Vintagezx

It is not a new idea that I am a dog person.  Lisa and I had a very busy dog for 6 to 7 years before we had kids, but when the kids came this busy dog did not mix with our family.  We were able to send her to the farm at where my parents live and my mom tried for 5 years to un-train her. : )    In the last few months we have thought about bringing a dog back into the family.  So, how do you find the perfect dog?  In this case it was easy.  Someone who I work with was fostering a rescued lab.   She was just to big for their home and yard, but the list of “cons” looked like a good average dog to me.   While on a family day trip to Mt St. Helens, we started talking and texting with the foster family and decided to do a visit with her the next day.  It was love at first sight and with in a couple of days she had come to live with us.

From then until now we have learned lot….and it is still all good.

• Sophie loves blankets. If it’s on the floor, she is laying on it.

Sophie in a sleeping bag

• She is passive most of the time.  If you can’t find her, check her crate.

• Two things get her excited to the point of leaping (frogging) up and down: Food and going outside. For a 65 pound dog, she leaves the ground a lot.

• A stern word is severe punishment.

• The cat is still the Queen.

• She love the kids.

On October 8th I nearly completed the Harvest Century (the 75 mile route). It is the last major ride I will do until my January 1st polar bear run. I was suppose to have a partner in this ride but other things came up and I ended up solo. Drove to Hillsboro, OR at 5:30 am and got myself signed up and on the road by a little after 7 am. It was a good day for the ride even if the ride did not end so well. As I’m riding along it felt like my seat was to low. I stopped and raised the seat to the proper height. A couple of miles later I was stopping again to repeat the task…. the clamp had failed and now I was fighting an uphill battle. Riding to low forced me to use new muscles and as it was not a flat ride, I was soon building up lactic acid in my legs. Don’t get me wrong, I was enjoying myself, but I was also headed towards being miserable. At mile 16 I caught up with one of the mechanic stations and we were able to snug things up, but the damage was done and I was just going through the motions to finish. Things were going well and I was thinking the day had taken a turn. The sun was shining and it was warm. I was riding a bicycle on the roads that I normally ride a motorcycle and it was fun to get a better look at the surroundings at a slower pace. I was about a 4 miles short of the lunch stop when I heard a thump thump on my helmet…….. then the shooting pain of a bee sting, then another and an other. I’m not sure how many times I was stung by these two or three yellow jackets, but as I got pulled over and removed my helmet there was still an angry bee stinging the inside of my helmet. On a positive note, I did not notice how tired I was from fighting the seat post for the next 4 miles. After lunch it was about 7 miles to reach Newberg. Lisa and the kids had joined me for lunch and after a bit of discussion it was an easy decision to just side in home and drive over the hill to get the car. It wasn’t a total loss, I did get in a good 50 mile finish to the end of my riding season in the sun.

Moving into the role of an administrator has left me longing for small projects that can actually be completed.   My day is filled with politics and rhetoric, planing and executing…. and I feel like I never get anything done.  Looking back to things that have brought me joy, I think of the first RC car kit I built in 1999.  The HPI RS4 Rally was based on the street version of the RS4. It is an allwheel drive sedan that is a blast to drive in loose dirt and the occasional sand dune.  

Parts to assemble

I did some off-road racing with it until I saw on-road racing and that was it. Once you start road racing it is hard to just drive around (boring) in the open. It is far more fun to be racing on a closed circuit…. but I digress. In looking for a way to relax, I have pulled out all the old parts and have began reconstructing my rally car.  The project is small and achievable which is what my mind needs.

I spent the weekend at the coast with the family at Twin Rocks.  We were promised at least 6 minutes of sunshine, but we got there to late and miss it. : )  It is the Oregon coast, and the weather can be a little unpredictable.  In all it was good, and I even managed not to check my e-mail more that once a day!  It helped that ATT has a less than stellar signal strength (i.e “NO SERVICE….”).  I did manage to make use of my iPhone. With the wide angle lens as the limiting factor, you have to get a little closer to your subjects.

I have had the fun of sharing my coffee with several people this week.

One was a bribe to get a student to take a shift at work, and the other two were just because.  They all seemed to enjoy what I have created and noted it as different from the norm.  I would like to think it was my choice of coffee origins in my blend or my mad roasting skills.  But I kid my self…  So many people drink coffee that is stale or has been in a hot-pot to long that a cup of freshly roasted coffee is a treat.  It will always be fun to watch someone sip my coffee black, while they explain that they usually use creamer

I’m not much of a blogger and I don’t follow many blogs. With that said, I find it ironic that the one blog I follow faithfully was co-founded by two people that I know, but didn’t know it until recently.

I have been following Bike Hacks for some time. I was chatting with someone I know a week or two ago only to discover that he and another George Fox alumni had started the blog.   As I have been reading the exploits of a cyclist in New York, Little did I know of the connection that we had. The world is getting smaller again. If you have a little time, read a few posted and see if you can figure out who they are.

I have ridden bikes all my life. As a kid I remember riding on trails
with my “ten speed” until there was nothing left of it. I even managed
to fracture my first bone on trails riding that bike. The BMX craze happened after I got to big to ride a bike that small, so I got a mountain bike. I eventually put road tires on it as a commuter and really haven’t been off road that much since.  I guess that makes me a roadie. I did the 1987 STP (Seattle to Portland) on my mountain bike before it was fashionable or comfortable. I chose to do it again this last summer though I’m not sure why. This time I pedaled a road bike and had a training regiment that better fit the task. I think the last time I survived because of my youth. I have ridden along both times, but I hope to convince someone to ride it with me next time. The training and ride were good for me at a couple of different levels. The exercise will always help me keep up with my kids, and it made me look closer at my diabetes again. Between bikes and motorcycles, I will ride until I’m so old and wobbly I can’t keep the sticky side down. Don’t know why I’m rambling on about bikes except that I must really need to go for a ride.

As you will see in this post, I like spiders. Unlike the box elder (sp?) bugs that crawl around on the front of our house when it’s warm, they serve a purpose I can see. The first pic is one of my favorites because of the snack that awaits in the web.

In the house there is no room for spiders (I am the exterminator), but outside I don’t bother them. I just like to watch them work.

Well, there are no big pieces left.

I have cut everything down to length and am looking at which pieces to glue up to make each of the larger pieces. It’s all easy when I run it through my head, but when you pull out the glue it all seems to come undone.

Because Nate is so interested in getting his night stand done, I decided to pick a few tasks along the way to let him take part in the build. How hard can it be to put some glue on the edge of some boards? Putting it on was easy, but keeping it on the board and not on Nate was the trick. We had glue on all the parts and I turned my back long enough to grab a clamp. Oops…….he knocked over the first board and stuck it glue side first onto his shirt.

Yes, in the last picture of Nate he is picking glue out of his belly button.

Rough glued

Rough Planed (still needs work)

After waiting a full day, I used a power planer ( thanks Todd) and belt sander to plane it down. Still needs a lot of work, but it’s starting to look like something.

More chips to come.

Lisa and I have in the past few years bought some furniture. For the first few years our taste ran in the “early, mid, late, American garage sale category. It was an eclectic pile of rubbish! When we decided to get our bedroom set, we got the “Good Stuff”………. Basset! Well, they don’t make’ em like they use to. It is not bad stuff, but the use of veneer and plastic is notable. I still love it, but I’m not excited to pay good money for things I don’t see as quality.

When Elli needed “big girl” furniture for her room, I ran across a wooden girls bed that was being tossed and repaired it. With that under my belt I ventured into some overly elaborate book selves to match the girlish theme. It was fun, but a bit daunting. Having had some successes with this and a few other projects, I find myself on that doorstep again. Nate needs a nightstand and eventually a bed.

While talking shop with my grandpa and Dad, I discover that I may have access to some old mahogany. After getting a few pieces and working with them I am sure I can create from solid wood, not veneer or MDF the bedroom set I want for Nate.

The sawdust pile grows!

While trying to be frugal, I am rediscovering some things I have not done for a long time. One of these is working with wood. With out the right tools, it’s no fun and the end result is less than desirable.

For my birthday my wife bought (let me buy) a Shop Smith. While most have never heard of this tool, the rest of you won’t care what it is….. but it’s something that I have heard about for years from my Dad.

My new antique

It is a wood working tool that combines 5 or 6 tools into a single machine. It is a table saw/drill press/lathe/surface sander, and with a few add ons it can be a jointer/bandsaw/shaper. Pictures don’t do a toy like this justice, though I realize the beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Shopsmith 10ER

And so, for just $75 I got a working antique. It was sold by Montgomery Ward in the late 30′s and early 40′s. It was rusty and dirty and when I plugged it in……………nothing happened, and for that I am glad. The wiring had completely disintegrated. After a couple of hours of rewiring it now purrs like a kitten. Now if I want to do something that requires some cutting drilling or turning, I can just step into the garage and get to work.

I’ll keep you posted on the sawdust pile as it grows.

I couldn’t stand it…. I had to try the beans I had roasted. I have read that 2 to 3 days rest once you have roasted is best. Because both batches were roasted med/dark, and I know what grind to use and the best way to pull shots on my Saeco, I chose to test the roast through espresso. I was not disappointed!

I figured I had incinerated the first batch, but they were actually quite palatable. By comparison to the second batch which was not as dark, it was not as creamy and had less body, but the flavor was good. The second batch was very creamy and smooth. One guess about howgood th flavor is….. I may have never had coffee that was this fresh! Seemed like the crema (sp?) stood forever after I pull the shot. I will have to work on my coffee vocabulary so I use terms that hopefully have meaning to other coffee lovers.

I will be interested to run another batch of the darker roast and try it in my french press in a few days

Several years ago I did video work for the then owner of Longbottom Coffee. While shooting the roasting and cupping, I realized that I hand probably never had a fresh or good cup of coffee in my life. At that point I had been spoiled and there was no going back

Now about tonight. I did a couple of small mods to my roaster (popcorn popper) and reread the “how to” on Coffee Geek and decided to give it a whirl. I actually had butterflies!

I had read through some of the forums and saw that the variables caused by using the popper were wide open. Things like the cords you use to plug in the popper can change the temperature and roast times. Do you use the proper lid or a glass chimney?

Now I may start to bore those who may read this just to humor me.

First batch of the night.

Beans: Guatemala Antigua La Flor Del Café
75g
Warmed the roaster for about 1 min.
Added the beans and the swirl started immediately.
First crack at 2 min
Temperature at 3 min was 460 deg
Second crack started at 4:15
Ended roast at 5:40
Ending tempter near 498 deg

Well, that didn’t go as planned. It got way to hot, so it roasted to fast. Cooled the beans and decided to do a second run and added an extension cord to the roaster.

Second batch of the evening.

Beans: Guatemala Antigua La Flor Del Café
75g
Warmed the roaster for about 1 min.
Added the beans and the swirl started immediately.

First crack at 3:15 – temperature 415 deg
Second crack at 6:00 – temperature 470 deg
Ended the roast at 7:30 – temperature 478 deg

That seemed a little more like I had expected. After getting the beans cooled I compared the two batches. The first run is a bit darker, while the second is more brown than black.

Now comes he waiting game. I will wait three days before I try them. The only thing I need to figure out now is how I will prepare them. Espresso or French press.

Well, for about 2 weeks now I have been reading and researching coffee roasting. I have been avoiding the thought of roasting because I don’t need anything else to occupy my time, and I have not budget……. then I went to get some more whole beans. Ouch! $$$$ I find myself drinking lousy shots I pull because I can’t stand to waste the coffee. I also have Mauri and Sherry to blame. I could not resist the link to CoffeeGeek.com they have on their blog.

I was surprised to find an article on roasting with Air Poppers, so now it begins. I’m sure that I an going to ruin my share of beans, and gain a whole new respect for the coffee I get at my favorite coffee shop Chapters.

My hope for this blog is to show my ignorance and victories with those who might want to take the ride with me. And Lisa…… yes I may be obsessed, but my hobbies are getting cheaper! ; )

My interest in fountain pens started and ended the first time in the mid 80’s. I bought a cheap cartridge pen. It was like writing with a mechanical pencil with no lead in it. I didn’t know it could be better so I gave up. I had not given it another thought until this last summer. During a presentation of a pen to the departing president of the university where I work, I saw something interesting. I saw a twinkle in his eye that is usually reserved for small children on Christmas morning! Having been a small boy myself, it made me wonder how such a mundane object as a pen could create such a stir. These days with the internet you can become an “expert” on a subject in a matter of hours and that opened the doors to the good and the bad in fountain pens. If I had known then what I know now about pens, I would have continued down this path the fist time. So the story begins now….. and I have a lot to learn.

Technology being central in my vocation makes it hard to get really jazzed about something new. I am constantly bombarded by the “New” the “Bigger”, and the “Faster”. New is old to me. Ironically I like old things because it is usually new to me. I have an old and car. (67 Mustang) I ride an old motorcycle. (86 zx900 – If you’ve seen “Top Gun” you know my bike) I can look at the parts and see how it works. In fact I do most of my own repairs, and enjoy the work!

When I started looking at fountain pens, I found a whole history of innovation and change. It’s fun to look at the history of companies that don’t exist anymore except in the products you find in the back of a drawer, an antique shop, or eBay.

Though I am a fan of the modern fountain pen, my budget does not allow for it. Instead I get to delve into the colorful past and hunt in the draws and shops for treasures.

In the last year I have been reintroduced to fountain pens. In a world of technology , and being an I.T. person, it’s fun to find something that can contribute to my every day life that doesn’t need to be plugged-in.

My plan with this blog is to keep a record of my finds and failures. I love that you can get so much information in such a short time with the web. I hope to add to the available resources that already exists. I am definitely no expert. I just love the fountain pen.

If you see something that I have incorrectly said, done, or shown, let me know so I can correct it.

Hopefully this will be a fun read for all

I’m in Fred Meyer with the kids Saturday morning standing in line……… I’d had black beans the night before……. Elli had been hiding in nearby racks waiting for me to find her…… I lost sight of her and didn’t see the racks of cloths moving.

I look right, then left, then right again. Seeing there was no one around (because i was looking for Elli), I let one go………… LOUD and LONG!

From behind me I hear a groan, then DAAAAD!!  She was hiding behind me (very close) right in the line of fire! She defiantly got both barrels that time.

One of those defining Fatherhood moments.

Well, everybody else is doing it, so I guess I need to too………

My plan is to work on thinking out loud with a keyboard to help me with my least favoirite style of communication…….. e-mail!

Along the way I will embarress myself and shed a little light to my friends on what goes on in the small dark place call my mind.

Subscribe at you own risk. : >)