09.12.06
Morning Coffee
I cherish the morning coffee. I can easily recall delightful childhood memories of the wonderful aromas of brewing cofee drifting through the house on the weekends, and coffee has been part of my life throughout the years. Most days, I can’t even imagine starting off without it. Hot and black, freshly brewed in the French press, a milky, soft café au lait, or a wonderfully rich, thick espresso based caffè latte, some sort of cofee is destined to be my perennial accompaniment to the day’s beginning. I’m not quite addicted; it’s not the caffeine that drives me, but the ritual. There’s something about the grinding of the beans, the brewing of the liquor, the preparation of the milk, the creation of the perfect cup that seems more important even than the drinking of the resulting beverage. It’s an unhurried, careful process that gives a moment’s pause before the too-often hurried hours that will follow. It’s a meditation. Read the rest of this entry »
09.02.06
Yellow Diamonds
Up the hill, just rounding the corner, I saw it – a reflective yellow diamond-shaped warning sign, with “40” painted on in thick, black numerals. I instantly had new appreciation for my Volkswagen. Its four little cylinders could move its weight, and mine, around this bend effortlessly at the sign’s recommendation of 40 miles per hour, or 50, even 60, but here I was, barely making 5. Read the rest of this entry »
08.23.06
With Hard Tail and Rigid Fork
A couple weeks ago, I dragged my old Trek Antelope, “The Beast,” out of the mothballs, where it’s been since I crashed it into an unyielding tree. The tree was fine. My right arm and my bike did not fare so well, and we both turned out with scars to show for it. Since “The Crash,” I’ve been riding bikes with suspension forks, and never really gave much thought to the old Trek. But, something got into me, and I figured it was time to sort it out and put it right. Over the years I’d ridden it, it had evolved into something of a Frankenbike, so in addition to the necessary repairs, I wanted to unify the parts a bit. Read the rest of this entry »
08.20.06
If You Can’t Stand the Heat…
I’m no master gardener, but I love chiles, and the variety available in the markets is usually somewhat spare, so I try, each year, to grow some interesting ones with the hopes of enjoying them fresh during the summer, and having enough by the end of the season to put up for use throughout the year. This year, I’ve got Habaneros (always a fave), Caribbean Reds, Infernos, Thai Dragons, Tabascos, Cayennes, and Yatsufusa chiles growing, and no doubt keeping the bugs away. They’ve not been producing with the vigor of previous years, but are offering some interesting fruit to tantalize (or torment) the tastes of the adventurous. Read the rest of this entry »
08.16.06
I’m On Hold
Seriously. I’m on hold with Amerion for what I hope is the last time, waiting for someone from my soon to be ex- Internet “Service” Provider to answer. It’s been a long time coming, but I’ve finally reached my threshold, and it’s time to take action.
It started last week, when I got a phone call from a friend who told me he’d tried to send an email, and it bounced. I asked if he’d received the mail I’d sent him a couple days earlier. He hadn’t. The wheels began to turn. His was not the first call. I’ve lost more email than I’ll ever know, and outbound messages have gone missing, likely with equal, though unknown frequency. This has gone on long enough. Read the rest of this entry »
08.04.06
The Reviewer and the Critic
When you put yourself in front of the public eye, poised to be subjected to its scrutiny, if you’re going to survive the ordeal, you develop a thick skin and learn to take the knocks that come with the exposure. The occasional attacks come with the territory, and I can generally take it in stride. Once in a while, though, something just rubs the wrong way. That’s when a good rant does the soul some good. Read the rest of this entry »
07.26.06
Single Trackin’, Baby!
Yeah. That’s what I’m talking about! Happiness is finding a fun trail 2.2 miles from home. Joy is when that trail is a cool almost-single track that has apparently not seen another bike in forever. I’m not quite sure if it’s a fire-trail, or just left over grading from some past construction, but it’s there, it’s accessible, and it’s mine to ride. Read the rest of this entry »
07.25.06
What Are We Waiting For?
More and more often, I read about someone buying a few tins of a new blend, only to put them aside for “at least a year” before trying them. Certainly, I’ve always been an outspoken proponent of cellaring and aging tobaccos, of laying in a store of our favorite blends to enjoy for years to come, but the idea of buying something and not spending some quality time with it in its youth robs us of one of the great joys of aging tobaccos; we lose the opportunity to celebrate and enjoy its youth. Read the rest of this entry »
07.19.06
George Bush Says … Stuff
Sometimes, I’m amazed by what is considered newsworthy by the pandering press. The president says a naughty word, and it’s all over the wires. I heard about it on the radio, read about it in the papers, and would probably see it on the tele, if I could bring myself too rot my few remaining brain cells by switching it on. What’s the big deal? He thought he was off mic, and he expressed his frustration in a rather human way. Is this really news? Read the rest of this entry »
08.01.06
It’s For the Children
Posted in Politics, Social Comment, Tobacco at 1:56 pm by glpease
This article is, obliquely, about the anti-tobacco movement and their absurd smoke-screens. It may not, at first, appear that way, but it is, and you’ll have to read to the bottom to see how it plays out. But, here’s a hint: While they pummel us with fallacious studies about ETS, attempting to appeal to our parental instincts with their whiny and insidious “It’s for the children” rhetoric, a far greater threat to our kids’ futures is raising its head, and being almost completely ignored. Read the rest of this entry »
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