Daddy Days

Friday is still daddy day for the moment, there is plenty going on, and things have always been busy, but never like this.  That said, we took some time this morning to squeeze in a ride before she gets too big for her current seat.

8.30 daaddy day wp-1020748Say Cheese!  Loaded with everything from the pocket kite, to the strider camera gear, supplies and her toy lap top in case she needed to do so work, we cut out across town to the favorite playground.

8.30 daaddy day wp-1020763Met some friends, turns out there are more dads then you would think hanging out at the playgrounds these days.  Just when I thought she was worn out, it was time to pull out the Strider and jam on the little hill.

8.30 daaddy day wp-1020769Super stoked that she is rocking it with her feet up.  That is a new development in the last week or two, and today was the first day covering significant distance.  I am pretty sure she was showing off for Toby and Maverick over by the swings in the background.  A perfect morning, and catching up while she is completely crashed out.

Coffee Gear

The most frequent question I get regarding the coffee outside routine is “what gear are your using?”.  While getting my kit ready for tomorrow I took a few minutes to make some pictures and prepare some notes.

8.27 Coffee gear -1140408The contents of the kit reflect my preference for pour over style of brewing.  I have tried everything from cowboy coffee to a small french press, and for me, the best results have been pour over.  My usual stove and cook pot for boiling water has been the Caldera Keg Kit.  The kit is super light, compact and has everything I need to boil water quickly.  I brew the coffee into a 600ml titanium mug that replaces one end of the keg kit’s container.  I support the paper coffee filters with a William Bounds Sili coffee cone.  after testing out a few options I find it hits a sweet spot for function, weight and portability.  The kit is rounded out with a bandanna, lighter, grinder and occasional breakfast snack

The latest addition to my kit has been the Porlex portable grinder.  It adds a bit of weight to the whole package, but the quality of the brew jumps way up with beans ground at the time of brew.

8.27 Coffee gear -1140409 8.27 Coffee gear -1140411This was an awesome birthday gift this year from my wife and her parents, and has seen daily use for a few weeks now.  The bur grinding mechanism is robust, easily adjustable, and provides an incredibly uniform grind.  It holds the perfect amount of beans for my large mug.  Thus the increase in brew quality and ability to carry the fresh beans justify the added load.

All spread out it looks like a bunch of gear

8.27 Coffee gear -1140413but most of the components nest into the stove caddy and it is travels quite compact in the handlebar bag.  I was pleasantly suppressed to even fit the grinder on the inside of the kit.

8.27 Coffee gear -1140414Over all weight is still respectable as well considering how much utility is crammed into that little space.

8.27 Coffee gear -1140415It is that simple, under two pounds and you have all the tools needed to brew a better cup of coffee than most people will at home, and you can do it just about any where you would like.  True coffee/bike nerd stuff.

 

Creative Timeout

Keeping all the plates spinning in a small business can be exhausting some times, all in a good way of course.  Being creative, hands on and analytical often feels like a pack of trapped squirrels trapped in my head all fighting for time and space.  This morning I took pen(s) to paper, dusted off an old creative project and restarted the art for T-shirts that need to happen soon.

8.18 Creative wp-1020722And yes, it is amazing how much you can cram into a two car garage to get a business going.  Time to pack some boxes and ship some of it off to other folks garages.

Riding Errands

Back when the OAC blog started the whole thing was about getting out on the bike every day, and how easy that was if you use the bike as your basic mode of transport when you leave the house.  While a few things have changed here over the years and we have grown, the bike, Rambler, is still the main way I get around town.  Hundreds of pictures of myself riding around, and the pictures of me have tapered off a bit this year.  Today I made the time to shoot some while I was out.  Same loop around town and same basic errands, life is that way sometimes.  None the less, it is a hell of a lot more fun picking up odds and ends at Target and the food stores by bike.

8.16 errands wp-1020716