Friday, December 14, 2007
Session 6
I especially like this one. It sort of captures the moment. Note that this is isn't because of a tattoo gun -- this is cleaning up with "Green Soap". It stings and he scrubs pretty hard. It is often worse than the tattoo itself.
End of session 6
Session 6
December 13th
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Tattoo (Session 5)
Monday evening Joel added a little red and yellow to the flames and filled on most of the cherry blossoms either red or pink. The pink ones look red and white when new but will blend to pink over the next few days.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
London Ink
I just watched the premier episode of London Ink just now and am astonished to learn that people in Jolly Old England seem to feel actual pain when getting a Tattoo. I've seen a lot of tattoo-themed reality TV shows in my time, I've seen Tattoo Wars, Tattoo Stories, Inked and both Miami and LA inks, and in all those shows I have never seen a single person show any pain at all. I always figured that when you get under TV lights or in front of a video camera you become completely impervious to pain. It's like having a super-power.
But in London folks seem to actually feel pain while under the needle. I really saw it; tears, grimacing, jaw clenching, hand wringing, and general fidgeting. I was shocked. I can only think the crazy 50Hz power European power system blocks all the super-powers.
But in London folks seem to actually feel pain while under the needle. I really saw it; tears, grimacing, jaw clenching, hand wringing, and general fidgeting. I was shocked. I can only think the crazy 50Hz power European power system blocks all the super-powers.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Where we are now
Little smiling at the end of the session.
What's it like
Everyone wants to know what it's like.
Day 0 – Before, During and After
Kathy and I leave about 2 hours before the appointment time to make the one hour drive and have enough time to get a little dinner at the Thai restaurant downstairs from the studio.
When we arrive sometimes the shop is empty and sometimes it’s rocking. You never know.
Each session generally last 2-3 hours, which seem to be just about right. I could go longer, but I am always ready when Joel says we’re finished. The first two of sessions included a lot of time to draw, now we go straight to the gun and start the bleeding.
Day 1 – The Day After
Things are still pretty sore and very swollen from the night before. I leave the bandage on over night and sleep in an old T-Shirt as things are still weeping. In the morning I remove the bandage and hop in the shower. I was the tattoo very gently with plain soap – this is easy because it still hurts. I avoid getting letting the spray hit it directly and just let water run over it to rinse. At this point there is a lot of ink and fluids coming out of the tattoo, I wash all of this away.
After the show I pat it dry and apply a thin coat of Aquaphore, a thick Vaseline like lotion. I gently rub it in until invisible. I like this stuff because it lasts all-day without reapplying. I wear another T-Shirt under my work clothes in case the tattoo is still weeping.
Day 2
Same a yesterday, but no T-Shirt. Bruises are starting to show now and swelling as coming down.
Day 3
Same a yesterday. Bruises are in full bloom now. They are only yellow, not black/blue, I wonder why?
Day 4
First peel is underway (it started yesterday). A thick layer of skin comes off in the shower. I generally switch to Eucerin lotion about this time. I have a bottle at work a reapply after lunch and sometimes in the late afternoon. You know it’s time to reapply when it starts itching.
Day 5-7+
Same-Same. Wash in shower, pat dry, apply lotion. Sometimes there is a lighter second peel that seems to happen to heavy lines more than larger shaded areas.
The ink is still bumpy now – you can feel the ink under the skin. This seems to go away in about 30 days. After that the skin is completely smooth.
Day 14-21
Another session and it starts all over again.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Tattoo (Session 4)
Session 4Sunday November 18th
5:00pm
I think the shading is all done now. It's really starting to look good. I just need some color. I'm still not totally sure about the final color of the dragon's scales, Blue or Green. Next appointment is 2 Dec.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Tattoo (Session 3)
Session #3
Sunday, October 21st, 2007
7:00PM
Wow, what a change from last week. Last night’s work really hurt. In fact it still really hurts.
Last night was the first session without any drawing. It was just sit down and get to it. Joel finished all the shoulder, and under-arm leaving only the chest left to shade. After the shading we start on color.
Sunday, October 21st, 2007
7:00PM
Wow, what a change from last week. Last night’s work really hurt. In fact it still really hurts.
Last night was the first session without any drawing. It was just sit down and get to it. Joel finished all the shoulder, and under-arm leaving only the chest left to shade. After the shading we start on color.
Tattoo (Session 2)
Session #2
Sunday, October 14th, 2007
3:00PM
Sunday, October 14th, 2007
3:00PM
Today was more hand-drawing and finalizing the lower arm. After much thought and consideration I decided to go with Joel’s recommendation of “three fingers up from the elbow” as the edge of the piece. I felt a more conservative 5 (or more) was what I wanted, but after a couple of weeks I decided to let Joel do what he thinks is best. I also decided to add cherry blossoms to the edge of the design.
In addition to an hour of outlining, tonight was also the first session of shading.
The first step in shading is the preparation of the Sumi ink. This involves grinding a solid Sumi ink block with a little water on an “Ink Stone” to produce the black ink. The Ink Stone is a small tray made of smooth unglazed ceramic with a shallow well at one end where the ink collects. The Ink Stick is ground on the bottom of the tray with water and the ink gathers in the well. This process takes 15 to 20 minutes to complete.
Shading is done with a much different needle configuration. All the lines are done with a single needle and shading is done with 4-15 needles. Joel generally uses 5 needles for shading.
In general shading is less painful than line work, but this depends greatly on the area. In fact after 2.5 hours I was ready to continue but also happy to end the session on a high note.
Tonight Joel finished shading the outer half of the lower arm. It’s really starting to look like a tattoo now. My next session is scheduled for next Sunday, only seven days between sessions.
In addition to an hour of outlining, tonight was also the first session of shading.
The first step in shading is the preparation of the Sumi ink. This involves grinding a solid Sumi ink block with a little water on an “Ink Stone” to produce the black ink. The Ink Stone is a small tray made of smooth unglazed ceramic with a shallow well at one end where the ink collects. The Ink Stick is ground on the bottom of the tray with water and the ink gathers in the well. This process takes 15 to 20 minutes to complete.Shading is done with a much different needle configuration. All the lines are done with a single needle and shading is done with 4-15 needles. Joel generally uses 5 needles for shading.
In general shading is less painful than line work, but this depends greatly on the area. In fact after 2.5 hours I was ready to continue but also happy to end the session on a high note.
Tonight Joel finished shading the outer half of the lower arm. It’s really starting to look like a tattoo now. My next session is scheduled for next Sunday, only seven days between sessions.
Tattoo (Session 1)
Session #1
Wednesday, September 12th, 2007
12 Noon
Yesterday we finally got started. The first couple of hours were spent drawing. The head of the dragon was done as a hand-drawn stencil, everything else was drawn on my shoulder with Sharpie markers. After more than an hour of drawing, the real work begins. This session was all outlining and covered my right chest (pec), shoulder and part of my upper arm. The lower arm will be done next time.
The shop was pretty busy and a number of prospective clients looked in to see Joel working. The first question is always “Does it hurt?” Of course it hurts; some guy is jamming a needle into your flesh 40-50 times a second for hours. Duhhh.
Outlining is pretty brutal, it a single needle and very sharp, thin lines. The total time for this session was just over three hours. The first hour was fine, the pain a distant irritant. By the second hour I was starting to really feel the burn with each new line. My leg was starting to twitch uncontrollably after the longer lines. By the third hour I was holding my breath during each line. I was really glad when he finished.
Aftercare is Aquaphore lotion for the first 4-5 days followed by simple lotion.
P.S. There was a small amount of peeling on days 2 and 3 but no other problems.
Wednesday, September 12th, 2007
12 Noon
Yesterday we finally got started. The first couple of hours were spent drawing. The head of the dragon was done as a hand-drawn stencil, everything else was drawn on my shoulder with Sharpie markers. After more than an hour of drawing, the real work begins. This session was all outlining and covered my right chest (pec), shoulder and part of my upper arm. The lower arm will be done next time.The shop was pretty busy and a number of prospective clients looked in to see Joel working. The first question is always “Does it hurt?” Of course it hurts; some guy is jamming a needle into your flesh 40-50 times a second for hours. Duhhh.
Outlining is pretty brutal, it a single needle and very sharp, thin lines. The total time for this session was just over three hours. The first hour was fine, the pain a distant irritant. By the second hour I was starting to really feel the burn with each new line. My leg was starting to twitch uncontrollably after the longer lines. By the third hour I was holding my breath during each line. I was really glad when he finished.
Aftercare is Aquaphore lotion for the first 4-5 days followed by simple lotion.
P.S. There was a small amount of peeling on days 2 and 3 but no other problems.
Tattoo (Session 0)
Session #0
Saturday August 18th 2007
Consultation with Joel Long, Bolder Ink
We arrive at the Bolder Ink shop a few minutes early and begin thumbing through Joel’s portfolio. I am shocked at the difference between what he has on his web site and the work in his albums. The work in the book is exactly what I am looking for, sharp, vibrant, lots of detail, subtle shadows.
I later asked Joel about the difference, he explained that anything he puts on his web site is immediately copied by other artists (I don't think he used the word "artist") so he keeps his best stuff in the books and only publishes older work to the web.
When he arrived we discussed what I wanted and he made some suggestions based on traditional Japanese technique. everything sounded pretty good so I made an appointment for my first session.
Saturday August 18th 2007
Consultation with Joel Long, Bolder Ink
We arrive at the Bolder Ink shop a few minutes early and begin thumbing through Joel’s portfolio. I am shocked at the difference between what he has on his web site and the work in his albums. The work in the book is exactly what I am looking for, sharp, vibrant, lots of detail, subtle shadows.
I later asked Joel about the difference, he explained that anything he puts on his web site is immediately copied by other artists (I don't think he used the word "artist") so he keeps his best stuff in the books and only publishes older work to the web.
When he arrived we discussed what I wanted and he made some suggestions based on traditional Japanese technique. everything sounded pretty good so I made an appointment for my first session.
Tattoo
After more than a year of planning, thinking, dreaming, I recently started the wheels on motion to actually get a new tattoo. I have a climbing rope and Figure-8 around my right ankle that is now 10 years old. I have loved it every minute since I got it.
Recently I have been attracted to traditional Japanese style tattoos, especially the snake-like Dragons and brilliant orange Koi fish. Japanese style is unlike the “single-point” style of most tattoos. The pieces are much larger, covering the entire arm or leg. In the Japanese style, there is a central tattoo that is framed by a more subtle background. The background can be wind bars, clouds, waves or other design. The background on this type of tatoo is typically done in gray. I am most attracted to Dragons and Koi, both very traditional designs.
After an aborted start in January, I have chosen another artist and set an appointment for the first session.
I originally wanted Chris Garver to do the work. He is one of a very few artists who specialize in traditional Japanese style. Unfortunately he is now a star on the TV show Miami Ink, which means the only way to get an appointment, is to send in a video tape and “audition” for the TV show. I have zero interest in getting a tattoo on TV so Chris was out.
My wife knows a guy working on a full body-suit, she asked him and he recommended Chris Trevino in Austin and Dave Tedder in Atlanta. I spoke with Chris, described the piece I wanted and learned that due to the size and complexity, it would take at least 3 or 4 sessions to complete. I like both Austin and Atlanta but traveling there multiple times seemed like way too much work.
Months pass…
I am again looking at Chris Trevenio’s web site and find a link to an artist in Boulder who has worked with Chris. His name is Joel Long.
I found his web site and looked at his portfolio. Some of the pieces looked pretty good but I wasn’t sure he could do the level of work I was looking for. A few more months pass and I decide to meet him to discuss my plans while Kathy and I were in Boulder for dinner at Frasca.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Cave Diving in Cozumel
During our trip to Cozumel we spent a day diving Cenotes Dos Ojos.
Kathy and I in the bat cave.
Cave diving budies...
This is the half-way marker for the upstream loop. Cave Diving humor.
Kathy and I in the bat cave.
Cave diving budies...
This is the half-way marker for the upstream loop. Cave Diving humor.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Cozumel
It's been a while -- sometimes work calls.
Anyway, We are off to Cozumel for a bit of sun and SCUBA. Our 10 year anniversary and K's birthday are both the first week of October. We went to Cozumel for our honeymoon so it seems appropriate to go back now.
Frontier has a direct from Denver on Saturdays so we are in for 7 days. After much research we chose to stay at the Palace Hotel (which used to be the Plaza Las Glorias, where we stayed on our last visit.).
We are diving with Aqua Safari, all fast-boat with three night-dives. I'm really looking forward to diving the "Devils Throat" at Punta Sur. I missed it last time and really want to do it.
Anyway, We are off to Cozumel for a bit of sun and SCUBA. Our 10 year anniversary and K's birthday are both the first week of October. We went to Cozumel for our honeymoon so it seems appropriate to go back now.
Frontier has a direct from Denver on Saturdays so we are in for 7 days. After much research we chose to stay at the Palace Hotel (which used to be the Plaza Las Glorias, where we stayed on our last visit.).
We are diving with Aqua Safari, all fast-boat with three night-dives. I'm really looking forward to diving the "Devils Throat" at Punta Sur. I missed it last time and really want to do it.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
DVD to iPhone conversion
I have moved copies of a number of my DVD-based movies on my iPhone and today a friend asked how to do it so here is my method:
I use Handbrake to convert the DVD to an MPEG-4 file with AAC audio. I typically keep these files on my MacBook Pro and watch them while traveling so I preserve the native resolution, encode at a relitively high bit-rate (3 Mb/s) and use dual-pass encoding. I also de-interlace in Handbrake.
My Handbrake configuration is something like this..
Now I use another utility, FFmpeg to convert the full-res Mpeg4 file from Handbrake to an iPhone compatable format. Drag and drop the handbrake output file to the "Source Format" block of the FFmpeg window.
I use the "iPodTV" profile as the output format and change the resolution to the 480x320 required by the iPhone. Now encode.
When complete I drag the resulting file into iTunes and sync with my iPhone.
Installation tips: You will need to install FFmpeg first as Handbrake uses it as an encoder.
There are already utilities that can do both steps in a single pass. One can be seen here www.dvdtoiphone.net
I use this process since I want a high-quality intermediate format on my MBP (and to copy to my PocketDISH player, and already have both Handbrake and FFmpeg.
I use Handbrake to convert the DVD to an MPEG-4 file with AAC audio. I typically keep these files on my MacBook Pro and watch them while traveling so I preserve the native resolution, encode at a relitively high bit-rate (3 Mb/s) and use dual-pass encoding. I also de-interlace in Handbrake.My Handbrake configuration is something like this..
Now I use another utility, FFmpeg to convert the full-res Mpeg4 file from Handbrake to an iPhone compatable format. Drag and drop the handbrake output file to the "Source Format" block of the FFmpeg window.
I use the "iPodTV" profile as the output format and change the resolution to the 480x320 required by the iPhone. Now encode.
When complete I drag the resulting file into iTunes and sync with my iPhone.
Installation tips: You will need to install FFmpeg first as Handbrake uses it as an encoder.
There are already utilities that can do both steps in a single pass. One can be seen here www.dvdtoiphone.net
I use this process since I want a high-quality intermediate format on my MBP (and to copy to my PocketDISH player, and already have both Handbrake and FFmpeg.Tuesday, July 3, 2007
iPhone - Day 2
A full 24 hours later -- I am still enthralled. The display is simply stunning. It displays the smallest fonts on web pages better than anything I have ever seen.
I loaded it up with Movies, TV shows, Music, and Photos. I synced with Address Book after cleaning up my contact list -- importing about 200 contacts. Everything works as advertised.
Another trip to the Apple store yielded an inCase cover and a screen shield. $50 seems reasonable to protect a $650 phone...
I loaded it up with Movies, TV shows, Music, and Photos. I synced with Address Book after cleaning up my contact list -- importing about 200 contacts. Everything works as advertised.
Another trip to the Apple store yielded an inCase cover and a screen shield. $50 seems reasonable to protect a $650 phone...
Monday, July 2, 2007
Ok, I caved
I sprung for an iPhone.
I've been a Blackberry user for 4 years and consider them generally adequate for their task. I currently use a Moto Razr as my personal phone. It's a useful size and shape but the user interface is pathetic.
I watched to 30 min intro vodeo on the Apple site as was pretty much sold. I couldn't see waiting in line with the other overenthusiastic Apple fans on Thursday or Friday.
Instead I walked into the Apple store today at lunch and picked up an 8 Gig version. Activation took about as much time than updating iTunes to support the phone.
My initial opinion is that it may not be perfect but it is amazing.
I've been a Blackberry user for 4 years and consider them generally adequate for their task. I currently use a Moto Razr as my personal phone. It's a useful size and shape but the user interface is pathetic.
I watched to 30 min intro vodeo on the Apple site as was pretty much sold. I couldn't see waiting in line with the other overenthusiastic Apple fans on Thursday or Friday.
Instead I walked into the Apple store today at lunch and picked up an 8 Gig version. Activation took about as much time than updating iTunes to support the phone.
My initial opinion is that it may not be perfect but it is amazing.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Scanner Geek
I bought a race scanner/headset package a couple of years ago at the 24hours of Daytona. It was really great. I plan to use it as the USGP this weekend. The details for the radio frequencies used by the teams are a little sketchy, so I need to have multiple frequencies for each car, team, PA system, broadcaster, Etc.
The total is close to 140 freqs. Inputting these (and the description) into the scanner would take hours. My scanner (a Uniden SC200) has a serial port and with the right software all this can be done on a PC. Key detail there -- the PC, I don't use a PC and my Mac doesn't even have a serial port.
So after reviving an old Dell laptop and purchasing ARC200 Scanner Programming Software, I was able to upload everything I wanted in about an hour. ARC200 is pretty good -- a little loose with Windows programming conventions, but it offers a number of cool scanner conveniences.
I also want to get a new battery -- it looks like there is a 2500 mAh upgrade from the 800 mAh original that claims to last 36 hours. We will see.
The total is close to 140 freqs. Inputting these (and the description) into the scanner would take hours. My scanner (a Uniden SC200) has a serial port and with the right software all this can be done on a PC. Key detail there -- the PC, I don't use a PC and my Mac doesn't even have a serial port.
So after reviving an old Dell laptop and purchasing ARC200 Scanner Programming Software, I was able to upload everything I wanted in about an hour. ARC200 is pretty good -- a little loose with Windows programming conventions, but it offers a number of cool scanner conveniences.
I also want to get a new battery -- it looks like there is a 2500 mAh upgrade from the 800 mAh original that claims to last 36 hours. We will see.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Paralels Workstation for MAC
Wow -- I just purchased Parallels 3.0 to replace my Bootcamp 1.2 install. Much more convienient. I use Visio, AutoCad, and Project for work. AutoCad took a little time -- as it does on the PC. Everything else was perfect.
I actually had a little trouble getting it installed, it turned out to be my WinXP install disk (in fact I have 4 Full Retail versions of XP, all with bad disks). After solving that issue everything went perfectly.
I ran into an incompatibility with my Polar heart-rate monitor. It uses a USB 1.1 to IR converter to download ride data from my HRM. It appears to be incompatible with Parallels. There is a new converter (USB 2.0) that appears to work. Yet another Polar accessory required.
Bootcamp is good, Parallels is better.
I actually had a little trouble getting it installed, it turned out to be my WinXP install disk (in fact I have 4 Full Retail versions of XP, all with bad disks). After solving that issue everything went perfectly.
I ran into an incompatibility with my Polar heart-rate monitor. It uses a USB 1.1 to IR converter to download ride data from my HRM. It appears to be incompatible with Parallels. There is a new converter (USB 2.0) that appears to work. Yet another Polar accessory required.
Bootcamp is good, Parallels is better.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Wanted -- Scanner frequencys for USGP
I'm seeking the scanner frequencies for Track Operations, Timing & Scoring and anything else for the USGP in Indy next month. I have the freqs from the 500 -- maybe the IMS numbers are the same?
Thursday, May 24, 2007
US Grand Prix
I just ticketed a trip to Indy to take my father to the U.S. Grand Prix on Fathers Day. Kath and I have been to a couple of runnings but have missed the last three. I'm really looking forward to it this year -- even if MS has retired.
Monday, May 21, 2007
Espresso Stuff
In addition to 2 pounds of Intelligetsia Black Cat Roast, I received a couple new Espresso toys on Friday. Two are new products from Bumper, a tamping stand and a knock-box. The tamping stand is really nice. I use a Naket Portafilter exclusively and have been using the edge of out 
kitchen sink as a makeshift stand. The bumper stand is perfect for either Naked or Traditional PFs. The notch for traditional PFs makes a nice place to hang my tamper.
The Bumper Knock-Box is a great upgrade from our old one. It's much larger, has a raised rear area to prevent slosh from soupy pucks from going everywhere, and has much thicker rubber. It reeks of quality.
Our old box was the traditional low, square stainless box with black wood frame. It has a couple of problems. The edges of the stainless insert dig into the wood and trash the paint on the corners of the box. I installed small rubber feet to the wood but they only reduce the wear, not prevent it. Also the bar is lower than the front edge so it is easy to hit the PF in the edge at the same time as the bar - denting the stainless insert. It was a good starter box, but the Bumper box is much better. As shown in the picture, the Bumper has a large rubber base so it feels very solid -- a "good thing" when whacking it with a heavy E61 PF. The Bar is about twice as thick.
The only thing I would change about both is the finish, both products are finished in brushed stainless. Everything else in the Espresso world is polished. Nit picking for sure. Chris Coffee has the whole line of Bumper products
The last thing I received was a 53mm tamper for a friend. He has a classic LaPavoni hand pump machine and continues to use the plastic tamper that came with it. It's really hard to get a consistent tamp with a plastic tamper so I got a nice all steel model. It is surprisingly heavy. I didn't weigh it but it must be twice as heavy as my Aluminium/Stainless Reg Barber.
kitchen sink as a makeshift stand. The bumper stand is perfect for either Naked or Traditional PFs. The notch for traditional PFs makes a nice place to hang my tamper.The Bumper Knock-Box is a great upgrade from our old one. It's much larger, has a raised rear area to prevent slosh from soupy pucks from going everywhere, and has much thicker rubber. It reeks of quality.
Our old box was the traditional low, square stainless box with black wood frame. It has a couple of problems. The edges of the stainless insert dig into the wood and trash the paint on the corners of the box. I installed small rubber feet to the wood but they only reduce the wear, not prevent it. Also the bar is lower than the front edge so it is easy to hit the PF in the edge at the same time as the bar - denting the stainless insert. It was a good starter box, but the Bumper box is much better. As shown in the picture, the Bumper has a large rubber base so it feels very solid -- a "good thing" when whacking it with a heavy E61 PF. The Bar is about twice as thick.The only thing I would change about both is the finish, both products are finished in brushed stainless. Everything else in the Espresso world is polished. Nit picking for sure. Chris Coffee has the whole line of Bumper products
The last thing I received was a 53mm tamper for a friend. He has a classic LaPavoni hand pump machine and continues to use the plastic tamper that came with it. It's really hard to get a consistent tamp with a plastic tamper so I got a nice all steel model. It is surprisingly heavy. I didn't weigh it but it must be twice as heavy as my Aluminium/Stainless Reg Barber.
A little too far, a little too fast
I have been debating riding the Elephant Rock century an a couple of weeks. Since it goes right past my house it seems a logical choice for the first century of the year.
Due to a lot of business travel, I don't have the base I had planned. So, to gauge my fitness for such a ride I rode a hard 67 miles on Saturday. I rode two of my regular loops, Russelville Road to County Line Road (typically an out and back) and Perry Park Road to Wolfensberger.
Saturday was beautiful so many other cyclists were out and things got a little competitive (as they do in a century -- so it seemed like good training). After doing most of Russelville and Parker Roads at about 85% of maximum heart rate, I was a little tired as I crossed County Line and reached Perry Park Road. Add a little head wind and I was baked by the Thoma cut-off. After a brief moment of weakness, I pushed on to Wolfensberger (mostly because it's down hill, and i wasn't ready to climb Thoma) and struggled up that instead. Thank god for the long descent into Castle Rock proper. Now I just had to make the ~800 ft up to the house. It wasn't pretty but I got there. 67 miles, 2800 feet, 4 hours and 12 minutes.
I was totally shot when I got home. Even today (Monday) I still have some residual soreness. Not the result I was looking for. Maybe the Metric distance is a better choice for the Elephant Rock this year.
Due to a lot of business travel, I don't have the base I had planned. So, to gauge my fitness for such a ride I rode a hard 67 miles on Saturday. I rode two of my regular loops, Russelville Road to County Line Road (typically an out and back) and Perry Park Road to Wolfensberger.
Saturday was beautiful so many other cyclists were out and things got a little competitive (as they do in a century -- so it seemed like good training). After doing most of Russelville and Parker Roads at about 85% of maximum heart rate, I was a little tired as I crossed County Line and reached Perry Park Road. Add a little head wind and I was baked by the Thoma cut-off. After a brief moment of weakness, I pushed on to Wolfensberger (mostly because it's down hill, and i wasn't ready to climb Thoma) and struggled up that instead. Thank god for the long descent into Castle Rock proper. Now I just had to make the ~800 ft up to the house. It wasn't pretty but I got there. 67 miles, 2800 feet, 4 hours and 12 minutes.
I was totally shot when I got home. Even today (Monday) I still have some residual soreness. Not the result I was looking for. Maybe the Metric distance is a better choice for the Elephant Rock this year.
Monday, May 7, 2007
Recipe for Hypothermia
Take one cyclist in early season form.
Dress in spring -- not winter -- clothes (tights, wool shirt, cotton socks, rain coat, thin full-finger gloves, mesh shoes)
Ride due South for 2 hours in dry but overcast 35 degree weather
Now add heavy, cold rain, soak thoroughly.
Mix in hail, sleet and strong winds.
Ensure rider is completely soaked.
Add more rain.
Turn rider around and allow to ride to almost three hours into a 2o MPH wind to get home.
Watch as rider shivers so bad he shifts gears uncontrollably while trying to hang onto handlebars.
Upon arriving home place rider (fully dressed) in warm - not hot - shower for up to one hour. Listen for howls of pain as "pins and needles" rack rider in pain.
It helps that rider has been riding all winter on a bike with fenders so was unprepared for amount of spray riding new (fender-free) bike.
Mmmmm... Nice.
Monday, April 30, 2007
80 Degrees and Snow
Only in Colorado can you have consecutive days with the temperature over 80 degrees and still have snow in the ground. We got 16 inches of snow Tuesday night and by Saturday we hit 83. Even now, there are still large piles of snow in many shaded areas.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Espresso Machines
A friend recently called me from a Starbucks and asked for my advice choosing a new Espresso machine. He was looking at machines in the $200-$300 dollar range and thought a few of them there looked pretty good.
First of all, there are very few machines for less than $500 capable of making "real" Espresso and those that can have difficulty to do it repeatably. Now some may argue that their XYZ machine makes fine espresso for $100 or whatever. There is simply an inverse ratio of machine cost to preparation complexity. Even machines in the $500-$600 range require a pretty complex process to produce really good espresso. Not everyone has the patience to develop the process and repeat it accurately to produce good espresso.
So if you are looking for a machine that makes "Real" Espresso, here are your choices:
The least expensive are "Capsule" machines. Don't confuse these with "pod" machines. Capsules are hard plastic and air tight, pods are soft paper like tea-bags. One makes Espresso and the other doesn't.
Here is a easy tip for identifying "real" Espresso -- when you look at a recently made espresso, if the liquid inside is black -- it isn't espresso. Espresso is golden brown. Part of the magic of espresso is the exctaction of carbon dioxide from the beans -- that is what makes to golden cream or Crema in the cup. Without it, you have coffee.
I have a Nespresso capsule machine in my office, and it makes a pretty good cup of espresso. I generally don't make milk drinks (Latte, Cappuccino, Etc) so the lack of steaming capability isn't a problem. There are other Nespresso machines that can steam. Learn more about them here
A friend describes it's output as "Swiss" Espresso, which implies that it is not as strong and rich as "Italian" Espresso. He's right. But for less than $200 and 45 cents a shot it makes a pretty good cup without the considerable mess of a traditional machine. Nespresso frequently lists refurbished machines on E-Bay for a 15-20% discount.
Moving beyond the capsule machines you can choose between a semi-automatic machine and a super-automatic machine.
Semi-auto machines require the operator to grind coffee, dose, tamp, pull and froth milk manually. Super Auto's do all that automatically, only requiring the operator to keep the beans and milk topped-up. These are more expensive than semi-autos, but compared with a semi-auto and the required burr grinder, the difference gets pretty small.
If you are interested in producing the highest espresso quality possible and are willing to spend some time learning the technique required to achieve that; then semi-auto is the right choice. If you just want to produce good espresso with little or no practice, then get a super-automatic.
Good Espresso = Super Auto
Great Espresso = Semi Auto + Technique
I have used the $700 Gaggia Syncrony Logic super-auto extensively and am very impressed by it's performance. As noted above It makes good espresso (better then my Nespresso) at the push of a button.
Gaggia also makes very good semi-auto machines. Two friends have smaller Gaggia's (a Baby-D and a Compact). Both are very happy with them. These machines are ~$500 each and will require another ~$300-$400 for a good grinder. These are all good starter machines.
The next level in the quest for espresso perfection is a dual-boiler semi-auto. This is the biggest, baddest machine you can get without rewiring and plumbing your kitchen. My current machine is a dual-boiler Expobar Brewtus II. A dual-boiler has one boiler for brewing espresso and another for steaming milk. Single boiler machines (also called heat-exchangers) have one boiler for steaming and plumb the brew water through a heat-exchanger in the steam boiler to heat the brew water. This makes it difficult to achieve the kind of temperature control necessary to produce spectacular espresso. Dual-boiler designs offer the performance of a large commercial machine in a smaller footprint, and without wiring and plumbing. Prices for dual-boiler machines range from $2000 - $4000. With time and practice these machines make espresso better then almost any coffee shop and every Starbucks.
The pinnacle is the full Commercial machine. These require 240v power (like your clothes dryer) and a plumbed in water supply and drain (like your washer). Hmmm... Never thought of using the laundry room for Espresso...
I've had my Expobar B2 for over 18 months and am very happy. It took almost a year to really understand how to operate it properly. During that time half the shots were drinkable and the rest were bitter or sour and ended up in the sink. I don't remember my last sink shot. If you aren't ready to spend months learning to make great espresso, think about a super-auto.
There are many variables in the quest for perfect espresso and with time you can understand many of them and produce espresso that is better than anything you can buy at a almost any US coffee shop.
So, how committed are you?
First of all, there are very few machines for less than $500 capable of making "real" Espresso and those that can have difficulty to do it repeatably. Now some may argue that their XYZ machine makes fine espresso for $100 or whatever. There is simply an inverse ratio of machine cost to preparation complexity. Even machines in the $500-$600 range require a pretty complex process to produce really good espresso. Not everyone has the patience to develop the process and repeat it accurately to produce good espresso.
So if you are looking for a machine that makes "Real" Espresso, here are your choices:
The least expensive are "Capsule" machines. Don't confuse these with "pod" machines. Capsules are hard plastic and air tight, pods are soft paper like tea-bags. One makes Espresso and the other doesn't.
Here is a easy tip for identifying "real" Espresso -- when you look at a recently made espresso, if the liquid inside is black -- it isn't espresso. Espresso is golden brown. Part of the magic of espresso is the exctaction of carbon dioxide from the beans -- that is what makes to golden cream or Crema in the cup. Without it, you have coffee.
I have a Nespresso capsule machine in my office, and it makes a pretty good cup of espresso. I generally don't make milk drinks (Latte, Cappuccino, Etc) so the lack of steaming capability isn't a problem. There are other Nespresso machines that can steam. Learn more about them here
A friend describes it's output as "Swiss" Espresso, which implies that it is not as strong and rich as "Italian" Espresso. He's right. But for less than $200 and 45 cents a shot it makes a pretty good cup without the considerable mess of a traditional machine. Nespresso frequently lists refurbished machines on E-Bay for a 15-20% discount.
Moving beyond the capsule machines you can choose between a semi-automatic machine and a super-automatic machine.
Semi-auto machines require the operator to grind coffee, dose, tamp, pull and froth milk manually. Super Auto's do all that automatically, only requiring the operator to keep the beans and milk topped-up. These are more expensive than semi-autos, but compared with a semi-auto and the required burr grinder, the difference gets pretty small.
If you are interested in producing the highest espresso quality possible and are willing to spend some time learning the technique required to achieve that; then semi-auto is the right choice. If you just want to produce good espresso with little or no practice, then get a super-automatic.
Good Espresso = Super Auto
Great Espresso = Semi Auto + Technique
I have used the $700 Gaggia Syncrony Logic super-auto extensively and am very impressed by it's performance. As noted above It makes good espresso (better then my Nespresso) at the push of a button.
Gaggia also makes very good semi-auto machines. Two friends have smaller Gaggia's (a Baby-D and a Compact). Both are very happy with them. These machines are ~$500 each and will require another ~$300-$400 for a good grinder. These are all good starter machines.
The next level in the quest for espresso perfection is a dual-boiler semi-auto. This is the biggest, baddest machine you can get without rewiring and plumbing your kitchen. My current machine is a dual-boiler Expobar Brewtus II. A dual-boiler has one boiler for brewing espresso and another for steaming milk. Single boiler machines (also called heat-exchangers) have one boiler for steaming and plumb the brew water through a heat-exchanger in the steam boiler to heat the brew water. This makes it difficult to achieve the kind of temperature control necessary to produce spectacular espresso. Dual-boiler designs offer the performance of a large commercial machine in a smaller footprint, and without wiring and plumbing. Prices for dual-boiler machines range from $2000 - $4000. With time and practice these machines make espresso better then almost any coffee shop and every Starbucks.
The pinnacle is the full Commercial machine. These require 240v power (like your clothes dryer) and a plumbed in water supply and drain (like your washer). Hmmm... Never thought of using the laundry room for Espresso...
I've had my Expobar B2 for over 18 months and am very happy. It took almost a year to really understand how to operate it properly. During that time half the shots were drinkable and the rest were bitter or sour and ended up in the sink. I don't remember my last sink shot. If you aren't ready to spend months learning to make great espresso, think about a super-auto.
There are many variables in the quest for perfect espresso and with time you can understand many of them and produce espresso that is better than anything you can buy at a almost any US coffee shop.
So, how committed are you?
Europe Photos
We have a Flickr account and have published many of the European vacation photos there. Here is the URL.
http://flickr.com/photos/ren-kathy/
http://flickr.com/photos/ren-kathy/
Shoe/Pedal Experiment
After years of riding mountain bike shoes exclusively, I am trying road shoes and pedals to see if the increased pedal platform is more comfortable. I'm a huge fan of Sidi shoes -- i think I am on my 5th pair -- so I bought a pair of Sidi Ergo 2's for this experiment. I also got a pair of new Ultegra PD-6620's which have a very large platform. I chose them as they have a replaceable steel plate under the cleat instead of the plastic plate of the previous model.
Any cyclist will tell you that changing shoe/pedal can be pretty traumatic. Other than seat height the foot/shoe/pedal connection is the most critical thing to a comfortable fit. Since I have been using the same shoe/pedal combo for 3+ years and 20k miles, this is a significant change.
So, this morning I installed the cleats -- typically done multiple time to achieve a good fit. The shoes, which have a carbon-fiber sole come with a small piece of grip-tape to allow the cleat to attach tothe sole without slipping. First time I have ever seen that.
For the first attempt I placed the cleats as far outboard as possible to achieve the minimum "Q Factor" and placed the pedal spindle about .5 cm behind the ball of my foot. This is pretty close to where my other shoes are. After a short ride I may reposition them a bit based on how they feel.
Any cyclist will tell you that changing shoe/pedal can be pretty traumatic. Other than seat height the foot/shoe/pedal connection is the most critical thing to a comfortable fit. Since I have been using the same shoe/pedal combo for 3+ years and 20k miles, this is a significant change.
So, this morning I installed the cleats -- typically done multiple time to achieve a good fit. The shoes, which have a carbon-fiber sole come with a small piece of grip-tape to allow the cleat to attach tothe sole without slipping. First time I have ever seen that.
For the first attempt I placed the cleats as far outboard as possible to achieve the minimum "Q Factor" and placed the pedal spindle about .5 cm behind the ball of my foot. This is pretty close to where my other shoes are. After a short ride I may reposition them a bit based on how they feel.
Saturday Espresso Blogging
I turned out some of the best espresso shots ever this morning. After using Vivace Dolce for the last few months we are trying Black Cat from Intelligentsia. David Schomer's Dolce blend has proven a little difficult to get a handle on, frequently resulting in a "woody" or "grassy" taste in the cup. I've tried temps from 92c to 98c (standard 7c offset) and reduced these flavors a bit but never completely eliminated them.
My first shot with Black Cat was really good but took almost a minute for 2 oz. I adjusted the grinder a little coarser and the next shot was spectacular, rich chocolate aroma and flavor. We tried this blend about a year ago without much success. In truth we were still learning how to use our machine. I am now a big Black Cat fan and encourage anyone looking for a forgiving blend to give it a try.
My first shot with Black Cat was really good but took almost a minute for 2 oz. I adjusted the grinder a little coarser and the next shot was spectacular, rich chocolate aroma and flavor. We tried this blend about a year ago without much success. In truth we were still learning how to use our machine. I am now a big Black Cat fan and encourage anyone looking for a forgiving blend to give it a try.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Roses, Espana
We arrived in the small fishing village of Roses at about 2pm, found the Hotel and made the drive to El Bulli. It's a narrow, winding mountain road almost 5 miles in length. Somewhere I read it described as scary, I would instead call it thrilling or challenging. Our rental is a Mercedes Benz, C180 kompressor that got over 40 Mpg on the 1.5 hour drive from Barcelona. It is surprisingly zesty for it diminutive engine size. The super charger makes all the difference in the world. After the drive to El Bulli the MPG dropped to 30 -- still pretty good for the flogging I gave it.
Off for a run on the beach, a quick nap and then at 8pm, the dinner at the best resturant in the world....
El Bulli
We arrived at El Bulli a few minutes early of our 8:00pm reservation. We strolled through the tiered garden walkway in front of the restaurant. In one spot, you can look into the El Bulli kitchen. As I peered in, there he was, Ferran Adria. I saw the back of him. He was surrounded by a group of his staff. I still could not believe we were just about to dine in the world's best restaurant.
We were greeted with a warm welcome and were asked, "Would you like to see the kitchen?". "Of course!", we replied. The kitchen looked exactly like what we had seen in the Tony Bourdain documentary, "Decoding Ferran Adria", which we have watched numerous times over the past 4+ months - since our reservations were confirmed.
Ferran was at the end of the counter, looking at the sheets of paper in front of him. He came over and greeted us, shook our hands and thanked us for coming.
We were then seated at our table which was next to the view of the beach alcove.
Our menu:
gin fizz
spherical olives
mango leaf with tagete flower
pine-nut marshmallow
hibiscus-eucalyptus-cassis paper
seaweed waffles
sugar-coated lyo- banane and sesam
walnuts cake
cloud of popcorn
tangerine essence
gold egg
liquid croquette 2006
crab anemone-romana style
"horchata" - truffle
won-ton
fried brioche shanghai
honey/flowers/pistachios
"Quebearn" egg
raisins of PX with anchovy and cardamom brioche
tomate soupe with virtual iberian ham
asparagus in different cooking times
razor clambs in vinager sauce
the sea
zucchini risotto with curry
crab - marrakech
lamb brains with their own juice
pita of iberian ham fat and veal bone marrow
sheep - the cheese and the wool
"piquillo" peppers and banana tatin
charcoal
Morphings...
Off for a run on the beach, a quick nap and then at 8pm, the dinner at the best resturant in the world....
El Bulli
We arrived at El Bulli a few minutes early of our 8:00pm reservation. We strolled through the tiered garden walkway in front of the restaurant. In one spot, you can look into the El Bulli kitchen. As I peered in, there he was, Ferran Adria. I saw the back of him. He was surrounded by a group of his staff. I still could not believe we were just about to dine in the world's best restaurant.
We were greeted with a warm welcome and were asked, "Would you like to see the kitchen?". "Of course!", we replied. The kitchen looked exactly like what we had seen in the Tony Bourdain documentary, "Decoding Ferran Adria", which we have watched numerous times over the past 4+ months - since our reservations were confirmed.
Ferran was at the end of the counter, looking at the sheets of paper in front of him. He came over and greeted us, shook our hands and thanked us for coming.
We were then seated at our table which was next to the view of the beach alcove.
Our menu:
gin fizz
spherical olives
mango leaf with tagete flower
pine-nut marshmallow
hibiscus-eucalyptus-cassis paper
seaweed waffles
sugar-coated lyo- banane and sesam
walnuts cake
cloud of popcorn
tangerine essence
gold egg
liquid croquette 2006
crab anemone-romana style
"horchata" - truffle
won-ton
fried brioche shanghai
honey/flowers/pistachios
"Quebearn" egg
raisins of PX with anchovy and cardamom brioche
tomate soupe with virtual iberian ham
asparagus in different cooking times
razor clambs in vinager sauce
the sea
zucchini risotto with curry
crab - marrakech
lamb brains with their own juice
pita of iberian ham fat and veal bone marrow
sheep - the cheese and the wool
"piquillo" peppers and banana tatin
charcoal
Morphings...
Driving the Costa Brava
We are off to the airport this morning to pick up our rental car for the drive up the Costa Brava to the small town of Roses. We stay there tonight for our dinner at El Bulli. We are both pretty excited.
Yesterday was a day long walking tour of Barcelona including a walk down La Rambla and a visit to the Cathedral de Barcelona and the Gothic quarter. This is a really cool city. We had had dinner last night at a tapas bar at about 10pm, the preferred time for such things.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
La Boqueria on La Rambla in Barcelona
Hey! Who's hungry for a crunchy bug or two? Yes, these canned delicacies were actually for sale in the market. There were several to choose from -water bugs (the huge one in the middle), crickets, meal worms. Ew....bleck!
Yesterday was a day long walking tour of Barcelona including a walk down La Rambla and a visit to the Cathedral de Barcelona and the Gothic quarter. This is a really cool city. We had had dinner last night at a tapas bar at about 10pm, the preferred time for such things.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
La Boqueria on La Rambla in Barcelona
Hey! Who's hungry for a crunchy bug or two? Yes, these canned delicacies were actually for sale in the market. There were several to choose from -water bugs (the huge one in the middle), crickets, meal worms. Ew....bleck!
Monday, March 26, 2007
Pics for Mom (and others)
Big 'ol plate of seafood in Nice
The London Eye from the outside
Ren and Kathy on the London Eye
H10 Universitat
We just arrived at the hotel in Barcelona to find FREE WiFi. Yeah! In France is was $20US/day.
Things about France that make me crazy!
Trains -- they are not always marked to show where they are going and when they are marked they only show the very last stop. When leaving Nice to go to Monte Carlo, you must get on the Ventemille train. So to sucessfully navigate the vagaries of the French train system you will need a map of nearly every train. I think we have a book like this but left it at home because it’s the size (and weight) of a brick.
Dinner service -- It starts at 7:30 and not a moment before. Prior to that you can have espresso, wine, beer or any other beverage -- just not food, not a snack, not a bowl of nuts, not event pretzels. So if you are hungry between 2pm and 7pm head to the store for a baguette and cheese or starve. It’s your choice.
That’s about it. One more thing, the French can be.. well.. French. It doesn’t happy very often, but when it does, you know it. That’s about it. Everything else is wonderful.
Dinner service -- It starts at 7:30 and not a moment before. Prior to that you can have espresso, wine, beer or any other beverage -- just not food, not a snack, not a bowl of nuts, not event pretzels. So if you are hungry between 2pm and 7pm head to the store for a baguette and cheese or starve. It’s your choice.
That’s about it. One more thing, the French can be.. well.. French. It doesn’t happy very often, but when it does, you know it. That’s about it. Everything else is wonderful.
From France to Spain
Another full day on the train. Today from Nice-Ville to Barcelona, Spain with a change in Montpillier-St Roche. We are now on the Montpiller to Barcelona and there is a noticeable difference between French and Spanish trains. The former and modern, clean, and well run, the latter not so much. This is First Class yet it is very loud, smells strongly of diesel, and appears to date from the early seventies.
This is a French train seat
This is a Spanish train seat....
We spend the morning crossing the entire southern coast of France. This is a really spectacular area and the weather is wonderful -- mid-sixties and clear blue skies. Much of this area is agricultural, We have crossed miles of vineyards and fruit orchards.
We had lunch in during out stop in Montpillier. I had a great “Montengarde” sandwich with Raceltte cheese and bacon. Kath went for the Poullet (Chicken) sandwich. I won. We shared a nice apple tart and due to a little mis-communication we ended up with a single and two double-espressos. They arrived with thich golden crema but sadly it was only an illusion, as they proved to be just coffee underneath.
We get into Barcelona at 9:45 tonight.
This is a French train seat
This is a Spanish train seat....
We spend the morning crossing the entire southern coast of France. This is a really spectacular area and the weather is wonderful -- mid-sixties and clear blue skies. Much of this area is agricultural, We have crossed miles of vineyards and fruit orchards.
We had lunch in during out stop in Montpillier. I had a great “Montengarde” sandwich with Raceltte cheese and bacon. Kath went for the Poullet (Chicken) sandwich. I won. We shared a nice apple tart and due to a little mis-communication we ended up with a single and two double-espressos. They arrived with thich golden crema but sadly it was only an illusion, as they proved to be just coffee underneath.
We get into Barcelona at 9:45 tonight.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Cannes
Today we train to Cannes, a sea-side resort community that is home to the famous film festival. Unfortunately, today being Sunday, most shops are closed. We had some nice espresso, walked around the harbor, and took the “Petit Train” tour of town. Cannes is much like Nice, everything there just costs more.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Home is Nice
Today is Nice -- pun intended.
We stayed in Nice today and just walked around town. We found a great farmer’s market in old-town. We bought marselle soap and spices. We also bought 1/2 kilo of mixed olives and some little fruit and chocolate filled croissants. We saw white asparagus that was at least 3” around. Easily the largest I have ever seen.
It starts raining about 2pm. We duck into a ocean-front brasserie for espresso and a bite to eat. I end up with a cheese burger. For a country so famous for great food, the burger is pretty bad. I guess it’s an american thing. Oh yeah, here French Fries are just called fries or Pomme Frites.
I am almost fully acclimated to European time now. Ironically tonight is the “seasonal change” and we have to advance our clocks 1 hour. Didn’t we just do this?
We stayed in Nice today and just walked around town. We found a great farmer’s market in old-town. We bought marselle soap and spices. We also bought 1/2 kilo of mixed olives and some little fruit and chocolate filled croissants. We saw white asparagus that was at least 3” around. Easily the largest I have ever seen.
It starts raining about 2pm. We duck into a ocean-front brasserie for espresso and a bite to eat. I end up with a cheese burger. For a country so famous for great food, the burger is pretty bad. I guess it’s an american thing. Oh yeah, here French Fries are just called fries or Pomme Frites.
I am almost fully acclimated to European time now. Ironically tonight is the “seasonal change” and we have to advance our clocks 1 hour. Didn’t we just do this?
Friday, March 23, 2007
Monte Carlo, Monaco
This was the high-point of the trip so far for me. As a rabid Formula One fan, Monaco is the center of the motor racing universe. Walking the streets and seeing alligator-teeth along the curbs
I have seen the race literally dozens of times, yet walking to course give a completely different perspective. The elevation changes are much more dramatic that I expected. The climb from St. Devote to Casino is very steep as is the drop from Casino to the entrance to the tunnel. and about the tunnel -- it isn’t. It is open along nearly all the side that faces the sea. It’s more like a balcony than a proper tunnel. Both Rasscasse and the hair-pin are like I expected. The most shocking characteristic is how narrow St. Devote and the entry to casino are -- It must be like threading a needle each time.
Monte Carlo is home to a number of Formula One themed gift shops, in fact one need travel no further then the train station to find F1 accessories, but I have to admit that most of it is pretty cheap looking. I was able to find a little something though.
I have only seen two others, one at the Rolex Daytona 24 from the guy who sold me the Villneuve rear-wing end-plate, and another on E-bay a few months later. IT is a genuine F1 wheel nut. Not the nut that holds the wheel (get it?) but a very light, heavily machined peice of Formula One history. Of course you know that the wheels on a F1 car are held on by a large single nut. Each nut is made of titanium and applied by a unique wrench with 20 teeth.
I noticed it, hiding in the back corner of a display cabinet during our first visit to the shop but wasn’t really ready -- after a bit of thinking we returned with just minutes before closing. I asked the owner from which car it came -- the response was (of course) Ferrari, and that it was used in the 2006 race. Whether that is true or not is certainly open for debate. I can only say that the marking “Destro” is italian. There are only two Italian teams, STR and Ferrari.
I also picked up a very rare 1/18 Minichamps car. It is called “The Ride” and depicts Nigel Mansell’s 1992 Williams with Senna riding on the side-pod and holding on the dear life. It documents the 1992 British Grandprix where Senna’s car broke near the end of the race and Mansell gave him a ride back to the pis lest he be accosted by British F1 hooligans.
I have wanted one for a long time I have bid on a couple of them on E-bay but was never willing to spend enough to win. I got this one for $100us less than the typical e-bay price. At another shop I saw the ultra-rare Senna rookie Benneton. It had been siting in the shop window and was a little sun-faded. It’s the first one I have seen in person.
I have seen the race literally dozens of times, yet walking to course give a completely different perspective. The elevation changes are much more dramatic that I expected. The climb from St. Devote to Casino is very steep as is the drop from Casino to the entrance to the tunnel. and about the tunnel -- it isn’t. It is open along nearly all the side that faces the sea. It’s more like a balcony than a proper tunnel. Both Rasscasse and the hair-pin are like I expected. The most shocking characteristic is how narrow St. Devote and the entry to casino are -- It must be like threading a needle each time.Monte Carlo is home to a number of Formula One themed gift shops, in fact one need travel no further then the train station to find F1 accessories, but I have to admit that most of it is pretty cheap looking. I was able to find a little something though.
I have only seen two others, one at the Rolex Daytona 24 from the guy who sold me the Villneuve rear-wing end-plate, and another on E-bay a few months later. IT is a genuine F1 wheel nut. Not the nut that holds the wheel (get it?) but a very light, heavily machined peice of Formula One history. Of course you know that the wheels on a F1 car are held on by a large single nut. Each nut is made of titanium and applied by a unique wrench with 20 teeth.
I noticed it, hiding in the back corner of a display cabinet during our first visit to the shop but wasn’t really ready -- after a bit of thinking we returned with just minutes before closing. I asked the owner from which car it came -- the response was (of course) Ferrari, and that it was used in the 2006 race. Whether that is true or not is certainly open for debate. I can only say that the marking “Destro” is italian. There are only two Italian teams, STR and Ferrari.
I also picked up a very rare 1/18 Minichamps car. It is called “The Ride” and depicts Nigel Mansell’s 1992 Williams with Senna riding on the side-pod and holding on the dear life. It documents the 1992 British Grandprix where Senna’s car broke near the end of the race and Mansell gave him a ride back to the pis lest he be accosted by British F1 hooligans.
I have wanted one for a long time I have bid on a couple of them on E-bay but was never willing to spend enough to win. I got this one for $100us less than the typical e-bay price. At another shop I saw the ultra-rare Senna rookie Benneton. It had been siting in the shop window and was a little sun-faded. It’s the first one I have seen in person.
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Food for Thought
Many people have asked what kind of food is served at the restaurants we will be visiting on this trip. I have tried to describe it in various ways but never with any level of success. If you know me you know I am pretty good at describing difficult things. It is really quite hard to describe this. I once read a quote observing: “writing about music is like dancing about architecture”. I think describing food with words is much the same.
A friend, after seeing the Tony Bordain documentary about Ferran Adria, “Decoding Ferran Adria” described his work as “symphony for the mouth”. I think that is the closest I have heard it described.
A friend, after seeing the Tony Bordain documentary about Ferran Adria, “Decoding Ferran Adria” described his work as “symphony for the mouth”. I think that is the closest I have heard it described.
Neice, Nice, Nees?
We have been heading south on the TGV at 180 mph for hours now -- leaving the cold grey sky of paris for the azure blue of the south. We just got out first glimpse of the Mediterranean. It hard to tell from the train but it looks like its 3 degrees warmer here -- unfortunately it think its more like 10. We are still a couple of hours from Nice.
Espresso Note: Espresso on the train was acceptable. Served in a paper cup with a small chocolate, it served it’s purpose well. As we get closer to Italy, the source of all good espresso, I expect things to improve.
Espresso Note: Espresso on the train was acceptable. Served in a paper cup with a small chocolate, it served it’s purpose well. As we get closer to Italy, the source of all good espresso, I expect things to improve.
The Train
Ahh... Europe by Train. London to Paris in three hours. A nice breakfast with French pastries and black currant preserves. Much quieter than air travel. Very nice. What more could you ask for?
Today we travel from London to Nice. First the Eurostar from Waterloo station via the Channel Tunnel or “Chunnel” Paris. Once there we need to change to another trainstation to catch the TGV south to Nice. Most of the day will be on the train.
The First Class coach -- that is what they call each car -- is pretty empty from London to Paris, just a couple of business travelers working on a power-point. Kathy is reading a F1 magazine we purchased at Waterloo along with a Red-Bull for me and a couple of packets of crisps. We tried to spend all our Pounds but still ended up with a pocket full of coins.
The TGV or Bullet train from Paris to Nice is much more crowded.
Today we travel from London to Nice. First the Eurostar from Waterloo station via the Channel Tunnel or “Chunnel” Paris. Once there we need to change to another trainstation to catch the TGV south to Nice. Most of the day will be on the train.
The First Class coach -- that is what they call each car -- is pretty empty from London to Paris, just a couple of business travelers working on a power-point. Kathy is reading a F1 magazine we purchased at Waterloo along with a Red-Bull for me and a couple of packets of crisps. We tried to spend all our Pounds but still ended up with a pocket full of coins.
The TGV or Bullet train from Paris to Nice is much more crowded.
The Fat Duck
Yesterday was The Fat Duck, Heston Blumenthal’s signature restaurant in Maidenhead. It was spectacular as expected. Among the highlights was a palate cleanser of Egg white mousse, infused with green tea, lime and vodka and “Cooked” in liquid nitrogen. It was slightly firm on the outside and so light as to be non-existent on the inside. The combination leaves your mouth clean, dry, and aready for the next course.
The snail porridge was also amazing, I had read the description on their web site but was totally unprepared for the actual item. It is essentially Escargo, in a rich, ham flavored porridge.
The last dish was actually “breakfast” a bowl of cereal, french toast, bacon and eggs. The Cereal was shaved parsnips in parsnip infused milk, the Bacon was candied ham fat, and the eggs were already bacon flavored and "cooked" in liquid nitrogen table-side. So the last course was traditionally the first and everything savory was sweet and vice versa. Oh yeah, the French toast was just french toast. Probably my favorite course.
After our meal, we were introduced to the Chef by a gentleman at the table next to us. He is the produce supplier to the restaurant. We got a personal tour of the kitchen -- I was surprised at the small size, cleanliness, and quiet precision. Quite different from orchistrated chaos of many of the high-profile kitchens I have seen. We learned that there is a second kitchen across the street from the restaurant. Maybe that is where the keep their chaos.
Espresso Note: Pretty good shot, Saeco SuperAuto, unknown beans.
The snail porridge was also amazing, I had read the description on their web site but was totally unprepared for the actual item. It is essentially Escargo, in a rich, ham flavored porridge.
The last dish was actually “breakfast” a bowl of cereal, french toast, bacon and eggs. The Cereal was shaved parsnips in parsnip infused milk, the Bacon was candied ham fat, and the eggs were already bacon flavored and "cooked" in liquid nitrogen table-side. So the last course was traditionally the first and everything savory was sweet and vice versa. Oh yeah, the French toast was just french toast. Probably my favorite course.
After our meal, we were introduced to the Chef by a gentleman at the table next to us. He is the produce supplier to the restaurant. We got a personal tour of the kitchen -- I was surprised at the small size, cleanliness, and quiet precision. Quite different from orchistrated chaos of many of the high-profile kitchens I have seen. We learned that there is a second kitchen across the street from the restaurant. Maybe that is where the keep their chaos.
Espresso Note: Pretty good shot, Saeco SuperAuto, unknown beans.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Arrival in Europe
I feel much better than usual -- I’m sure that the 4+ hours of sleep in the First Class bed has something to to with it. Today is stay awake day. When travelling from the U.S. to Europe it is critical to stay awake until at least 9pm the first day. This helps the transition to European time.
Today, instead of the nap we are both craving, we go to the “London Eye” a huge ferris wheel attraction with good views of the city. After that a bit of shopping in at Harrods in Knightsbridge. Dinner is Indian Samosas picked up at a Tube station, I can't even remember which station now.
Espresso note: Espresso at Harrods, interesting prep, almost no tamp, just level the PF and mount it up. Only a fair quality shot, the well aged, canned Illy beans are likely the cause.
We kick-off day two with a trip to the Gym at our hotel. 30 min on the bike in an attempt to hang on to some of the fitness I gained prior to departure. Now we head out for the Fat Duck.
We debated signing up for T-Mobile WiFi service while in the United red-carpet club in Denver. Upon reflection It would have been a good choice. Our Hilton Hotel offers iBahn service for 15 Pounds for 24 hours. That is about $30 -- a little too steep for me -- we need to find an internet cafe instead. Had we signed up for a month of T-Mobile for $40, the daily charge would have been $7 instead. I think I’ll sign up when we find a cafe.
Today, instead of the nap we are both craving, we go to the “London Eye” a huge ferris wheel attraction with good views of the city. After that a bit of shopping in at Harrods in Knightsbridge. Dinner is Indian Samosas picked up at a Tube station, I can't even remember which station now.
Espresso note: Espresso at Harrods, interesting prep, almost no tamp, just level the PF and mount it up. Only a fair quality shot, the well aged, canned Illy beans are likely the cause.
We kick-off day two with a trip to the Gym at our hotel. 30 min on the bike in an attempt to hang on to some of the fitness I gained prior to departure. Now we head out for the Fat Duck.
We debated signing up for T-Mobile WiFi service while in the United red-carpet club in Denver. Upon reflection It would have been a good choice. Our Hilton Hotel offers iBahn service for 15 Pounds for 24 hours. That is about $30 -- a little too steep for me -- we need to find an internet cafe instead. Had we signed up for a month of T-Mobile for $40, the daily charge would have been $7 instead. I think I’ll sign up when we find a cafe.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
T -23 Hours and counting
Just a couple of last minute items to address.
Yesterday we got the Apple airplane seat power cable for the MacBook Pro. Only Apple can charge $58 for a simple cable.
We are taking a bunch movies on the Mac. I typically use Handbrake to convert DVDs to Quicktime AVC and copy them to the Mac, but ran into problems with new James Bond movie, Casino Royale. It turns out it uses a new form of copy protection that Handbrake trips over. I also tried Mac the Ripper with no luck. I finally resorted to the brute force method. A DVD player feeding a Canopus DV converter into Final Cut Pro. I am exporting to multi-pass, full-res, full frame rate, Quicktime now. It looks like it will take about 6 hours on a 2.16MHz MBP.
We are taking a bunch of electronics...
MacBook Pro
8 Gig Nano w/Nike Running toy
2 Gig Mini
2 quad-band cell phones
7" PocketDish
Canon SD630 Digital Camera
With the associated chargers and accessories it ends up being a bunch of stuff.
The weather is looking cooler than expected. We'll be taking a little more fleece then originally planned.
Kathy is hemming a pair of new travel pants. It's been a while since we used the sewing machine and had to break out the instructions to remember how to load the bobbin and thread it. A couple of last loads of laundry and we're ready to go.
Yesterday we got the Apple airplane seat power cable for the MacBook Pro. Only Apple can charge $58 for a simple cable.
We are taking a bunch movies on the Mac. I typically use Handbrake to convert DVDs to Quicktime AVC and copy them to the Mac, but ran into problems with new James Bond movie, Casino Royale. It turns out it uses a new form of copy protection that Handbrake trips over. I also tried Mac the Ripper with no luck. I finally resorted to the brute force method. A DVD player feeding a Canopus DV converter into Final Cut Pro. I am exporting to multi-pass, full-res, full frame rate, Quicktime now. It looks like it will take about 6 hours on a 2.16MHz MBP.
We are taking a bunch of electronics...
MacBook Pro
8 Gig Nano w/Nike Running toy
2 Gig Mini
2 quad-band cell phones
7" PocketDish
Canon SD630 Digital Camera
With the associated chargers and accessories it ends up being a bunch of stuff.
The weather is looking cooler than expected. We'll be taking a little more fleece then originally planned.
Kathy is hemming a pair of new travel pants. It's been a while since we used the sewing machine and had to break out the instructions to remember how to load the bobbin and thread it. A couple of last loads of laundry and we're ready to go.
Friday, March 16, 2007
European Vacation
We are now just three days until the start of our vacation. We are both still in work mode, tying up loose ends and finishing the last little details. Vacation mode will take a couple of days to kick in.
The itinerary is
3/19 -- Fly to London via Dulles
3/21 -- Lunch at The Fat Duck
3/22 -- Eurostar to Paris and TGV to Nice
3/25 -- TGV from Nice to Barcelona
3/29 -- Drive to Roses
3/29 -- Dinner at El Bulli
3/30 -- Night Train to Amsterdam
3/03 -- Train to Brussels
3/05 -- Fly home via Dulles
We will use this blog to update friends and family about the trip and keep a diary of our experiences.
The itinerary is
3/19 -- Fly to London via Dulles
3/21 -- Lunch at The Fat Duck
3/22 -- Eurostar to Paris and TGV to Nice
3/25 -- TGV from Nice to Barcelona
3/29 -- Drive to Roses
3/29 -- Dinner at El Bulli
3/30 -- Night Train to Amsterdam
3/03 -- Train to Brussels
3/05 -- Fly home via Dulles
We will use this blog to update friends and family about the trip and keep a diary of our experiences.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Colorado Snow storm
We had a little snow storm here a couple of days ago. We have about 40 inches in about 24 hours. Everything is shutdown.
We took the truck out and promptly got stuck. Electric lockers and 35" inch tires are no match for a pissed off Mother Nature. A quick tug from a neighbor was all it took to free us. Note to self: respect the snow.
Update: 6 weeks and 36" more snow later -- will this ever end?
Update 2: 15 March and 5 days of 65 degree later there is still snow in shaded areas.
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