right?” and I said, “Yeah!” and he said, “I think I might need you.” So I spoke to him and he said he was going to take over the travel agency space next door. I was excited about it but I was also subject all my peers who hang out here and their criticisms – “Oh you better not screw this up!.” I’ve got to deal with these guys every day who are going to say, “What did you do to this place?”

UG: How much of the design was us pestering you to do this or that and how much of it was your ideas?

CH: Like any project, Dan laid down the parameters; “We’re going to take over this space, keep the service area intact, etc”. For me, the challenge was how do you take an intimate coffeeshop that you love, more than double the space and not make it a cafeteria. So it was really just creating these spaces, like this arched central area, the back room – I wanted to keep that little green room. That was kind of it. Dan and I sat in my office with a tape measure to determine the proper height that the dividing wall should be. I wanted it to be low enough to separate the space but high enough that someone sitting next to it would have a certain amount of privacy.

UG: Well, I must say that the effect the remodel has had on our store and our customers has been dramatically positive. The spaces you mentioned have been crucial to maintaining a cozy feeling, yet still affording plenty of different environments for people to work and interact.

CH: I had a good sense for me (as a customer). I know the things that bugged me coming in here; one of them was is that we were always fighting for window space and the roaster took up prime real estate. Although the roaster was a feature when the store first opened; I said, “Dan let’s move it to a nice little section in the back and it will still be featured but it’s not going to occupy prime seating.” So now you’ve got all these additional window seats in front.

UG: One of our favorite things about the remodel was the expanded view of Broadway that opened up. It’s really gorgeous in the morning as the sun comes up. Did you have any problems working with the entrance or the frontside of the store?

CH: The challenge of the exterior for me was that this building is made up of what looked like three distinct spaces. When the expansion happened, the brick pilaster was not there and it just leaked into the next space and I wanted it look like the two storefronts were always part of the same thing. It was the continuous awning and adding the brick pilaster, painting it all and then adding the new sign.

UG: Do you have any long-term plans for your business? We heard somewhere that you are practicing in the Virgin Islands?

CH: I have a client in Saratoga who owns a hotel in St. Thomas and I’ve done some work for him down there. So that’s what precipitated me adding “Virgin Islands” to the “locations practicing list” on my website. I try to vacation there every year with my family, but it would be nice to get down there to work and play on a more regular basis.

UG: Do you have a building or piece of work you are most proud of?

CH: That’s hard to say. I like to do something special with every project. I guess one of my favorite buildings is the Adirondack Trust building on South Broadway. That was my first big building. I did that when I worked for another firm but it was my design. That’s still one of my favorite buildings.

UG: Wow! Yeah, that’s a landmark building!

CH: Being an architect is exciting for me because you get to create these things, and you get to drive by and walk in. It’s really good if it comes out really nice and if it’s bad you’ve got to live with it. I do mostly residential work and working for homeowners is exciting because they’re really into it, the builder is really into it and it’s this big team project. You’re affecting people’s lives in a positive way.

Check out Charlie Hoffman Architects online at CHoffmanArchitects.com, visit him at his office at 6 Franklin Square (entrance around the corner on Division St.) in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. or visit him at his “other” office on the patio at Uncommon Grounds.