Category: post

Some Observations On Making Good Coffee

My daughter starts school an hour later now. Also, the last box that I received from Bespoke Post was coffee related and included a lovely French Press. These two events have given me the excuse to try to make better coffee in the morning. I’ve found the results OK so far but have come to realize that good coffee is an art that I need to work at. Which I’m fine with, actually. I’ve been open to suggestions and done some research on this but have come to realize that it is highly subjective and I just have to find the right process, measurements, and ingredients for me. That "good coffee" is a matter of personal taste and there is no right way.

For instance, despite my wife’s graciousness in giving my attempts at making a better cup of coffee this weekend a fair shot, it was discovered (by me at least) that she just plain likes coffee made in our old drip machine. And that is fine. As I said, the best lesson I have learned through this is that people like what they like.

I have found for myself that I never add sugar to good coffee. With coffee I make in the drip maker I almost always do. It’s too bitter otherwise. Because of this, my standard has become "Would sugar make this better?". I’ll know that I have reached a better cup for me when the answer is consistently "no".

This morning, I dug out my Aeropress. I have likely not used it in a couple of years. Yet, inspired by my coffee research and new found time, I decided to give it a spin. Yesterday, I purchased some Honduran beans recommend by the coffee shop I frequent. The results were excellent. A really good cup of coffee. Smooth, rich, and flavorful. No sugar needed.

My friend Garrick once interviewed Twin Cities coffee expert Jeremy Raths of The Roastery for his podcast on the subject of brewing the prefect cup. I find it interesting that, right off the bat, he pretty much summed up the subjective nature of the perfect cup. That one can only judge what seems best to them. That it is not for others to say.

One of the other things mentioned in that podcast is that most coffee is touched by over 80 people before it gets to you. From the planting, to the growing, to the picking, etc. At any point along the way, any one of those people could screw the whole thing up. When it reaches you, you are holding the work of 80 people who did their best. They didn’t screw it up.

That’s all I want from a better cup of coffee. To do my best and not screw it up. I’m getting there.

I’m a writer. Writing is how I make this world better, friendlier, stronger place. If these words improved your day, please let me know by contributing here.

In a further effort to get me back to posting here more here is the first in another regular series — Random Notes and Thoughts. Some of these I may loop back around to in the future with a longer dedicated post but I need to park them for now.

• I’ve actually been working and writing a lot since I got back from vacation. Just not here. I wrote a thousand words about the camera in the new iPhone 5S over at Minimal Mac. I wrote a forward for my friend Julio’s upcoming book. I have recorded about half of the audiobook version of my Apple Consulting Guide which I hope to complete the recording of this week. Plus a flood of client work. So yeah, I’ve been busy.

• I’ve also been working on a lot of personal and professional development stuff. I’ve been thinking a lot about my current consulting rate, current service offerings that have become burdens or not cost effective, and potential new services I could/should be offering. I’ve been reading Value-Based Fees by Alan Weiss but I’m not quite sure if it has the answers that apply to me and what I do. Which leads to a more interesting question which is, perhaps I should be doing different things.

• I think it is really good, especially if you work for yourself, to take a step back every once in awhile and evaluate your business top to bottom and ask the hard questions… Am I charging enough for the value I provide? Am I providing the right value to the right people? Am I in the right business in the first place? Is Starbucks hiring and do they still provide healthcare to their employees? These are all valid and worthy questions.

• But, the fact also is that I’ve let all of that get in the way of the commitment I have made to myself (and you) here and this makes me feel bad.

• Be happy with the things you can do. Don’t focus on the things you can’t.

• The fanciness of your process only reveals your resistance to the dirtiness of the work. Only the work is The Work. Everything else is an excuse.

• I don’t believe I will ever get used to not wearing a wrist watch. Mainly because when I need to know the time I never remember there is a device in my pocket that can tell me.

• I don’t quite know what it is "the kids" are listening to these days and, on the odd occasion I hear it, I just can’t understand why anyone would listen to such crap. I always imagined I would grow up to be the "old guy"’who was "down" with "the kids". I now ready to be content with being just old and not having a clue what or why the kids listen to what they do these days.

• I think that Blossom), played by Mayim Bialik in the 1980s hit TV show of the same name, would be an appropriate fashion role model for my daughter. This also makes me far more comfortable with allowing her to dress herself.

• Replace every hour you will never get back with two you wish would never end.

• Most days, I’m not sure I will ever be as satisfied by most technology as I am with a good pen and nice paper. Nor will it inspire the same feelings of possibility, expressiveness, and creativity.

• I become enamored with ideas. This site proves that.

It has been a pretty busy past couple of weeks but I still have lots to share. Let’s get to it…

Writing and collaborative editing site Editorially is now open to the general public. I was invited to join up quite some time ago but have not had the chance to really play with it as I have been actively and happily using Draft for another project. That said, I’m really impressed by what I saw and especially impressed that Mandy Brown (the CEO) reached out to me personally to ask why I had signed up but not yet used it. That. my friends, is the sign of a product you should support. So, go check it out.

I had the chance to handle and briefly play with a ZTE Open Firefox OS Phone that a friend of mine purchased, carrier unlocked, for around $100.00 on eBay. Seemed like a nice enough little unit. I liked the build quality (think low end but sturdy Android phone), the hand-feel, and size (smaller than an iPhone but comfortable rounded shape). The Firefox OS has the advantage of being truly open instead of Android “open” which would make this a nice little Freedom Phone (carrier free, free as in open, free as in non-three letter agency compromised, etc.). That said, the OS itself was a bit clunky and laggy, the software keyboard almost painful to use, and the third-party apps are all webapps which all seemed to take a bit too long to launch. As my friend said, “If someone were to tell me that this were an unfinished prototype the original iPhone was based on about 6 months before it’s release, I’d believe it.”

While we are on the subject of smartphones and speed, if you really want to have a fast note taking option for your iPhone just get some of these Paperback Notes. Sticky notes that attach to the back. Way faster than launching Notes.app. Not nearly as elegant as DODOcase Notes but sometimes speed trumps beauty.

I really enjoyed the latest (and final?) installment of Put This On which was filmed in Milan. This episode discusses what happens when long storied artisan shops become multi-national brands and what is lost in the process. A whole lot of intersections here with the idea of Final Choices and choosing high quality and longevity over fast disposable fashion.

The Epic Privacy Browser is based on Google Chrome. Unlike Google Chrome it is designed to provide privacy from advertisers and others that wish to track and collect your online behavior. It has always-on Private Browsing, blocks trackers and third-party cookies, routes searches through a secure proxy, uses https whenever the option is available, and Epic clears all of your browsing data on close. It wont protect you from the everything but it will provide a measure more privacy that your current browser likely does not.

I recently went shopping (in that modern, online, sense) for a nice leather cover that would hold a Field Notes notebook, a few index cards, and some other essentials (business cards, stamps, etc.). After looking at many options I first settled on The E2 Field Gear Leather Pocket Notebook Cover because it looked good and the price, at $30.00, was pretty good. When I received it I was happy enough. Nice quality, seemed solid, and was up to the task. That said, with one side being a slash pocket the index cards and other items were less secure inside. Then, just a couple of weeks later I saw the Hellbrand Leatherworks — Chromexcel Field Notes cover for sale on Huckleberry for a decent price so I snatched it up. Turns out, with the full pocket on the opposite side from the notebook, it was better for my needs. So, now I have the first one I bought (the E2 Field Gear model) available for sale. I’ll let it go for $25.00 and will include the shipping in that to anywhere in the US. Please shoot me an email if interested.

That’s all for now. Over and out.

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In keeping with the recent travel theme, I thought I would mention some of my favorite pants (“trousers” for those of you in Great Britain — You can stop snickering now) for traveling. As I have previously established, light packing and clothes that are designed for such are a particular obsession of mine. Everything mentioned here I have in my current arsenal and have been well road tested.

• TravelSmith Men’s Anywhere Pants — I actually have a couple of pairs of these and like them a lot. The fabric in the newer model I have is slightly different (and better) than the older model I have so I opt for it more often than not. I have both of these in the khaki color and they look good with both a t-shirt or casual button down. Because of the full elastic waistband I would be less inclined to use these with a shirt you would have to tuck in though. Luckily, I’m rarely in situations, even when traveling, where that is required.

• Travel Pants from SCOTTEVEST — The link is to the the Convertible Travel Pants but I have the non-convertible model which do not seem to be on offer anymore. In fact, I generally dislike convertible pants because I cant help but get that “hoop around the knee” look. In any case, I have been a big SCOTTEVEST fan for years and own several of their products (more of which I will cover in future travel related posts). These pants are no exception. Perfect for travel where pickpockets are a concern or if you have the need to carry a fair bit of stuff but want your hands free. Mine are in the olive green color.

• Patagonia Men’s Nomader Pants — These are a new addition to the traveling arsenal and I can already tell they will become a quick favorite. In fact, I’m tempted to wear them around town now and then because I like them so much. These are comfortable, designed for wear and tear, and look great. I have these in grey.

So, there you have it. Three pairs of pants that can take me anywhere. All designed to be durable, functional, and look great. And each one can be washed in the sink at night and be dry and ready to be packed or worn in the morning. And, when folded and stacked, together they take up the same space as a single pair of similarly folded jeans. And, as I explained in my previous post, the goal for me is as much light travel as it is having a iety of colors and options so I don’t look like I’m wearing the same thing every day. With these, I achieve these goals.

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This originally appeared on the Pack Light, Go Fast blog. Reposting here for archival purposes.

This is my GORUCK GR1 packed and ready for a week long road trip. This is the only bag I need.

I pack light. Always. I hate the very idea of carrying more than I absolutely need. This is as true in my day-to-day carry as it is on a long road trip. The secret, I have found, is to work to ensure that the things I would pack for myself for a three day journey are the same as I would pack for a thirty day journey.

The secret is to pack things that I can wash and dry quickly (overnight). As well, what you want is not only clothes that can wash and dry fast but also those with complementary colors that you can mix and match. Having, say three shirts, three bottoms, and their corresponding accessories (socks, underwear, etc.) can give you enough combination choices that few will ever notice you are wearing the same small supply.

Now, I’m not going to bore you with brands and links about what I have. Because that does not matter. There are tons of great brands that make this stuff, many of which have been covered here before (Patagonia, Ex Officio, Travelsmith, etc.). What matters is the elements as described above. What I can tell you is the basic outline of what I have packed in here:

• Three button down shirts.
• Three t-shirts.
• Two pairs of shorts and one pair of long pants.
• Three pairs of socks.
• Three pairs of underwear.
• Swim trunks.
• Self packable wind/rain jacket.
• Super absorbent pack towel (for hyper drying wet clothes).
• GR Tac hat.
• Kit bag.
• MacBook Air (11 inch).
• iPad mini.
• Small bag with misc. electronic cables and dongles.
• Notebook and pens.

As you can see, there is a lot packed into that bag, but not too much. Only just what I need. Everythng is designed to be light and pack small. And this could keep me for as long as I want. Three days or thirty, no matter.

This is just to say that having the right gear matters and you can get a whole lot of mileage out of very little carry. I do whenever I travel and have long been convinced it is the only way to go.

My five year old daughter, Beatrix, is an excellent traveller. I knock on wood a bit every time I mention it for fear that it will suddenly change. Yet, every long road trip or flight we take reassures me that it likely will always be the case. This past trip was no exception. In the car and driving all day, there was none of the impatience, squirreliness, or “are we there yet” that I’ve seen so many other parents report.
I thought a lot about it on the drive this time. Reflecting much on what makes her such a good traveller. And, though I’m sure a bit of it is because of just-who-she-is, I believe the main reason is one I can justly take far more pride in: We raised her this way.
Raising a good traveller was an intentional act on our part. As people that love to travel and try to do so as often as we can, having a kid that also understood the value we placed on it was important.
So, how did we do it? How did we raise a kid that is a joy to travel with?

1. Start |sknra|referrer|akiya
   them traveling young and keep them traveling. By young I mean as soon as you can. Beatrix travelled to Denver, Norway, and Cancun before she even learned to walk. She has been to D.C. and upstate New York. We have taken her on long road trips to Boston, New Orleans, and Asheville, NC (we live in Minnesota). In fact, we have counted at least 18 states that she has visited or passed through. We plan on some more long intercontinental flights soon. Traveling is just a part of life to her. It is something that people do.
2. Teach them appropriate etiquette (and model it yourself). There is a way one behaves that is situation appropriate. Want your kid to behave well in a theater? Take them to theaters often and show them how to behave. Want them to know how to behave in a restaurant? Take them out to eat (especially nice places) and show them how to behave. Want them to know how to behave on a plane? Well… You get the point. Which all goes back to item number one above. Take your kids places.
3. Plan plenty of stuff to do along the way. Especially on long trips like road trips. Make the time to frequently stop at rest areas for a few minutes. Stop to read a historical marker or take in a scenic overlook. Do things like jumping jacks or two minute wiggle dance parties before you get back in the car to get the legs stretched, blood flowing, and laughter rolling. Certainly, iPads and the like have made the passing of time easier. But there are plenty of traditional road games (I spy, 20 Questions, Slug Bug, Find Five Things, etc.) that I would argue for many reasons are even better.
4. Surprise them along the way. Find a nice playground near your lunch stop and let them play for a half hour. Bring a bag of brand new, yet inexpensive, small toys or books (dollar stores are great for this kind of stuff) and dole them out slowly over the course of the trip. It does not have to be a big deal. Just a “Oh yeah, I got this for you in case you were bored” sort of thing.
5. Involve them. Let them know what to expect next. Tell them the major towns/cities that are between here and there in order that they know the milestones to look for (which answers the “how much further” questions before they are asked). If they are of reading age give them a map too (my little girl LOVES maps — just like her Mother). Give a few options for mealtime and let them choose. Give them a job or responsibility like making sure such-and-such is packed or cleaning the windows at the gas station. Make them an equal partner in the travel experience as much as you can so they will feel ownership of it too.

I could probably come up with more but these are some of the major things that I feel have made long journeys with Beatrix such a pleasure. She really is an excellent travel partner who we are comfortable taking along almost anywhere. I don’t know how many other parents of small children can say that but, hopefully, the above will help.
Bonus Packing Tip: For Beatrix, I pack each individual outfit into a gallon sized ziplock bag. For instance, a top, a bottom, pair of underwear, and some socks. I squeeze out the air and seal it tight. This way, I can lay a few bags out for her in the morning and she can choose one and know everything needed is in there and matches. Previous days worn clothes go into the bag the fresh ones come out of (and I keep the dirty and clean bags separated). This not only keeps things super organized and allows the kid to have a choice, but allows one to pack in half the space needed otherwise thanks to squeezing out all the air.

…I largely won’t be while I’m traveling. It’s called a vacation for a reason. I will be driving for hours most days and enjoying my time with family and friends when I’m not.

Reading back through my ious streams will not occur. Feeds will be marked as read without further reflection. Tweets and posts happening anytime in the past will be ignored. If I do take the time to look at things it will be with an eye on what is happening in the present.

I have found that the important things always have a way of finding their way to me if needed. That the things I truly care about I will take the time to seek out. The rest can be safely ignored. (This is also true while not on vacation. I simply give into thinking otherwise too easily as my time allows for it.)

Today is the first day of The Great Minnesota Get Together — The Minnesota State Fair. What is commonly known here as simply, “The Fair”. It is the largest state fair in the United States.

There are many, many, things to love about the Minnesota State Fair. But the one thing I love the most is how it unites us all. If I were to walk up to any of the 3.4 million people in the Twin Cities Metro Area and ask them what their state fair traditions are, every single one would have an answer. Everyone would have a story to tell about the fair, how this thing or that thing became the thing they always do, or about some offbeat thing they have found there that no one else seems to know. They might tell you the day they always go or where they always park, or the exact order they always plan their day, or the things they always have to see or eat. No matter, everyone has at least one state fair tradition and most people several.

I, of course, have my own. I always have to eat a Scotch Egg for breakfast at the stand near the livestock barns. I always have to get a malted milkshake at the Dairy Building. I always try to get a bucket of Sweet Martha’s Cookies which always overflow the top such that one can not put the lid on unless you eat a couple of dozen which are always best washed down with several glasses of milk from the “All The Milk You Can Drink For $1.00” truck (it used to be .50 cents).

Around this time of year, I often think to myself where else in America (or the world) one could find such a thing? An entire city or region or state united by the shared experience of something so fun, uplifting, and meaningful. Something so full of tradition that often spans generations and crosses culture, race, and gender. Our state fair is a great state fair made greatest by the love of all who frequent it.

I suspect it is rare and increasingly more so. Hence I (and many other Minnesotans) am always just a bit more thankful and proud to live here this time of year. And we are, rightfully, just a bit more proud of ourselves too. Because we can pass a stranger and know that no matter our differences there is something we likely share — we love The Fair.

I’m a writer. Writing is how I make this world better, friendlier, stronger place. If these words improved your day, please let me know by contributing here.

Here is another one of those cases where the whole "working for yourself pie in the sky dream" that everyone who does not actually do it runs head on into the "gosh it really blows sometimes" reality of it.

I will be going on "vacation" next week for a bit more than a week. Vacation is in quotes because those that work for themselves often don’t get that option. This will certainly be the case for us. My little girl’s last day of pre-school is this Friday and there is a two week break before starting Kindergarden in September. This meant that we would have a couple of weeks without any place for her during the day. So, this normally would mean trying to fit both mine and my wife’s (who is also my business partner) work schedules around care of Beatrix — a Herculean time management achievement.

Instead, we figure it is easier to take a week long road trip and thus have a valid excuse for emails, calls, and work not being done until after she goes to bed — and even then ignoring and delaying most of it.

And that is just what we are doing. With extended stops in Indianapolis, IN, Columbus, OH, and Asheville, NC. Not to mention plenty of lunch and rest breaks in between (a meal at one of my favorite restaurants — Bluephies in Madison, WI for instance if we can work it in). I would love to meet anyone in these locales if we can work it out schedule wise. (Get in touch if you’d like to try to arrange it.)

Of course this also means that much of the work that would normally get done in that time is being squeezed in before we go. So this week is abnormally hectic for us both.

All of this is an extended way of saying that posting here will be dramatically lighter in the coming few weeks. That said, road trips usually result in long conversations and dramatic revelations and clarity for me. In large part to being a captive audience
to my two greatest sources of wisdom and inspiration — my wife and daughter. Therefore, don’t be surprised if I pull a zinger out of the hat during that time.

Thanks for your patience and sticking around.

I’m a full-time independent writer who works hard to bring you quality reading and helpful ideas. If you enjoy what you read here, please consider a free will donation of any amount.