2008 Goals-revisited

In Dec. I wrote the post 2008 Goals. I thought now would be a good time to evaluate some of those goals.

1.) Visit more than one farmer's market.
I received an email that the St. Charles Farmer's Market begins its season tomorrow. A few others have been already been open, and some never close. As far as I am concerned, the season starts tomorrow. Nothing like fresh produce.

2.) Take a trip
Jen and I are going to California in about a week, and Ohio in Aug. I say this goal is pretty much satisfied.

3.) Complete my coffee list
Here is the list.

1. George Howell's Terroir Coffee
2. Counter Culture Espresso Toscano
3. Intelligentsia's Black Cat Espresso Blend
4. Riley's Espresso Taliaferro and Decatur Street Blend
5. PT's Coffee Bella Vita Espresso
6. Metropolis Redline
7. 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters Epic Espresso
8. Stumptown's Hair Bender
9. Paradise Roasters Espresso Classico and Espresso Havana

So far I have had, #3, #4, #5, and #6. I have a few more to go but I have made progress. I will not be drinking #2 because they send you 12 0z. bags and not a full pound. A 12 oz bag is not enough coffee to last me a week. As a result I would have to buy coffee twice in one week and that is expensive.

4.) Do well in Calc.
I got a B, and that is good enough for me.

5.) I will have less debt at this point in 2008 than I do now.
I am paying down the bills, so yes, this is going in the right direction.

6.) I would like to discover more new beer.
I have been drinking various beers. Most recently I had Kalamazoo Stout that I found interesting. Not great, kind of malty, kind of spicy, but enjoyable. 4 out of 5.

7.) I would like to find a new cologne.
No new cologne yet.

8.) I would like to improve my cycling fitness.
I bought a trainer. I have ridden it a few times. I have not rode my bike a lot yet this year. Ummm, I suck.

9.) Baking
No new baking, only eating baked goods. Does that count?

10.) Eat more vegetables.
I have eaten lots of vegetables because my cholesterol is up...again. In fact I am only eating meat about twice a week. My cholesterol went up about 30 points in 6 months. I have decided my genetics kind of suck. Maybe stress has something to do with it?

11.) Explore wine-especially Prosecco.
No wine to speak of. However, new bottles of wine keep appearing in my apartment. The wine fairy is an interesting creature.

I will update this post again at the end of the summer.

Nothing Going On

I am in the process of setting up a salt water aquarium. I have been analyzing each piece so that I make informed choices about what I need, what I should buy, and what my different options are. Right now I am finishing up my inquest into lighting. If you are interested in what I have been doing you should check out my other blog 1.026 Specific Gravity. If you are like what you see, subscribe!

Jen has posted some pictures of our new bunny, Basil. He is cute and growing fast. You can find those pictures on her blog Shabby Cheap.

Pikachu, my pug, has developed seizures. It is a new thing and poor guy has had three seizures this past week. We took him to the vet, and now he is on meds. We shall see what happens. Hopefully the meds work.

Other than that, there is nothing but relaxation going on with me. Just call me Mr. Tranquility.

Completed and Defeated

One more semester down the drain. It is a nice feeling, but I don't feel satisfied. I worked my ass off all semester in my Calc. class. I recopied all of my notes and all of my assignments. I got A's on all the tests until the last one. I just burnt out. Instead of copying all my notes, I only copied some of them. Instead of doing more problems than I needed to do, I did just what I needed.

Part of the problem was that I just didn't like the material. I couldn't wrap my brain around it. I couldn't get past the fact that I don't see how I can use it. (I am sure I am going to be proven wrong in the future). Then I got sick for a week and a half. Then Jen got sick. Two days later I took my last test and didn't do so hot (64%).

So, even if I get a perfect score on the final, the best I can get in the class is an 89%. The detail is, even if I get 50% on the final, I still end up with a B. Talk about motivating. Anyway, I took the final and did what I needed to do to ensure a solid B. It is kind of depressing.

With school done for the semester and summer right around the corner, I thought I might write a quick blurb about what I expect my summer to bring. This summer will not be like last. I believe that this post, Awake, from last summer describes the situation pretty well. In short, last summer was a necessary evil. I hope I don't EVER have to do it again.

This summer starts with a trip to California. Jen and I are going to Monterey/Oakland/San Francisco for a week in the beginning of June. Shortly after that, my saltwater aquarium will be up and running. I have actually started another blog that talks all about it. Here is a link to the blog, 1.026 Specific Gravity.

In August, Jen and I will be headed to Ohio for time with family and a visit to Amish country. In Sept. the Tour of Missouri rolls through St. Charles and St. Louis.

I am sure there will be more on the agenda, but the summer looks like it will be a good one.

What are your plans?

Lowe's Blows-cont.

Please read Lowe's Blows before you read this post.

I had to finish my sump endeavor although my confidence was in question. Were my measurements right? Should I have just spent the money on a pre-made sump?

Following my visit to Lowe's, I visited the the local in town hardware store, Jehling Hardware. Jehling is exactly what you would expect from a local hardware store. There are only a few guys that work there and they seem to know their stuff. I will make them my first source for everything I need from now on.

When you walk in they would prefer to help you find what you need. You say jump and they ask how far, how high, what color you want the line that marks your spot to be, and what type of ground you are going to be marking. These guys are great. I feel bad for not using them more than I have.

Anyway, I tell them my story about Lowe's and give them the measurements, 11 and 15/16" x 11". I give the width a little larger than actual measurement I need because I figure I can sand it down if it is too wide.

*quick note. The inside width of the tank is 12". Those that know more about sumps than me suggest that you subtract 1/4" from the width because the plexiglass will expand when in water and you need enough room for the silicone. The bond actually occurs between the silicone and the glass, NOT the glass and the plexiglass. The silicone does form enough of an attachment to the plexiglass to hold in in place however. A glass to glass bond is preferred, but more expensive.

The guy then verifies that I don't want the measurement down to a few 32nds, and that 15/16 is ok. I tell him that 15/16 is fine. The guy just earned bonus points. Gaining a little more confidence, I picked up a caulk gun, masking tape, razor blades, and Jen picks up a couple of cheap garden tools.

When the guy brings back the baffles, they are all cut PERFECT! He even brought out a measuring tape so I could check the measurements and make sure I was happy with them. EXCELLENT! And what was the total price for all of the stuff? $14.55. Why so much less? I just paid for what he sold me, not a whole lot more I didn't need. I had to go buy another tube of aquarium safe silicon from a different store, also locally owned which cost another $14.50.

Grand total:$29.05
Lowe's Refund: $30.59

One more time, I paid $30.59 for a 48" x 24" sheet of plexiglass that was not cut right, returned it, and bought...

• 4 baffles cut correctly
• a caulk gun
• a 10.5 oz tube of aquarium safe silicone
• a roll of masking tape
• a small package of razor blades
• a small garden trough
• a small hand rake

...for $29.05.

Here is a picture of the finished product:


It is not perfect, and silicone ended up a few places more than it needed to be, but I think it will work just fine. I have to wait 24 hours and then give it the water test to make sure each section is water tight. The object is for the water to flow over the baffles (under in one case) but not through the baffles.

Lowe's Blows

I tend to harp about buying local and supporting local businesses. The following is an example why.

I had to have four plexiglass inserts cut for an aquarium project. The inserts were to measure 11 and 3/4" x 11''. I figured Lowes could handle the job. They cut it for free, so why not? Big mistake. The whole process turned into a bad series of events.

First, guy #1 didn't know how to operate the "thing" that cuts the plexiglass. I guess there was a spring missing so it wasn't cutting right. This resulted in guy #2 who manhandled the machine to make it cut. I ended up paying for a 42" x 24" piece of plexiglass (about $30). I only needed half of what I bought, but I felt certain I was going to need extra. Guy #2 must have wasted twice as much plexiglass as I actually bought. This should have been my clue to cease all activity with Lowe's and move on. Not leaving at this point was my first mistake.

My second mistake was that I didn't bring my tape measure. The cut pieces were not all the same size. They were close, sort of, but definitely not equal. After I spent an hour cleaning up the edges of the mangled pieces, sanding them smooth enough and straight enough to use (still had not measured them by the way). Can you guess what happens next? Of course you can...they don't fit. They were close enough to try, but not close enough to use. And I did try. I made a mess of silicone and...it wasn't pretty.

I finally decided to measure the baffles. The first one was close to 11.5". The second was close to 11 and 9/16". The third one was 11 and 3/4"...at one end, about 11 and 9/16" at the other. I didn't bother measuring the fourth. I tried to take a picture but it did not work well. I was pissed.

I returned to Lowe's the next day plexigalss in hand. I made no attempt to clean off the silicone from the plexiglass. Naturally the return lady did not want to take them back. I didn't care. I told her flat out that it wasn't my fault that they, Lowes, had cut it wrong. I also told her I had no desire for them to cut any more. She said no again and I asked to talk to the manager. I ended up getting my money back, but not before she said some snarky comment about me alleging that it was cut by Lowes..

Bitch.

This is not the first bad experience I have had with a large chain store, and it won't be the last. BUT, it will be the last one at Lowe's in St. Charles. I will be hard pressed to go back to that store.

Bona Fide Blend-correction

In the post written on 4/24, I commented that there was not a roast date on the Goshen Coffee's Bona Fide Blend. I have been informed by Alex Brooks of Goshen Coffee that there is a roast date on their bags. They place a day of the year (DOY) date (001, 002, 003,...54,...352) that references the day of the year the coffee was roasted at the top right hand side of the bag. As a result, I am reposting the corrected review. I apologize for the misinformation.

I recently tried the Bona Fida Blend by Goshen Coffee Company. Goshen is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and is part of the 222 Artisan Bakery. I enjoyed the espresso. It did not stand out overly positive or negative. I will be likely to buy it again if I need espresso in a pinch.

i)Aroma
What aromas can I pick out? nutty
Are there more flavors tasted than smelled? (+1 for each) chocolate (+1)
The flavors have combined well; nothing stands out.
Does the espresso just taste bad? No

ii)Crema
Is there suboptimal(-1), adequate, or copious amounts of crema (-1)? Adequate
Does the crema stick around or dissipate quickly (-1)? Stick around

iii)Mouth Feel
Is the first taste pleasant(+1)? +1
Is the last taste pleasant (+1)? +1
Is the aftertaste pleasant (+1)? +1

iv)Body
Is it light or heavy (butter or molasses)? This espresso seems to taste better when thicker, but wants to pull lighter.
Is it sweet, balanced, or sour(-1)? Balanced

v)Complexity
Was this difficult to dial in(-1)? No
Is there a narrow range of drinkablity?(-1) Yes (-1)
The dose amount seems to be touchy with this espresso. Too small a dose and it blonds quick, to heavy and it channels. If you find the sweet spot (16/17 grams in a double basket on my machine) it pulls fairly well.
Are the flavors dirty(-1), earthy, robust, clean, or clear? Clean
Does this blend prefer a higher or lower temperature? No higher than 200F.
Would I buy this coffee again? Yes

vi)One week test
Has the profile of the espresso changed significantly after one week? If it hasn't, then (+1). +1

Other Notes:


-7 to 0 => Not Good
1 to 5 => Average
6 to 9 => Good
10 to infinity => Exceptional

The Bona Fide blend receives an overall rating of 4. Overall, it was a nice espresso. It was nice to have around.

Bona Fide Blend by Goshen Coffee Company

I recently tried the Bona Fida Blend by Goshen Coffee Company. Goshen is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and is part of the 222 Artisan Bakery. I enjoyed the espresso. It did not stand out overly positive or negative. I will be likely to buy it again if I need espresso in a pinch.

i)Aroma
What aromas can I pick out? nutty
Are there more flavors tasted than smelled? (+1 for each) chocolate (+1)
The flavors have combined well; nothing stands out.
Does the espresso just taste bad? No

ii)Crema
Is there suboptimal(-1), adequate, or copious amounts of crema (-1)? Adequate
Does the crema stick around or dissipate quickly (-1)? Stick around

iii)Mouth Feel
Is the first taste pleasant(+1)? +1
Is the last taste pleasant (+1)? +1
Is the aftertaste pleasant (+1)? +1

iv)Body
Is it light or heavy (butter or molasses)? This espresso seems to taste better when thicker, but wants to pull lighter.
Is it sweet, balanced, or sour(-1)? Balanced

v)Complexity
Was this difficult to dial in(-1)? No
Is there a narrow range of drinkablity?(-1) Yes (-1)
The dose amount seems to be touchy with this espresso. Too small a dose and it blonds quick, to heavy and it channels. If you find the sweet spot (16/17 grams in a double basket on my machine) it pulls fairly well.
Are the flavors dirty(-1), earthy, robust, clean, or clear? Clean
Does this blend prefer a higher or lower temperature? No higher than 200F.
Would I buy this coffee again? Yes

vi)One week test
Has the profile of the espresso changed significantly after one week? If it hasn't, then (+1). +1

Other Notes:
A roast date would be nice.

-7 to 0 => Not Good
1 to 5 => Average
6 to 9 => Good
10 to infinity => Exceptional

The Bona Fide blend receives an overall rating of 4. Overall, it was a nice espresso. It was nice to have around.