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A 3D printable mask adapter to keep adult or kids masks tight

Child KN95 mask tightening clip

The CDC is now recommending that people wear masks with a tight fit, or double mask to reduce the spread of COVID-19. A recent study showed that wearing tight-fitting masks can cut COVID transmission by 95%.

Kids’ (and adult) COVID masks can be too loose.  The mask can fall off completely if the ear loops are loose and slip off of the ears, or the mask may just be too loose and not seal well.

Even if it’s not too loose, sometimes it helps to have a way to retain the mask when eatnig so it stays around the neck and doesn’t get lost.

Child KN95 mask tightening clip
Child KN95 mask tightening clip

 

This is a free 3D printable adapter that can help tighten ear loops.  It hooks behind the neck, connecting the two straps together.  It also helps adapt masks so that they are more secure on childrens’ faces.  It has 2 hooks for adjustable tightness.  We have used this with disposable KN95 and N95 masks, reusable kid cloth face masks (specifically Old Navy brand) and homemade masks that turned out to be a little too loose.

You can print it in PLA with 100% infill.  I used Cura to slice it.

Kid Mask Adapter / Mask tightener rendering
Kid Mask Adapter / Mask tightener rendering

 

Here is the link to the file: kid_mask_adapter_03

I hope it helps!

Bread and Sourdough Troubleshooting Part 2

Sad, weak sourdough ball

Here is a compilation of things I think I've learned about baking bread, sorted by category:

Starter

Starter doesn't rise or double in height

The problem:

Your starter doesn't rise.  Generally this is caused by having a yeast and bacteria population that is too low.

Potential causes:

  • You haven't given it enough time: If your starter is fairly new, it may take a number of days and regular feedings to make your starter healthy.
  • Your starter is overripe: Eventually the byproducts of yeast and bacterial metabolic activity will create alcohols and acids that will start to kill off the yeast and bacteria that you are trying to cultivate.  If your starter smells very sour, this may be the case.
  • Other bad stuff is growing in there: With feedings at the right interval, you will cultivate a yeast and bacteria population that will prevent mold and other undesirable stuff from growing.  If the balance is off and your yeast and bacteria population is depleted, other organisms can have the opportunity to grow.  You can usually tell by smell.

How to fix it:

  • Make sure your starter is active and doubling (or more ) between feedings.  If your starter rises and then falls between feedings, you may need to feed your starter more regularly or determine actions that you can take to slow its activity, like reducing its temperature or changing your feeding ratio.

Related links:

  • None yet

Sourdough starter smells bad

The problem:

Your sourdough starter smells bad.  There are a lot of smell descriptors that are used to describe a good starter.  Sometimes it smells nutty, fruity, sweet, sour, or even a little alcoholic.  But it shouldn't smell like mold or body odor.  Moldy starter smells awful.

Potential causes:

  • The population of your yeast and bacteria isn't strong enough to prevent other organisms, like mold from growing.
  • The walls of the starter container are not clean.  Yeast and bacteria die off along the walls of your container, and then mold and other bad things grow.

How to fix it:

  • Some advise starting over with a new starter.
  • You may be able to "rescue" your starter.  If there's mold growing in it, it may not be growing on more than just the surface.   Some of the good yeasts and bacteria may be living in the bottom of your starter container.  You can remove some of that, move it to a new jar, and then feed it and see how things go after a few feedings.
  • Change starter containers once in a while.

Related links:

  • None yet

Bulk Fermentation

Over-fermentation

The problem:

The weather was recently very warm, and I let a sourdough bulk fermentation go on for too long.  I'd estimate that it got about 10 hours at 80F.  The dough had doubled in volume, but it appears the acids and enzymes eventually destroy the gluten and leave you with a sticky, lumpy mess.  Apparently, when the gluten breaks down, water is released, which makes the dough stickier.  It was a pain to handle, and didn't hold its shape at all during pre-shaping, as this time lapse shows: (5 minutes of time is condensed into a few seconds)

 

Sad, weak sourdough ball

 

There's no strength in the dough at all, it's lumpy and shaggy, very wet, and falls apart almost immediately.  This is different than overproofing, as the dough was falling apart before making it to the proofing stage.

How to fix it:

  • If it's too hot, try using cold water in your mix to slow down fermentation
  • Find a cooler place for the bulk fermentation
  • Ferment for a shorter amount of time
  • Use less leaven/levain or starter

Related links:

Baking

Loaf too flat, too dense, or no oven spring

The problem:

No large airy holes, very dense and flat loaf.  Possibly decent flavor, but dense and gummy on the inside.

This might have many potential causes which are generally related to a lack of strength in the loaf and a lack of bubbles and CO2 :

  • Weak yeast or sourdough starter
  • Shaping technique did not generate enough tension in the loaf
  • If there's very little yeast activity at all, you'll notice poor color development in the crust and a "raw" flavor

How to fix it:

  • Make sure your starter is active and doubling (or more ) between feedings
  • Pre-shape and shape your dough to generate adequate tension and gluten deveopment

Related links:

  • None yet

Loaf explodes, blows out, or tears open

The problem:

Hot steam and carbon dioxide have nowhere to go during the bake, and eventually cause your loaf to blowout or explode.

How to fix it:

  • Score the top of your loaf with a lame.  This will help guide the loaf when expanding and hopefully provide you with more oven spring.

Related links:

  • None yet

Photos from the 2017 Oakland Marathon: Semereab Gebrekidan and Katherine Klymko win

SEMEREAB GEBREKIDAN

Semereab Gebrekidan (bib #260), a 32-year-old from Oakland won the 2017 Oakland Marathon with a time of 2:35:54.  Katherine Klymko won the female field with a finishing time or 03:09.02.   Semereab has won a number of other running events, including the Treviso marathon in Italy last year.

KELSEY GURGANUS

Katherine Klymko (#344) of Berkeley won the womens field.  She’s barely visible here, hidden behind the 2nd place finisher, Kelsey Gurganus (#276) of Indianapolis and the 5th place finisher, Jacqueline Sloves (#778) of Oakland.

 

Gabrielle Maudiere (#657) of Larkspur, pictured here with the 3:20 pace group,  finished 3rd among women.

EAST BAY ATHLETIC CLUB Oakland Running Festival - 2017

The East Bay Athletics Club men’s relay team (#9226) was first at mile 5, and finished 3rd overall with a time of 02:36:28.

SFRC RACING TEAM Oakland Running Festival - 2017

The SFRC racing team (#9224) won the mixed relay with a finishing time of 02:24:13, good for a 5:30 pace.

EXCEL Oakland Running Festival - 2017

The Excel men’s relay team (#9034) finished 1st for the men’s relay with a time of 02:26:51.

PIMP MY STRIDE

Mixed relay team Pimp my Stride (#9174) finished 3rd with a time of 02:54:24.

Ivan Medina at the 2017 Oakland Marathon

Perennial contender Ivan Medina (#417) of Hayward finished 2nd overall with a time of 02:39.03.

STRAWBERRY CANYON TC Oakland Running Festival - 2017

The Strawberry Canyon Track Club men’s relay team (#9219) finished 2nd with a final time of 02:31:44.

DENNIS LEFBOM Oakland Running Festival - 2017

And as always, Dennis Lefbom (#686) ran with his Hawaiian shirt.

 

 

How bumpy is my baby’s ride in my jogging stroller?

Stroller bumpiness, measured with an iPhone accelerometer

When our daughter was younger, I tried to quantify the "bumpiness" of her rides in strollers.  We had two strollers, an older Bugaboo Bee (can't find a link to the older version) and a Thule Chariot Cougar (single, not double).  We had the normal stroller attachment for the Chariot Cougar and the jogging attachment. 

Bugaboo bee
Thule Chariot Cougar with stroller wheels
Thule Chariot Cougar with jogging attachment

In addition to comparing the differences between strollers, I wanted to compare the "bumpiness" differences when walking and running.

Data collection was messy, as you'll see below, but hopefully the results are still interesting.

Measurements and Methods

I used an old iPhone 4S with an data logging app to measure its accelerometer output while the phone was placed in the bottom basket of the Bugaboo and in one of the front pockets of the Thule Chariot Cougar.

I used two different apps to record the data:

  • Axelerom: For measurements of the Bugaboo and the Thule Chariot Cougar with stroller wheels
  • xSensor: For measurements of the Thule Chariot Cougar with the jogging attachment

Both only recorded data when the phone screen was on, so I had to stop once and a while to make sure it was still recording.  The Axelerom readings were taken at 5Hz and the xSensor at about 19-20Hz.  The Axelerom readings were also somehow strangely rendered out of order in the data file.  I had to resort the data by timestamp.

Upon analyzing the data, I realized that 5Hz wasn't fast enough to do anything other than measure acceleration.  Even the xSensor measurements at 19Hz weren't that great.  This was a bit of a problem, because I couldn't reliably measure the "jerk", or the rate of change of the acceleration.  The jerk can have a large impact on the perceived quality of a ride.  A good analogy is the difference between slowing down in a car at an intersection and abruptly letting off on the brake when the car comes to a stop rather than gently easing off of the brake pedal.

Coincidentally, I learned during research that 5Hz is roughly the resonant frequency of important parts of the body, and possibly the least comfortable vibration frequency to experience.

The measurements were taken on the sidewalks and streets in Oakland, California, mostly along the same ones for each stroller.  I didn't take the exact same path or streets for each stroller though, so this is another potential source of variation.

The smoothest ride was with the Thule Chariot Cougar

Stroller bumpiness, measured with an iPhone accelerometer

The Thule Chariot Cougar looks like a SUV next to the Bugaboo Bee stroller.  It's got two 20" wheels with pneumatic tires and a suspension on the back.  The Bugaboo's wheels are suspended too, but are much, much smaller.

One can observe the difference in forces measured in the stroller on the graph: the pointier the curve, the smoother and less bumpy the ride.

The numbers

The Thule Chariot Cougar with the stroller wheels (in green in the chart above) provided the smoothest ride, with a minimum measured acceleration of 0.399 Gs and a maximum acceleration of 2.231 Gs.  The standard deviation was 0.108 Gs.

The Bugaboo Bee was the next smoothest, with a minimum measured acceleration of 0.087 Gs (nearly freefall, for a split-second at least!)  and a maximum measured acceleration of 2.452 Gs.  The standard deviation was 0.165 Gs.

As one may expect, the bumpiest ride was with the Thule Chariot Cougar with the jogging attachment, recorded while running.  I regret that I did not perform measurements while just walking with the jogging attachment installed to have that as a point of comparison.  The minimum measured acceleration was 0.089 Gs, the maximum measured acceleration was 2.382 Gs, and the standard deviation was 0.242 Gs.

What does this all mean?

It was really interesting to find that the maximum and minimum recorded accelerations for the Thule Chariot Cougar with jogging attachment, while jogging, was similar to that of the Bugaboo Bee.  And the Bugaboo Bee is a pretty smooth rolling stroller.  I found that to be pretty reassuring.  Though the ride while jogging was definitely bumpier, the maximum acceleration magnitude was smaller than that of the Bugaboo.

This was kind of just a fun exercise, but there are a couple of conclusions I came to:

  • The Thule Chariot Cougar is a very smooth-riding stroller.
  • Running with the Cougar's jogging attachment is sorta bumpy, but probably not way worse than the Bugaboo Bee.

 

 

 

Hiking at Hetch Hetchy in Yosemite National Park

We started out at the Hetch Hetchy Campground, in Yosemite National Park, and spent the evening there before making a short backpacking trip up to Laurel Lake and back.   It’s only a 5 or 10 minute walk to the O’Shaughnessy Dam from the campground, so we headed over there before it got dark to check it out.  We had taken care of reservations a while back.  Our lodging: our tents, hammocks, or just sleeping bags.

IMG_4045m IMG_4060m

The reservoir appeared to be pretty full, which is good drought news!  Looking at the dam, I couldn’t help but wonder what the valley must have looked like before the dam was built.. and what our water situation in the Bay Area would be like without it.  We read about the construction of the dam, John Muir’s opposition, and the interesting Pelton turbines used for power generation.

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We returned to the campsite, had dinner, and spent some time together under the stars before going to bed.  The milky way was easily visible, as well as multiple planets – I think Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn were out.

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The view from the tent:

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It was a warm night and a warm morning.  Lots of neat driftwood in the Hetch Hetchy reservoir.

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The metal signs were nice to look at, but I don’t think very accurate.  Perhaps the trails have changed over the years.  The below sign indicated that Laurel Lake was 7.6 miles away, but by my measurements, we only backpacked 6.9 miles.  We did not go to Beehive meadows.

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There was quite a variety of scenes in those 6.9 miles though.  Mossy pines:IMG_4245m

White flowers.  I tried to study the wildflower sign before I left, but sadly did not remember any of them.

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Waist-high ferns in a previously fire-damaged area that was coming back to life.  The abundance of sunlight due to the lack of trees made for a verdant scene.

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After making it to the lake, we all jumped in to cool off and refresh ourselves.

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It was a nice site, with very few traces of humans who had been here previously.IMG_4193m

We weren’t far off from the solstice, so we were treated to a lot of daylight.IMG_4211m

Christian tried fly fishing, without much luck, unfortunately.IMG_4212m

Laurel Lake was still by 11pm.IMG_4227m

I managed to sleep pretty well, so I didn’t catch the lake at dawn.  But the water was pretty glassy at around 8am.

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We had a leisurely breakfast and then made our way back towards the reservoir.

Just before a stream crossing: this butterfly was still alive, but not doing so well.

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Another photo of the previously fire-damaged area.IMG_4262m

We managed to see a bear on our way back, near the dam.  I didn’t take photos of it because I was shooting with a prime lens and my other lens was tucked away in my backpack.

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We started and ended the hike at the dam, which was at about 2950 feet elevation.  According to the GPS, we maxed out at around 6600 feet near Laurel Lake.

How much drag does a baby trailer add to your bike ride?

strava_trailer_tunnel_times

Getting out for a bike ride has been hard as a parent, but we got out with our toddler and took her on a trip up Old Tunnel Road the other day. I was curious how different climbing would be with all of the extra weight, so I flipped on Strava to see how my timing and speed compared.

I don’t have a great base for comparison, because I usually ride without Strava, and on the rides that I was using it (or a GPS), I was riding with a different bike.  Also, we stopped twice because we ran into a friend (hi, Greg!) and had to avoid being attacked by wild turkeys.  Seriously.

Here was my setup:

  • Bianchi Axis “commuter bike”
  • Thule Chariot Cougar (1-seater) ~25lb
  • 1 baby, ~24 pounds

 

Either way, it was interesting to look at the differences in times:

 

strava_trailer_tunnel_times

The stretch in question is a 1.3 mile stretch, with 369 feet of climbing and a 5% grade.  I was pushing pretty hard, and based on the times above, I think I could have ridden the stretch in maybe 9:45 with my commuter bike if I was not towing a child.  So, I’d estimate a 30% increase in duration for a steady climb with the trailer.

How’s the math work out?  The Chariot Cougar added about 50 pounds, so if I did my math right, that is:

50 / 2.2 * 9.8 * 369 * 12 / 39.37 / (13 * 60 + 9) = 31.8 watts of lost power

My total weight, plus bike is probably about 185lb, so 50lb is about a 27% increase, which matches pretty well with my estimate.  That totally ignores differences in friction/drag for the trailer and other energy losses, of course.  Maybe I just got lucky?  It’ll be interesting to see how much slower things are on the flats.

How did our daughter do?  She started to get a bit impatient during the climb, probably because it was taking a while.  We took a break at the top and then descended.  She seemed to enjoy the descent.  I guess she enjoys going fast and the bumps?  I turned back at one point, asked how she was doing, and I think she said “wheee”, so that’s a good sign.

Which heart rate monitor with GPS should I buy?

(This is a work in progress.  I’ll continue to update it as I can, as I proceed with my search.)

After going a few years without training with a heart rate monitor with GPS, I’ve decided that it’s time to look into getting a new one.

I still own a Garmin Forerunner 310XT that I hope to never use again because it’s been fairly terrible.  I used my Forerunner primarily for running, but did some cycling with it as well.  It was probably an 80%/20% split.  I originally chose the 310XT because of its long battery life, and of course, for its heart rate and GPS features.  I had previously run with an old Polar, maybe a S625X?  It worked pretty well, but I was intrigued by the idea of using GPS to track my workouts.

In theory, based on the features, the 310XT was a cool product, but in practice, it was burdened by awfully buggy firmware that made it unusable most of the time.  I’ve had such a profoundly bad experience with that watch, that I’d rather not buy another Garmin device again.

What am I looking for?

I’m looking for most or all of these features, not necessarily in any particular order:

  • Logging for post run/ride analysis
  • Easy data transfer from device to a PC or phone for analysis
  • Strava integration
  • Reliable performance
  • Non-creepy data storage.  I’d like to not have to rely on a company’s website to look at my information, and I’d like to choose whether that information is private or not.
  • Good heart rate measurement
  • Good GPS
  • A decent display for monitoring heart rate, total distance, current speed, and so on
  • Battery life: 8 hours would be great, so that I could use it on longer bike rides.
  • Waterproof, because I sweat a lot.  I don’t really swim, but riding and running in rain happens not too infrequently.

So, what’s out there now?

I bought the 310XT in early 2012, and the Polar many years before that.  Things have changed a lot, and there are new players in the game.

My phone

My iPhone has GPS built in, and if I want heart rate data, I can get a “dumber” device that measures my heart rate and have it sync with my phone.  I usually don’t run with my phone, though, and on longer bike rides, I’m concerned about battery life.  So I’d prefer to look for something different.

Fitbit

Fitbit has a wide range of devices available now.   On the higher-end is the Charge HR and the Surge.  The Charge HR is their “Active Fitness” device, and the Surge is their “Performance fitness” device.  The Charge HR will track steps and heart rate, but has no GPS.  The new Blaze just came out too.  It has a heart rate monitor, but does not have an embedded GPS.  One nice thing about the Fitbit devices is that they can measure heart rate without the chest strap – a sensor is part of the wrist band.

One can use any of their devices, or none at all with their app’s “MobileRun” Feature.

Garmin

I’m not going to buy a Garmin, but I still am interested in knowing what their product offering looks like.

Their vivofit line includes 3 models of interest.  The Vivosmart HR contains a heart rate monitor that measures from your wrist.  It does not contain a GPS.  The vivofit vivoactive does contain a GPS, but has no heart rate monitor.  The vivofit vivovactive HR has both, and would probably be the device I’d consider if I were considering Garmin at all.

Garmin also offers a fenix series.  Only the fenix 3 HR contains a heart rate monitor and a GPS receiver.  All of the other fenix models (fenix 2, fenix 3, fenix 3 sapphire) have various levels of GPS functionality, but do not have a wrist-based heart rate monitor.

Suunto

Suunto wasn’t ever high up on my list, but I wanted to see what they have to offer.  Browsing their website, I found three models that may fit my criteria.  The Traverse, the Ambit3 Vertical and the Ambit3 Peak.

Polar

Working on it..

TomTom

Working on it..

Basis

Working on it..

Photos from the 2016 Oakland Running Festival Marathon and Marathon Relay

Oakland Running Festival 2016

This year’s 7th Oakland marathon took place on a cloudy morning.  It started raining around noon, so most runners just escaped the rain.

Oakland Running Festival 2016

A runner (9119) from the Olympic Club male relay team was the first runner through at mile 4, escorted by a few cyclists.  They finished in 1st place for the male relay category, with a time of 2:21:44.

Oakland Running Festival 2016

This runner (bib 9181) from the SFRC Racing team was the second runner through at mile 4, they finished 2nd in the mixed relay category with a time of 02:41:43.

Oakland Running Festival 2016

Carrying the baton for Shabo TC, this runner (9186) helped his male relay team capture 3rd place in their category.

Oakland Running Festival 2016

After the first batch of relay runners, we started to see the marathon runners, seen in the lime-colored bibs.  This is Alex Battaglino (217) and Patrick Donnelly (924),  both of El Cerrito, within footsteps at mile 4.  Alex eventually won the race, and increased their separation from a couple of feet to 8 and a half minutes by the end of the race.  Alex Battaglino won with a time of 02:34:51, and Patrick Donnelley finished 3rd with a time of 02:43:25.

Oakland Running Festival 2016

Oakland Running Festival 2016
Oakland Running Festival 2016

Ivan Medina of Hayward is a perennial top finisher at the Oakland Marathon.  This year, he finished in 2nd place, with a time of 02:41:25.  He ran it quite a bit faster in 2015, having finished that race with a time of 02:30:07, which would have been good enough to win this year.

]Oakland Running Festival 2016

Here’s a runner from the Habitat for Humanity team, who ran in the mixed relay.  They finished with a time of 4:16:37.

Oakland Running Festival 2016

Christopher Jackson of Berkeley finished the marathon in 6th place, with a time of 02:55:17.

Oakland Running Festival 2016

The #GUforit with the That’s Fine Track Club finished first in the mixed relay.  Here’s one of their runners at mile 4.

Oakland Running Festival 2016

Rob Nachtwey, of Berkeley, is another perennial contender who is easy to pick out because of his pink hat.  He finished 2nd in 2014, and this year finished 4th, with a time of 02:50:55.
Oakland Running Festival 2016

This is Patrick Madigan of San Francisco, who finished in 13th place with a time of 03:05:36.

Oakland Running Festival 2016

Team Worse Chemistry (9048) from Berkeley finished with a time of 03:24:05, good for 6th place in the Mixed Relay.

Oakland Running Festival 2016

Team Soil Joggers, from Oakland, finished 8th in the Male Relay with a time of 03:26:34.

Oakland Running Festival 2016

Runner 462 is Spenser Talkington, who ran an amazing 03:05:13 at only 17 years of age!  Congrats, Spenser!  Fernando de Samaniego Steta of San Francisco (960) finished in 5th place with a time of 02:54:34.

Oakland Running Festival 2016

The Strawberry Canyon Track Club Women of Berkeley finished 3rd in the female relay with a time of 02:59:21.

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Rohit Mitter (478) from New York finished 18th, with a time of 03:12:12.
Oakland Running Festival 2016

Joshua Lerner of San Francisco won the Masters category with a time of 02:49:50.

Oakland Running Festival 2016

Eric Obeng (686) of San Francisco finished 11th place with a time of 03:04:13.

Oakland Running Festival 2016

Alexander Kramer of Calpella (858) finished 19th with a time of 03:13:06.   Nelson Osaky (448) finished 382nd with a time of 04:41:12, and it appears that Holly McIlvaine dropped out of the race or her timing chip didn’t register.

Oakland Running Festival 2016

Joshua Bornstein (135) of the Tamalpa Running Club from San Rafael finished 7th with a time of 02:58:35.  Erik Donohue finished 26th with a time of 03:18:16.

Oakland Running Festival 2016

Andra Enoiu from Richmond finished 63rd overall, but 4th among women, with a time of 03:34:06.  She won her age group.

Oakland Running Festival 2016

This guy (9212) ran for team StephCurry4Prez.  !

Oakland Running Festival 2016

Hawaiian Shirt guy!  I love seeing runners who do this race nearly every year.

Oakland Running Festival 2016

I think this is the same guy who ran with a hemp shoulder back back in 2011?  Nice to see him running again.

Coffee & Crema was a little hole in the wall in a building in Greenville, South Carolina

I had an espresso there before they closed.  It was a little hole in the wall at the entrance of a building in downtown Greenville on Main St.

coffee and crema greenville sc

I wonder why they closed – they had another location in a mall that they closed a number of months earlier.

coffee and crema greenville sc

According to GreenvilleOnline, they closed because of the weather and additional competition.  It’s a bit of a sad end for a place that “helped create a true coffee culture in Greenville”, but former owner Shannon Hudgens leaves a glimmer of hope: “I may not come back as Coffee & Crema in the same form that people are used to, but it doesn’t mean that I’m dead either.”

Petrified Forest National Park and the Painted Desert

Visiting the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest National Park was one of the most profoundly beautiful experiences of my life, and especially so because I didn’t have big expectations for the park.  Lower Antelope Canyon was amazing, but I had seen many pictures before, so I expected it to be amazing.  I didn’t have any for the Petrified Forest or Painted Desert.

This was despite what I’d heard growing up at home – my Dad talked about the place a lot.  He had gone on a trip in the Southwest with coworkers more than 20 years ago.. but he went to Arches National Park.  I remember that he purchased the VHS tape from the gift shop and had us watch it a few times after he got back.  Over the years, he talked about the Petrified Forest it enough that somehow I got the impression that he’d been there before.  But it wasn’t until we went on the trip that I found out that he had never been.

It was mid-afternoon when we arrived, and it was still hot.  Like in the mid-90s maybe.  But luckily, it was also pretty breezy, which made the heat more tolerable.

We pulled up to a fairly empty visitors center.  We learned that the painted desert was named by an expedition of Spanish explorers who called it “El Desierto Pintado.”

One could see for miles and miles, and the hills were full of different colors.  We picked up a map from the NPS and started driving to the different scenic viewpoints.  You enter along Route 66, and can drive about 25 miles south through the park along the designated road.  We stopped for views at Kachina and Chinde point.

There’s a cool part of the park where you drive over Route 66 as you head south.  The landscape changes over a bit, revealing striated badlands with some pretty amazing topography that stands in stark contrast to the blue sky.

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There is a short, paved and gravel hiking loop around the Blue Mesa area, where the hills are covered with a “bluish bentonite clay”.  Walking around there felt particularly … lunar to me.  There were only 2-4 other people in the entire area other than my dad and myself, which made it even easier to imagine that you were on the surface of a different world.

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This is where I was first able to see the petrified wood of the national park up close.  Little pieces were littered across the flat areas, as if the trunks had rolled down the hills and shattered.  It’s interesting to think about the unique circumstances that cause wood to become petrified.  There had to have been a forest here so many years ago.  It’s hard enough to imagine the area covered in a dense forest.  Then the area needs to be covered with silt and volcanic ash and cut off from oxygen by some large-scale event.  Then groundwater would seep in to allow the silica to diffuse into the wood.  And then, through lifetimes of erosion, the logs are finally revealed.

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It was getting to the late afternoon as we continued along the drive.  The Agate Bridge (not pictured) is a well preserved log that formed a bridge across a small ravine.  In 1911, supports were added underneath to prevent it from falling apart.  The National Park Service has adopted a different philosophy now; today, the bridge would be allowed to continue to crumble and left in its natural state.

As we headed further south, we ventured into areas of the park that had bigger and bigger logs.  We walked a loop through the Crystal Forest and enjoyed a silty-white landscape littered with logs and an expansive sky that was deep blue and orange because of the setting sun.  I feel the need to reiterate how profoundly beautiful this experience was.  The air was still warm, there was a strong breeze flowing, the sun was low in the sky and getting lower.  The ground was white and littered with petrified logs and chunks thereof.  You could see for miles and miles in each direction.  And there was nobody else around other than my Dad and I.

Walking along the loop, we could get a close-up look at the petrified logs.

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As the sun set further, the whitish logs became a deep golden color.

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This scene was particularly beautiful and amusing to me.  It reminded me of those idyllic scenes with a tractor and hay bales – except the bales in this case were petrified logs weighing hundreds of pounds.

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Somehow, impossibly, the scenes continued to get better.  The sun continued to set, and the sky lit up with pink, wispy clouds, and the landscape lost its long, harsh shadows.

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We pulled over to the side of the road where two other cars and groups of people stood to catch the sunset.  We watched this one cloud hover and change for a long time.

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On the way out of the park, we passed by a few touristy gift shops that were selling petrified wood.  They were closed due to the time of the day.

We got dinner at a steakhouse in Holbrook, Arizona.  When’s the last time I ate from a salad bar like this?

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After dinner, we headed west on 40 to our next destination: Flagstaff.

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Coffee at Betterday in Santa Fe and then a trip to Albuquerque

I had only one chance to get coffee the morning we left Santa Fe.   I narrowed my choices to The Betterday Coffee Shop or Iconik and opted to go with Betterday.

Interestingly, according to yelp, their rating has been dropping since 2014, sadly.  I wonder what happened?  Digging through the reviews, it seems that more people have been unhappy with their customer service.  It had a neighborhood vibe when I was there, and I didn’t have any problems.  But this was back in June, 2014.

The decor at Betterday was a mix of wood and old rustic highway signs:

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.. with a couple of bicycle frames hanging from the wall.

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They do indeed serve Stumptown, and my espresso was fine.

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We didn’t stay too long, because the rest of the day’s itinerary required us to stop in Albuquerque, Petrified Forest, and then end in Flagstaff.

It was really hot that day in Albuquerque.  We didn’t explore as much as I’d like since it was such a short stop, but we checked out the historic old town plaza and its shops.  We saw some really neat images in one of the photo galleries, which seemed to be run sort of as a co-op.  I stopped in the San Felipe de Neri Parish for a moment to see the interior:

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and then ended up eating a quick lunch at the Albuquerque Museum.

Then we drove for a while along the train tracks and ended up taking a break in Gallup, NM.  It was a fun stop. My dad really really wanted to stop on Route 66.  We checked out the Rex Museum and talked at length to the guy working there, who wore a bright neon orange shirt, striped tie, black vest, and cowboy hat.  It was full of items from Gallup’s history, including these city directories dating back to about 1923.

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we didn’t stay too long though, because we still needed to visit the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest National Park and then make it to Flagstaff at a decent hour.

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Santa Fe with my Dad – we arrived in the afternoon but luckily it was the time of the year when the days were long.  Our hotel was a little south of downtown, so we drove a few miles north and found parking near Santa Fe Plaza.   We didn’t have anywhere specific to go, so we just wandered around.  We walked by plenty of little shops and art galleries, and poked our heads into some of them.

We walked by the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi:

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and a whole bunch of other art galleries.  We walked by the (closed) Georgia O’Keefe museum and my dad admired the adobe architecture.

I didn’t get any coffee partly because it was getting later in the day, and partly because Holy Spirit was closed:

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We wandered down to the State Capitol building.  It was impressive and round.

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And eventually made our way to Santa Fe Railyard Park to see some greenery.

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There was a Railyard Piano project installation, and we checked out a few of the pianos.  I tried playing one, but it was in pretty bad shape.  Nicely colored, though.

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For dinner, we got some Green Chile at Tomasita’s, as recommended by a friend.  My dad’s first time.  He said it was “fine”.

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Visiting Monument Valley, Arizona/Utah

monument valley

We stopped through Kayenta, Arizona, to refuel on our way up to Monument Valley.  We got gasoline at a gravely station and we used the bathroom at a hotel.

kayenta az

kayenta az

And stopped into the grocery store, Bashas’, to get some snacks for the road.  Somehow, we ended up talking to a woman in line for a long time – I had written a note to self, a year and a half ago, when I was drafting this blog post, to write about that little anecdote.  But now, too much time has passed and I just don’t remember.  I recall speaking to her for a while near the checkout.  She lived fairly far away but this was the closest supermarket.  There were some family issues that I cannot remember.  Something about her husband who had a work-related disability?

 

I do still remember pondering her situation of living so far away from a grocery store.  It was a 45 minute, maybe an hour drive?  And it was the type of store with their own store-brand Bashas’ soda machine outside and walls made of identical cans of Golden Sweet Whole Kernel Corn.  What a different way of life compared to our complaint-worthy 15-minute walk from the nearest grocery store here.

Once on the road again to Monument valley, we stopped by a little dreamcatcher stand on the side of highway 163.  It was hot, and dreamcatchers shifted in the breeze.  Other little items of jewelry rested on the table.

dreamcatchers

It was a quiet stand. The whole time we were there, only two other people stopped by.  There were other cars in the lot, but they appeared to below to the people who staffed the stands.  I wonder how many people stop by over the course of a day?

The turn onto Monument Valley is pretty easy to spot.  Just a right turn off of 163.  We parked in the parking lot of The View hotel, looked through the gift shop/trading post.  I peeked my head into the restaurant.  There’s a lot of nice seating outside of the restaurant and a large viewing area.  The hotel rooms looked like they suited they suited the hotel’s namesake.  What a sight to look out to.

monument valley

We wanted to get a move on and drive the Monument Valley loop before the sun went down, so we decided to come back and check out the rest of the hotel later.

It’s a pretty mellow drive.  Some parts are quite sandy, so be aware of that.  Our car nearly got stuck a few times, and then actually did get stuck about 2/3 of the way through the loop.  After a few minutes of amusement that turned to minor panic, a group of people who were stuck behind us helped give our car enough of a push to help us get out.

But before that, there are plenty of mesas and sand to look at.  The main driving loop surrounds Rain God Mesa, and there are a number of points on the map where you can stop.  We stopped at all of them.  One stop had a pink food truck:

monument valley

That stop was probably John Ford’s Point.  Also there is a cowboy and a horse stationed for a photo-op.  It looked hot and uncomfortable to spend much time out there in full garb.  But it does make for quite a scene.

It was great driving around the mesas and buttes, but honestly, I think the best view is from the hotel.  I think the North Window Overlook was my favorite part of the loop.

We returned to the hotel, and sat outside in the shade to watch the sun set.

I noticed this carved into the wall of the viewing area.  I don’t know what it means.  But I can see the attempted “translation”: “I like Chow Miene”.  I don’t think that is what it says.

 

monument valley

While we watched the sunset, we ate our snacks and ate some dinner from the restaurant.  The combination of wide open space and tall rock formations makes for looooooooooooooooong shadows.

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It was incredibly peaceful to watch the mittens despite being surrounded by a number of other people.  Some were chatting with one another, there were a fair number of kids, and there were also a bunch of photographers, with and without tripods, taking photos of the unfolding sunset.  Some kids even had brought a football to toss around.

monument valley monument valley monument valley

It was such a profoundly peaceful and beautiful place.  It felt uncomfortable to be there in the harsh afternoon heat and direct sun, but at the same time, you could look around and be in awe of the vast expanse surrounding you.  I had hyped it up to myself a lot, and it was a strange combination of being underwhelming (I had wished for more clouds?) and more beautiful than I expected all at once.

 

Hasselblad prism finder disassembly

I tried taking apart the NC-2 prism finder for my Hasselblad 500c. It’s dark and covered with fungus or haze, and I wanted to clean it.

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I was ultimately unsuccessful, but if anyone else is attempting this, I wanted to share what I’ve learned so far so that you are not starting from scratch.  You can learn from my mistakes and hopefully help me figure out if it’s possible to get in there and clean it.

Screws

Here’s what I found:

  • 2 screws on eyecup side (IMPORTANT!)
  • 2 screws on the opposite side (front of camera, probably not as important)
  • A ton of screws on the bottom, 8, I think?
  • 2 screws under the leatherette (VERY IMPORTANT)

Getting the prism out

The front of the viewfinder is really only attached by 4 screws. Remove the bottom two under the eyecup.

I suspected that there were some under the leatherette (there are) but I didn’t want to peel it off. Not knowing any better, I removed all other screws that I could find.  This includes the 2 on the side opposite the eyecup and the 8 or so screws on the bottom.

The bottom

I don’t think it was necessary to remove the steel plate.  You need to be careful when disassembling, because there are 2 ball bearings and 2 springs that can pop out if you’re not careful once you remove the plate.

Back to the eyecup side

After I removed the bottom two screws on the eyecup side, I saw that a gap had opened, so I tried to pry the piece off.  There is a little bit of glue holding it in place and I figured that the top part had a tab to hold it in place.  It turns out there are 2 screws under the leatherette, and by mistake I sheared one of the screws while trying to pry the piece off.

If you’re trying to do what I did, just peel off the leatherette to get access to the two screws on top.  I had feared that the leatherette would fall apart, but it stayed completely intact.

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Both the eyecup-piece and the rest of the finder had “x13” marked or etched by hand.  There are cork pieces to ensure a tight fit.

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The prism appears to be marked “11.11.69”.  I didn’t take a photo, but the finder body appeared to be marked “17 Dez 1969” (or was it just “Dec”?)

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Here’s a photo of the prism that was removed and the haze in all its glory:

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I couldn’t get the prism apart.  The underside of the prism has 2 pieces of tape on the edges.  I removed the tape.  Then I tried to put a suction cup onto it and pull out that piece, but it didn’t budge.  I guess it’s glued in there pretty well?

As for the body..

I had also taken apart the 500C body a little while back because it was jammed and things didn’t appear to be moving the way they should.

I had a bit of help, luckily this guy appears to have successfully done the job.  His instructions are good, so I’ll just add my comments:

  • Definitely watch out for the Teflon lens piece behind the lens release button
  • That spiral torsion spring that closes the auxiliary shutter is REALLY HARD to put back in.  That thing still gives me nightmares.  And my fingertips hurt.
  • Watch out for the mirror pre-release button when you’re sliding the assembly back into the body shell.  You may need to lift up one of the brass levers before you push the assembly back in all the way.

 

Hasselblad 500c disassembly

Sweatshop cafe, Williamsburg

Sweatshop Coffee, Williamsburg

Sweatshop coffee – what a nice minimal interior with muted greyscale tones.  Matching walls and t-shirts.  Non-minimal decorated tables and coffee-cup art.  Located at 232 Metropolitan Ave.  Two people were working with their laptops on the main table, I chose to have a quick seat on one of the small square tables.  Recommended by our generous hosts, we passed by the cafe almost by accident.  Beans once again by Counter Culture.

Sweatshop Coffee, Williamsburg Sweatshop Coffee, Williamsburg Sweatshop Coffee, Williamsburg Sweatshop Coffee, Williamsburg

Cafe Devocion in Williamsburg

Devocion Coffee, Williamsburg

Oliver Strand and the Scoop weren’t kidding.  Beautiful indoor space, bathed in flowing light, with a bright green living wall and exposed brick.  Bright yellow signage and demitasse cups and saucers.  The coffee was darker than I’d like but it was fine.  I think the barista was in a bad mood as he made a face and seemed annoyed at me for asking about their coffee options.  Yes, they are all Colombian.  I don’t want to knock on their service completely, though.  The other staff member behind the counter, she smiled in warmly and wished us a nice day as we were exiting that left us feeling like we started the day right.

Devocion Coffee, Williamsburg Devocion Coffee, Williamsburg

Brooklyn Roasting Company

brooklyn roasting company

Stopped by Brooklyn Roasting Company in Dumbo for a meeting and some coffee.  Paper cup, what?  It was pretty good.  It’s a surprisingly big space.  I got some food there as well and wasn’t a huge fan of the prepared food in the fridge.  I should have gotten more donuts.   There were a lot of people there, a number of small groups of people who looked to be in meetings with once another.  Yellowy lighting, neat spot.  Some roasting was happening, which is always fun to be around.

brooklyn roasting company

Southside Coffee in South Slope

Espresso at Southside Coffee in South Slope

We met up with friends whom I see far too infrequently at Southside Coffee in South Slope, Brooklyn at 19th St and 6th Ave.  We have babies now, but the barista and the patrons were cool with that.  The woman next to us hanging out with her young son offered us an extra chair.  I had a George Howell espresso, and it was excellent.  The croissant not as great but that’s not why I visited.  Friendly barista, cozy vibe.  Wish I lived there, because that’d be my neighborhood joint.  Thank you Southside, for a fun visit.

 

Espresso at Southside Coffee in South Slope

Coffee Bar DC

espresso from the coffee bar in dc

We met with my sister and her family at The Coffee Bar in Washington, DC on 12th & S NW.  Neat place, rustic, reclaimed distressed-wood type interior, beans from Ceremony, and the normal crowd of young folks on their laptops in the hip U street/Logan Circle neighborhood.espresso from the coffee bar in dcWe got the usual, an espresso and a latte.  Heart-shaped rosetta this time around.latte from the coffee bar in DC

Oakland Marathon 2015

Jesse Cherry wins the 2015 Oakland Marathon

 Congrats, Jesse Cherry from Oakland for winning the 2015 Oakland Marathon!

Jesse Cherry wins the 2015 Oakland Marathon

Congratulations to Jesse Cherry for winning the 2015 Oakland Marathon!  Here he is at mile 4.  He looks fast even drinking water.  Jesse finished in 2:25:14.  The weather looked great for it – mildly overcast and pleasantly cool.

 

Ivan Medina finished 2nd with a time of 2:30:07 and 3rd place was Ryan Neely, who was only 5 seconds behind Ivan.  At the 2011 Oakland Marathon, Ivan finished 5th with a time of 2:44:33.

Ivan Medina at the 2015 Oakland Marathon

Here’s Ryan Neely:

Ryan Neely, 3rd place finisher at the 2015 Oakland Marathon

Devon Yanko won for the women, with a time of 2:56:02.  She set the womens’ course record in 2013.

Devon Yanko wins the 2015 Oakland Marathon

LESS INTERNET MORE LOVE by Susan O’Malley

LESS INTERNET MORE LOVE by Susan O'Malley

Sad day.

Susan won’t be able to make art anymore but she’s still connecting people.  This is at Bob’s Machining Company at 2735 San Pablo Ave, Berkeley, CA.  I met a person who was doing the same thing that I was.  Nice to meet you, Wendy, and thank you for connecting us, Susan.  Thank you Kala for helping make this possible.

More from her project.

LESS INTERNET MORE LOVE by Susan O'Malley

Coffee shops that we visited in Toronto in 2015

dineen coffee toronto

Dineen Coffee Co

I missed Dineen coffee the last time around, but was close enough this time for it to be my first stop.   The warm Bay Area weather made being outside in Toronto a bit of a challenge.  But I layered up on three jackets and borrowed a hat and felt alright.

Dineen stands out a bit unlike some of the understated coffee shops that one may be used to.  They’ve got a classy exterior in a historic building on Yonge Street, downtown.

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You’re greeted by a busy floor,  large brass chandeliers, and elegant columns.  This place looks like a classic hotel lobby from the 1920s.

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It was busy in there, with nearly all of the tables full.

They had a selection of pastries and parfaits and sandwiches, and also a nice wall of syrups, coffees and teas available for purchase.

dineen coffee toronto

The espresso tasted classic, much like the vibe of the cafe.  The baristas were especially friendly here, and while I was taking photos reminded me to tag them if I put mine up on Instagram.  And I did!

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Milano Espresso Bar

Milano Espresso Bar just opened about a week ago.  They have a neat space on Adelaide St that felt.. springlike.  I wouldn’t have known it existed if I hadn’t seen their A-frame sign out on the sidewalk.

cafe milano toronto coffee

Christian walked us through the blends that they had available.  We opted to try both La Futurra and .. the other one.  I can’t remember the name now.  Both shots were well-balanced with a more traditional Italian roast profile.  We had missed them while on our trip in Vancouver, where Milano Espresso had originated.

cafe milano toronto coffee

Sense Appeal Coffee Roasters

I visited Sense Appeal on Spadina last time.  The place was undergoing some renovations and didn’t quite have the same charm as last time.  I’ll be back though.

sense appeal toronto coffee

Early Bird Espresso

My favorite spot of the trip was Early Bird Espresso on Queen Street West.  I was excited to see that they had espresso from Pilot (a place that I definitely need to see next time) and it was the best I had all trip.  It was fairly bright, with a citrusy fruity punch.  The wooden serving plate and demitasse were a really nice touch as well.  It was quite crowded in there but we were still able to find a table to sit for a few minutes.

espresso at early birdNice neon sign.

early bird espresso queen street west

Cafe St Viateur at Frank and Oak

I wish I’d known about this place earlier.  It’s a little cafe at the entrance to the Frank and Oak store on Queen Street West.  I saw people doing a cupping through the window and had to stop in out of curiousity.  They do cuppings ever Sunday morning.  They serve Stumptown but I also saw that they were cupping some 49th Parallel beans.  Beautiful aesthetics in there and friendly folks.

st viateur cafe toronto at Frank & Oak

There was bike stuff too.

There were a lot of people on their bikes despite the weather, which apparently did not go above freezing for the entirety of February.  This bike looks pretty stuck:

khs bike stuck in the snow in toronto

Here we are along the waterfront trail, heading to the condo-crazy Ebichoke.  It was cold, but I felt fine with two pairs of gloves on and my three jackets.

snowy bike ride toronto along lake ontario

Here’s a chunk of ice from Lake Ontario.  According to NOAA, about 50% of the lake is covered in ice right now.  (If you’re curious, here’s a map with the rest of the lakes as well.)

ice chunk lake ontario toronto

How much does it cost to have a baby in the San Francisco Bay Area?

Healthcare costs are a confusing mess.

Hey everyone.  I usually use this blog to share photos, but I wanted to share some of the crazy associated with the healthcare system in the US.  I hope to update this more and add details as I am able, but I wanted to throw some information out there to start.  The bills that we’ve received are frustrating, but I am trying to make an effort to understand them more.  And I’m sharing the results here.

What we are paying for: An uncomplicated vaginal delivery with no medication except Pitocin after the baby was born, and a 2 night hospital stay.  We had a decent delivery, with one pretty crappy nurse, and good staff otherwise.

What we expected: I had done some research online and came across a couple of forums where mothers shared their birth costs.  From reading that, I expected to pay maybe $1000-5000 out of pocket.  There were some funny (and I mean funny in a sad way) responses that took pity on mothers in the US, because they paid nothing at all or very little.

I learned from WebMD that in 2008 an uncomplicated vaginal birth cost about $9,600, though it was unclear if this was the out-of-pocket cost or the hospital-billed cost.

The New York Times has an article that was written in 2013 that listed the “actual payments agreed to by insurance companies or other payers for services” in the USA to be $9,775 in 2012.

Here’s our bill:

Total out of pocket costs so far: $2740.98, but we owe more than this.  This includes $1,759.95 to Alta Bates Summit Medical Center and $981.03 to our OB.

Our total out-of-pocket bill is $6,845.93. 

Our out-of-pocket costs plus the amount that our insurer paid is $22,102.13.  This is more than double the national average, according to the New York Times. (The math: 6845.93 + 11332.07 + 3924.13 = 22102.13)

The total amount billed by service providers to our insurance company: $33,115.78 (28,057.78 + 5,058.00)

Update Feb 12 2015:

Alta Bates Summit Medical Center issued a partial refund for $858.07, with the text: “Your insurance company indicated your patient responsibility amount is: $1,759.95.  You are entitled to a refund of your overpayment.”  I’m still not sure what our $1759.93 is for, given that the Blue Shield Explanation of Benefits lists our patient responsibility at $4,127.93.

Update Jan 14 2015:

$2718, paid directly to Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Berkeley.  For what?  I don’t know.  They first called us before our baby was born to ask us to pay in advance, somehow telling us that the amount they are billing was not something covered by our insurance, Blue Shield of California.  I called their Patient Financial Services department to determine what the charge was.  I was told it was like a “down-payment” for my portion of the bill.  Somehow this $2718 was not factored into the bill from Blue Shield, though, and that there may be a mistake.  We will see.

Hospital bills for the mother:

Total billed by Alta Bates Summit Medical Center to Blue Shield for our hospital birth: $28,057.78.  Yep, that is TWENTY EIGHT THOUSAND DOLLARSFor what?!  I don’t know, because Blue Shield’s website has a broken link where the bill is supposed to be.  Blue Shield sent a paper version of the Explanation of Benefits, and now I can see.

Here is the breakdown:

[table “” not found /]

*1 – I have no idea why Blue Shield paid more than the amount billed.

*2 – Nursery?  Our baby spent no time in the nursery!  Why was Blue Shield billed for that??

*3 – Hospital Misc – there is a numeric code that goes with these, called a “Revenue Code” and there is no explanation for them on the bill.  You can however look them up online.  This is probably for pitocin, ibuprofen, and stool softener?

*4 – I do not know why we were billed for Room and Board twice.  We stayed two nights in a private room.  You’ll notice that one room and board room is for a private room, OB, the other for a semi-private room.  I don’t understand this.

Total that Blue Shield of CA is paying Alta Bates Summit Medical Center: $11,332.07.  We know that the value of most hospital bills is completely made up.  That 28 grand billed was wishful thinking.  As we should expect.

Total that Blue Shield of CA is billing us: $4,127.93.

Obstetrical bills for the mother:

[table “” not found /]

*1 – Once again, you may notice that the numbers do not add up.  This is because Blue Shield has an “Amount Allowed”, the amount they will actually “pay” for a procedure.  Also, OB revenue codes are separate.

Hospital bills for our baby:

[table “” not found /]

(*1) – There’s a separate set of revenue codes for neonatal care.

(*2) – I don’t feel great about the home visit.  It was a “nice to have” thing, but for $296 out of pocket, I’d have done without it.  We definitely didn’t get much value out of her visit.  She asked us some questions, weighed the baby, and gave some breastfeeding tips.  That’s about it.  She was here for about an hour.

I’m curious about how you’ve paid to have a baby.

How much did you pay out of pocket when your baby was born?  How much did the hospital bill your insurance company?  How much did your insurance company pay?  What’s your story?  Or, if you know more about healthcare billing that I do, tell me if I’m doing this wrong.  Add a comment if you’d like, to help us all out.

I’ll make a table of responses that I get:

[table “” not found /]

Where to drink coffee in Vancouver: Part One – Mount Pleasant

49th parallel coffee roasters vancouver

Vancouver has a impressive coffee scene.  We got some great coffee in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood of East Vancouver from 49th Parallel, Elysian, and Aperture.

49th Parallel:


Forty Ninth Parallel’s
Mount Pleasant spot is centrally located on Main St and E 13th Ave.  We walked over here from the place we were staying.  Someone with a bike rolled up to the shop at the same time.  This is a good sign.

49th parallel coffee roasters vancouver

It’s busy and bustling in there.  It was not a quiet coffee shop, at least at the time when we were there.  But there were still some people working quietly on their computers.  There were three or four people behind the counter taking orders and making coffee and an additional person restocking the shelves.  And then there was an additional person adding crazy toppings to Lucky’s doughnuts in the back kitchen.  There’s plenty to gawk at in the doughnut case while waiting to order your coffee.

49th parallel coffee roasters vancouver

There was a mixed crowd of people meeting up, people working on their laptops, and others from the neighborhood just stopping in to grab a coffee.  It felt cozy inside with dark wood and warm lighting in some areas, but with outside light spilling from the large northern windows.

49th parallel coffee roasters vancouver

We got a latte and an espresso and a glazed raised doughnut.  All were excellent.  We were especially surprised by the doughnut – perfectly yeasted and chewy, with slightly less sugar than one would expect.  My mouth is watering as I write.  So good.   And the latte – the combination of the light coming in from the side windows and the dark wood community table, and the teal cup and saucer made for a nice photo.  I bought an espresso demitasse home for a souvenir.

49th parallel coffee roasters vancouver

49th Parallel serves their espresso on a plank with sparkling water and a spoon for sugar:

49th parallel coffee roasters vancouver

We spent a bit of time on Main St, but wish we had more.  We wanted to explore more to the south, (the SoMa neighborhood as was explained to us by the internets) but our timing didn’t work out that way this trip.  But there were plenty of interesting shops and things to see north on Main towards Gastown.

 Elysian Coffee

Elysian Coffee lies on the west boundary of Mount Pleasant, just a block west of Cambie St.

The Elysian Coffee on West Broadway was much quieter than 49th Parallel.  There was a steady stream of customers, but it wasn’t so busy that you couldn’t talk to the baristas.  The building had a brown exterior, and they sport a logo that doesn’t quite match with others who serve specialty coffee.  But the coffee experience was very nice.elysian coffee vancouver

In contrast to the dark wooden walls of 49th Parallel, Elysian felt much brighter.  Their windows look out onto West Broadway, which is a busy street with much more car traffic than pedestrian.  Canadian Thanksgiving was coming up, and our baristas showed off a few photos of skillfully-made turkey latte art that they were posting to their instagram account.  Our barista gave us tips on other places to check out and not check out, so we took notes to fill out the schedule for the rest of our stay.  We decided that we’d check out Lynn Canyon, try to hit Timbertrain Coffee Roasters and Revolver Coffee and visit the Old Faithful shop, but maybe skip over Pallet coffee roasters.  And to look out for coffee from Phil & Sebastian if we could find it.

We got an espresso and macchiato, pulled from their Synesso machine.

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Aperture Coffee Bar

49th Parallel and Elysian roast their own beans, but Aperture Coffee Bar serves Chicago-based Intelligentsia.

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Also situated on West Broadway, in addition to the coffee, Aperture is stocked with a beautiful bookshelf area that looks amazing when the rays of sun stream in through their southern window.

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The coffee itself was fine.  Intelligentsia is special, but not rare, and I guess I wasn’t too impressed with the preparation of their black cat espresso, at least compared to 49th Parallel and Elysian.

But it was definitely a pleasure to hang out in the shop for a bit and enjoy the ambiance and friendly barista vibe.

One thing that was funny to us about West Broadway was that there was such a high density of sporting goods stores.  There seemed to be two or three per block from the massive MEC to smaller ski/snowboard shops.  We stopped into MEC to look around and maybe shop and then continued on our day.

Our experience at Lower Antelope Canyon, in Page, Arizona with Ken’s Tours

lower antelope canyon page arizona

lower antelope canyon page arizona

When you start looking up information about visiting Antelope Canyon , one of the first things that you will discover is there is an Upper and Lower portion of the slot canyon.  This post contains photos from my trip with a guided tour from Ken’s Tours that I experienced with my dad.

Researching Antelope Canyon was kind of funny to me, because I thought to myself, “wow, this place really exists!”  Funny because it seemed to be a mystical place not from this planet.   And not only that, but there are two separate Antelope Canyons?!

I think I must have seen a photo a number of years back of a narrow canyon with smooth yet gnarled, orange and purple striated sandstone walls that ended in abrupt jagged corners and a beam of volumetric light from above illuminating a small space on the ground.  It looked like such a special place.  I think a while later, my friend Sarah shared a photo of her visit to Antelope Canyon, and I realized, “wow!  people actually go there!  I want to do it too!”

Upper or Lower Antelope Canyon?

I started researching Upper Antelope Canyon vs Lower Antelope Canyon (Hazdistazí in Navajo) and learned that apparently Upper Antelope Canyon gets way too crowded.. and so does Lower Antelope Canyon.  But less so.  I also learned that if you pay more and bring a tripod with you (strange requirement, but sort of understandable since it’s a bit darker down there and it helps to stop down to capture all of that amazing detail) you can go on a self-guided tour of Lower Antelope Canyon – but the same isn’t possible for the Upper canyon.  I still wanted to see the Upper canyon, though, because that one beam of light that I saw in that one photo was taken in the Upper section.  I did more research and found that thankfully, there are light beams that come through Lower Antelope Canyon as well.  So, I decided to try the Lower canyon.

Do you need reservations?

Next came the question – do you book in advance?  Or just show up?  I didn’t want to get all the way to Page and not be able to see the slot canyon.  The website for Ken’s Lower Antelope Canyon tours tells you to just show up.  So that’s what we decided to try, though I was worried that it’d be hard to get a spot on a tour if I had nothing booked in advance.

Lower Antelope Canyon was a very short drive from our hotel in Page.  Heading East out of Page on Highway 98, you turn left at Antelope Point Rd, which is the first left if you’ve taken Coppermine road out of town.  If pass the power plant/Navajo Generating Station, you’ve gone too far.

Which tour company?

As of our visit in June 2014, there were two tour companies that had set up shop – Lower Antelope Canyon Tours and Ken’s Lower Antelope Canyon tours.  I think the price was the same at both places.  I was informed that the Lower Antelope Canyon Tours folks were operating without a proper permit from Navajo Parks, so we went with Ken’s tours.

We didn’t have to worry about making a reservation.  We waited about 15 minutes for a tour to start, and the followed our guide Brian into the canyon.  I had read about the tour groups being crowded when doing research before the trip.  Our group had about 12-15 people, which felt like an okay size.  It would have been great if there were less people, but people were patient and waited for each other to take photographs.  Brian was also very helpful in managing the group.

Before you even descend into the canyon, you can see the layers of sandstone in the rocks that lead the way.  Foreshadowing.  The canyon isn’t obvious – from about 20 feet away, you can’t even tell that it is there.

lower antelope canyon page arizona

There are steel ladders leading down into the canyon.  Past ladders had been swept away by flash floods – eleven tourists were killed in 1997 when a flash flood hit.  In 2010, tourists were stranded for hours when another flash flood hit.  Brian explained that these days, they get a radio message from Navajo Parks if a storm is expected.  It’s amazing to think about the amount of force that such a huge rush of water can exert – but it’s the same type of forces that carved the canyon into the stone in the first place.

lower antelope canyon page arizona

If you’re wondering how strenuous Lower Antelope Canyon is, it’s not too bad.  There is some climbing up and down ladders.  If you can handle that, you should be okay.  There are also some areas where there is not much head clearance.  I did bump my head lightly against some sandstone.

lower antelope canyon page arizona

I admit, I started to get pretty giddy after we had descended the ladders.  “Wow, it’s so crazy that this is real.”  The rocks really do have amazing purple, red, and orange hues.

lower antelope canyon page arizona

There are pits in many of the otherwise smooth sandstone walls – this is due to rock impacts during flash floods.  There are small bumps  on some of the walls also, caused by limestone deposits over the course of time.

lower antelope canyon page arizona

The canyon is not too deep.  It’s maybe 50 feet from the surface at its deepest.  In most places, you can look up and still see part of the sky.  It felt nice and cool inside.

lower antelope canyon page arizona

Brian was a nice tour guide.  He stopped briefly at many points to show us various features in the canyon – a profile of a lion’s head, a woman’s face, a fish, and other interesting shapes.  He offered to take everyone’s photos at a number of interesting points along the way – and made sure to set everyone’s iPhones on the “chrome” filter setting to make the colors pop.  He had some general pointers for SLR users also, though they were mostly targeted towards the crowd who leave theirs set on auto.  He said he didn’t have any photography experience before leading these tours when I asked.  He seemed to have picked things up pretty quickly in his three months of experience.

lower antelope canyon page arizona

The walls look like pointy rainbow sherbet!

Photography tips

If you are curious what the lighting is like in there, I took most of my photos on manual mode with auto ISO.  I had the shutter mostly at 1/60 and aperture set anywhere from f/4 to f/13.  I tried some wide open just to see what the photos looked like, and I was disappointed.  All of the detail in the many layers of sandstone is worth stopping down to capture.   A tripod would definitely help, but you have to pay extra to bring one down.  I think this is due to space constraints.  (Oddly, as I mentioned in the beginning of this post, to qualify as a “photographer”, you need to have a tripod and put down $50 for a special permit.  This allows you two hours in the canyon without a guide where you can explore on your own.  Not too bad of a deal, but I wanted to be able to experience the canyon with my Dad, and I wasn’t sure if they’d let him accompany me.)  In the photo above, here were the settings: 24mm f/11 1/60s ISO12800.  Crazy high ISO and you can’t really see any noise.  The Canon 6D is nuts.  Even at full resolution, the photo doesn’t look too bad.

Lenses:

I brought my 50mm and 24mm lens into the canyon with me.  I used the 24mm for 80% of the shots.

lower antelope canyon page arizona

I think that Brian said that each line in the standstone represents about 1000 years.

lower antelope canyon page arizona

There’s one light beam that comes into Lower Antelope Canyon.  In June, when we went, the sun shines through around 11am.

lower antelope canyon page arizona

Brian threw some fine sand up in the air to make the effect of the light beam more dramatic.  I asked him about the sand in the canyon – he said that in some places, there is a foot of sand between our feet and the rocks below.  When flash flooding occurs, the sand is all washed away by the water.  People dump sand back in to make it easier for us to walk through.

lower antelope canyon page arizona

Here’s what the canyon really looked like most of the time.  Though there were a decent number of people in our group, we all took turns when we got to special areas that would have looked better empty.  I remember there being a few people from Singapore, a couple from Italy, some Americans, and a few others.

The tour lasted about an hour.  The ladder out of Lower Antelope canyon was much shorter than the one we descended on the way in.  There are a few dinosaur tracks on the surface that Brian showed us on our walk back to the ticketing building.  We thanked Brian, said “ciao” to the Italians, and were then on our way to Monument Valley.

 

 

 

Horseshoe Bend, Page Arizona

horseshoe bend, page arizona

horseshoe bend, page arizona

Horseshoe bend felt like magic.

 

I don’t know how else to describe it.  It’s not an isolated spot, but the fifty or more other people there who are also admiring the view don’t take away from the magic.

 

But where is Horseshoe Bend?  It’s at the Northern tip of Arizona, just south of Lake Powell.  The nearest city is Page, which is only 4 miles away.  It was created by the Colorado river and the cliffs are about 1000 feet above the water level.  It’s a 10 minute drive from Antelope Canyon, so I’d definitely recommend seeing both of them if you’re in the area.

We approached from the west and stopped for a minute at Glen Canyon Dam to enjoy the orange cliffs and reaffirm my fear of heights.  From there, it’s just 5 or 6 miles down Highway 89, slightly past Page.

 

There’s a parking area off of the highway, and then a 20 minute walk up and then back down to the cliff’s edge through some fine red sand.

horseshoe bend, page arizonaThere was a stream of people headed in both directions.  Many of the folks that were headed to the overlook had the same plan of catching the sunset over the bend.

horseshoe bend, page arizonaThe overlook was windy and sandy.  When the breeze picked up, I could feel little bits of sand pelting my face and skin.  It made me think of what millions of years of this light sandblasting does to stone.

Once you look over the edge, it’s amazing.

horseshoe bend, page arizona

Many folks had their phones or cameras out, but others were content to just sit and enjoy the view.  Some photographers had tripods set up.  One group of people were even taking a series of photos with different outfits and model poses.

Though there were a decent number of people around, there were plenty of places where you could squeeze in and peer over the edge.   It is kind of scary.  I was surprised to learn that only one person has died falling off of the cliff in the last 20 years or so.

horseshoe bend, page arizona

By the time the sun went down, the crowd had thinned out a bit.  We hung around and watched the sky and the bend for another 15 minutes, then walked back to the car.

horseshoe bend, page arizona

You could see the lights of Page in the distance.

horseshoe bend, page arizona

 

 

 

Coffee in the Southwest: Las Vegas, Page, Bluff, Farmington, Santa Fe, and Flagstaff

coffee from my southwest roadtrip

coffee from my southwest roadtrip

A recent road trip in the Southwest yielded stops in a few coffee shops.  Sometimes for fun, sometimes out of necessity.  I visited places that offered good coffee and others that provided merely a vehicle for caffiene.

Sunrise Coffee, Las Vegas, Nevada

Sunrise is located in a small strip mall across from a sunny park in Southeast Las Vegas.  As I was walking in with my dad, a guy rode up on his bike and met with people who looked to be his parents.  I watched him lock his bike to a sigh in the parking lot – there’s no bike parking by the store front, but that is okay.

Other people sat inside with their laptops – a not too atypical coffee shop crowd.

Sunrise is an independently-owned shop that serves organic coffee and offers some vegan foods.

sunrise coffee, las vegas

I had their Espresso Blend from Mothership Roastworks.  I had low expectations for coffee Las Vegas.  I was pleasantly surprised by the coffee shop, which felt out of place at the strip mall.  The coffee was brewed well but I found it lacking some of the acidity that I was craving.  I like my espressos bright!

espresso at sunrise coffee, las vegas

I finished the last sip, put the dishes into the bus bin, and then we got on the road.

Beans Gourmet Coffee House, Page, Arizona

Sometimes when I am in a new place, I wonder if I am seeing the same things that a local would see.  In every new place, am I getting the equivalent of the Fisherman’s Wharf experience in San Francisco?  But, maybe Page really is a pretty small town, and there wasn’t too much that we missed.

 

I’m pretty sure I didn’t get the local experience in Page.  We were there to see Antelope Canyon, and the fact that others were as well is probably part of the reason for the row of hotels on the block where we spent the night.  I was pleasantly surprised to see so much foot traffic on such a wide road that was South Lake Powell Boulevard.  There were probably a lot of other tourists who needed to get food or stop by a drugstore, and I was happy that they were able to do so on foot, despite what appeared to be a lack of pedestrian-focused planning.

 

I had even lower expectations for coffee in Page than I did in Las Vegas.  Blue Coffee & Wine Bar had nice reviews on Yelp, but we could not go as they did not open early enough for us that Sunday morning.

Instead, we went to Beans Gourmet Coffee House.  There were two guys who looked like regulars sitting at the bar, and then three pairs of tourists sitting at their tables, working on or waiting for their breakfasts.  The regulars eyed my dad and I and gave a friendly nod.  The tourists minded their own business.

espresso at bean's gourmet coffee house in page, az

The interior was small – bright red walls with painted references to Italy on one side, and hurried staff behind the counter.  Not unfriendly, but definitely looking sort of stressed.

My espresso was served in a nice little Lake Powell demitasse, and I got a mango smoothie to tide me over until we could get a bite later.  The coffee was as expected – not horrible but not too pleasant to drink either.  Maybe not too different than a shot at Starbucks or Peet’s?

Bluff, Utah and Farmington, New Mexico

Comb Ridge Coffee – I was looking forward to checking this place out in Bluff.  Not necessarily for the coffee, but for to the fact that they were pretty much the only coffee shop in town.  I imagined they’d supply a unique, local vibe.  They’d be the curators or arbiters of the local scene in tiny Bluff.  And I was curious what their coffee offering would have been like.  But.. they weren’t open on Monday.  So we looked for another place.  And despite stopping in the parking lot, I didn’t feel like sitting down at Twin Rocks Cafe.  We decided to start driving and see what we could find along the way.

 

Nothing was on the way until we reached Farmington, New Mexico, two hours later.  At this point, I just wanted something – so I stopped into the local McDonald’s.

mcdonalds coffee in farmington, nm

Sadly, it tasted like burny flavored water.  Worse than I expected.  I wanted to believe that despite all of the negative feelings directed at McDonald’s for their food, their practices, and so on, that maybe their coffee would be okay.  But it wasn’t.  It was watered down enough to be somewhat drinkable, though.  So I suppose that’s a good thing?  I drank half of it and had to dump the rest out.

My dad wanted to visit the KFC nearby, so I paired my coffee with salty chicken tenders and a salty, buttery biscuit.  I did not use their “Honey Sauce”, which claimed “7% real honey

Betterday Coffee, Santa Fe, New Mexico

betterday coffee in santa fe, nm

Betterday is situated in a strip mall not too far from downtown Santa Fe – a strip mall with some pretty cool shops.   It’s next to La Montanita food co-op and a fancy (and expensive) looking butcher, The Real Butcher Shop, who boasts “We are Santa Fe’s first Whole Carcass, Farm Direct, Producer-owned butcher shop.”  The three make a pretty nice combo.  If I lived in Santa Fe, I think I’d spend a good amount of time at that strip mall.

The cafe is pretty open, a mix of wood and concrete with a few Cinelli frames hanging on one wall and some old road signs at the other end.

betterday coffee in santa fe, nm

I only had time for one coffee stop in Santa Fe, and had to decide between Iconik and Betterday.  I’d been told about Iconik’s beautiful space and I knew they roasted their own beans.. but I ultimately chose Betterday because I’d been craving a good espresso and I knew that I wouldn’t be let down by Stumptown’s beans.  Interestingly, the baristas were not nearly as hipstered out as I would have expected.  What does it mean if I’ve come to expect a certain type of barista with a certain type of coffee?

espresso at betterday coffee in santa fe, nm

And I wasn’t let down.. the coffee was great!

Late for the Train Coffee, Flagstaff, AZ

I had lower expectations for coffee in Flagstaff after browsing yelp reviews.  At least for coffee quality – the spaces could still be awesome.  It was interesting that a lot of the shops also were performance venues – places that would have been cool to check out some music or so if we had more time to spend.

The Late for the Train location I went to was sort of small and fairly crowded with a mix of people working on their laptops and others just sipping coffee outside in the sun.  They did not appear to have space for any types of musical performance.  The counter staff were young, female, and quite busy taking orders.  As was the case with the rest of Flagstaff, a number of mountain bikes were locked up outside.  I wonder why so many people get around with mountain bikes there?

espresso at late for the train coffee flagstaff, arizona

The coffee was.. as expected.  Kind of thin, darkly roasted, but with enough caffeine content to get me going.

That was the last stop for our trip.  We hung around town for a bit and then drove back to Las Vegas, for we had planes to catch to take us back home.

Bike camping … with fries – 2014

 

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About once a year, we do this bike mini-tour, where we ride from San Francisco to Petaluma to camp and to visit Lagunitas Brewing Company and the Willowbrook Alehouse.

We ride through Sausalito, Marin, Corte Madera, Larkspur, through San Anselmo, then to Fairfax for a lunch stop at Iron Springs Brewery.

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From there, we ride through the tiny town of Nicasio, where these days we stop at the Nicasio Valley Cheese Company, then continue to the Marin French Cheese factory for another rest stop.

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And somewhere along the way, your view is almost entirely comprised of Windows XP background images.  (The real location was probably only 40 miles away)

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We stop off to get set up at the campground, then head to Lagunitas for beer before they close – still at a too-early 8pm.

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But their early closing gives us a chance to ride over to the Willowbrook Alehouse, where we pile up our bikes in the back and pick our karaoke songs to sing… with fries.

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The next morning, we get our gear together and head out..

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But before leaving town, we stop to get fancy coffee at Acre to fuel up for the ride back.

Coffee and Bicycles during a visit to Toronto

mercury espresso bar toronto

I was dropped off downtown by my cousin, who generously had picked me up from the airport, taken my Dad and I to the nursing home to visit my Grandmother, driven us to the cheap and quick Chinese restaurant, then back to the airport to drop my Dad off.  I sat down on the bed in the hotel to rest, as I had taken a redeye in, and hadn’t had caffeine all day, even at the Tim Hortons in the airport.  I went out for a walk to fix that and to just think and observe.  Walking and wandering in an unfamiliar place is one of my favorite ways to give my brain a soft reset.

There was a gross grey and brown slush covering the roads and a slightly cleaner-looking, probably equally salty version on the sidewalks.  Dark Horse espresso was a short walk away from my hotel.  The inside of the coffee shop was crowded with students on their computers.  The floor mats were sloshy and the windows steamy from the melted slush and heat within.

dark horse espresso, toronto

I ordered a single-origin Guatemalan espresso there.  My notes say “bright, cherries, nice.”  I didn’t hang around too long because the sun was setting and I wanted to continue on my walk.

dark horse espresso, toronto

I was impressed by the few cyclists I saw riding on Spadina Avenue.  For two reasons: car traffic on such a busy street looked annoying to ride with.  More importantly, though, the slush looked slippery, wet, and gross.  Bikes that I saw had gravel-y crust caked onto their downtubes, rims, derailleurs, cranks, and chains.  And it was cold.  This guy looked like he was in all waterproof clothing, so he was probably okay.

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I turned onto the interesting, gentrified Queen Street West to continue my walk.  The vibrant street murals stood out – I especially liked the transparent letters here on “THIS IS PARADISE”

this is paradise - toronto

What’s the story behind the mural, anyways?

Apparently it used to look like this.  It’s on the east wall of the Cameron House, hotel and bar.  The City of Toronto decided that the Cameron House building needed to be repaired, and the previous murals were damaged during the repair.  So, they hired new and old artists to paint new murals.  This wall was done by Tom Dean.

I had been there before, two murals and seven years ago:

the cameron house in 2007

Walking in the slush was tricky.  My whole trip to Toronto was rushed, and planning practically nonexistent.  I had anticipated the cold, but not the snow.  I wore skate-styled Nikes that were surprisingly slippery in the slush.  I tried to keep a brisk pace, but I was briskly shuffling, rather than walking.

There were plenty more slush-crusty bikes on the sidewalks.  Here is a partly entombed pedicab:

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I walked by R Squared Coffee Bar: I didn’t need another espresso.  I wasn’t planning on walking by this place; I was just wandering.  But, why not?  My only worry would have been not being able to get to sleep, but I was sleep-deprived enough to know that wouldn’t be an issue.

Also: steamy windows were becoming a theme.

r squared espresso toronto

The break also gave me a chance to look at a map on my phone and decide how much more to walk before turning back for the night.  I ordered another espresso: “R2 house blend medium body balanced.”  R squared is narrow and deep.  I was surprised by the interior – I had expected differently when I looked at their logo and saw their storefront.

r squared espresso toronto

As I headed back out, the light from the sky was getting cooler and blue, while the street lights were casting their warmer, orangey glow.  It makes for weird, colorful shadows.  What’s with the snow on your face, dog?

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I walked by Trinity Bellwoods Park, which was snowy and beautiful in the dusk.  There were a few people walking around, notably a couple with a child, who was attempting to navigate a snow bank by the park gate.

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Queen Street West has a ton of murals.  This mural was more sponsory, less underground, but I still liked it:

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And there were still a few cyclists out – Hey guy, where are your lights?

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More murals: I walked into a parking lot to take a photo of this one.  I was loving the low-contrast ambient light.

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I headed north on Ossington Ave.  There were a number of people on Ossington, many couples, looking for a place to dine for the evening, and a lot of cozy looking bars and eateries for them to eat in.

That’s a Janis Joplin lyric at hawkerbar:

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I turned onto Dundas to head back downtown.

There were more parked (temporarily abandoned?) bikes here.  These were less crusty, but more entombed in a snow bank that probably had a pretty high ice content.  I imagine that these would be hard to remove.

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Hey, Easy Driving School, I like your 1970’s styled sign.  How long have you been around?

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It was getting colder and darker, and I noticed myself becoming less interested in my surroundings and more interested in just getting back to the hotel.  Less people were out, and any retail space that might have been inviting was now closed.

Toronto has a bike share, but  I saw nobody riding one of these Bixi bikes while I was there.  I certainly wasn’t tempted to either, due to the weather.

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I spent the rest of the night looking through old photos that we’d taken from my Grandmother’s room at the nursing home.  There were so many photos of people I didn’t know.  I thought about what she might have been like when she was younger, and how I’ll never really know the story that they represent.  There were pictures from portrait studios, weddings, visits to gardens, graduations, student IDs, passport pictures, and ones sent with old letters.  And then more recent ones from Christmases, then the nursing home, and with the nursing home staff.


The next morning was bright, sunny, and beautiful.  It was still sort of slushy, but there was much more water than ice thanks to the higher temperature and the salt on the sidewalks.  I walked through Kensington market and saw the Tibetian prayer flags and the colorful buildings and the spray-painted alleys before anything opened, and imagined what it would be like later in the day.  Probably bustling.  One of the alleys had a series of photos pasted to the wall, and these had garnered a bit of criticism:  “Photo/Streetart is wack”

I walked up to the University of Toronto and visited Manic Coffee on College St.  Outside, it had a different appearance than what I would have expected for a fancy coffee shop.  The signage and the rest of the street fronts made it look like they’d been around for a while – like a place that served burnt $1 cups of percolator coffee rather than a place that has proudly served Intelligentsia since 2007.

manic coffee toronto

manic coffee toronto

But my espresso was nice, just as I had expected.  A bit better than the croissant, which was a little dry.

manic coffee toronto

There were a few cyclists outside who had just finished their coffee and were heading out.  I asked one of them what his secret was to staying comfortable in cold and wet conditions.  He rolled up his pant leg and pointed to his socks that were inside canvas shoes.  They were Gore-Tex socks that would set you back $70 or $80 at MEC.  He was already on his second pair and he loved them.

I took a roundabout way back downtown on my way to Union station.  I passed along the University, Ontario’s legislative building, and I guess what is known as the Discovery District and the Garden District.  Allan Gardens was a white sea of snow.  I wondered what would look like in the summer or spring.  Somewhere along Jarvis street, I stepped into a small but deep puddle hidden by a mound of hard-packed snow.  I was following the line of the woman in front of me and didn’t realize until too late where my feet were taking me.  She was wearing boots though, so she didn’t end up with a salty, cold wet sock like I did.

But hey, it was alright, because I was approaching Fahrenheit coffee!  I was looking forward to this place, and yes, I couldn’t resist the dare.. I did try knocking over the Mighty Mug.

nheit coffee toronto

It’s a small shop with a limited bar seating area.  There were two customers inside goofing off (or working?) on their PCs.  The guys at Fahrenheit (I think Adam and Sameer?)  gave a fun Mighty Mug demo, made a nice shot of espresso, and then even helped recommend some other spots to check out while I was in town.  Definitely a nice visit. nheit coffee toronto

Did I have the El Salvador or the Guatemala?  I don’t remember, and forgot to take notes.

nheit coffee toronto

After Fahrenheit, I continued to walk to Union station, where I navigated the construction to find my bus stop, so I could hop on and visit my cousin.   He had offered to drive back to the city to pick me up and take me to the nursing home, but I wanted to save him the trip.  It was a pretty nice ride.  I did some work on my laptop and then met my cousin at the station when the bus arrived.


Sense Appeal was austere, with service to match.

sense appeal coffee roasters toronto

I was a little surprised by how busy it was inside.  The crowd that morning consisted mostly of people grabbing coffee on their way to work.  That shouldn’t have been a surprise, given its location downtown.  It was colored with a gradient from brown wood tones to warm whites, and a touch of rustic distressed wood and unfinished walls.

sense appeal coffee roasters toronto

My espresso was probably fine, but sadly I had continued to forget to take tasting notes.. but look how nice that wood table is!

sense appeal coffee roasters toronto

sense appeal coffee roasters toronto

Sense Appeal definitely had the most attractive interior of any shop I visited in Toronto.  It was also the most appropriate place that I visited for a “CELLO FOR SALE” ad.

sense appeal coffee roasters toronto

I was meeting my aunt later that day so that she could drive me to the nursing home.  The morning’s walk was slightly less interesting than on the previous days.  I don’t know what it was, but the downtown buildings all seemed to blend together, despite the churches, big buildings, and metal sculptures.  Maybe the novelty had worn off?  I crossed the Queen Street Bridge over the viaduct, and I started to feel that I was more in a cohesive neighborhood.  Behind me I could see the downtown buildings in the distance.  They looked kind of small; I was surprised that I had walked far enough to make that happen.  I continued east to Leslieville, which had an interesting mix of old shops that had been there for decades and new, hip dining options.  I walked into one shop that had packages on the shelves that looked like they’d been sitting there for years.  There were dusty plants in the display window, in various stages of dying.  A woman curtly, but politely, greeted me when I came in and a shop cat eyed me suspiciously.  After looking around for a bit, I made a curt but polite exit and went on my way.

mercury espresso bar toronto

Mercury espresso bar looked and felt more like a neighborhood place.  A little funky looking on the outside, and dark, cool color tones on the inside.  I freaked out the barista when I took a picture of the wire “MERCURY ESPRESSO BAR” sign on top of their Synesso.  Sorry about that.  I usually ask when taking pictures, but wasn’t feeling as outgoing at that moment.

mercury espresso bar toronto

mercury espresso bar toronto

I met with my aunt, we sat and chatted for a while, grabbed lunch, and then spent some time with my grandmother in the nursing home.  It was weird being there.

Like many other families, everyone we met who was our parents’ age was introduced to us as an uncle or an aunt.  Over lunch and at the nursing home, my aunt explained who was actually related and who was not.  I hadn’t even known how we were related to each other.  I guess that’s one nice thing about illnesses and family emergencies – they bring people together.

Alden Grabit Pro

broken alden grabit-pro

I bought some bolt extractors (Alden Grabit-Pro 8430P) to remove a stripped and seized bolt on my bike.  My efforts with the extractors were unsuccessful – After a lot of effort, I gave up on the extractors and was able to drill through the bolt and cut it in half.  I was able to destroy one of the Grabit-Pro extractors though.  I’m disappointed in the product.  I took some fun macro photos to share.  It broke after I was finally able to get some “bite” from the extractor.  Maybe I ran the drill too fast?  Maybe the bolt had seized too much?  Maybe the extractor was defective?  Either way, I ended up with a broken bolt extractor.

broken alden grabit-pro broken alden grabit-pro broken alden grabit-pro

 

Sous Vide Brisket #3

Sous Vide Brisket #3: I haven’t posted #2 yet; maybe that will happen later.  This was grass-fed organic brisket that cost $9/lb.  I double bagged it with nothing added, and then put it in the water bath for 72 hours at 54.5C (130F).  I was targeting the bottom of the medium-rare range.  It was a much thicker cut, and the point turned out sorta dry and with a weird texture.  The rest of it was good though.

It looked ugly coming out of the plastic bag.

sous vide brisket #3

I added salt and pepper and then seared it with the blow torch.  Looking much better now.

sous vide brisket #3

 

Texture was soft to the touch, and the muscle fibers could be torn apart manually.  I made a gravy by reducing the beef juice, and it went well with the brisket.

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Oakland Running Festival – Marathon 2014

We stepped outside around 8 this morning to catch Oakland marathon runners around mile 5.

Oakland PD motorcycle marshaling the frontrunners:

oakland running festival - oakland marathon 2014

This guy from the Oakland-based Bay Area Track Club relay team was minutes in front of anyone else at this point.  Not surprisingly, they went on to win the relay with a final time of 2:20:54.

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oakland running festival - oakland marathon 2014

 

These guys did very well too – “That’s Fine Track Club” from San Francisco finished second in the relay results, with a time of 2:24:31.

 

oakland running festival - oakland marathon 2014

 

 

 

 

A small pack of solo-marathoners came next.  Here’s Rob Nachtwey from Berkeley in the pink hat, with Chris Mocko close behind, wearing the red headband.   Chis had won the marathon in 2012 with a time of 2:28:09, but apparently dropped out of the race and registered a DNF this year.  Rob Nachtwey went on to finish second place with a time of 2:41:00 – his second straight second place finish.  Well done, Rob.  It’s neat that the official race results show splits – Rob appears to have spent the entire race consistently in second place.

IMoakland running festival - oakland marathon 2014

 

oakland running festival - oakland marathon 2014

This is Eulogio Rodriguez from Whittier, who was only footsteps behind in the pack.  He hung out in 3rd for a while, but was up by more than 2 minutes by mile 12, and finished the race 10 minutes and 37 seconds ahead of Rob Nachtwey, with a time of 2:30:22.21.

oakland running festival - oakland marathon 2014

 

 

Boone Ebel from Foster City finished a solid 4th.

oakland running festival - oakland marathon 2014

Colorful Kindy Tice, bib #728, was a bit behind at this point (maybe 5th or 6th place) but was able to make his way into 3rd by mile 12 and stayed there til the end, finishing with a time of 2:43:13.

oakland running festival - oakland marathon 2014

This is Robbie Salazar, of Pueblo, Colorado who finished in 6th place.

oakland running festival - oakland marathon 2014

This guy didn’t have a bib, but made up for it with a black Raiders cape.

oakland running festival - oakland marathon 2014

This guy blue himself.  – Team Reservoir Dogs from Oakland.

oakland running festival - oakland marathon 2014

 

 

 

The woman on the right is Jen Bakula, who finished 6th among women.

oakland running festival - oakland marathon 2014

Verity Breen won the half marathon in 2011 and returned this year to finish in 2nd place among women, with a time of 3:22:13.  She was in 4th, or maybe even a bit further back at this point, but made her way up to second within a few miles.

oakland running festival - oakland marathon 2014

And of course, Hawaiian shirt guy was running again.

oakland running festival - oakland marathon 2014

Truckee and Donner Lake

Truckee and Donner Lake, March 2014

donner lake

donner lake

donner lake

those are birds

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ski lifts at sugar bowl ski resort

sugar bowl ski resort

donner lake, from rainbow bridge apparently aka the donner memorial bridge

from rainbow bridge, a view of donner lake

our wonderful hosts treated us to blueberry pancakes with olallieberry and maple syrup

blueberry pancakes in the morning

hike on the negro canyon trail and crazy layered clouds – are these lenticular?

view from negro canyon trail

looking the other way:

view from negro canyon trail

tanner, and look at those drool trails

tanner and insane drool

well-deserved burgers from burger me with quite a bit of onion ring on top

hamburger with onion rings at burger me

new york again

the order is all mixed up, but that is okay

looking out the window at the spotted pig in the west village

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we walked to hudson river park to look at new jersey

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dept of well being

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in the fog: midtown

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in the fog: manhattan, across the east river

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espresso at sweetleaf in williamsburg

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a la marzocco

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it was a rainy day and football was on the television but we walked to neighborhood coffee joint WTF coffee labs where asio happily posed and shared coffee insights

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and I had another shot

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but before that even.. where were we?  ah, sit and wonder.

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and we had a donut from dough

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Holiday Lights at Longwood Gardens

Lots of LED lights at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania this year.  We visited on Christmas Eve.

Inside one of the tree houses:

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White LED bush

Holidays at Longwood Gardens

There was a light dusting of snow on the ground from flurries

Holidays at Longwood Gardens

We walked to the conservatory.  The indoor hall display here is made of floating apples (!!!)

Holidays at Longwood Gardens

Holidays at Longwood Gardens

A weird crazy blue light illuminated the path and the tree branches

Holidays at Longwood Gardens

one of the larger trees outside, with ornaments

Holidays at Longwood Gardens

Holidays at Longwood Gardens

Holidays at Longwood Gardens

Santa Barbara in the summer

We drove down to Southern California for Erin and Mike’s wedding.  We rented a house and took a walk in the morning.

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Of course we had to get coffee.  We walked to Handlebar coffee roasters featured a Probat and a Pinarello side by side.  Former racers turned roasters.

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I had an espresso, as usual.  Succulents are everywhere these days, and they were a nice touch.

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You can’t see it from here, but their mats behind the counter were bike shop mats.  Also a nice touch.

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Lots of cyclists hung out at Handlebar after getting their morning rides in.

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“BUILT BY CHRIS KING”

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And then we walked back

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We stopped by McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams

ice cream cones

We went to the beach

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Later, we visited the Old Mission Santa Barbara

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And enjoyed a beautiful wedding and rooftop sunset

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Seattle coffee bars: Analog, Kaladi, Bedlam and Milstead

We spent a quick weekend in Seattle a few months ago and managed to hit a bunch of coffee shops.  Having already hit the 3 V’s (Vita, Vitrola, and Vivace) , we visited some other places: Analog Coffee, Kaladi Coffee, Bedlam Coffee, and Milstead & Co.

In some sort of iPhone mini-disaster, I lost all of the notes that I had taken and unfortunately only have photos and vague memories to describe my experience.

Analog Coffee

Analog Coffee was great.  We loved wandering Capitol Hill and enjoyed the neighborhoody vibe of the place.  People young and old were hanging out, in couples, with pets, or just on a bench with their knitting needles.  From what I recall, the espresso was exactly what I wanted – a fairly bright ristretto that packed a punch.

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And there was a bulldog inside.. I don’t remember her name, but “Stella” sounds good.

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After asking our new knitting acquaintance for other neighborhood destinations, we took off through the streets.  I saw a garage door with a giant Supersonics logo.  A cyclist was towing his skateboarding buddy with some sort of strap that he had rigged onto his backpack.  We walked through a community garden with a makeshift homeless shelter, and then through the beginnings of a Dykes vs Drags kickball game – or was it softball?  We got beer and food at Elysian brewery and then ice cream and more beer at Bluebird Microcreamery & Brewery.

Bluebird MicroCreamery & Brewery

This is supposed to be a coffee post, but there was ice cream and a stout float..

 

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I got an ice cream.  Sam got an oatmeal stout float.
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and of course, to recover from food coma, we decided to get more coffee.  Kaladi Brothers was nearby.

Kaladi Brothers Coffee

Kaladi Brothers Coffee shares space with a bookstore and the Gay City Health Project.  This was a good spot for us to rest and hang out for a bit, but I found the espresso to be made from beans roasted too dark for my taste.

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Bedlam Coffee

The next morning, we stumbled through the Hempfest crowd, unable to visit Olympic Park as planned.  Visting Hempfest would probably have been fun, too, but wading through crowds and standing in a very long line did not look enjoyable.

I needed caffeine.  We found Bedlam Coffee in Belltown.  It is a crazy, funky place, that matches its namesake.  Its intensely red walls are covered with posters, sculptures and signs.

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It didn’t look like a place where the coffee was the main focus, and the “light roast” espresso I got matched my expectations.   But it gave me the caffeine I needed to prevent further withdrawal and was worth the visit for the ambiance.

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bad-ass sign.

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We walked and walked and walked.  By the Space Needle and the Experience Music Project and then up the hills of the Queen Anne neighborhood with tired legs while taking in fantastic views over Lake Union and imagining the lives of those who lived in those fancy houses on the hill.  We eventually made our way closer to sea level, snacking on blackberries along the way, to the Fremont bridge and found our next destination: Milstead & Co Coffee.

Milstead & Co. Coffee

The retail front overlooks the base of the Fremont bridge, and the dark grey exterior and the understated signage of Milstead & Co was in stark contrast to the visual energy of Bedlam.  Milstead had clean lines and a wood-paneled bar with a black counter and matching La Marzocco machine.

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As I’d mentioned before, I lost my tasting notes, so I don’t remember much about my cup.  I recall thinking that I enjoyed Analog’s espresso better, though I wasn’t surprised by how light the body was in the cup since I had probably ordered a fruity single-origin.

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It was a satisfying stop.  From there, we made our obligatory visit to see the Fremont Troll, grabbed some BBQ and then walked towards Ballard for some whiskey and one last hangout before we boarded a bus downtown, collected our bags, and then parted ways.

Other things you might have missed at Eat Real Fest 2013

Aside from all of the coffee and the steer butchery, there were many other things to enjoy at Eat Real Festival 2013.

 

A refreshing gimlet:

 A bourbon tasting by Four Roses:  four roses bourbon tasting at eat real festival 2013

four roses bourbon tasting at eat real festival 2013

Demonstrations by Oakland Chefs: Here is Preeti Mistry of Juhu Beach Club:

She did a cooking demo and hosted a Q&A with audience members:chef preeti mistry at eat real festival 2013

chef preeti mistry at eat real festival 2013

audience at eat real fest 2013

chef preeti mistry at eat real festival 2013

The Oaklandish van was there:

And I rounded out the evening with some bread pudding from the Old World Food Truck.

Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition at the 2013 Eat Real Festival

2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

Danny Johnson of Taylor’s Market in Sacramento along with Paul Carras and Mitch Lind defeated Dave the Butcher’s Marina Meats team and won the 2013 Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition at Oakland’s 2013 Eat Real Festival.

Before the competition, the emcee (Anya Fernald), judges and participants shared some Four Roses bourbon to get warmed up.

2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

The cow quarters were hung on meat hooks prior to the countdown to the start:

2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

Dave the Butcher, a crowd favorite, offered his commentary as he prepared some cuts.

2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

The Taylor’s Market team quietly worked together.

2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

Danny Johnson on the hacksaw:2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

Dave the Butcher cheeses for the camera.  “I’ve done this before.”

2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

A young fan inspects the cuts of beef in front of him:2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

Anya talks things over with a judge:

2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

Trimmings.2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

Rump roast:2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

Anya did an excellent job of explaining to the crowd what was happening on the butcher tables in front of them.2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

You may have noticed that the perennial winners, the Yedra Brothers, were not competing this year.  They agreed to come back as judges and let another team take the prize.

2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

Prizes.  Trophies and Four Roses Small Batch.

2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

The Yedra brothers take a look at what’s on the table:

2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

Hacksaw to the femur:2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

Miguel Yedra, judging:2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

Last year, the Yedra brothers set the precedent of labeling and garnishing the final cuts.2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

Dave explains to the judges what his team did.2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

Danny explains his side of the story.2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

Handshake at the end of competition:2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

And the announcement…2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

Team Taylor’s Market wins!    See you next year.

2013 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

Eat Real Festival 2013 – Coffee

bennett does the blue bottle roastery tour

The organizers of this year’s Eat Real Festival decided to group all of the coffee folks together into a “Coffee Pavilion”, which included Blue Bottle Coffee, Ritual Coffee Roasters, The Bicycle Coffee Company, Bloom (a new coffee delivery service), Barefoot Coffee Roasters, Roast Co, and Mr. Espresso.  Sweet Maria’s also joined in with some home roasting demonstrations.  All of the good stuff in one place – Jack London Square, Oakland, California.

 

Blue Bottle was offering tours of their roastery, which is only 2 blocks away from Jack London Square.  After going over the history of the company, Bennett served samples of their 3 Africans blend to the audience, brewed in a Chemex:

bennett does the blue bottle roastery tour

Bennett described how coffee cherries are processed and showed a few examples of beans that had been wet and dry-processed.bennett does the blue bottle roastery tour

bennett does the blue bottle roastery tour

The tour continued with a description of the roasting process (2 giant Probat roasters in this case) and then a visit to the barista training lab, where Bennett described the training process and explained some of the training equipment.

 

Back at the festival, Chris from Ritual Coffee Roasters gave an Aeropress demonstration in the coffee pavilion, which had been decorated with coffee-themed posters by Bloom.

coffee posters by bloom ready

Chris showed off his favorite Aeropress recipe.  16 grams of beans (I believe he was using their El Angel from Costa Rica):chris does a ritual roasters aeropress demo

with a grind somewhere between a drip and espresso.  He put 2 paper filters in the Aeropress for more back-pressure and then poured water that had been off of a boil for a few minutes.chris does a ritual roasters aeropress demoHe sealed the Aeropress by just barely putting the plunger in, then let it rest for 60 seconds.  After 60 seconds, he agitated the bloom with a spoon, and then waited another 60 seconds (I think?) before finally plunging: chris does a ritual roasters aeropress demoIt was a great cup.  Fairly fruit-forward with sweet tart notes that got stronger as the coffee cooled.

 

Ritual’s Sputnik is usually a fixture at the festival, but they were not allowed to bring the trailer to this year’s festival due to some Alameda County restrictions.  But the baristas were cool with it:

ritual roasters

I wanted to have some of Bicycle Coffee’s nitro brew and something from Barefoot, but I was already too wound up on caffeine to have any more..

barefoot coffee

Sous Vide Experiment: Brisket

Sous vide brisket

I’ve been conducting some sous vide experiments lately.  My sister bought me a deep fryer a while back, and I decided to convert it into a sous vide machine.  I guess it can still function as a deep fryer, but I’ve been cooking food in water instead of oil..

I’m pretty new to this, so I expect to have some not-very-good food.  This was my brisket experiment, inspired by some delicious smoked brisket at a recent birthday BBQ.

Here’s the raw cut of meat, about 1.6 pounds.  The other side of the brisket did not have much of a fat cap, I guess it had been trimmed away?  I seasoned it with a bit of salt and pepper and sugar.  I think next time, I will skip the salt.

Sous vide brisket

I put the brisket in the sous vide cooker at 62.2C for 46 hours.  Douglas Baldwin has a couple of suggestions for brisket, and I chose a temperature close to the French Laundry’s.   I elected not to brine, because, well, I didn’t feel like it.  I added 1.5 tablespoons of butter to the bag and put it in the machine.

 

Here’s the beef after 46 hours.  It shrank to about 60% of its original size.

Sous vide brisket

I saved the liquid left over for gravy: I browned an onion and then mixed the liquid in and let it reduce for a while.  I dried off the meat with paper towels and then seared with a blowtorch.

Sous vide brisket Sous vide brisket

The blowtorch method is new to me, but I think worked pretty well.

Sous vide brisket

The beef was a little grey; I think it was cooked about medium to medium-well.  Some of it was starting to become flaky.

Sous vide brisket

It tasted great, but was a bit dry.  But not too dry.  It was probably comparable in texture to the brisket that I had from the smoker.  Paired with the gravy, it was delicious.

 

My brisket recipe:

  • Season with salt, pepper, and a bit of sugar before sous vide
  • Sous vide for 46 hours at 62.2C
  • Use the liquid for gravy
  • Dry, then sear with blowtorch

Changes for next time:

  • Try to salt after sous vide – maybe it will be moister?
  • Lower temperature (57C) or higher temperature (80C)
  • Omit the butter next time?

Coffee in Helsinki

Johan & Nystrom

It’s been a while since our Nordic / Scandinavian vacation, but I’ve finally gotten around to getting some photos together.

 

The coffee culture is pretty great up there.  As with many of my trips, I decided to take a self-guided coffee tour through as many areas as I could manage, limited by time and my caffeine tolerance.  I found some recommendations from the Nordic Coffee Culture Blog and mapped out my points of interest.

 

My first destination was Finland.  I was decently jet-lagged, and woke up super early my first morning in Helsinki, after going to bed fairly late, in awe of the length of the daylight hours.  I walked to the Kallio neighborhood and had to wait a few minutes before my first destination, Kahvila Sävy, opened.  I walked around the block while I was waiting and arrived to see them put out their “We (heart) Coffee” sign and their outside tables and chairs.

Kahvila Sävy

Two friendly baristas staffed the interior.  It was a bit stuffy but it felt splendid to be there.  I think I forgot to take tasting notes, but this was my favorite espresso in Helsinki.  And I really liked the neighborhood.  It was maybe a 20-30 minute walk from downtown, but had a nice quiet and gritty feel.Kahvila Sävy  Kahvila Sävy

 

I walked a long way after that to my 2nd coffee destination, Kaffa Roastery.  The roastery is located in the design district of Helsinki, which is sprinkled with neat arty shops amidst nicely colored, monolithic residential buildings.  Kaffa is at ground level in a brick building, but its lighting makes it look sort of like you’re in the basement of IKEA.

Kaffa Roastery

The roastery is behind the coffee shop, which is stocked with a cool selection of coffee grinders, machines, and gadgets.  Next door, there was a shop that sold bright but rustic housewares.  Kaffa had a surprising selection of coffees, and it was here that, in addition to my espresso, I bought a coffee souvenir.  An aside: I’m not a fan of dark roasts, but I did want to have some Monsoon Malabar coffee for home.    When I got home, eagerly opened the Monsoon Malabar from Kaffa and was surprised to find beans that were slightly oily, a sure sign of a dark roast.  I made an espresso anyways and was not too impressed.  I bought the Monsoon Malabar because I wanted to taste some earthy and funky spice notes in my coffee but all I could taste was burn.  This is not Kaffa’s fault, though – they clearly indicate on the front of their label that there are 5/5 circles for “paahtoaste”, or “the degree of browning” as google translates it.  I just didn’t understand that at the time.  They also indicate that it is 5/5 for “täyteläisyys” (body) and 1/5 for “hedelmäisyys” (fruitiness).

Kaffa Roastery

Anyways, their espresso was fine.  Not that special, and definitely not bad.   But I’ve been spoiled by the bright and fruity espressos that I’ve had of late in the Bay Area…

 

I decided to push it and go for a 3rd espresso for the day.  I was already starting to get the caffeine sweats.  My next stop was La Torrefazione.  It’s in the major shopping and retail district of Helsinki – just south of the central train station.  It’s like San Francisco’s Union Square.  You can get in through a slim entrance that leads to the cafe on the 2nd floor:

 

La Torrefazione

Wall art:La TorrefazioneOnce again, lacking tasting notes, I don’t really have much to say about this espresso other than it was “fine”.  If I hadn’t already been 2 coffees in for the day, maybe I would have thought differently.. but I’d be happy to have coffee from La Torrefazione as my morning cup on a normal day.  Unlike the two other cafes that I visited, this one had more food and other drink options.  I chose a croissant to try to dilute the effects of my caffeine intake.

La Torrefazione

I waited until the next day for my next espresso.

We went back to Kahvila Sävy:

Kahvila Sävy

And then walked a long ways, exploring the neighborhood.  We went to the fun Made in Kallio store/cafe and then made our way downtown.  We had some crazy chanterelle toast at Galleria Keidas, then walked through parks and busy streets, through Hakaniemi Market Hall, the University of Helsinki, the Helsinki Cathedral, and Senate Square.  (photos to come)

Our next destination was Johan & Nyström.  It’s housed in a long brick building just next to the gigantic Upenski Cathedral.  Johan & Nyström is a Nordic coffee chain based in Sweden that also sells fine teas and a variety of different coffees.  They also have some neat espresso machines in a sort of gallery in the back of the store.

Johan & Nystrom

Our barista was happy and outgoing.  I couldn’t pick up where his accent was from, but I’d guess Australia.Johan & Nystrom

I was the least impressed with their espresso, though I’d certainly choose theirs over any “non-fancy-coffee-place” espresso.  And I think it had more to do with their style – they served a full-bodied, blend of dark-roasted coffee, which is more traditional, but not as much to my liking.  But loaded with thick crema, it made for a nice photo.

Johan & Nystrom

I definitely don’t want to knock their coffee, or any other coffee that I had in Helsinki – all of the espressos I had were well-prepared and generally good.

next (hopefully?): coffee in Stockholm.

Panaracer Ribmo Tire Review

Panaracer Ribmo

I’ve been riding my commuter bike with the Panaracer Ribmo kevlar-beaded 700×28 tires (amazon link) for quite some time now, and I think they’re great.

Panaracer Ribmo

Ok, the acronym’s kinda dumb.  Until earlier this week, I could boast that I’d never had a flat on a Ribmo while riding.  However, I did blow 3 tubes trying to get the tires onto the rim for the first time.  The bead is TIGHT, and it was an intensely frustrating experience to mount that tire.  My hands were crazy sore, and I probably broke a tire lever.

 

BUT – in 3 years and 1 month of riding, I never had a flat.  I only had to take the tire off once, and that’s only because my rim broke.  The tire was much easier to take off and put back on after it had been on a wheel for a while.  I rode the tires until the threads were hanging out of the tread and the sidewall and it was only then that something punctured the tire.  It was probably a large staple – I recall hearing a metallic clicking sound.  After a few blocks, I looked down and saw that the tire was looking sorta flat.

 

Even when new, with their pointy triangular profile, the tires felt kind of slow.  I usually rode loaded – not with much, but maybe 10-15 pounds of pannier.  The tire lasted through my daily urban commute in Oakland, California, some recreational rides, and quite a few 30-80 mile tours with maybe 35-50 pounds of gear on the rack. The tire profile went from a triangular shape to that of a traditional tire when it finally expired.

 

I put an old Vittoria Randdoneur Pro (amazon link)  that I had sitting around on the wheel for the time being.  I’ll keep that on until I get a new Ribmo in the mail.

Panaracer Ribmo

Looking thready.

Panaracer Ribmo

I still think it’s interesting to measure bike tire wear with a scale.

Original weight: 370g.  Final weight: 318g.  52 grams (14%) of the tire are scattered somewhere around the Bay Area.  Neat!

To sum it up:

PROS:

* this tire lasts a REALLY long time.  I’d estimate that I put on about 4000-5000 miles in 3 years.  Many of those miles were loaded.  The Ribmo I have on the front, I suspect, will last a lot longer.  We’ll see, as I put it on a a year and a half after the rear tire.

* awesomely puncture resistant

* reasonable price – I think I paid about $30 for it

CONS:

* a bit heavy

* they feel slow

* REALLY HARD to get on the first time.  but easier after that.

Port Costa and Crockett

The Burlington Hotel Cafe, Port Costa, CA

With some time to spare before the wedding, we drove our rental car up to Port Costa to walk around for a little while and have some lunch.  It was a treat.  We looked out across the Carquinez strait and then meandered through the tiny town.

We were greeted by chickens driving a pickup truck, some sweet old cars, and this old theater sign:

ATE - Port Costa, CA

We first walked into the Burlington Hotel cafe to and got a plate of bacon (Thanks Rob!) and some coffee.  The cafe, like the exterior of the hotel is bright and inviting.

The Burlington Hotel Cafe, Port Costa, CA

The bacon was predictably delicious:The Burlington Hotel Cafe, Port Costa, CA

But it was also a treat to walk around the hotel.  Port Costa was a former port for wheat-shipping and the hotel was built in 1883, soon after the Port Costa was founded.

 

The lobby:The Burlington Hotel Cafe, Port Costa, CA

Antiques sign, across the stairwell:The Burlington Hotel Cafe, Port Costa, CA

The Burlington Hotel Cafe, Port Costa, CA

We even got to peek into a few of the rooms.The Burlington Hotel Cafe, Port Costa, CA

The entrance to the Bertha room:The Burlington Hotel Cafe, Port Costa, CACaffeinated and baconated, we checked out Wendy Addison’s Theater of Dreams studio:

The Burlington Hotel Cafe, Port Costa, CA

The Burlington Hotel Cafe, Port Costa, CA

and then elected to grab lunch at Crockett rather than eat at the Warehouse Cafe.  Another time.

We ended up at the Valona Deli and I took this photo in the bathroom:Baseball at the Valona Deli, Crockett, CA

The Mill Cafe and Bakery in San Francisco

fresh bread at the mill in san francisco

It was Bay to Breakers 2013, but we went across the bay, dressed normally, to get coffee and bread at The Mill.

fresh bread at the mill in san francisco Above: loaves of bread on wire racks.

four barrel coffee at the mill in san francisco

The cappuccino made with four barrel coffee in a nuova point cup was enjoyable. rosetta of the day: heart

interior of the mill in san francisconice interior with natural light

cinnamon and sugar with butter toast on country bread at the mill in san francisco

their toast was great.  cinnamon and sugar and butter on a sourdough country loaf.  thick, chewy, robust crust.

fresh bread at the mill in san francisco

mmm, delicious bread.  dancing food prep dude was into the music.

Beauty’s Bagel: Coffee and a Bagel Sandwich

Egg and Cheese on an Everything Bagel at Beauty's Bagel

Before visiting friends and family all the way down in San Jose, we stopped by Beauty’s Bagel Shop for some sustenance for us and our hosts.  I’d already had my morning shot of espresso, which was either the Burundi from Pacific Bay or some very old Starbucks Blonde Roast (aka backup coffee), but I couldn’t turn down a good one of Flying Goat.

Flying Goat Espresso at Beauty's Bagel

I got a egg and cheese bagel sandwich on an everything bagel as well as a few more bagels with cream cheese for the road.  The sandwich was predictably yummy.  The bagels are a little flatter and smaller than a good New York style bagel, but have plenty of chew.

Egg and Cheese on an Everything Bagel at Beauty's Bagel

Photos from the 2013 Oakland Marathon

Chris Mocko at the Oakland Marathon 2013

 

I stood out on Telegraph Avenue at about 7:45am to see the first runners come through.  People were still setting up their unofficial water station and a few sort of hungover guys were starting to erect their giant wooden sign for their friend whose name and nickname I can no longer remember.  It started with an “E” though.

 

2012 winner Chris Mocko was way out in front at this point:

Chris Mocko at the Oakland Marathon 2013

 

Runners Shinji Nakadai, Osamu Tada, and Rob Nachtwey were clustered maybe 30 seconds to a minute behind at this point.  It turns out that these three would become the top 3 overall finishers.  These three started closing in on Mocko by mile 10 and eventually pulled ahead at mile 14.  Chris Mocko pulled off with an injury.  Shinji Nakadai has a few ultras under his belt and apparently thought that he had run the race too conservatively.  Shinji Nakadai ended up finishing with a time of 2:37:29, followed by Rob Nachtwey at 2:40:14 and Osamu Tada at 2:42:56.   Chris Mocko still ended up finishing 7th overall, with a time of 2:56:13.

 

Shiniji Nakadai at the Oakland Marathon

 

This is the top female finisher, Devon Yanko.  Also an ultramarathoner, she set a new women’s course record (by 10 minutes!) with a finishing time of 2:47:24.Devon Yanko at the Oakland Marathon 2013

Devon Yanko at the Oakland Marathon 2013

Here’s Penelope MacPhail, in the braids, who finished 4th overall for females with a time of 3:16:17.Caitlin Smith and other runners at the Oakland Marathon 2013

The woman in bib #939 was Caitlin Smith, who finished 2nd among females with a time of 2:56:14.Penelope MacPhail and other runners at the Oakland Marathon 2013

This is Monica Zhuang, who chose to run the relay this year with team Runners Unchained.Monica Zhuang at the Oakland Marathon 2013

I loved the coordination that this guy, Adam Kittler had in his outfit.Pink glasses and shoes guy at the Oakland Marathon 2013Hawaiian shirt guy!  Dennis Lefbom. Hawaiian Shirt Guy at the Oakland Marathon 2013

bike woes

cracked eyelet on a mavic ma3 rim

a cracked eyelet on a mavic ma3 rear 700c rim.  the spoke and nipple have been pulled through the rim in a series of cracks at the eyelet..  I suspect this is a fatigue failure.  there are also smaller cracks on about 9 or 10 other eyelets, mostly going in the tangential direction of the rim.  apparently I’m not alone.

cracked eyelet on a mavic ma3 rim

ann hamilton: the event of a thread at the park avenue armory

ann hamilton: the event of a thread

 

we visited the ann hamilton: the event of a thread exhibition at the park avenue armory.  it’s a really neat building.ann hamilton: the event of a threadafter exploring the rooms in the front of the armory, we purchased tickets and were met with an interesting contrast of gleeful chaos and monotone poetry readings

ann hamilton: the event of a threadadults and kids were having FUN.  when is the last time you were on a swing?  how about a giant, 100-foot swing?

ann hamilton: the event of a thread

reading.  the recital was broadcast wirelessly to speakers inside paper bags that were scattered on the floor of the armory.ann hamilton: the event of a thread

lots of people laid down in the middle to look up at the swaying curtainann hamilton: the event of a thread

so I took a photo looking up.  here is what they saw:ann hamilton: the event of a thread

there was a record player and a record cutter.  at the end of each day, a song is sung and the recording is cut into a record.  that record is then played the next dayann hamilton: the event of a thread

this guy was taking a break.  you can see the cables attached to swings and the curtainann hamilton: the event of a thread

in search of new (to me) places to get coffee in new york (with bonus bagel visit)

epresso at prodigy coffee

 

it was a short visit this time around but there was still time to have coffee thrice!epresso at prodigy coffee

coffee and the times.  espresso at prodigy coffee.  Coffee roasted by George Howell Coffee Company.  My tasting notes: muted brightness, buttery and light.  enjoyable.

inside prodigy coffee neat vibe, very friendly baristas, nice light.  this was a good visit.

everyman.

everyman espresso.  despite the barista’s expression at the moment I shot the photo, they were great and there was nothing disgusting about the experience.  they are located in a cool spot near union square in the lobby of the classic stage company.espresso at everyman coffee

espresso – espresso toscano by counter culture coffee.  tasting notes: bright, not much sweetness, light fruit aftertaste, hints of vanilla and peachmacchiato at everyman coffe

macchiato.  but it was the drip that Diane ordered that stole the show.  the baroida papua new guinea from counter culture

 was amazing.  delightfully fruity.bagel at absolute this year’s real new york bagel was had at Absolute Bagels – an everything with nova lox and cream cheese.  I had to go to “recalibrate” my bagel sensors as Israel would saymacchiato at 3rd railand the next day, back to the always-great third rail coffee – serving stumptown.  this is a macchiato but my espresso was light and citrusy

Help filing the Small Business Exemption for your Oakland City Tax Declaration

City of Oakland Business Tax Declaration Form Header

City of Oakland Business Tax Declaration Form Header

I was having a little trouble finding the information I needed online, so I figured this might be a useful guide to others.

Oakland Business Tax

(Updated 02.14.2015)

You can pay your City of Oakland Business Tax starting January 1 and the deadline for the previous year is March 1st.  In this case, I was eligible to pay last year’s business tax between January 1st and March 1st of this year.  You should have received a City of Oakland Tax Declaration Form in the mail.

 

If you pay after March 1st there are additional fees:

  • Penalty of 10% if between March 3rd and May 1st
  • Penalty of 25% if after May 1st
  • Interest on the tax amount AND the penalty amount of 1% per month from March 3rd until it is paid

The form itself is pretty straightforward, however I noticed that there was a Small Business Exemption that I qualified for…

Small Business Exemption

The Small Business Exemption allows certain small business to be exempt from paying Oakland Business Tax.  A business must apply every year for the exemption if it qualifies.

It applies to businesses with total annual gross receipts of $2700 or less (though the official website states this number is $2800, I believe $2800 is the correct amount for 2012-2015 as it appears the paper form is dated)

except for:

  • Rental properties
  • Corporate headquarters
  • Taxicab companies/owners

 

The official website and tax declaration form have instructions for applying:

  • Enter previous year total gross receipts on Line 13 of the declaration form
  • Check box 4b on the declaration form
  • Complete form IRS 4506T (Transcript request)
  • Complete, sign and send the Declaration and 4506T form.

However, I found that I needed some clarity in filling out these forms, so I had to call the city business tax renewal department for more information.

How to fill out the forms if you qualify for the Small Business Exemption

Here’s what you need to do to fill out the forms.  (Disclaimer: check with the City of Oakland if you are unsure; Follow these instructions at your own risk!)

City of Oakland Business Tax Declaration Form
  • Check box 4b to indicate that you are claiming a Small Business Exemption.
  • Line 13: Enter your Gross Receipts.  For the previous year, this must be below $2800.
  • Line 14: This is zero because you are claiming a Small Business Exemption.
  • Line 15: Enter your estimated gross receipts for this year.  Things are a little murky here – you can once again file for a Small Business Exemption for the year 2013, but I’m not sure exactly how to do it.  The woman I spoke to on the phone informed me that most businesses don’t do this because they expect to gross more than $2800 in the current tax year.
  • Line 16: This is a $60 minimum or a certain percent of your estimated gross receipts, depending on your business classification.
  • Line 17: Self explanatory, add lines 14 and 16
  • Line 25: Even if you claim the Small Business Exemption, you must add the $1 from line 24.
  • Sign, date, and fill out your payment information.

You may also want to check out the official City of Oakland Business Tax FAQ.

IRS 4506T – Request for Transcript of Tax Return

Filling out this form is a little trickier because the City of Oakland doesn’t offer much documentation on what they want from this request for a transcript.

I talked to the Business Tax Office, and they informed me to do the following:

  • Lines 1a, 1b: Enter your name and social security number.  If you file jointly, also fill in 2a and 2b with information for your spouse.
  • Line 3: Add your name and address
  • Lines 4 and 5:  Leave these blank.  The City of Oakland will fill this out for you as needed.
  • Line 6: Enter the tax form you file.  This is probably your 1040 Schedule C form.
  • Lines 6a, 6b, 6c, 7, 8: Leave these blank.
  • Line 9: For the previous tax year, enter 12/31/yyyy.
  • Sign and date.

 

The woman I spoke to on the phone recommended that the 4506T form be sent to the Business Tax office address:

 

City of Oakland Business Tax Section

250 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Suite 1320

Oakland, CA 94612

 

and the Tax Declaration Form be sent to:

 

City of Oakland Business Tax Section, Dept #34397

PO Box 39000

San Francisco, CA 94139

How to fill out the forms if you do NOT qualify for the Small Business Exemption

City of Oakland Business Tax Declaration form (green)

  • Check box 4a only if you need to make any changes to your business information.  Do you need to change your Mailing address, Business Name, Business Location, Phone number, Ownership type or owner names?
  • Do not check box 4b, this is only if you can claim the Small Business Exemption
  • Check box 4c only if you have discontinued or sold your business in the previous year or this year
  • Check box 4d if your are apportioning your gross receipts.  This means that some of your business has taken place outside of Oakland.
  • Line 13: Report your gross receipts from the previous year.  This is the “tax base” for the current year.
  • Line 14: Multiple Line 13 by 0.0012.  Put that number down UNLESS it is under $60.  If that is the case, then put down $60.  This is your tax due.
  • Line 15: Penalty due: This only applies if you are paying after March 2nd of the calendar year.  Hopefully this isn’t the case!
  • Line 16: Interest due: This only applies if you are paying after March 2nd of the calendar year.  Hopefully you don’t have to pay this either!
  • Line 17: Prior amount due: If you still owe the City of Oakland money for business tax in previous years, put this down.
  • Line 18: Failure to file fee: Add $50 if the City of Oakland has sent you notice that you are delinquent on your business tax.  Hopefully you aren’t!
  • Line 19: You must contribute $1 to the State Mandated Disability Access and Education Revolving Fund
  • Line 20: Add lines 14-19 and see what you end up with.
  • If you’re closing your business, fill out Section III.
  • Then sign the form, put your phone number and date down.
  • If paying by credit card, fill in your information and then mail the form back to the City:

CITY OF OAKLAND

Business Tax Section

PO Box 101515

Pasadena, California 91189-0005

I hope this helps.  Once again, I’m not responsible if your taxes don’t come out right.  You can call the Business Tax Office at 510-238-3704.  They are open Monday through Friday from 8:00am to 4:00pm except for Wednesdays, where they are open from 9:30am to 4:00pm.  They are closed on furlough days.

 

 

what I did in new york in december

steam

pasta at giovanni rana

fresh pasta at giovanni rana in chelsea market

high line

The Standardshaftway

shaftway

cable lockthis bicycle is not like the others

nyu : bobst library NYU’s Elmer Holmes Bobst Library

hello park avenue

this one had no trouble posing.  chocolate labrador?constructionconstruction.  we took a little peek into an unattended construction entrance.

obligatory subway shot

obligatory subway shot – Lorimer St/Metropolitan Avecafeteria garbage - bed-stuy

cafeteria waste in Bed-Stuystencil

stencil + marker + drips?snow in the flatironsnow in the flatiron district

pi door handles at MoMath pi door handle at the Museum of Mathematicssteam steam

good bye, new yorkgood bye, new york

hampden in december 2012

espresso at spro

sam and I walked around after brunch.

espresso at spro

I didn’t NEED coffee, but spro was right there.  hines espresso from origins organic coffee

you park like an asshole

“You park like an Asshole!!” – I assume this piece of paper used to be on a car

grapevines in the sun

grapevines in the sun

A list of Garmin Forerunner 310XT Problems, how to fix some of them, and why I can’t let myself buy another Garmin device

garmin forerunner 310xt time/date problems

I’ve been having a lot of problems with my Garmin Forerunner 310XT.  Generally, it is still useful for tracking my workouts and following courses, but it has been very frustrating to use.  Here are some of the things it does wrong:

The unit turns on by itself while connected to the computer.

Sometimes while it is charging, I’ll hear a loud buzzing near the computer and check the unit.  It’ll be on and trying to get a GPS signal.  Even when the computer is off, and the unit is still connected via USB, the 310XT will turn itself on.   By the time I use the 310XT, the battery is dead.  This has happened many times to me.

Getting a GPS signal takes a long time.

It usually takes the unit about 30 seconds to start up.  This seems really slow.  But after that, sometimes it will take perhaps 2 minutes just to find a GPS signal.  I can’t turn the unit on ahead of time to get around this as there generally is not GPS reception indoors.

Sometimes, the unit takes about 10 minutes to boot.

The 310XT gets stuck on its boot screen where it displays the Garmin logo.  This happens about 5-10% of the time.  I try to wait for a few minutes in hopes that the unit will boot but usually start my run with the unit still stuck on its boot screen.  After an additional 5 to 10 minutes or so, the unit finally boots and works normally.  Update: This happened again, two times in a row.  I estimate that it took about 15 minutes to boot up and work normally each time.. which made it pretty useless for my runs.

Transferring data rarely works.

Even when there is definitely new data available, the Garmin ANT Agent screen will display:

USB ANT(tm) stick: Active

Waiting for new data…

Unless I un-pair and re-pair my device, data won’t be transferred from the 310XT to my computer.  Even when I do this, sometimes I can’t transfer data.  The .FIT and .TCX files are downloaded to my PC, but they don’t go into Training Center.

I eventually tried resetting the 310XT to fix the problem.  I was able to transfer data well for about a month.  Then, the same problem started happening again – the 310XT would transfer data to my computer but I could not get the data into Garmin Training Center.  I tried re-pairing multiple times but had no success.

I think I’ve made some progress in figuring out why this doesn’t work.  It seems that one of the XML files, GarminDevice.XML is not correct.  I tried copying another version that exists on my PC over, and the data transfer started to work as soon as I restarted ANT Agent.  I’ll update this as I make more progress.

This is how you reset the 310XT (WATCH OUT! ALL DATA WILL BE ERASED):

1) Turn 310XT off.

2) Press and hold Enter and Mode buttons (keep holding until step 6)

3) Press and release Power button

4) Press and release Lap/Reset (watch will turn off)

5) Wait 3 seconds

6) Release Enter and Mode

Bizarre Time/Date problems

While I was having trouble transferring data, I decided to take a look at my Activities History on the watch.  According to my watch, all of my runs in the last 3 weeks happened “Yesterday”, each 2 minutes apart.  I turned the watch off, and turned it back on.  The date of the Activities changed to March 31st, 2007.  I suspected that the date was wrong because the GPS gets its time/date information from the GPS satellites, but the unit showed good satellite signal with 24 ft accuracy.  Also, the time the GPS unit displayed was correct.

garmin forerunner 310xt time/date problems

Screen fogs up

This isn’t as big of a problem, but apparently humid air can enter the unit and condense on the inside of the screen.  This usually goes away after a few minutes.

Screen goes blank while charging

I don’t remember if this happened before, but usually the screen displays a charging status indicator (64%, for example) when it is charging.  I came back to check on the 310XT’s charging status and the screen was completely blank.  I have no idea if it is actually charging or not, or if the unit has crashed.  To turn it on again, I had to do some combination of removing it from the charger, hitting the power button, then placing it back in the charger.

Doesn’t save activities

I ran a half marathon, and when I tried to transfer the data to my PC, I ran into all of the problems I’ve mentioned.  Somehow all of the connecting and disconnecting from the charger caused the 310XT to 1) delete my half marathon from record 2) reassign the date of all of my other activities to today.  This is intensely frustrating, as I wanted to see my splits and my heart rate from the race.  I noticed that in addition, my setup for the screens (to display heart rate, pace, total time, etc) had been reset to the default.  Argh.

I can’t send courses to the device, and Garmin Express doesn’t even work.

I can’t connect to my 310XT at all via Training Center, so I decided to bite the bullet and use Garmin Connect.  I downloaded Garmin Express, and spent 45 minutes trying to get the utility to pair with my 310XT.  It sometimes detects the 310XT, it sometimes doesn’t.  When it does, it tries to pair.  I enabled pairing on my 310xt and the 310XT displays “Transferring Data” and then Garmin Express tells me that pairing was unsuccessful.  I tried the Garmin Communicator Plugin, and it can’t find my device. (how many different ways did Garmin make to communicate with this device that still don’t work at all?!)

Would I buy one again?

Definitely not.  It has a lot of potential, and I like the idea of being able to track my activities and heart rate, but there are too many problems and glitches and headaches associated with using the 310XT.  It’s buggy and has a lot of quirks that make it feel like an unfinished beta product.

The funny thing about the bugginess of the 310XT is that it’s still for sale on Garmin’s website as of March 2014.  They haven’t updated its firmware since July, 2012.  I find it kind of shocking that they haven’t put effort into fixing the issues I’ve experienced, and I don’t have a lot of confidence that Garmin will ever fix them, since it’s been nearly 2 years since they’ve touched the firmware of the product.  This makes me a little uncomfortable when considering purchasing their other products as well.

Does anyone else have any of these problems?

Please leave a comment with your experiences.  I haven’t found anything similar online.

Bagels version 0.3

Wow, a lot has changed since my last try at making bagels.  My version 0.2 post was more than a year ago!  (Also see the sad version 0.1)

What’s different this time around?

– I used a sourdough starter instead of conventional active-dry yeast.

– I now use a Kitchenaid stand mixer instead of kneading by hand.  Much easier, especially with a dry dough like bagel dough.  (Shout out to Angry Man Eats for making the stand mixer happen.  The blender and mixer still live together.)

– I did the recipe by weight and used a 55% hydration ratio.

– I left the bagels to proof for 24 hours in the fridge.  The 24 hours was mostly out of convenience – I couldn’t bake until then.  I don’t think I had them proof at all last time.

– I had poppy seeds and caraway seeds this time around

 

How’d they turn out?

– The crust was a bit crispier than last time.  I’m not sure the cause.. will have to do some research.  Baking Bread 101 says it’s because there wasn’t enough steam in the oven, but I did bake over a pan of water.  Then again, maybe it was crispy because I ate the bagel 5 minutes after I took it out of the oven.  The bagels were much less crispy and quite a bit chewier the next day.

– Also, the crust in the center of the bagel tore.  I am not sure what caused this either, other than the crust couldn’t expand as fast as the oven spring wanted it to.  Perhaps I could bake at a lower temperature to stop the crust from forming so soon.  Or maybe I boiled for too long?  Sobachatina’s answer on Stack Exchange has some good tips.  I can’t really slash the bagels though.

– The bagels were much smoother than last time.  I think this was due to the fact that I actually proofed them and probably did a better job kneading. . or at least the mixer did a better job.

– They tasted great and the torn (and crispy) crust doesn’t really bother me.

Recipe

For anyone who is interested (and since I typed this up for Sean anyways), here is what I did:

– Refreshed starter for 2 cycles – I hadn’t baked in 3-4 weeks, I think, so it needed some love.  S
– Mixed ingredients, kneaded in kitchenaid stand mixer:
[table “” not found /]

– I set the dough out to rise overnight (about 8h) at room temperature (about 65F).  In the morning, the dough hadn’t risen much – it spread out a bunch though and increased in volume by  maybe 75%.   I figured that this might happen since I used such a large quantity of starter.
– Formed dough into balls
– Proofed in fridge, covered, for about 12 hours
– Put holes in the balls, stretched them to get the bagel shape
– Boiled each bagel in a pan with ~1 inch of water and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar for 1 minute on each side
– Added toppings
– Baked at 450F for 25 minutes, uncovered, with a pan of water underneath the bagel pan

Steer Butchery Competition at Eat Real Festival 2012

The stage was in a slightly different spot on the green at Jack  London Square, but the crowd showed up just the same for Eat Real Festival’s 2012 Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition.   The competitors were familiar, but with some changes: The defending-champion Yedra brothers, formerly of Marin Sun Farms  are now working for the BN Ranch team.  Dave the Butcher, Josh Kleinsmith and Adam Tiberio all joined forces once again, and the Butcher’s Guild put together a formidable team.

 

The crowd gathers, waiting for the start of the competition.  A woman holds a sign: “Viva Los Campeones Los Hermanos Yedra”

A Butcher’s Guild team member is representing Oakland:

Trophies for the 2012 champions-to-be:

The Yedra brothers hoist a hindquarter onto the hook.  These weigh about 200lb.

A Butcher’s Guild competitor rocks the Oaklandish STAY sticker on his knife sheath / scabbard.  Yeah Oakland!

Katy Quinn starts cutting with the saw:

The Yedra brothers start getting to work as well:

At one point, a festival attendee started resting his arms on the butcher’s table and was interfering with the competition.  Katy Quinn politely asked him to give them some space:

Oscar Yedra:

Adam Tiberio:

Josh Kleinsmith:

The crowd is having a good time:

The work of the Yedra Brothers:

The Butcher’s Guild table: (Hat from Zingerman’s Cornman Farms in Dexter, Michigan)

Yedra brothers:

Dave the Butcher of Marina Meats was mic’ed up and performed the dual roles of commentator and butcher:

Dave the Butcher laughs at a comment from Anya while cutting away:

The Yedra Brothers had quite a fan club:

And they came well-prepared.  Labels and kale.

Cuts of beef, labeled and on display by the Yedra Brothers:

Impressive.

The Butcher’s Guild team celebrates after breaking down the hindquarter:

Anya Fernald hands the microphone to Oscar Yedra to talk about what his team did:

Katy Quinn enjoys a well deserved beer:

The Yedra Brothers were declared champions, once again.  This was their 4th win in a row.

Removing a stuck filter from a lens that has been dropped

(image courtesy of mr brown on flickr. mine is white.)

We went on a mini-bike tour last weekend and I decided to take my big, honking 5D along for the ride.   I placed the camera in my Ortlieb Ultimate 5 Handlebar bag and everything worked out well.. until I decided to take the bag off of the bike and walk around.

 

The strap clips into place on the side of the bag.  I clipped the strap onto the bag until it clicked on both sides and our group sat down for some well deserved beers after a long day of riding.

 

As we were leaving the bar, I got up and took a few steps.  The bag fell as the strap somehow had come off of the clip.  I didn’t think anything of it at the time but got a lot of weird stares the next time I took my camera out to take some photos.  The lens filter had cracked (I am so glad I had one) and the edge was dented so that I couldn’t remove it.  It was stuck.  I had a little bit of neoprene padding in the Ortlieb bag, but apparently that wasn’t enough.

 

I have mixed feelings about the bag, by the way.  It’s pretty well constructed like any ortlieb bag, but it rattles and doesn’t work well with the jumble of brake and shifter cables that are in front of the handlebars.. but that is for another blog post.

Anyways, here’s the guide:

How to remove a stuck lens filter from a lens that has been dropped:

 

I was a little unhappy as I realized it would mess up my photos for a while, but I was glad to see that the lens itself had not been damaged, even though the filter ring was bent in.   I’ve had lenses break before when the camera was dropped (a sadly retired Sigma 20mm f.1.8 and a repaired and still quite useful Canon 10-22mm f/3.5-5.6).  The lens here is the Canon 24mm f/1.4 Mark I, but these steps should work for almost any lens.

I was also glad that the camera itself wasn’t damaged, of course.

I ordered new filters from KEH and when they arrived, I did the following.  The standard internet “I’m not responsible for anything that goes wrong” disclaimer applies, of course!  If you don’t want to do this yourself, there are shops that will do so for you.

Step 1: Try to unscrew the filter

This is an obvious step, but if you can get the filter off the normal way, by all means try to do so.  If the threads or filter ring is bent, then it will be really hard (and quite damaging) to unscrew the filter as the threads will no longer be able to move in a helical pattern.  It’ll require too much force to turn the filter ring and you will strip the threads of the filter ring or the lens.  This will probably make it hard to use a new filter in the future if you do manage to get the broken one off.

Step 2: Remove the filter glass

Sometimes when the filter shatters, the glass falls out on its own.  In my case, the filter cracked, but not enough for the glass to fall out of the filter ring.  This meant I had to find another way to remove it.  I chose a hacksaw, but I have used a rotary tool (like a dremel) with a cutoff wheel before with good results.

 

The filter ring is made of aluminum and is fairly soft and easy to cut.  I cut a notch in the filter ring til it was near the lens.  The filter is already trashed, so don’t feel bad hacking it to bits.  Just be careful not to damage the lens body or the lens elements.  I chose to use a hacksaw this time because it’d give me a bit more control.

The notch creates a weak point in the ring, and sometimes you can give the filter a twist with a pair of pliers (generally you want to bend it inward, towards the center of the lens and away from the lens threads.  I tried this, but I still had broken glass in the way.  If glass has already come out then you can move on to the next step.

I decided to cut another notch in the filter ring so that I could bend the ring enough to set the shards of glass free.

Eventually, I was able to bend the filter ring at an angle so that it no longer captured the glass.

Step 3: Bend filter ring inward

Bending the filter inward releases the bent portion of the filter ring from the lens filter thread.

I removed two chunks of glass and then used a pair of pliers to bend the filter ring inwards.  It didn’t take much bending for the filter to come out. I didn’t have to even unscrew it.

Step 4: Clean the lens

There will probably be tons of little aluminum filings and pieces of glass on the face of the lens.  I used compressed air to get all of the particles out.  Note: Some say not to do this as it can damage the coating on the lens element surface.  I don’t think this was a problem for me, but you may want to try using a wet tissue instead.

Step 5: Install the new filter

The new filter went on without a problem, which is a good sign – the lens threads were not damaged.  Or at least they weren’t damaged enough for it to be noticeably hard to twist on a new filter.  The previous filter protected my lens the last 4 or 5 years.  I hope this one lasts even longer.

Eat Real Festival 2012 (sans Steer Butchery)

Oh hey!  Last month was Oakland’s annual Eat Real Festival and I returned to take pictures on September 22nd.  I will put up photos from the Flying knives steer butchery competition in a separate post.

Miss Pearl’s Jam House led a demonstration and discussion titled “Water to Table”.  This is a tuna.

Chef Eddie Blyden freaks out a local child with a giant fish:

The festival featured multiple beer pouring stations.  This one featured a refrigerated storage container filled with kegs.  Here, an Eat Real Festival volunteer poses for the camera after completing a pour:

Kids customized t-shirts at the new Kids’ Zone:

5733/LOAKal was there to represent:

Ice cream from Berkeley’s famous Ici, located in the wonderful Elmwood district:

Judges are a little critical of one entry in the Bare Bones BBQ Competition:

Festival-goers season their corn:

Homebrew winner.  Homebrew winner.  Homebrew winner:

Jamboree contest entries featured Ollalie Berry Jam, Tangerine Lemon Jelly, Lemon Orange Marmalade and Kumquat Chutney:

The start of a beautiful thai fruit carving:

Gorgeous autumn sun floods through Jack London Square:

A helper for Jack London Square newcomer, Forge Pizza takes orders:

American flags over Jack London Square:

Ecuador – Galapagos Part 3b

These photos are from day 3 of our Galapagos trip back in June.  I didn’t realize I had more photos from the same day, so here is Part 3b.

In the late afternoon, we made our way back onto Espanola island to see boobies and albatrosses.

It was teeming with life and the sounds of life.. though it was very interesting to me that there was not much biodiversity.  But there were large populations of the few species that was saw.  Or maybe that was just my impression as this was in direct contrast to our experience in the Ecuadorian Amazon – where there is incredible biodiversity but only a small number of each plant or animal in any given area.

We were immediately greeted by boobies.  This male nazca booby was making clicking sounds in an attempt to attract a mate.

after maybe a 10 minute walk, we came upon the breeding area of the waved albatross (Phoebastria irrorata) or the galapagos albatross.

Some of them were nesting, sitting on eggs.

Our guide explained that the albatross is very heavy for a bird and has a giant wingspan, which makes it a super-efficient glider but clumsy when traveling at a low speed.

They spend most of their lives flying, and are generally on land only to breed.

Here’s a photo of some of our tour group who walked ahead while I stared at the giant birds.

The waved albatrosses don’t fly well at low speeds and thus have a hard time landing.  We watched the same birds circle the landing area a number of times and finally make an attempt to land, only to abort the landing at the very last moment.  Here’s one lowering its landing gear:

And this photo shows off their giant wingspan:

It was neat that a bird could look so majestic and goofy at the same time.  We saw a couple of birds perform their complex courtship, which involves a lot of walking in circles and clacking of beaks.  They mate for life.

As we walked back to the dock and boarded our panga, we were treated to a beautiful sunset:

and we had dinner and relaxed.

Eat Real Fest 2010 Part 4

— update: 09/26/12 – I realized that I had never posted these.  From the archives, this is Eat Real Festival 2010.

 

Crowds of people at Eat Real Fest 2010

Flag and palm trees above Jack London Square

eat real festival balloon against the blue skies of oakland: “our pitmaster can smoke your honor student” – Jim N Nick’s BBQ

Jenni and the ever-photogenic Sputnik by Ritual Coffee Roasters:Jenni

The Yedra Brothers win again – at the 2012 Flying Knives Steer Butchery at Eat Real

The Yedra Brothers win for the fourth time in a row at the 2012 Eat Real Festival Flying Knives Steer Butchery.  Oscar Yedra of BN Ranch  shakes hands with Katy Quinn of the Butcher’s Guild after the steer butchery competition is over, with cuts of beef on trays in the background. More to come as I process the photos.  Follow me on twitter or like this site on facebook for updates as I post them.

 

Ecuador – Galapagos Part 3

We got on the boat, had dinner and then went to bed.  The next morning, I woke up for sunrise as the boat was setting anchor near Espanola Island aka Hood Island.

It was about 6:02am when I took this photo.  I was still super sleepy, so I went back to sleep before breakfast.

We had breakfast around 7 and then after getting dressed, took a panga to the beach.

The first steps onto the island at Gardner Bay were pretty amazing.  there were sea lions everywhere and it felt like we were the only humans on the island.  These are Galapagos sea lions (zalophus wollebaeki).

and here is a very curious Galapagos mockingbird (Mimus parvulus.  I am looking up the genus and species of what I have pictures of in hopes that it will help me learn a bit more!).  These little guys are bold and curious and are crazy attracted to water bottles and shiny things and my girlfriend’s thatchy hat.

Sleepy sea lion:

It was very interesting how there were so many sea lions who were not doing very much, but the entire colony was constantly making noise and in motion.

this one looks like it’s about to be rolled over like a bowling pin.

a marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus).  I did not know until seeing the Wikipedia article that marine iguanas are only found on the Galapagos islands.

We walked from the beach to the rocks and saw a galapagos four-eyed blenny (Dialommus fuscus).  These fish can crawl out of the water and spend a decent amount of time  breathing air.

bashful sea lion:

We went back to the boat for lunch and then back to the island for an afternoon walk.

It didn’t take too long for us to be treated to our first blue-footed booby (Sula nebouxii) sighting.  This was probably the animal at the galapagos that I was asked most about before and after the trip.  Wikipedia has taught me the following interesting facts about these boobies:

1) “booby” is derived from “bobo” which means “stupid”, “fool”, or “clown”.  those poor clumsy birds!

2) they eat fish!

3) I was hoping to explain why they have blue feet, but I still don’t know.

there are a few other types of boobies on the Galapagos islands.  These are Nazca boobies (Sula granti) and they are doing a courting dance.   they lay two eggs at once, and the older chick basically kills the younger chick.

we still saw plenty of sea lions on the way back to shore.

Ecuador – Galapagos Part 2

We left Galapagos Safari Camp the next morning.  Here’s another photo of their lovely lodge lobby.

We went to the Charles Darwin Research station at Puerto Ayora to see Lonesome George and to learn about some of the work they are doing.  We ran into this researcher catching butterflies.  We were lucky enough to see Lonesome  George a few weeks before he passed away.

We ate lunch at the Angermeyer Point restaurant.  This one was passed out at the bar by lunchtime:

The nice folks at Galapagos Safari Camp recommended that we try the ice cream at the Galapagos Deli.  Definitely a nice place to visit and have a pre-dinner ice cream.  I liked this guy:

I think we got the coffee ice cream:

 

There were balloons from a celebration the day before:

tony and his car

tony next to his caprice

this is tony next to his bright orange, impressively tricked out chevrolet caprice(?) on mcallister street with the giantest wheels I’ve ever seen on a car.  He stopped to show me its suicide doors.

Tony is probably a San Francisco Giants fan.

tony next to his caprice

 

 

 

Ecuador – Galapagos Part 1

baltra

From Baltra on the island of Santa Cruz, the Galapagos looked completely different than what I’d expected.   I expected a habitat teeming with unique wildlife but saw this instead:

baltra

It was humid and cloudy, but the landscape looked dry.  I was happy to be back at sea-level after spending a day in Quito.  After taking a short ferry ride and hopping in a van, however, the views changed rapidly as we gained elevation on Santa Cruz Island.  Lunch was served at Narwhal Restaurant.  This part of the island was a very lush green – though many of the plants were invasive species that thrived with the lack of adequate competition.

table set for lunch

We eventually headed down to Puerto Ayora to our hotel but first took a walk and water taxi around.

the docks at night in puerto ayora Water taxis at the Puerto Ayora pier.

We walked up Avenida Baltra to check out the town.  I wandered into a recreational center and stumbled across some people playing Ecuavolley .  I would have been intrigued watching a good traditional volleyball game, but this was captivating.  The net is higher and they play with a soccer ball (ouch!).  As a result, there is a lot less hitting and most points result from someone “setting” the ball over the net.  I use quotes because most of the sets would be considered carries in traditional volleyball… but it’s not surprising since they use a much heavier and harder ball.

 

equavolley

 

This kid was running around as we walked back out to the street: running child

 

 

 

The next day, we walked around before rejoining the group.

Here’s a Galapagos brown pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) that was hanging out near the boardwalk.

a galapagos brown pelican

 

We visited Galapagos Safari Camp – where one can stay in an eco-luxury tent if they choose to spend time on land in the Galapagos rather than on a boat.  It’s a beautiful place that was delgihtfully designed and arranged.  Here’s the main dining table in their lobby:

 

galapagos safari camp

 

and one of the tents:

galapagos safari camp tent

 complete with hot shower, air conditioning, and a real flushing toilet.  this is glamping at its best.

 —

We set out to see the giant tortoises that the Galapagos is so well-known for.  Our tour group stopped by a private farm where the giant tortoises are known to hang out.

galapagos tortoise

 we saw three tortoises that day.  Apparently the number that you see can vary from none at all to dozens.

We also stopped into a lava tube.  The one we visited was some of the caves or caverns in the national parks in the US – where people have decided to run electricity in and add steps and railings and so on.  that was fine with me.  Our guide explained that the tubes form when a large river of lava cools and hardens on the outside before the inside can harden.  The lava on the inside eventually vacates the interior of the flow leaving a hollow tube.  I took this photo while looking back at the entrance of the tube:

lava tube

 

Last days in the Ecuadorian Amazon

Carlos weaves palm leaves

Our last two days in the Ecuadorian Amazon consisted of more day and night hikes and canopy tower visits.

Carlos weaves palm leavesCarlos showed us how the woven thatch roofs of the cabins are made.

 

Railing grows a leafI was really surprised to see new growth on branches that had obviously been cut a while back.  This branch was used as a hand-rail but still had a few fresh leaves.  Is it the humidity that permits this?

 

Amazon wood lizard - "Man of the Forest" aka "Sacharuna"I think this is the Amazon Wood Lizard (Enyalioides laticeps) aka aka “”Guichenot’s Dwarf Iguana” aka “Sacha runa”

 

Perhaps the bluntheaded tree snakeI think this was a blunthead tree snake (Imantodes cenchoa)

 

The market in Cocamotorbike at the market in Coca

 

palmetto weevil grubsPalm weevil grubs (rhynchophorus palmarum?) aka Grugru with yucca.  The larvae eat palm hearts.  The grubs were covered with some type of sauce and then grilled.

 

palmetto weevil grubI thought they were kind of gross.  The sauce gave it a sausage-y flavor.  The skin had a sort of tough texture and the inside was kind of mushy.  The head was crunchy.

 

coca colaA photo of Coca Cola stockpiles that I took while waiting for our ride to the airport.

 

schoolgirls in cocaschool girls in Coca

 

2012 Temescal Street Fair Photos

Hannah from Doughnut Dolly

Here are photos from the 2012 Temescal Street Fair that kind of go along with the time lapse:

Hannah from Doughnut Dolly

Hannah from Doughnut Dolly serving up her bread pudding

 

The John Brothers Piano CompanyThe John Brothers Piano Company play on Telegraph Ave

 

The John Brothers Piano Companya duet?

 

Oaklandish trailer

Oaklandish bus.  still trying to get my keep oakland fresh t-shirt.

And now for the dog section of this blog post:

suspicious dog

suspicious dog is sususpicious

where are your eyes dogcurious dog with hidden eyes is curious

 

 

small dog syndrome dog

small dog has small dog syndrome.  except with jason.

This is the part of the blog post where I post pictures of people checking out Jason and Alfie and Lisa’s bikes:

 dude checking out bikes

Is this guy looking at the waterford or the softride beam? (softride only makes trailer hitches and bike rack accessories now? how sad)

 

another dude checking out bikeswhat about this guy?

 

the ecuadorian amazon: an owl, monkeys, piranhas, and a night hike with insects and snakes

atop the wooden tower at sacha lodge

Back to the Ecuador photos from the Ecuadorian Amazon:

atop the wooden tower at sacha lodge

We  climbed the wooden tower at the Sacha Lodge to see more birds and wildlife.  The tower is built around a giant Kapok tree that is teeming with epiphytes, especially at the top.  You spiral around the giant trunk as you climb the tower’s steps.

ruby poison dart frog

Our guide found a ruby poison dart frog (ameerega parvula).  It was seriously impressive how adept he was at finding wildlife.  It’s poisonous enough to kill a bunch of people.

crested owl

A crested owl (lophostrix cristata).  It reminded me of one of those reverse-perspective optical illusions where a face always appears to be staring at you.  The owl would just subtly move its head to look in your direction.

Palm Strings

We took a break for a little demo where Carlos made a string from a palm leaf.

mossy walkway with leafcutter ants

A mossy walkway

leafcutter ants

Leafcutter ants traverse a large exposed root

redeye piranha

We spent an hour in the afternoon fishing.  I was the only person of our group who did not catch a fish.  That’s not to say that there weren’t any fish – there were piranhas everywhere in the water but they cleverly ate the raw chicken off of my hook.  You could feel them bite after less than a second.  I think this was a red-eye piranha (serrasalmus rhombeus).

red howler monkey

 We went out again for an afternoon canoe ride after our little fishing excursion.  This is a female red howler monkey (alouatta) with young attached and what I believe are giant cheek pouches probably full of food.

common squirrel monkey

We continued along our canoe ride and heard a lot of rustling in the trees.  It turns out there was a group of common squirrel monkeys (saimiri sciureus) nearby, moving around and foraging.  We waited in the canoe for maybe half an hour and enjoyed the show.

jumping squirrel monkey

At some point, all of the common squirrel monkeys needed to cross the waterway.  One by one, they jumped across, usually after hesitating for a moment as if they were considering the prospect of falling below.

common squirrel monkeyThis one made it.  They all seemed to be able to jump across pretty well – we didn’t see any monkeys fall but some of them missed their target but were able to grab on to a branch not far below their landing site.

 

locust moltingAfter dinner, we went out with headlamps for a night hike to see the nocturnal creatures.  Here’s a grasshopper/locust that had just finished molting.

 

locust laying eggs

And here’s one laying eggs in a dead branch

glass frog on a pole

I believe this little guy was a glass frog (centrolenidae)

 

bird catching spider

A very large burrowing bird-catching spider (selenotypus plumipes)

 

red vine snakewe didn’t see as many snakes as we’d hoped, but we did see this red vine snake (siphlophis compressus)

 

ecuadorian amazon day 2

kichwa girl

We started the day off with a half-hour motorized canoe ride down the Napo river to check out the Yasuni parrot clay lick.  The parrots apparently lick the clay from the cliffs to reduce the toxicity of some of the seeds that they eat.

parrots fleeing the parrot lick

The parrots (mostly green amazon parrots, with some yell0w-headed and blue-headed parrots as well) were clustered around the licks and hanging out in the trees until something scared them all away

 

the culprit - a short-eared zorroThe culprit – I think this is the short-eared dog (atelocynus microtis) aka the short-eared zorro or short-eared fox looking for a meal.  Apparently it is an elusive canid – many of the other pictures online were triggered by camera traps.

 

kichwa women dancing

Our next stop was to la comunidad anangu kichwa (also Quechua or Quichua in spanish) in the Yasuni National Park.  Our visit started with watching women perform a dance for tourists.  Interesting side note – there is a small movement among Kichwa speakers to change the spelling from Quechua to Kichwa as a political statement against the Spanish language, which was forced upon their ancestors.  Another interesting aside: there is a lot of untapped oil sitting under the reserve.  The Ecuadorian government is seeking some sort of international agreement to be compensated for not drilling in the national park to make up for lost income from the sale of oil.

 

kichwa girlKichwa child watching the ceremony.  We watched demonstrations of trapping and hunting methods and then a short traditional cooking demonstration.  We also tried some Chicha, a drink made of fermented yucca.  We tried some – it tasted slightly sour, not very alcoholic and a little milky, starchy and gritty.

 

pointing out birds from the tower

We returned to Sacha Lodge and climbed the metal canopy tower in the afternoon and looked at birds and monkeys.

 

canopy walk

The bridge between towers

canopy walk

 

sunset above the canopyand the view was amazing

 

into la amazonia – ecuador’s amazon basin

canoe ride

We flew from Quito to Coca (aka Puerto Francisco de Orellana), a small city that serves as a hub for oil companies and tourism activities.  Coca is a 27 minute flight from Quito, and for a while I wondered “Why even fly if it’s such a short trip?”  I learned later that although the distance between the two cities is only about 120 miles as the crow flies, it’s about 180 miles by driving.  The elevation drops from 9350ft to 834ft above sea level and it’s apparently a windy (as in following a curving or twisting course rather than marked by or exposed to strong winds) trip that takes 11 hours by bus.  Our guide also told us that it’s a scary trip.

clouds and water spray over the napo riverClouds.  Our lodge was about a 1.5 hour ride east by motorized canoe on the Napo River, a tributary to the Amazon River.

 

oil trucks on a barge on the napo river

We were never far from oil company influences.  There were many barges with trucks, tankers, and equipment as well as a number of gas flares that we saw along the way.  Apparently the flares (example here) are for burning off the natural gas that comes out of the oil well.  They haven’t built the infrastructure to capture the natural gas, so it is burnt off as waste.  It’s estimated that this type of flaring accounts for 1.2% of worldwide carbon dioxide emissions.  Our guide said that locals do not like the practice as it also attracts and kills native insects and birds that are attracted to the lights.  sadface.

 

hammock at sacha lodge

Our lodge had a back patio with a hammock and chairs.  how nice!

 

mariposario at sacha lodge

blue morpho butterfly chrysalises (chrysalides?)  in the marioposario

 

platform at sacha lodge

The sun deck at sacha lodge

canoe ride

Heading out for an evening canoe ride

 

stars and the milky way

The night was so free of ambient light and the first night so clear that we could see the milky way.

 

tarantula

Tarantula hanging out by the shower window

Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 lens disassembly and repair

I’m in the process of slowly modernizing my website.  This was originally posted on 02.03.07. 

A few months ago, I accidentally dropped my camera with my 10-22mm lens attached.  As I was picking up my camera bag, my camera fell out from about waist height because I hadn’t properly closed my bag. When I picked up my camera, I realized that the lens had sustained the brunt of the impact.  There was obvious mechanical damage and I could see ribbon cable where it shouldn’t have been.

So of course, I had to open it up,  Here are some photos from the disassembly and repair.  Ultimately, the lens had only sustained mechanical damage and I was able to repair it without much difficulty.

The broken lens

After removing the screws of the mount

Partially disassembled

You can see here that all three plastic mounts broke.

The focusing ring


Luckily, all of the broken pieces were still attached to the mounting screws.  I guess thanks go out to Loc-tite for that.

I mixed up some Scotch-Weld and let it set.

After a day or so, I sanded down the creases.  I put everything back together and it works great.

sunrise in quito over plaza de san francisco

sunrise over plaza san francisco

a few shots from a sunrise in quito, ecuador:

sunrise over plaza san francisco

sunrise over la plaza de san francisco as viewed from the luxurious mansion-turned-hotel casa gangotena.  Destroyed by fire in 1914, the mansion was rebuilt in 1926 by the prominent Gangotena family.  The mansion was sold and after a $10 million renovation, reopened in october 2011 as a hotel.

sunrise in the andes

a look to the andean hills/mountains dotted with colorful, boxy buildings

 

sunrise over the domes of la iglesia de la compania de jesussome lens flare as the sun rises over la iglesia de la compañia (the jesuit church: church of the society of jesus)

the fake-tree cell phone tower made me chuckle.

 

hacienda zuleta

hacienda zuleta cordia lutea - yellow geiger tree?

We made a short day visit via congested highways and a bumpy dirt road to Hacienda Zuleta, self-described as a “17th Century Luxury Eco-farm” in northern Ecuador, about 2 hours northeast of Quito.  They grow almost all of the food that they serve, with one exception being rice.   They’ve got a giant worm-composting area for treating compost and manure.

We did not spend more than a few hours here, but it was a beautiful, beautiful place.

dog at hacienda zuletawelcoming dog, on bench

 

hacienda zuleta receptionreally nicely done interiors

 

hacienda zuleta rosesroses everywhere

 

hacienda zuleta geraniumsgeraniums.  I don’t really like geraniums as plants but they worked really well in this bright walkway.

 

hacienda zuleta libraryroses in the library

 

hacienda zuleta

 

hacienda zuleta dogsleeping dog.  look at those paws!

 

hacienda zuleta cordia lutea - yellow geiger tree?I think this is a yellow geiger tree – cordia lutea

 

hacienda zuleta churcha small church

 

 

hacienda zuleta flower

 

hacienda zuleta cheese factory coatsthere is a small cheese factory at hacienda zuleta.  these are labcoats for their tours.  milk is sourced from their own cows and they buy additional milk from local families in the village.

 

bizcocho in cayambeon the way back to Quito, we stopped in Cayambe for bizcocho.  they were buttery and crumbly and more savory than sweet with a hint of anise.

 

bizcocho in cayambebizcochos calientes, as the neon sign indicates

 

ridiculous sunsetas we continued south, we were treated to a ridiculous sunset over the western andes

 

chifa fenix and cayambe

Just got home from Ecuador a few hours ago.  There are many photos to share but here are two from our first full day there:

Chifa Fenix in Cayambe, Ecuador.  An hour or two northest of Quito.  Seeing “Chifa” made me wonder about the origins of that word.  The wikipedia link says that it’s basically Chinese food adapted to Peruvian (or Ecuadorian) ingredients.

 

El Volcan Cayambe – the third highest volcano/mountain in Ecuador at nearly 19,000 feet.  Its last known eruption was in 1785-1786.  The fast-moving clouds broke for just a few seconds.

 

Photos: The Grand Cru ride to Petaluma, Lagunitas Brewing, and the Willowbrook Ale House

We recently rode in our second two-day Grand Cru ride from San Francisco to Petaluma and back to visit Lagunitas Brewing and other breweries along the way.

We rode out from the Embarcadero through North Beach towards the Golden Gate Bridge loaded with supplies and camping gear.

 

 

The obligatory shot of the Golden Gate Bridge from Chrissy Fields

 

Our first stop was Iron Springs Pub and Brewery in Fairfax.  I had a Kent Lake Kolsch.  I was a little surprised to not receive it in a Kolsch glass.. but getting it this way probably meant more beer for me.

 

A flight of beers from Iron Springs

 

We rode off from Fairfax, to climb White Hill

 

Then we rode through Nicasio.  Beautiful green hills, blue skies and cows.

 

The group, riding along Nicasio Valley Rd

 

It’s It at the Cheese Factory.  I was looking forward it all morning.

 

Rolling out after a short ice cream break

 

Petaluma – The Willowbrook Ale House.  Had a really good burger lately? … With fries?

 

We saw the remnants of a police chase and car crash from our campground.

 

We headed to Lagunitas Brewing and got a flight.

 

At the bottom of the glass: “BEER SPEAKS”

 

This dude had a 4 wolf moon t-shirt.  And a 3-wolf belt buckle.

 

A great burger… with fries!  I wasn’t even hungry.  I just got it because I had to.

 

This is Bud, rocking the mic.

 

Poor Eric – his tent was broken.  Looked more like a bivy.

 

Dog outside of the bathroom

 

Aeropress coffee with Scarlett City Roasting beans.  We had the Nicaragua Los Papales.  (It was fine as a strong aeropress brew but at home, I find the beans to be slightly boring.)

 

We had brunch at Henny Penny’s before heading back south to San Francisco.  In searching for information about this place online, I learned that in 2003, the owner of the restaurant was robbed in his home and died of a heart attack during the robbery.  9 of the 10 suspects in the robbery have been arrested..

 

Back to lighter stuff – this chili pepper sauce has the YouTube logo on it.  I don’t know why.  Apparently they have a lot of YouTube videos, including this one that ends with 1) a guy spinning a box of hot sauce bottles 2) a different guy kissing a hot sauce bottle

 

We all headed south to Novato to stop by Moylan’s Brewery.  Most of the group stayed there and then stopped by Marin Brewing before catching the ferry back to San Francisco.  We elected to ride all the way back to the city.  Once we got back, we rewarded ourselves with a burger and onion rings at Gott’s.  and a white pistachio shake.

 

Bread and dough troubleshooting guide and table

Here's a bread and dough (works for pizza dough too) troubleshooting guide, culled from a variety of sources.  I hope to continually update this as I learn more in my quest to make great artisan bread.

Category Amount Effects More information
kneading under-kneading Dough is floppy and loose, tears easily, looks shaggy. Lack of oven-rise, dense texture.  Gluten has not become elastic enough.  Windowpane test fails because the dough doesn't have the strength to stay together. http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/tips-techniques/bread-baking-clinic-underkneading-overkneading-157484
kneading adequate kneading Dough is elastic but not too tight.  Windowpane test success - you can stretch a small portion of the dough thin enough so that you can almost see through it, like a translucent window. http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/tips-techniques/bread-baking-clinic-underkneading-overkneading-157484
kneading over-kneading Dough is dense and tough and tears easily.  The gluten is so tight that it has little give.  Windowpane test fails because you have to pull so hard you tear the dough. http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/tips-techniques/bread-baking-clinic-underkneading-overkneading-157484
hydration ratio (aka water to flour ratio, or baker's percentage) low hydration (<60% or so)not enough water! Dough is crumby, craggy, and really hard to work with.  It doesn't stick together when you work with it.  When baked, small, tightly-formed cells in crumb.  This may be desirable in some cases, such as for bagels.  Add more water to fix this.  My own hydration experiment for bagels
hydration ratio (aka water to flour ratio, or baker's percentage) medium hydration Dough is easy to work with but not too sticky.  Note: Some flours, like rye flour, are just sticky by nature.  
hydration ratio (aka water to flour ratio, or baker's percentage) high hydration (>70% or so)too much water! Dough is floppy and sticky and hard to shape.  Large holes will appear in bread when baked (if they don't collapse).  The bread won't rise as much because it will be weaker.  Some breads are supposed to be high hydration - like ciabatta. http://www.pizzamaking.com/pizza_glossary.htmlhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W580u--9poM
rise too little Fails poke test - poke the bread with two fingers.  If the bread rebounds to its original shape then the dough is still too firm.  The bread will be dense and "doughy" - it will smell and tastes like dough.  The loaf will have a light or greyish crust - no Malliard reaction (browning of sugars) occurs because the flour hasn't been broken down.  To fix, make sure the yeast you've used is active and/or let the bread rise for longer or increase the rise temperature (optimal temperature is about 100-110F.  Too much heat will kill your yeast!)  http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/21628/finger-poke-test-problem
rise just right Passes poke test.  If the hole from the poke rebounds part of the way then proofing is just right.  
rise too much Fails poke test - (the hole does not rebound at all.)  Dough collapses on itself.  There's so much air in the loaf that it cannot hold its weight.  
baking temperature low Lower baking temperatures generally make softer and thinner crusts.  
baking temperature medium Somewhere in between.  
baking temperature hot Higher temperatures generally make crustier loaves.  This means darker and thicker crusts.  Note: to really promote a thick, chewy crust, bake in a dutch oven.  This traps steam near the loaf, which delays crust formation and allows it to get thicker.
salt none or not enough The loaf may look good but it'll taste like cardboard.  It's surprising how much salt enhances the flavor of the bread.  If you realize you've forgotten before you bake, you may be able to make a salty paste and spread it onto the dough while you stretch and fold.  
salt just right The general rule of thumb is to use 2% (baker's percent) salt.  That's 20 grams for each 1000 grams of flour.  Encyclopizza, chapter 4
salt too much Too much salt can inhibit yeast fermentation and may be too salty to taste.  
bake time too short Light crust, doughy and gummy interior.  
bake time just right Bread sounds hollow if you knock it on the bottom.  Nicely browned crust.  The internal temperature will be about 190-210F.  
bake time too long Longer baking times mean a darker crust and a firmer and dryer crumb.  Too much bake time = burny.  
gluten too little Low-gluten breads will not rise well.  The bread won't have the strength to expand when the yeast creates carbon dioxide.  The dough won't stretch well.  
gluten just right Stretchy enough to hold CO2 bubbles without being too taut  
gluten too much If there is too much gluten, the bread won’t be able to expand because the dough will be too tight. The bread will be really chewy and rubbery.  
yeast too little Dough rises really really slowly or not at all.  Your loaf will be dense.  In extreme cases, it'll feel like a brick or a stone.  And the inside will be gross and barely edible. With artisan sourdough breads, this can happen if your starter has died or if you haven't adequately refreshed it.  
yeast just right (1-2% by weight)  http://www.wildyeastblog.com/2008/03/26/bakers-percentage-2/
yeast too much The dough can rise too quickly and collapse back upon itself  

// Have questions?  Share them in the comments below.

The last of the Portland photos: Voodoo Donuts, Stumptown Coffee

From another day walking around Northwest:

At Voodoo Doughnuts.  They’ve got a large menu.  It’s so hard to decide.

There’s a mango tango, an old dirty bastard, a portland cream, and an old fashioned glazed.

 

Cappuccino and a shot of espresso from Stumptown coffee

 

We stopped by the Saturday winter farmer’s market at Shemanski park to meet some friends.  there were lots of colorful carrots including these white “creme de lite” carrots.

 

American Dream Bingo in the NW Pearl District.  “Dream More”

Upside down bicycle route sign

A beer at Deschutes Brewery.  I don’t remember which one :(

We ran into some folks on a Brewcycle Portland tour at Deschutes.  Andrea guides this 15-person Crawler Fabrications vehicle between breweries for weekday and weekend mini-tours.

US BanCorp Tower

This is an old Gary Fisher Hoo Koo E Koo bike hooked up to a mill to grind flour at the Portland Homestead Supply Company in the Sellwood district in Southeast Portland.  It still has front fenders and a back rack.

A neat mosaic-y use of reflective tape on the fender and the rim and spokes

A shot of espresso from Blue Kangaroo Coffee Roasters.   I think I had found a recommendation to visit them from chow.com.  It was a decent cafe but I was disappointed with the shot.   The one from stumptown above puts it to shame.

Tilde had some neat items, really nice people, a great window display (shown above) and some beautiful art on the walls.  I was really impressed by Marnie Karger’s hand-cut work that she sells under the named “Crafterall”.

A house in sellwood

We took a little trip to Dairy Creek to finish off the evening.  Here are the pool cues and some of the many beer signs at the dairy creek tavern.

Photos and commentary: Oakland Marathon 2012

I haven’t put as many running (or cycling) miles in this year compared to last, but I was still excited to check out the runners at this year’s Oakland Marathon.  My girlfriend and I got up early to head over to College Avenue in Rockridge and see the runners between miles 5 and 6.

The weather forecasts were calling for rain, but as we parked our bikes the sun was starting to shine through the clouds over the Oakland hills.  The pavement was wet from last night but it was starting to dry.

We had a few minutes to spare and stood around watching volunteers direct traffic and the TranSports crew set up their water station.  A lot of drivers were confused by the road closures and some tried to get onto the course to get to where they were going.  Perhaps there should be more signage next year for drivers?

 

The marathon started with the police motorcycle

 

 

The results aren’t yet available off of active.com as of 1:16pm (“We are experiencing higher than normal volume and are therefore unable to process your request at this time.” ) today but this was the 1st place runner and eventual winner Chris Mocko from San Francisco at the mile 5 mark.  He finished with a time of 2:28:09, setting an event record.

 

1st place winner Chris was decked out in New Balance gear – as part of the New Balance Silicon Valley team.

 

Here’s the 2nd place runner, Oaklander Phillip Shaw at mile 5.  Most of the runners had serious looks on their faces.  I know it’s hard for me to smile when I’m devoting all of my energy to placing one foot in front of the other.  This guy broke a smile as we cheered him on.  He was dressed in Brooks gear.  He finished 2nd with a time of 2:37:13.  (I hope he wore some Glide or some Vaseline or something.   Or maybe it’s a non chafey-shirt?)

 

Tony Torres of Cedar Glen finished 4th last year and was in 3rd place at this point.  Nike representing here.  He went on to finish the race in 3rd place with a time of 2:38:05.

 

This pair was in 4th and 5th place at this point.  Steven Moreno (#773) eventually pulled away to capture 4th place with a time of 2:41:18.  Christopher Gurney finished 5th with a time of 2:43:29.  Both of the guys are also from Oakland.

 

The 6th place male runner at mile 5 for this year’s 2012 Oakland Full Marathon.  Andrew Willis, of San Jose, finished in 14th place at 3:02:48.

 

This guy was the first place relay member at mile 5.  Their team, “Wild Dogs”, went on to win the relay with a finishing time of 2:29:57.

 

The 2nd place relay team at mile 5.  Their team, “Three Men and a Kid”, finished 2nd with a time of 2:46:17.

 

A guy on a hand powered bike with the GoPro hero in front.

 

This is Anna Bretan, who won the 2011 Oakland Marathon in her first ever marathon.  It looks like she won again with a time of 2:57:33.  The Oakland Raiders (@RAIDERS) posted a picture of her crossing the finish line here, and as appropriately stated by twitter user @elcush, Anna gave birth 6 weeks ago.  Insane.  According to SFGate: “She ran 40-mile weeks right until she gave birth, and did an easy five-mile job on the same day her baby, Tatum, was born. Within a week, she was back to heavy training.”

 

1st place female finisher Anna Bretan and other runner in front of Miam Miam


This is a photo of the 2nd and 3rd place female runners at mile 5.  Runner #694, Penny MacPhail of San Anselmo, finished 3rd with a time of 3:12:18.  Claudette Augert (#139) of Edmonton, Alberta, finished 6th with a time of 3:20:47.

 

And the 4th place female runner at mile 5.  Monica Zhuang caught up a bit and finished the race in 2nd place with a time of 3:06:17.

 

Once the super-speedy runners had passed, the race pack thickened up.  Here is a group of slightly-less speedy-but-still-fast runners heading up the 3:10 pace group.

 

I dislike GEICO but I do like the Oakland Marathon Pacers!

 

Here’s the 3:20 pace group.

 

And here’s a guy running in his Hawaiian shirt.  I think he did the same last year.

 

The Oakland Marathon was definitely no Bay to Breakers, but there were some people who had interesting outfits.  This guy wins for the most color-coordinated.  Pink shirt, pink gloves, pink fanny pack, pink socks and pink shoes.  And check out all of those Gu/Clif Shot/Powergel packets.

 

This guy wins for best beard.  (This is Sam, co-owner of Brazen Racing.  Thanks, Pete!)

 

This was the first barefoot runner that we saw.  Good job, guy!

 

This woman was rocking her I hella heart Oakland shirt.

 

This woman was running with a birthday sash and hat and accompanying runner with a sign.  Happy 30th, Monica!

 

“I’m running 30 miles for my 30th birthday” – that is awesome.  I wonder if she tacked on the extra 4 before or after the race.

 

Runner in a tutu.

 

Relay runner with butterfly wings.

 

A course high-five.  What is especially cool is that this guy ran the marathon in a disposable lab coat.

 

This guy ran in a feathered hat and bolo tie.

 

This looks like a father and daughter team.

 

The 5:00 pace group.  Yay pacers!

 

The Praying Runner.  He handed out a rose at each of the 26 miles and was running to support women with breast cancer.

 

The sign at the College Avenue Presbyterian Church.  “WELCOME TO MILE 5.6 OF THE OAKLAND MARATHON”

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Creators Project: San Francisco

photos from the creators project on saturday, march 17th at fort mason in san francisco:

 

the treachery of sanctuary by chris milk

 

using projectors, xbox 360 kinects, a pool of water for reflection, and a lot of software

 

shabazz palaces

 

RGB lighting faded between colors against the walls of the herbst pavilion and the festival pavilion

 

Origin by United visual artists – a giant immersive cube with 3d LED animations

 

Origin by United visual artists

 

Courier Coffee Roasters, Portland OR

We visited Portland, Oregon a few weeks ago to spend some time with family.   We spent some time walking around downtown in southwest Portland and eventually stopped into Courier Coffee for a break and some caffeine after missing out on Spella Caffe by just a few minutes.  Next time.

Courier Coffee roasts their coffee in Southeast Portland and deliver their coffee by bike.

Latte art with a tulip-shaped rosetta.

The barista and other customers were really friendly and the coffee was great.  No regrets in coming here instead of Spella at all.

 

My shot of espresso.

 

Eating About Beer 2012 Homebrew Dinner

January’s 2012 Homebrew Dinner hosted by Eating About Beer was another great evening of good food, good brews and good company.

I arrived early to take photos of the set-up.  Erin’s place in San Francisco had beautiful natural light and nice floral arrangements.

 

 

 

And a big dictionary.

 

Dishwashing, viewed through the window into the laundry room.

 

This sauce was for the Yakitori

 

There is an equal amount of beer in bottles and in kegs these days

 

homemade pickled mangoes

 

and carrots

 

They have a lever that opens the front door.  What are these called?  The internet isn’t helping me.

 

Yakitori and dipping sauce.  Chicken hearts and “regular” chicken too.

 

Cast iron coming out of the oven

 

Guests await more food and beer

 

Seitan

 

“Inside-out stuffed duck”  – Ground duck wrapped in dressing with a cherry molasses reduction.

 

9Sev Brew – Born in Maine Brewed in  Cali.  This pumpkin spice ale was paired with the inside-out stuffed duck above.

 

Ginger cake with a poached pear and whipped cream.

 

The chefs and brewers came out at the end for a toast.

 

Tour de Biere 2012

Here are a few pictures taken during Tour de Biere 2012, a ride we put together via The Grand Cru that raised money for the East Bay Bicycle Coalition and visited multiple East Bay breweries.  There aren’t bikes in these; they’re from our ride up Market St in Oakland.  I’ve posted pictures of the bikes, beer, and riders on this Grand Cru page.

 

 

The Boys and Girls Club of Oakland

 

El Taco Panzon Taqueria in West Oakland.  They are no longer open.  Yelp reviews are here.

 

New York: Culture Espresso Bar and downtown

Last month, we visited Culture Espresso Bar at 72 W 38th St.  Their website doesn’t match up to the vibe inside – it’s a pretty classy place.

 

I got the usual shot of espresso.  I think they were pulling shots from an Intelligentsia Black Cat blend.

 

a macchiato to go along

 We walked downtown via the High Line:

A couple sitting at the High Line

 

 

and walked back uptown through the financial district.  This is the 1-million square foot Manhattan Municipal Building.  Built from 1909-1914.

 

new york: night shots and night cyclists

I walked around and took photos. (what else is new?)

love the soho billiards sign.

 

Aether put together a nice little popup store with a tent and an airstream trailer.  Nice looking gear.. a little pricey of course.  (I love the photos on their main website)

 

riding north on mulberry st. with a bag in hand.

 

St. Patrick’s old cathedral is an impressive structure

 

another new york night cycling photo.

 

and another.  helmets wearers seem to be in the minority.

 

Christmas 2011

On  Houston St.    Some power-drill stealing grinch must have been running around.  (sadface)

 

best cross-stitch iphone case ever

 

Cafe Grumpy and Spot Dessert Bar

Food shots:

Espresso from Cafe Grumpy in Chelsea.  Mellow.

 

Dessert from the Spot Dessert Bar in the East Village.  This was the Yuzu Eskimo – Blackberries, raspberry foam, chocolate pearls, oreo soil and chocolate ganache.

It was a neat combination of flavors.  The most interesting was the Yuzu – a Japanese citrus fruit.  It had a very interesting tart herbal flavor.  The raspberry foam was very tart as well and predictably light.  The oreo “soil” was delicious as I love oreo cookies and the chocolate was yummy as well.

 

I can’t remember what my friend Diane got.  I think this was the White Miso Semifreddo with berries, olive oil, and raspberry sorbet with an almond tuile.

 

Brooklyn shots

I wandered around Williamsburg for an afternoon.

 

 

sad christmas trees.

 

sad “no bikes” sign.  or awesome “no bikes” sign.

 

pigeons over bedford ave.

 

And a skateboarder

 

philadelphia in the morning; espresso at la colombe

I spent a few hours in Philly just before Christmas before catching a greyhound bus to New York.

 

Chinatown arch at twilight

 

reading terminal market with a sign for old city coffee

 I walked by old city coffee, but I wanted coffee at la colombe.

Espresso at the Dilworth Plaza La Colombe.  I was surprised that they offer both single and doubles – I got a single.  It tasted of a pretty dark roast with not as much flavor as I am snobbily accustomed to.

 

nice interior, though not particularly unique.  I was happy to just be enjoying a moment in Philly.

 

City hall and William Penn’s backside.  This was the world’s tallest building for 7 years from 1901 to 1908!

 

Another side of the Reading Terminal Market

 

Happy 2012!

We rang in the new year with liege-style waffles made using a modified One Perfect Bite recipe.   I used less yeast, less butter, and less milk to make a thicker, chewier, breadier waffle.  Yum!

 

north face endurance challenge – San Francisco (marin headlands, really) half marathon photos

I ran the North Face Endurance Challenge san francisco half marathon a few weeks ago, and brought my iPhone with me to take some photos.  The race was staged in the gorgeous Marin Headlands.

This was around mile 1 or less.  The sun was still low in the sky, it was still chilly, and I felt fresh.

 

Around mile 1.5?

 

 

Tennesee Valley trail

 

The turn up the coastal trail for the 2nd major climb

 

First glimpse of the Pacific Ocean

 

Pretty steep pitch.  Pretty even mix of runners and walkers up the hill.

 

 

A few people had stopped here to enjoy the view.  This wasn’t quite the summit.

 

It was somewhere up there..

 

Another view of the ocean

 

The descent down Fox trail was just as steep.  Definitely hard to run down in a controlled manner.  I didn’t.

 

The Marincello climb was the start of the 3rd and final major climb.

 I was predictably exhausted at the end of the race but I’m happy with how I paced myself.  I went out a little less conservatively than I had planned but I was probably being a little overconservative.  And the race-day excitement gives you a little boost of energy.

a hike near issaquah

I don’t remember which Washington state park we went to, but we hiked through some gorgeous trails.

moss-covered branches

 

evergreens and yellow deciduous leaves

 

downstream from the waterfall

 

waterfall viewing bridge

 

yellow leaves

 

another mossy branch

 

 

 

 

fall foliage from seattle

We had a lovely walk through Kubota Garden on a slightly overcast day.

 

burning bush

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This last picture isn’t from Kubota Garden but I had to throw it in.  It’s from a walk along Beacon Hill.  The tree was glowing so brightly.

 

 

differences between a few nike running shoes

Nike free 3.0 photo by flickr user edtrigger

I found myself looking for running shoes and found myself a little overwhelmed by all of the choices out there.  My goal was to find a semi-minimalist shoe – basically a cross between a flat, minimal shoe with no heel-toe drop (difference in height between the heel and the toe) and a traditional running shoe that typically has a bunch of heel cushioning. I realize that the minimal shoes are already a cross between shoes and barefoot running, but my legs and calves aren’t quite ready for that yet.

I focused solely on Nike shoes.  Nike’s website, while pretty, sucks for obtaining any technical information.  Luckily, Running Warehouse has a lot of good information.   They have a neat shoe fit predictor (“shoefitr”) and good information about the amount of support running shoes provide as well as measurements of heel to toe drop.

Nike Free series:

I like the Nike Free series because they allow your foot to flex naturally, which allows you to build up strength in your foot muscles when training.  There are a ton of different variations out there and it’s hard to tell what the differences are.

  • Nike Free 3.0 – most barefoot-like with a super flexy sole
  • Nike Free 4.0 – a little more support, this is in between the 3.0 and the 5.0.
  • Nike Free 5.0 – flexy sole like the 3.0 but with about 4mm more cushioning throughout. This is ideal for runners new to the “Free” series.

Nike Free Run+ by flickr user Yoshihuang

Anything with “TR” in the model name is for cross training.  This isn’t always obvious.  There’s also a Nike Free Walk walking shoe. The Nike Free Xilla is a cross training shoe. I don’t know what the Nike Free Waffle AC is exactly other than it uses the Nike Free sole with an old school upper. I think it’d function as more of a cross training shoe.  There are other versions, such as the N7 and Livestrong which are pretty much the same shoes with different colorways.

Nike Flex series:

What’s the difference between the Nike Free and the Nike Flex series of shoes?  The stack height of the Flex looks higher, and also, there appears to be a larger heel to toe drop.   It appears that the Nike Flex shoes are more flexible than a traditional shoe, but not as “free” as a Nike Free.  So if you are considering a Nike Flex and a Nike Free and want a bit more support, then I would go with the Nike Flex.  If you are looking for something closer to minimal, go with the Nike Free.

Nike Lunar series (and others):

The Nike Lunar series contains more lightweight cushioning than most of their other shoes.  I did a lot of research on the Nike Lunar series (I purposely focused mostly on these to make my decision easier) and here’s what I’ve found for heel-toe drop.  Once again, Running Warehouse was a great resource.  Since creating the original table, I’ve added the heel-toe drop numbers for New Balance and Brooks shoes for comparison.

Ok, this is only sort of related, but what does the “MSL” in a Nike shoe name mean?

MSL stands for “Mesh/Synthetic Leather” upper.  I got that straight from Nike’s customer support.

Heel-Toe drop table:

Brand/ModelHeel HeightToe HeightHeel to Toe DropImage and notes - Clicking on name or image opens Amazon link.
Nike Lunar Racer27mm21mm6mm~~Image via Amazon~~~~I bought a pair of these.  Sort of.  They were actually the Nike Lunar Vengeance which has the same sole but a different upper.  They are ok - I think I bought half a size too small and my forefoot feels a little cramped.  They have a firmer feel (less flexible sole) than the Nike Free.
Altra Instinct16mm16mm0mm'~~I just bought a pair of these.  They are being phased out for the newer models so there may not be a lot of availability.  First impressions: these shoes are pretty damn ugly.  They look goofy on my feet.  But they feel pretty good.  The build quality and finish of the Altra Instinct doesn''t seem to be up to that of other running shoes that I wear but I like the fit.  The roomy toe box is wonderful for my wide feet, and I was happy with the level of cushioning.  I started forefoot running almost two years ago, but in the 10mm drop Nike Lunar Fly or the 6mm (I think?) drop Nike Free 5.0s.  Not wanting to have sore calves for a week, I cut my first run short after 2 miles or so to ease into these shoes.  So far, so good.  This model has since been replaced by the Instinct 1.5.'
Altra Instinct 3.017mm17mm0mm~~Image via Amazon. No offense to Altra, I like their shoes but wish they looked better.
Brooks PureConnect20mm15mm5mm.
Brooks PureConnect 420mm16mm4mm~~Image via Amazon
New Balance Minimus 10 MR1019mm15mm4mm~~Image via Amazon
New Balance Minimus MR0012mm12mm0mm~~Image via Amazon
New Balance Minimus MR00 v211mm11mm0mm~~Image via Amazon
New Balance Minimus Trail MT1015mm11mm4mm~~Image via Amazon
New Balance Minimus Trail MT10 v316mm12mm4mm~~Image via Amazon
New Balance Minimus Zero Trail MT0012mm12mm0mm~~Image via Amazon
New Balance NB 101 Trail26mm16mm10mm~~Image via Amazon
New Balance NB M140021mm11mm10mm.
New Balance NB M1400 v323mm13mm10mm~~Image via Amazon
Nike Air Max+ 201334mm20mm14mm~~(traditional running shoe for reference)~~~~Image via Amazon
Nike Air Max+ 201534mm22mm12mm~~Image via Amazon
Nike Air Pegasus33mm21mm10mm~~(traditional running shoe for reference)~~~~Image via Amazon
Nike Flex Run????7mm~~Image via Amazon
Nike Flyknit Lunar1+26mm16mm10mm~~Image via Amazon
Nike Flyknit+ Volt23mm14mm9mm~~Image via Amazon~~This looks to have a Free 5.0 style sole for flexibility.
Nike Free 3.0 v421mm14mm7mm~~Image via Amazon
Nike Free 3.0 v521mm17mm4mm~~Image via Amazon
Nike Free 4.0 flyknit24mm18mm6mm~~Image via Amazon
Nike Free 4.0 Flyknit20mm14mm6mm~~Image via Amazon
Nike Free 4.0 v222mm16mm6mm~~Image via Amazon
'Nike Free 5.0 ''14 '21mm14mm7mm
'Nike Free 5.0 ''15 '23mm15mm8mm~~Image via Amazon
Nike Free Run+25mm18mm7mm~~Image via Amazon
Nike Lunar Spider22mm16mm6mm~~Image via Amazon
Nike LunarEclipse (Nike Lunar Eclipse)30mm18mm12mm~~Image via Amazon
Nike LunarElite (Nike Lunar Elite)31mm20mm11mm~~Image via Amazon
Nike Lunarfly (Nike Lunar Fly)29mm19mm10mm~~Image via Amazon~~~~I bought a pair of these also.  These have been my main running shoe for a while.  The heel feels giant but it is still possible to run with a forefoot strike with these shoes.  I have to admit that the cushioning feels nice and the shoe is more comfortable to run in than my Nike Frees or my Nike Lunar Racer/Vengeance.
Nike Lunarglide (Nike Lunar Glide)30mm18mm12mm~~has more pronation support~~~~Image via Amazon
Nike Lunarswift (Nike Lunar Swift)26mm16mm10mm~~has more pronation support (which I did not want)~~Image via Amazon
'Nike Men''s Lunarspeed Lite+'28mm18mm10mm~~Image via Amazon
Nike Zoom Elite+ 627mm18mm9mm~~ (traditional running shoe for reference)~~~~Image via Amazon
Nike Zoom Elite+ 725mm18mm7mm~~ (traditional running shoe for reference)~~~~Image via Amazon
Nike Zoom Elite+ 827mm19mm8mm~~(traditional running shoe for reference)~~~~Image via Amazon
Nike Tanjun???
Nike Revolution 5 FlyEase24.5mm14.5mm10mm
Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 38??10mm
Nike ZoomX Vaporfly Next% 2??8mm

 

don’t see what you’re looking for here? leave a comment at the bottom of the page and I’ll try to add it. thanks.


 


west seattle

 

I’m slowly trying to get back into the posting mood – for a while I didn’t have much desire.  Here are some shots from a lovely day in West Seattle.  Sunshine and beautiful autumn leaves.

 

 

 

 

Where are bikes stolen? Neighborhoods and cities where bikes are reported as being stolen from on Craigslist

Scroll down for bigger images and an explanation.

 

Update: Links in the Huffington Post, SF Gate, Mission Mission, The Tender and Mission Loc@l.

This is part 2 of an analysis of postings reporting stolen bikes on Craigslist.  Part 1 is here.

Bike theft sucks.  What can we learn about it?

Bike theft sucks.  If your bike is stolen, not only will you have lost a fairly significant possession, but there’s a good chance you’ll be stranded or stuck if you use your bike as a mode of transportation.  (If you’re looking for tips on how to avoid having your bike stolen, try the San Francisco Bike Coalition’s page on theft prevention.)

I was curious about how bike thefts occur and what kind of patterns there were in bike theft incidents.  To do this, I turned to Craigslist, where occasionally while looking through listings for used bikes, I’d stumble upon a post where someone would plead for their bike to be found and returned.  Or I’d see a post where someone would promise revenge if the thief is ever found on their bike.  So, to get a better idea of what was happening with stolen bikes and Craigslist, I gathered some data.

Gathering and processing data

I archived San Francisco Craigslist listings from July 2nd, 2011 til October 17th, 2011 in the “bicycles” section with “stolen” in the title. This includes listings all over the Bay Area – San Jose, Mountain View, Oakland, Berkeley, San Leandro, Santa Cruz and so on.  This is only about 3 months of data, but I think it’s fairly representative.

The first part of my analysis was a simple graph with word counts for an aggregate of the postings.   It showed that there was a tendency for people to post about bikes (obviously) with pleas for help.  Shimano components and Specialized bikes dominated the listings.  Black was the most popular color in the posts.

I was also curious about the geographical distribution of stolen bikes.  If you were to park your bike somewhere, in which neighborhood is it more likely to be stolen?  Which city has more stolen bikes?  I took the big group of postings and converted the data format to a spreadsheet and then used software to make a treemap and then manually cleaned up the graphic and tried to make it a little prettier.    (If you care for details: I created a Google Reader feed back in July, exported the feed to XML, cleaned up the data and exported to CSV using Google Refine, then used R and the map.market function in the portfolio package to create an image.  I then used Adobe Illustrator to make things a bit more attractive and readable.  Flowing Data’sAn Easy Way to Make a Treemap” was very helpful in this process.  If I had known how to code in R better, I would probably have tried to modify map.market to create a more refined treemap and remove some of the manual steps.)

Above: Google Refine converted postings into a tabular format.

I settled on a treemap as a format to display the data, but I think a geographical map would have been the best way to represent the data.  I guess I just wasn’t up for tracing neighborhood boundaries and all of the other associated work.

I should also note that going through the listings made me kind of sad.  Bike thieves suck.

How good is the data?  Can it be refined?

Analyzing Craigslist postings isn’t a perfect way to determine where bikes are stolen.  There are a few registries out there that may have some good data.  I was curious about Craigslist postings specifically since I had stumbled across so many while shopping around for bikes for myself.

So, for a point of data from Craigslist to show up correctly in this analysis, someone who had their bike stolen would need to:

1) report a missing bike as stolen on Craigslist

2) identify the neighborhood where the bike was stolen in the posting properly

There were 633 postings in total with the word “stolen” in the title.  It seems that most people do 2) pretty well.  Only about 9% (59 of 633) of the  postings did not have an actual location in the title.  I don’t know how many people who have had their bikes stolen actually post on Craigslist and report their bikes as stolen.  I’m pretty sure it’s not all people.

Duplicates were removed

Some people are really good at posting on Craigslist though.  They posted multiple times.  This is totally understandable for someone who wants to get their bike back.  I used Google Refine to remove these duplicates so that they would not skew the data, but I probably ended up removing some unique posts in the process.  All in all, 64/633 were removed because they were duplicates.

“Stolen” is a bike company name

There’s a company that builds BMX bikes that is named “Stolen.”  I removed some, but I think about 19/633 made it into the infographics that weren’t actually stolen.  In an interesting ironic twist,  1 posting was for a stolen “Stolen” brand BMX bike.

The way people post locations can vary

Since anyone can post almost whatever they want on Craigslist, the data was pretty messy.  Craigslist has created a bunch of predefined neighborhoods such as the “Mission District” and “Hayes Valley,” but sometimes people don’t stick to the naming convention.  Sometimes people are ambiguous with neighborhood names and post “Mission” instead of the “Mission District.”  Some other people are much more specific – they post “Near Mission Cliffs” or a specific intersection like “Stockton and North Point.”  For the most part, I didn’t convert these to their applicable neighborhoods unless the poster’s intent was obvious, like with typos, for example.

Some people did not include a location or included not very useful but understandably frustrated-sounding “locations” such as, “you tell me” and “can you find it?”  Other locations contained text like, “United States” and “The Bay Area.”  I grouped these ambiguous “locations” into their own category.  They are still included in the infographics below.

Also, some listings contained locations covered by other local Craigslist websites.  “Sacramento,” for example, has its own Craigslist page, but a posting was still filed under the San Francisco Bay Area Craigslist page.

Good Samaritans also post

There were some postings from people who saw or purchased possibly stolen bikes and were trying to reunite them with their owner.  (The Laney College Flea Market in Oakland is a good place to find your bike if it’s been stolen, by the way.) This is good for the world, but it clouded the data set just a little bit.  I don’t know exactly how many postings were of this type but it was not too large of a number.  I’d estimate about 5% of postings were from good Samaritans.

Where does bike theft occur?

So, with all of that out of the way, here are the infographics with treemaps.   The size of a rectangle is proportional to the number of occurrences for that location.  Larger rectangles mean more bikes were reported as stolen, and smaller rectangles mean the opposite.

The first infographic is a treemap, with postings separated by city:

Interestingly, nearly half of the stolen bike postings were from San Francisco.  I expected to see more theft in Oakland and Berkeley.  It’s also surprising that there was only 1 reported theft in Emeryville.  Is it because Emeryville is that much smaller?  Are there not many cyclists there?

Workflow note: I made this treemap manually in Illustrator based on the neighborhood map below.  Open the image in a new window to view at full resolution.

Which neighborhoods?

This second infographic is also a treemap, but with areas divided by cities and neighborhoods.  You’ll notice that they are color coded with the same hue as in the above city infographic.

Holy crap, there are a lot of neighborhoods.  The Mission district wins for being the neighborhood with the most stolen bike listings.  In Oakland, the largest chunk of thefts occurred by the Lake.  There’s a pretty large number of stolen bikes in Santa Cruz and Berkeley, probably due to high bike usage by college students and perhaps naïveté with regards to bike locking strategies.  Strangely, there aren’t a lot of listings from Palo Alto or Stanford.  Is there less theft there or do people just not look to Craigslist when trying to recover their bike?

What’s next?

I like how they turned out, but making these damned infographics took a lot of time.  I think there’s still some interesting stuff to get out of the dataset.  I’m curious about how bikes are stolen.  Did somebody cut through a lock?  Did they break into an apartment?  Did somebody just lean their bike and then look away for a few seconds?  I’ll try to find that out next.

– Phillip Yip

 

 

Photos of the Eating About Beer Summer homebrew potluck in Humanist Halll

This summer’s Eating about Beer Summer Homebrew Potluck (2011) was hosted at the Humanist Hall this past September.  It was a festive event, but I was struck by how simple, peaceful, and colorful scenes were in the venue.

 

Berry pies

 

Proceeds went to the Alameda Point Collaborative.

 

Behind the curtain

 

Homebrew by Eric

 

hops in jars

 

and homebrew in a bucket

 

there’s a little kitchen at the Humanist hall, which maintained the same bright, solid colors of the rest of the venue.

 

donation money jar

 

peephole

 

Common words used in San Francisco Craigslist listings reporting stolen bikes

This is part 1 of a multi-part series.  Part 2 is here.

Bike theft sucks.  For quite some time, I’ve been wanting to compile some stats on bike theft in order to understand how and where it happens and how it can be prevented.  I archived San Francisco craigslist listings from July 2nd, 2011 til October 17th, 2011 in the “bikes” section with “stolen” in the title. This includes listings all over the Bay Area – San Jose, Mountain View, Oakland, Berkeley, San Leandro, and so on. I was curious about how bikes get stolen and what kind of patterns there were in the posts and incidents. I’ve compiled a little graph that shows the frequency of words in the listings.  I used a messy combination of Google Refine, Google Spreadshets and Open Office Calc and a word frequency counter that was a bit slow but quite useful.  The data consists of about 633 entries.

We’ll see what other data I can squeeze out of the set in the future.

I had to do some manual cleaning of the data – I purposely omitted words under 4 letters in length, like “the”, “a” and so on, since they probably wouldn’t have been too informative.  There were also various html-related words like “http”, “href” and “nofollow” that I removed as well.

Here’s a graph of the word counts:


and here’s the corresponding table:

 

 

word count
bike 1326
stolen 690
with 570
this 542
from 414
please 413
black 384
have 283
reward 280
frame 259
front 240
white 219
seat 206
that 196
back 191
rear 169
blue 167
will 154
know 153
thanks 130
return 129
photobucket 123
call 123
bikes 120
police 119
silver 116
road 115
just 115
contact 113
rack 107
questions 106
bars 105
information 101
specialized 99
around 99
last 97
help 97
only 95
saddle 94
someone 92
would 91
shimano 91
your 90
like 90
anyone 90
about 90
location 89
been 89
email 88
bicycle 88

some interesting things:

A lot of the terms are fairly obvious, but some words stick out.  Most of the posts are obviously requests for help and the words show this – “please”, “reward”, “thanks”, “return”.  As far as bike companies go, it appears that “shimano” dominates the component world and “specialized” is the most popular bicycle manufacturer.  The color “black” is the most popular, but “white”, “blue” and “silver” also show up.  Another word that stands out is “photobucket”, the popular image-sharing site.

I’m going to try to continue poring over this data and see if anything else interesting emerges.

River Whyless, Punch Brothers, and Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2011

Photos from Hardly Strictly Bluegrass taken on October 1st 2011.

 

River Whyless performed on the mellow (in a very nice way) Porch Stage.

 

 

 

 

Caught a great set by Punch Brothers.  As a youtube commenter minniemoo81 wrote: “That’s how you make love to a mandolin.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dust and a low sun made for some pretty light.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Playing with the hay bales.

 

 

 

 

Polo field.

 

 

 

 

 

Bagels v0.2 – A hydration experiment with good results

I made some tweaks after my last attempt at homemade bagels didn’t turn out as well as I had liked.  I figured that there wasn’t the right proportion of water in the last batch.  The dough was too dry, which made it nearly impossible to work with, leading to lumpy bagels.  I also had probably baked them for a little too long.  This time, I set out to try the same King Arthur recipe again with a few changes:

-I split the dough into two batches, with two different hydration ratios

-I boiled the bagels instead of trying to steam them

-I baked for less time

 

I didn’t adjust the starter recipe, but it looks less dry this time.  The difference is probably due to the fact that I still measured flour by volume rather than weight.  It may also have been a bit warmer.

 

 

 

 

I decided to aim for a target hydration ratios (amount of water/amount of flour) of 40% (left) and 60% (right).  I think I did some math wrong and ended up with ratios of 38% and 51%.  I didn’t know at the time that I think most hydration ratios cited in other sources are by weight.  By weight, the dough had ratios of 56% (right in bagel territory) and 76% (higher than ciabatta territory!).

The dough on the left started a little scraggly but came together pretty quickly.  The dough on the right was sticky and stayed that way.

 

 

 

 

Here’s a shot of the doughs partially kneaded.  The dough on the left was stiff but workable.  The dough on the right was still sticky.  I could not knead it by hand.

 

 

 

 

It looked more capable of making bagels.

 

 

 

 

Here’s a photo of the doughs after a 90 minute rise.  The dough on the right looks like oobleck.

 

 

 

 

I had to add a lot of flour to even be able to work the wet dough.

 

 

 

 

I tried shaping the dough into bagel balls, but it just wasn’t possible.  They did look very capable of a pizza dough, though!

 

 

 

 

The drier dough (now on the right hand side) was much easier to shape.

 

 

 

 

I had to add a ton of flour to have these guys not stick to my hands or the counter.

 

 

 

 

Boiling went okay.  I used regular sugar instead of brown sugar or malt powder, which wasn’t that great of a move.  The goopy and floppy wet bagels ended up absorbing a lot of the sugar and had too sweet of a taste to them in the end.  They kind of reminded me of dumplings.  The drier bagels still had some wrinkles but were a  lot smoother than the last batch I made.

 

 

 

 

Once again, I coated them all in garlic and sea salt.

 

 

 

 

Bagels, baked.  The “wet” ones really reminded me of pizza.

 

 

 

 

Here’s the batch from the drier dough.  I thought they looked pretty great!  They felt good too – the last batch had a bit of a hollow, hardened feel to them.  These felt softer and.. bagely.  The crust was still a bit hard but not too hard.  Note that the garlic is slightly burnt – which is fine with me.  I think I started with frozen garlic chunks to slow their baking/burning process down a bit so that they weren’t completely charred at the end.

 

 

 

 

eh..

 

 

 

 

Here’s a good bagel, cut open.  Just a little bit fluffy and chewy.

 

 

 

 

I burned the bottom a bit, and they stuck a bit.  I should have applied cornmeal more liberally.

 

 

 

 

I didn’t bother taking pictures of the “wet dough” bagels, but they tasted okay – like a super chewy pizza crust.  One or two of them were a little too doughy inside maybe because they took on too much additional water in the boiling process.  I wasn’t too unhappy though – I ended using the higher hydration recipe for pizza dough.  More to come in Part 3!

 

 

 

 

 

Bioluminescent waves at Wright’s Beach in Sonoma Coast State Park

We spent a night with friends at Wright’s Beach in the Sonoma Coast State Park over Labor Day weekend

In the expensive, but grudgingly useful Zipcar on the way up

 

 

 

 

 

We missed a turn and ended up near Jenner.  Things were pretty in the fog.  We stopped off by the Jenner ‘C’ Store to look at the map and then turned around.

 

 

 

 

we made it to the campsite and settled in a bit.  the color of the light got crazy around sunset.. though you couldn’t see the sun through the fog.

 

 

 

 

The beach

 

 

 

 

We had a wonderful dinner with salad and grilled salmon.  At one point, I noticed that I could see the crests of the waves despite the darkness.  At first I thought it was the moon reflecting onto the water, but then I remembered that the moon would have been completely obscured by fog.  We talked about it and figured it might be bio-luminescent plankton (since then, I’ve found a few great photos and information here)

I was amazed.

 

 

 

 

so we ventured in for a closer look.  but we didn’t go near the water as we were scared off by the scary warning signs posted by the bathroom proclaiming, “DANGER THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST DEADLY BEACHES IN CALIFORNIA” and “ALWAYS WATCH FOR SLEEPER WAVES”.  I didn’t have my tripod, but took some handheld shots of the glowing blue waves.

 

 

 

 

beach partially lit by a headlamp.  holy bioluminescence!

 

 

 

 

After watching the waves for quite some time, we returned to the fire and made s’mores and toasted marshmallows.  yum.

 

 

 

 

 

Eat Real Fest 2011 Part 6 – Vendors and other photos

This is Part 6 of a series of photo posts from Oakland’s Eat Real Festival, September 23-25, 2011 at Jack London Square.  (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5).  These photos are various ones that I took while walking around the festival on Saturday, the 24th.

 

Ebbett’s Good to Go – Order and pick-up windows and a t-shirt.

 

 

 

 

Condiments from Belcampo

 

 

 

 

Belcampo served a koreatown kimchi hot dog and beef tallow fries.

 

 

 

 

Here’s an overhead view of the marketplace and the DIY Make It stage.

 

 

 

 

Fried fish taco from The Taco Guys – “Taco de Maui – batter-fried sustainable ono (wahoo), shredded gem lettuce, pickled radishes, sriracha mayo and cilantro”

 

 

 

 

Lamb (!!) taco from The Taco Guys – “braised red hill farms leg of lamb, grilled jalapenos, burmese spices, pickled cucumbers with sesame, thai basil, local sheep’s yogurt sauce”

 

 

 

 

the ever photogenic ritual roasters trailer, sputnik

 

a la marzocco and a demitasse

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a cafe mocha with a heart-shaped rosetta from ritual.

 

 

 

 

jack london square at dusk.  It was still fairly crowded despite the fact that the festival was closing down for the evening.

 

 

 

 

Jim ‘n Nick’s truck always has something clever on its rear

 

 

 

 

Jim ‘n Nick’s: meat in the oven

 

 

 

 

Big Cat & The Hipnotics were playing the blues.

 

 

 

 

 

Eat Real Fest 2011 Part 5 – Vendors and other photos

This is Part 5 of a series of photo posts from Oakland’s Eat Real Festival, September 23-25, 2011 at Jack London Square.  (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 6).

Pork, frying by Urban Style Barbecue

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guys from The Whole Beast breaking down some delicious-looking lamb for gyros.

 

 

 

 

Jim ‘N Nick’s BBQ always have a decked-out trailer.  “First we send him to heaven, then we send you there”

 

 

 

 

Fried smelt from Forage SF.  Looked so good.

 

 

 

 

Cheeseburgers from 4505 meats.  They were dripping with juicy goodness.

 

 

 

 

Mac ‘n Cheese from Homeroom.

 

 

 

 

A great window display from Kara’s Cupcakes with palm trees in the reflection

 

 

 

 

Caramelizing homemade marshmallows for s’mores at Kika’s Treats.  One of the cookies is dipped in chocolate.

 

 

 

 

Jack London Square had a table and a raffle.  The bike arch of wheels was on display.

 

 

 

 

Beekeeping at the Urban Homesteading area

 

 

 

 

Sprouts cooking club – cooking classes for kids.  They looked like they were having a great time,

 

 

 

 

A meatloaf sandwich from Prather Ranch’s American Eatery

 

 

 

 

Festivalgoers at the main stage.

 

 

 

 

A DIY mozzarella cheese workshop at the DIY Make-it area

 

 

 

 

Vegetarians, fret not – there was a vegetarian analog for all of the steer and pig butchery going on.

 

 

 

 

food crates at the Wholes Foods Main Craft Stage

 

 

 

 

Super-excited winner of the pickling competition

 

 

 

 

 

Eat Real Fest 2011 Part 4 – The Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition, continued

This is Part 4 of a series of photo posts from Oakland’s Eat Real Festival, September 23-25, 2011 at Jack London Square.  (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 5, Part 6)

This post is a continuation of the Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition – perhaps the most exciting part of Eat Real Festival.

 

 

Dave the Butcher gets the crowd involved.

 

 

 

 

Some cuts of meat start to make their way onto the display

 

 

 

 

Jose ‘Pepe’ Penaloza cuts thin slices

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dave goes hands-free

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anya and Dave hold up a cut for the excited crowd.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Tomahawk cut from the Yedra brothers and Rian Rinn

 

 

 

 

Damn.  That’s a good looking spread from the Yedra brothers and Rian Rinn.

 

 

 

 

The judges (4505, in this case) were swilled with beer to help take away their judging inhibitions.

 

 

 

 

Zach’s (from Shopper’s Corner)  “Santa Cruz – Beware of Locals” sticker.

 

 

 

 

Jose ‘Pepe’ Penaloza, rocking the Butcher’s Guild t-shirt.

 

 

 

 

Anya wows the crowd with a bit of her mastery of butcher’s cuts

 

 

 

 

Zach Gero and Josh Kleinsmith work together with the bone saw.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dave the Butcher gets in on the bone saw action too.

 

 

 

 

Cuts of beef.

 

 

 

 

More cuts of beef from the eventual winners by a large margin Rian Rinn and the Yedra brothers.  They were judged on efficiency, accuracy of cuts, technique and teamwork.  These guys had hardly any waste.

 

 

 

 

Bone saw, needing cleaning.

 

 

 

 

Gerrit Van den Noord, Jose ‘Pepe’ Penaloza, and Adam Tibero of the Butcher’s guild still had a very impressive spread, topped with rosemary sprigs.

 

 

 

 

Adam Tiberio’s apron

 

 

 

 

Meat hook

 

 

 

 

Kidney, with basil

 

 

 

 

Another look at the Butcher’s guild team spread.

 

 

 

 

Cuts of meat, being hauled away for the lucky staff members to distribute.

 

 

 

 

 

Eat Real Fest 2011 Part 3 – The Flying Knives Steer Butchery Competition

This is Part 3 of a series of photo posts from Oakland’s Eat Real Festival, September 23-25, 2011 at Jack London Square.  (Part 1, Part 2, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6)

The butchery competitions are probably the most exciting parts of Eat Real Festival (Photos from last year can be found here).  Teams of butchers compete live and on stage in front of hundreds of onlookers to break meat into retail cuts in a 45-minute window.  Then, a winner is chosen by a team of judges from local restaurants (This year’s judges included 4505 meats, Brown Sugar Kitchen, among others) for a bottle of fancy St. Georges gin and a trophy.

This year, three teams competed:

As the audience filled in, the butchers unpacked their knives, hooks, and sharpeners.

 

 

 

 

The audience awaits..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 3 hindquarters arrived on a cart, each aged for 21 days to a month.

 

 

 

 

They were loaded onto three hanging hooks, spread across the stage

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trophies and gin.

 

 

 

 

Dave the Butcher, a crowd favorite, sharpens his knife before the start of competition.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zach and Josh talk strategy prior to the start of competition.

 

 

 

 

Anya Fernald, MC and founder of Eat Real and The Next Iron Chef judge, introduces the butchers to the eager crowd.

 

Rian gets underway

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A few minutes into the competition – knives, hooks, and pieces of meat are flying and the crowd is loving it.

 

More images to come in Part 4.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eat Real Fest 2011 Part 2 – Kraut-a-thon with Happy Girl Kitchen Co and Farmhouse Culture and Cooking with Jam

This is Part 2 of a series of photo posts from Oakland’s Eat Real Festival, September 23-25, 2011 at Jack London Square.  (Part 1, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6).

Farmhouse Culture and the Happy Girl Kitchen Company hosted a Kraut-a-thon at the DIY Make It area.  It was another great hands-on event where audience members got to get their hands dirty making a classic sauerkraut using natural microorganisms.

Kraut-a-thon

 

 

 

 

Extolling the virtues of fermented vegetables.  Especially interesting was the fact that the nutritional content of the vegetables can actually improve after fermentation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Demonstrating her cabbage cutting technique

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They had the audience get involved right away.  Cutting boards, microplanes, knives, veggies, salt and spices were all provided.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Salt is an important component in making a sauerkraut.  The audience was instructed to salt until it tastes just too salty to taste for a salad.  Not adding enough salt results in a soggy sauerkraut.  Also, using non-iodized salt is a requirement – the iodine inhibits the growth of microorganisms.

 

 

 

 

Hand mixing the sauerkraut.  Farmhouse culture and the Happy girl kitchen company even provided a handwashing station for the audience to use prior to getting in on the action.

 Cooking with Jam

Rachel Saunders, Michele Polzine and Fran Loewen led a talk on ways to use jam in normal cooking.  They fielded a slew of questions from an interested audience at the Master Craft stage of Eat Real Festival.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rachel Saunders has been making jam for 13 years and offers a line of preserves (Blue Chair Fruit) that can be found at farmers markets and various Bay-Area restaurants as well as a sold-out cookbook with great photography and delicious recipes.  I’ve been picking up her jam since I first started seeing it at the farmers market a number of years ago.

 

 

 

 

A jam pyramid.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The highlight of the event for the audience was probably the samples – they served a peach leaf ice cream with a plum jam topping.  Samples went REALLY quickly.

 

 

 

 

Blue chair’s Norweigan intern, dutifully scooping..

 

 

 

 

.. and then applying the plum jam topping.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eat Real Fest 2011 Part 1 – Blue Bottle Coffee, Ritual Coffee, and Beauty’s Bagel

I once again took photos for this year’s Eat Real Festival, held in Oakland’s Jack London Square from September 23-25, 2011.  This post is the first of many from the festival.  (Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6) The event’s organizers had a fully packed schedule and there were a lot of really interesting things to photograph.

One of the things that I noticed this year was that there were more hands-on activities.  There was a DIY Make-it area and a DIY Eat-it area complete with a community oven, sponsored by King Arthur Flour (I am a fan).

Coffee Brewing with Blue Bottle Coffee

One of the first DIY activities was a coffee brewing workshop put on by the fine folks at Blue Bottle coffee, who roast their beans only a few blocks away.  4 of their training staff led a workshop on making coffee with paper filters and their Bonmac ceramic drippers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Benjamin Brewer started the talk by giving an overview of the process and continued to make key points as each of the other trainers demonstrated their drip-brewing processes.

 

 

 

 

 

The coffee grounds were precisely weighed on digital scales to ensure a coffee to water ratio of 1:10 in the cup.  “In the cup” is a key phrase, Benjamin explained.  The coffee grounds absorb a fair amount of hot water and thus a little extra hot water needs to be added to the filter to achieve a 1:10 ratio in the cup.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Benjamin emphasized freshness – the beans in the demo were only between 1-3 days old.  After the beans were weighed, the trainers took turns grinding them and bringing the grounds back to their table.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hot water was poured in via goose-necked pitchers until the target weight was reached.  In the above photo, Brian demonstrated when to pull the dripper away before guiding attendees in brewing their own drip coffee.

 

 

 

 

I stepped outside after this workshop to make my way to the DIY Eat-it area, where Beauty’s Bagels were putting on a bagel workshop.

Third-wave coffee was well represented at the festival.  Ritual Roasters‘ always-photogenic coffee trailer, Sputnik was there once again.

 Bagel making with  Beauty’s Bagel

Oakland’s Beauty’s Bagel led a DIY workshop where they showed how to make their Montreal-style bagels.  They had premade and proofed the dough and workshop attendees floured up their hands and got to rolling their own bagels after watching a quick demo.

Here’s Blake Joffe cutting up the dough for the first demonstration.  They used King Arthur’s high gluten flour (14.2% protein content)  for maximum chewiness.

 

 

Some bagel recipes call for creating balls and poking holes through them to create their distinctive shape, but here Amy Remsen rolls them out and creates a loop.

 

Completed demo bagels.

 

 

 

 

After they created a few demo bagels, the audience members were invited to get involved and create their own.

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile, things were getting started with the wood-burning oven

Various bagels rolled by various bagel-makers.  The bagels were then boiled in honey-water and thrown into the oven.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Homemade bagels, version 0.1 (not pretty)

There’s a shortage of good bagels in the San Francisco Bay area.   There are some places around like Spot and New York bagel (both carried at Berkeley Bowl.  The other bagels at Berkeley bowl feel like soft dinner rolls with holes in the middle.) and House of Bagels that serve decent one, but I decided to see if I could tackle the issue myself by baking some on my own.  I was also inspired by a talk by Noah Alper, founder of Noah’s Bagels (which no longer use his recipe and he is no longer a part of).  This post (and future ones?) will document my bagel-baking experiments.

I found a potentially good recipe and accompanying blog post  from the King Arthur Flour folks and went to work.

(Spoiler: the bagels did not turn out as bagels but they still tasted okay.  Versions 0.2 and 0.3 were much better)

The recipe calls for creating a starter the night before.  Here it is after being given 14 hours to rise.  I didn’t notice this at the time, but my starter was much less watery than what shows up on the King Arthur website.  I don’t know why my starter looked so different – the recipe is really simple.  1 cup flour, 0.5 cups water, and 1/16tsp yeast.  Perhaps my bread flour was packed down too much and I ended up adding too much?

I also  made one change – I couldn’t find their high-protein, hard-wheat flour, so I used their bread flower.  I think it has a slightly lower protein content but I don’t think it made a big difference.

 

 

 

 

I took the starter and added the remaining dough ingredients – 1 cup of water, 2 tsp salt, 3.5 cups flour and 1.5 tsp yeast.  Once again, the dough was super-dry and hard to keep together.  It looked like spaetzle.

 

 

 

 

I tried kneading this dough.  It was crazy hard to knead.  I pushed down with all of my body weight to the point where my wrists started hurting and still had trouble making progress.   It was at this point that I decided that we definitely need a stand mixer.

 

 

 

 

I spent about 20 minutes trying to knead the dough.  Here’s the dough ball.  It still looked much dryer than the pictures on the website.

 

 

 

 

The recipe called for a 90 minute rise.  The dough rose a bit, but not very much.  It doesn’t at all match the photo in the recipe.  The dough was probably too dry for the CO2 produced by the yeast to make it expand.

 

 

 

 

Since the dough was so dry, it was hard to work the bagels and form them into smooth balls.. but I still tried.

 

 

 

 

Here are the bagels ready for boiling/steaming.  I decided to try to steam the bagels but didn’t have a good steaming rack.  The recipe calls for using malt powder in the water to give the bagels a bit of a shine.  I didn’t have any, so I used brown sugar.  I tried to experiment with steaming times from 1 minute to 4 minutes but in the end it didn’t matter since the steaming was so ineffective.

 

 

 

 

Here are the bagels in the oven.  I topped them with salt and frozen garlic.  I found that it helped to use frozen minced garlic to prevent the garlic from burning too much during baking – the pieces start at a much lower temperature.

 

 

 

 

And here are the bagels after baking.  Not very bagely looking.  They also were probably in the oven a bit long.

 

 

 

 

The crust was hard, thick,  and a little crispy.  This didn’t taste bad but it definitely did not taste like a bagel.  The crust resembled something between a hard pretzel and a soft pretzel.  They felt a little light and without the density of a bagel but this may have just been an illusion – since the crust was so damned hard, it made them feel kind of hollow.

 

 

 

 

The bottom had burned a little bit.  A bit too much time in the oven.  Though they didn’t stick (too dry?) I decided to use cornmeal the next time just in case.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The “crumb” tasted pretty good though.

 

 

I started doing a lot of research after this.  I learned about hydration ratios and read up on what happens during all of the breadmaking steps and what each ingredient does.  I learned the reason why a bagel without gluten is a very sad bagel (sorry Mariposa!).  No gluten = no chewiness.  The Encyclopizza has an awesome amount of information related to pizza making and a lot of it carries over to other types of bread.  (Another plus – the author, John Correll is a cyclist as well!)  There was another good link that described the hydration ratios (amount of water/amount of flour in the recipe, aka “percent hydration”) in various types of bread which I lost in a tragic Firefox crash.  But apparently I should have been targeting about 55%-60% (by weight) for the bagels.  The way I made the recipe resulted in a hydration ratio of about 49%.

 

These bagels still ended up tasting good, but they didn’t taste like bagels.  For version 0.2, I decided to experiment with hydration ratios and had much better results.

 

At the Medlock Ames tasting room with Angry Christina mustard

I spent some time at the Medlock Ames winery tasting room (which includes the Alexander Valley Bar) photographing and enjoy a pickling seminar given by my friend Eric, founder of Angry Christina.

 

Here are some photos from the event.

produce for the picnic.  Watermelons, cucumbers, squash, tomatoes and carrots.

 

 

 

 

 

bread in a basket.  The lighting in the bar was wonderful.

 

 

 

 

Crocks and jars with pickles and pickled carrots.  The stoneware crocks have a little “moat” around the rim that is designed to seal the pickling contents from outside air when filled with water.

 

 

 

 

Ringo watches carefully

 

 

 

 

Colorful potatoes

 

 

 

 

angry christina mustard

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Alexander Valley Bar has some pretty sweet decorations.

 

 

 

 

There’s a large garden outside of the Medlock Ames tasting room and a few sunflower fields just in front of the grape vines.

 

 

 

 

Pears ready to be sliced for salad.

 

 

 

 

Heirloom tomatoes for the salad

 

 

 

 

Pear slicing

 

 

 

 

Onion slicing

 

 

 

 

The dried and crushed sumac berries added a lemony taste to the onions

 

 

 

 

The picnic table outside had a custom trough that could be filled with ice to keep the wine cool.  The ice trough was very well done and was perfect for the day.

 

 

 

 

Potatoes, tossed in salt, angry christina mustard, and olive oil and then roasted in the wood oven.

 

 

 

 

Adding a little more seasoning to the potatoes

 

 

 

 

Pickling demonstration

 

 

 

 

Lunch is served

 

 

 

 

waiting for table scraps…

 

 

 

 

 

Waterbar Oysterfest 2011

Some photos from the sold-out Waterbar Oysterfest 2011

I believe these are fried oyster sliders from Farallon?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

House-made chinese sausage, oyster on a lettuce leaf by Prospect

 

 

 

 

a white fixie/single speed with a fatted calf sticker was parked outside

 

 

 

Epic roasthouse served a cornmeal-fried oyster with a slice of beef on a chive-buttermilk biscuit topped with.. I don’t remember.  It was delicious though – my favorite bite of food there.

 

 

 

 

the woman in the black shirt was the oyster eating contest winner – 73 in 3 minutes!

 

 

 

 

and there was a feast afterwards – corn, potatoes, shrimp, mussels and clams with half a lobster

 

 

 

 

holy crap this was so good.  trying to remember its contents: a crumby crust with an espresso-chocolate mousse topped with a layer of caramel mousse topped with vanilla whipped cream, caramel corn, and chocolate

 

 

 

 

view of the bay bridge from waterbar

 

 

 

 

 

Doughsplosion

I tried using dough hooks on a hand mixer with pretty wet dough.  Dough got up into the mixer itself and then, with the help of yeast, expanded into a sticky mess.  I of course opened up the mixer to try to clean it out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monterey Bay Aquarium

 

I was able to make a quick visit to the Monterey Bay Aquarium last month.  It was pretty awesome and the staff are super-nice (thanks Casey and everyone else!)

 

Here are a few shots from the Open Sea exhibit and the giant Mola Mola sunfish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

wandering manhattan in the rain

 

here are some shots from wandering manhattan on a rainy day.  I was feeling kind of ill so I kept it mellow.

 

 

 

moustache man” strikes again.  love it.

(since then he has been arrested .. sadface)

 

 

 

 

 

yarnbombing a trike.  that did not look easy.

 

 

 

 

chairs outside of the adidas store in soho

 

 

 

 

running from the thunderstorm

I happened to be on the high line when a thunderstorm hit.  scary clouds loomed over hoboken until suddenly the temperature dropped 20 degrees and the full-on thunderstorm hit.

 

 

 

 

I wandered chelsea a bit.

 

 

 

 

I saw this sad spectacle of a bike.  everything had been stripped except for the crankset, saddle, and brake posts.  is this proof that using an old chain to secure your saddle works?

 

 

 

 

 I hopped back on the high line.

 

 

 

drinking hearts

 

 

 

 

loved the lighting here

 

 

 

 

 

graph: when are bikes faster than airplanes

After a group of cyclists (and someone on public transit and a rollerblader) beat a jetblue plane from burbank to long beach this past weekend during carmageddon, Nadia Korovina did a little analysis on Bike Commute News and came up with a simple equation to find the maximum distance at which traveling by bike is faster than traveling by plane:

 

 (Nadia, is that LaTeX? I’m impressed)

In the blog post, Nadia and Jordan found that the maximum distance where a bike is faster than a plane, assuming a 2.5 hour delay (including time standing in line, security, waiting, transport to and from the airport), 25mph average cyclist speed (those @wolfpackhustle guys can hustle), and an airplane speed of  500mph.

 

Some commenters wondered how things would work out for someone who rides a bit slower, and someone else asked about graphs.

 

so, here you go:

 

 

 

 

A bike traveling at 20mph would travel 52.1 miles before being passed by the jet.  At 15mph, this distance is 36.7 miles, at 12.5mph, this distance is 32.1 miles, and at 10mph, this distance is 25.5 miles.  The jetblue thing was definitely a bit of a stunt – I don’t think many people would expect a plane to be too efficient for a 40-mile commute, but this whole #flightvsbike thing goes a long way in showing the viability of using a bike for an everyday trip.  good work, all.

 

 

 

measuring bike tire wear

 

I put a michelin speedium 2 tire onto my rear wheel last summer.  I found out after a few miles that these guys look like they wear out quickly.  They feel soft and tacky, though, which is kind of nice.  I don’t recall getting a lot of flats on this tire throughout its lifespan.  here’s what the tire looked like after about 2500 miles (and after AIDS LifeCycle):

 

 

2500 miles doesn’t seem like a lot for a tire, but I didn’t have high expectations – I purchased a pair on sale for $12 each.

I still had the other new tire, so out of curiosity, I weighed the two:

 

 

 

left: new tire.  right: old tire.

 

I know there can be manufacturing variations in tire weight, but it’s pretty neat to quantitatively measure about 20 grams in tire wear.  I liked the tires.  I’ll probably purchase another pair of michelins next.

 

 

 

 

 

low-res

a low-resolution window decal (looks like papyrus!) in the central richmond district in san francisco.

This is the Shabu House, which gets pretty good reviews on yelp.

 

 

data analysis: flying from san francisco to new york

May 10, 2013: Updates!

CheapAir.com has performed a similar analysis and created a graph that I think looks similar.  The peaks and valleys have been smoothed out because they’ve got a lot more data to average out.  For domestic flights, the average cheapest flight is 49 days prior to departure.  This is earlier than my graph, but I didn’t start my analysis nearly as early as they did.  Clicking the graph links to their informative post.

average-airfare-2012 via cheapair.com

I also found a study by ARC (Airlines Reporting Corporation) via marketplace.org that created a very similar looking graph to that of CheapAir.com’s, but from a different set of data.

airfaresweetspot via marketplace.org

Data Analysis: Flying from San Francisco to New York – when is the cheapest time to buy tickets?

Kayak.com has this nice feature where you can subscribe to price alerts for certain itineraries.  This is helpful as fares change fairly frequently and it’s hard to know when to purchase tickets.  Microsoft purchased a company called farecast.com back in 2008, which originally grew by using data to predict when prices would rise, fall, or hold steady.  Microsoft has since integrated into bing travel.  They claim about a 75% accuracy.

I visited New York a few weeks ago, and when searching for a ticket, I decided that I didn’t really trust bing travel’s technology.  I decided that I’d monitor fares on my own using Kayak’s emailed price alerts, and then make a purchase when prices seemed to be reasonable.  I identified travel dates for a round trip where I’d depart on June 17th at any time of the day and return June 21st, at any time of the day.   San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and Oakland International Airport (OAK) are both just about as easy to get to for me.  It also didn’t matter whether I arrived at John F. Kennedy International (JFK) or LaGuardia (LGA) in New York.

I took the prices from all of the emails, put them together in a data set, and plotted them.  One of the big assumptions here is that the travel dates are fixed – if you’re able to fly on different days, you’ll of course most likely be able to find cheaper tickets.

but first, key findings:

* Prices go up at the last minute.  In this case, they almost doubled.
* In the 6-week monitoring period, the cheapest flights were found about 3 weeks prior to departure
* There seems to be some truth to prices being lower mid-week
* There doesn’t seem to be a big price difference for OAK vs SFO or JFK vs LGA
* When one airline dropped fares, others seemed to follow

onto the graphs:

when should I buy tickets?

One interesting finding is that buying early (I am speaking relatively here as I didn’t start my search until about 6 weeks before departure) isn’t always the cheapest.  In this case, the cheapest fares were found about 3 weeks prior to departure.  Tickets may have, of course, been cheaper prior to 6 weeks before departure.

An ABC News article states that “Airfare sales tend to occur early in the week … And increases tend to occur at the end of the week.”  My data set isn’t very large, but here’s a histogram of prices, grouped by day of the week:

What does the histogram show?  For my set of data, the cheapest prices occurred on Wednesday and Thursday.  You can see the little bumps of lower fares on the left side of the graph for Wednesday and Thursday.  I’m not sure if much can be made of the rest of it – there aren’t too many data points to draw any strong conclusions.

Prices were probably also the highest Tuesday-Thursday because those were the last 3 days before the flight and as can be expected, last-minute tickets were much more expensive.

where should I fly from/to?

I had two theories about the relationship between airfare and the size of the airport.  I was thinking that flights might be cheaper out of SFO since it’s a much more popular airport (Based on what I could find here and here, they handled about 45 million passengers in 2010 compared to about 9.5 million for OAK).  Conversely, I also thought that flights may be cheaper out of OAK since I know that a strategy of low-cost carriers like Southwest, JetBlue, and AirTran is to use secondary airports in larger markets (think Midway for Chicago, BWI for DC, Providence for Boston, and Love Field for Dallas) to keep costs down and thus offer lower fares.

There doesn’t look to be a big price difference, on average.  There’s a piddly $4 to $6 difference between flying out of SFO vs OAK and landing in JFK vs LGA.  Maybe the two theories are both correct.  Or incorrect.  Also, the Kayak data doesn’t include Southwest, since Southwest doesn’t make its data available to third parties.

why did prices drop?

The lowest price I encountered was on May 25th, when United/Continental dropped their prices for a nonstop flight from SFO to JFK to $319 from $549 a day earlier.  American and Delta also lowered their prices for nonstop flights that day to $439 and $359.  Some of the airlines also lowered their prices from SFO to LGA (note: no nonstop flights).  This may have been because the price of connecting flights was reduced and the SFO to LGA and SFO to JFK trips share similar legs.  Interestingly, flights out of OAK didn’t change by much when prices of flights from SFO dropped by over $200.  These prices didn’t last long – the $319 fare was available for only two days.  $319 seems like a pretty good deal.  I don’t have historical flight price data, but from what I can recall, this appears to be near the bottom of the fare range.

There was another temporary price drop from SFO to LGA offered by Delta on May 31st to $341.  Prices were back up by the next day.

parting words

If you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading.  I’ve been wanting to get more into data analysis on topics that we all can relate to and this is part of my foray into the field.  There’s a lot more to learn and study out there, so if you have any suggestions of things I should look into regarding airfares or anything else, let me know.

When my schedule freed up, I ended up changing my travel dates in order to find flight times that worked better for me and found two nonstop flights from SFO to JFK on Virgin America.

 


Equator Coffee at SFO’s Terminal 2

In my experience, airport coffee usually kind of sucks – there are some Peet’s or Starbucks around for at least a caffeine fix but not much else.   In Europe, I’ve been to a few places that sell Illy or Lavazza coffee which, in my opinion, is okay but not great.  I visited a Mayorga at BWI and had a terrible espresso.

It was nice to have a more positive coffee experience at SFO airport’s new terminal 2.  I visited the Equator coffee (first ever retail!) cafe at the Napa Farms Market and had an nice balanced espresso a bit oddly served in a to-go cup.  Another place to add to the coffee map.

Contraband coffee

full and half drank espressos from contraband coffee (1415 Larkin Street, San Francisco, CA 94109) a few weeks ago.  super nice service.  one of them was the ethiopian single origin, I believe.  The other their house blend.  I like the shot glasses for serving.  the single origin was predictably fruity and bright and the blend predictably more balanced.  both enjoyable.

 

I hadn’t been to a new place in a while.  I can finally update the coffee map!

 

Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption

My friend Sam and I stumbled across a “Sacred Places” walking tour by SF City Guides (@SFCityGuides) the other day and decided to follow along for a bit:

 

st. mary’s cathedral from gough st

 

the tour started on the front steps of the cathedral and soon moved to the inside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

there’s a quite diverse representation of figures in front of the cathedral

 

 

 

looking straight up from the center

 

 

 

looking back at the entrance

 

 

 

 

we walked by a few other churches after seeing the cathedral and then stopped into a buddhist temple.  then, we parted ways with the tour group and took muni to hang out in golden gate park.

 

Oakland Jack London Square Amtrak

We went to the Amtrak station at Jack London Square to pick up a friend who was arriving from San Jose.  The train was a little late, so I took a few pictures:

 

secure shopping cart

 

this shopping cart was locked to the information display via cable lock.

 

 

 

 

 

 

loco spot

 

I’m guessing “loco” refers to locomotive rather than crazy?

note: locospot.com = porn, not locomotives nor crazy.

 

 

 

 

 

Union City to Mountain view, Grand Cru, and back

A few weeks ago, I decided to ride from the East Bay to Mountain View to meet up for a Grand Cru ride.  I checked out the maps and decided that I could start a ride from Union City BART and ride a manageable distance (with ALC training in mind) including the round trip from Union City to Mountain View and the Grand Cru ride itself.

 

The Learning Tree, a preschool located on Paseo Padre Parkway at Fremont Blvd

 

I used Map my Ride to do the route.  It’s a little ad-heavy but has been generally improving.  I think I prefer bikemap but for some reason Map my Ride worked better this time.

 

 

 

Riding on the overpass over Thornton Ave

 

It was around this point that I ran into some bike trouble.  My pannier, though built very nicely, doesn’t have a hook at the bottom to keep the base in place.  And it’s a rather long (tall) pannier.  As I was standing and swaying around a bit to get up the incline of one of these overpasses, the pannier got caught on a spoke and made a pretty horrible-sounding crunching sound.  I stopped and discovered that the wheel reflector had broken off (no big deal), a few spokes were bent (sorta big deal) and a fairly large hole had been ripped in the bag (a sorta big deal).  Luckily I had one of those delta cargo nets and a spoke wrench.  I put the cargo net on the outside of the pannier and then trued the wheel enough so that it was ride-able  and finally set off again.  It didn’t seem like a good start to the ride, though.

 

 

 

Marshlands Rd

 

By this point, it looked like the wheel and pannier were holding up, so I continued.  This photo is from Marshlands Rd, which travels along the marshes and leads to the Dumbarton bridge.  The road kind of sucks for cycling – the asphalt is super bumpy.. but at least it’s isolated from most vehicular traffic.

 

 

 

pannier

 

the pannier with the netting was not very pretty.

 

 

 

dumbarton bridge bike lane

 

I’m glad that the Dumbarton bridge has a separate bike lane.  But it’s not very much fun to ride over.  Traffic is fairly loud as the cars are traveling highway speeds and it’s quite dusty.  The lane is decently wide though and I appreciate that there’s a large barrier between bikes and vehicular traffic.  On the east side of the bridge on the south side of the bay, there looks to be remnants of a pedestrian walkway that is no longer in use.

 

 

 

I rode through East Palo Alto en route to Mountain View.

 

 

 

A bridge to Ravenswood open space preserve

 

Here’s where the map (based on google maps) got a little sketchy.

 

 

 

The bike trail from Bay rd to Weeks St

 

Google maps has this trail marked as dark green.  It was okay for me to ride over since I have 27 and 32-sized tires but it was a bit uncomfortable and I was a worried that the rest of the ride along the shore would turn out to be like this.  It’d be fine for a mountain bike though.

 

 

 

pumping station

 

The bumpy trail eventually led to a paved trail and all was good again.

 

 

 

I think this is from Palo Alto Baylands Park.

 

 

 

It’s a super flat area but a bit windy and doesn’t have too much variety.  Some of the riding was along the San Francisco Bay Trail.

 

 

 

After a short ride on the Stevens Creek Trail, which was pretty nice, I arrived at the meeting point for the start of the grand cru ride: The Tied House Brewery & Cafe.

 

 

 

we rode up moody rd, which was a bit of a climb.  I’ll post more pictures from that portion of the ride on the grand cru website.

 

 

 

after the ride and a burger and beer, I headed back for Union City.

I had just turned off of Stevens Creek Trail at this point.

 

 

 

google bike

I decided to take a tour through the Googleplex.  These little bikes were everywhere.  They’re apparently free to borrow for getting around the campus.

 

 

 

a google chrome bike

 

 

 

more google bikes near the main lobby

 

 

 

marshmallow and spaghetti pyramids!  I was a little excited to see this.

 

 

 

at the end of Marhlands Rd, a bit before sundown

 

The rest of the ride wasn’t that interesting.  I was feeling a bit uncomfortable from riding such a long distance on my commuter, and between back fatigue, leg fatigue and the headwinds, I was ready to be home.  I put my head down and pushed through the rest of the ride.  I made it back to Union City BART before the sun went down and all in all did about 80 miles.  It was definitely an interesting ride but not one of my best.

 

 

 

bike to work day 2011 and the bike away from work party

bike to work day 2011 was fun – here are some photos:

 

 

volunteers at one of the many east bay energizer stations.  This one was in berkeley, staffed by grizzly peak cyclists(?)  The woman is holding up little colorful bike pins.  They had snacks and coffee and information about the east bay bike coalition.  According to streetsblog SF, about 10,000 people biked to work in Alameda county, up 12.3% from last year.  I definitely saw a lot more cyclists out on the streets.

 

 

 

bike love

 

this photo was taken from the energizer station outside of actual cafe

 

 

 

people were out from Spokeland – a north oakland bike co-op.

 

after work, we headed to bike away from work party, where there were tons of neat bikes to check out:

 

 

a rusty paint job

 

 

 

leathery cowboy bike

 

 

 

this bamboo bike was really well done

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the crucible was showing off some bikes modified by teenagers

 

 

 

the popcycle

 

 

 

actual cafe’s parklet

 

 

 

this bike was handcuffed to a speaker

 

 

 

a danish pedersen bike.  wood fenders, rims.  hammock seat.  stumey archer 3-speed internal rear hub. coaster brake.

 

 

 

bike, shoes, jeans, shirt, hat

 

 

 

 

and cyclecide was there with their deadly-looking-but-fun looking bikes and rides

 

It looked a little smaller than last year’s but was still a fun time.

 

 

 

 

 

stumptown coffee at thinking cup

stumptown coffee espresso at thinking cup at 165 tremont st, boston.

 

I stopped by here soon after they opened one morning and had a nice, quick shot of espresso to wake me up.  They’re the first coffee shop in downtown boston to serve stumptown exclusively, according to their website.  It was a nice little walk to get the coffee – I love seeing the city wake up and it’s pretty nice being near the boston common.

 

 

 

thinking cup, early in the morning.

 

I also had a nice bacon cheddar and chive scone here.  Just a hint of bacon and a yummy scone-y texture.  it was just about a perfect savory scone.  They also have an affogato on their menu, which I would have gotten had it not been morning.

 

 

 

good morning

More shots from a recent trip:

 

 

good morning, Boston

a view looking east from Charles St.

 

 

 

 

good morning, Emerson College

 

this is Emerson’s  “Little Building”, viewed from Tremont St.

 

 

 

boston common at night

another break from bike-related photos:

boston common at night.

 

I went to 75 Chestnut for dinner, had an excellent seafood stew, and then took a nice walk back along the Common.  I’m amazed at how uniformly green it is.

steering wheel bike in somerville

 

a photo of steering wheel bike from a walk in Somerville, MA.  Across the street from Razzy’s, which is apparently now closed according to yelp.  Pretty sweet.  complete with banana seat, front rack, and an apparently non-working headlight.

Around the neighborhood

A break from the biking for some photos from around rockridge:

 

 

Simon.  He said he was trying to see his family on Easter.  He talked about his sister in Emeryville and his dad who’s 82.

 

 

 

 

 

Outside of Cole coffee, dogs wait for their owners to finish their drinks

 

 

 

ALC Day on the ride

Here are some photos from the the AIDS LifeCycle NorCal day on the ride:

Gathering in Mike’s Bike’s in San Rafael prior to the start

 

 

 

 

Bike parking

 

 

 

I took this picture for two reasons.  1) I thought it’d look cool with the guy kneeling and talking on the phone.  It didn’t turn out as cool as I’d thought.  2) Old school Trek Y-foil road frame.

 

 

 

Riders getting ready to roll out

 

 

 

 

and they’re off.. people were wearing bunny ears for Easter

 

 

 

 

1st rest stop: Nicasio Valley Cheese Company

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

peanut butter and jelly in graham crackers by Pierre foods

 

 

 

 

Ahhh!  got a flat on the Nicasio Valley Rd climb.

 

 

 

 

Not a good bike day for me though I felt fine riding.  Later in the day my rear wheel got pretty messed up from a pothole-filled descent.  Eventually the rim so out of true that it was rubbing against the brake pads.  I had to stop and do a little work on the side of the road.

 

 

 

 

View from Hicks Valley Rd

 

 

 

 

We cut through a more residential part of Petaluma – it was a nice little section of road en route to lunch

 

 

 

 

Lunch at the park.  Turkey + havarti sandwiches from Boudin.

 

We did about 65 miles in all.  I felt a bit tired towards the end was was climbing well otherwise.  It was fun to see a bunch of other riders out (~400 total?)  and to see all of the volunteers for the event.

 

 

 

 

 

 

ALC letterpress card update


Here’s a little update on the ALC cards:

I bought a bunch of paper from dick blick in berkeley.  I forgot what type I got now, but I got the heaviest printmaking paper that seemed reasonably priced.  Registration can be a bit tough with the quickutz L letterpress.  It didn’t help that the cards aren’t exactly uniform in size – that’s a lesson learned for next time.  If the cards were uniform in size, I would have been able to use the edges to register the print.

 

 

 

 

The Boxcar plates continue to be nice.  I traced this outline of the state of California in Illustrator and added a little SF to LA route.

 

 

 

I took Boxcar’s advice and got a soft rubber brayer.  I bought a 6″ speedball one from dick blick.  I probably needed a slightly larger one for what I’m doing, but the soft rubber makes a huge difference in the uniformity of the ink application.  A wider brayer would have helped even more because I wouldn’t have had to ink the plate in multiple passes.

 

 

 

Here’s the front side of a card that’s registered pretty well.  Next time I’ll try to make better use of the cross-hatching – I think the hatching is one of the fun things about these types of designs.

 

 

 

An outline of the state of  California on the back side of the card

 

 

 

I used one of the elum thank you plates and added my own bicycle icon.

 

I find it absolutely hilarious (and awesome) that the 1 cent USPS stamps are of a tiffany lamp.

 

 

 

 

 

wine country, clif bars and wine at velo vino for the climate ride

This past Saturday’s ride was very nice.  Very different than my Mt. Diablo ride.   We participated in a fundraising ride for Clif employees riding in the Climate Ride from New York to DC.  Clif sponsored the staging at Velo Vino ( a new wine shop/tasting bar with Clif wines, Luna and Clif cycling apparel, olive oil and snacks, Clif food products, coffee, and soon, food) and of course provided nutrition for the ride – bars, shot blocks, shots, rocs, and so on.  

Long shadows of bikes on bike rack on car

I hadn’t been to St. Helena in quite some time – not since my family came out for a visit maybe two years ago.  Here’s the front Velo Vino sign, pre-landscaping.  This place is super new.

It was an unexpected surprise to see Gary, the Clif founder there to support the ride.  Melissa and Christine talked about the Climate ride and then our route for a bit, then Gary chimed in with a few words.

Lots of nice folks from Clif, Backroads, and Berkeley Ironworks.  Velo Vino is turning that grassy area into a backyard patio as I post.

A long line of cyclists through filtered light.  I expected it to be cold, but it was a bit warmer than expected – just about perfect for cycling.  It was probably about 60 when we started and it got up to maybe 70 during the day.  Sunny all around.  It was fun riding as a part of such a large friendly group.

There was a little bit of a slide on old howell mountain road.

Stopping to regroup at White Cottage Rd.  Gary led the first parts of the ride and, man, is he a strong rider.  The first part of the ride was all climbing.

We were aiming to do the longest of the routes at 63 miles but missed a left turn.  I think we were on Chiles Pope Valley Road at this point.

A beautiful open field

I took a little photo break and got this shot of a few california poppies.

Got this shot of Lake Hennessey while riding.

Riding alongside a rocky cliff.  Not used to this visual.  Pretty cool.

Lunch at Nichelini winery

Quite a lunch spread.  We realized we missed some turns and made it to lunch at mile 35 instead of mile 50.  This was great because there was plenty of food available but I wasn’t able to enjoy most of it because I didn’t want to spoil my stomach for the rest of the ride.

 

I took pictures of peoples parked bikes.  There were a bunch of fun ones.  I had to look this one up – an Albert Eisentraut frame.  He was a local Oakland guy.

 

 

A pink and grey Orbea with what looked like an aluminum/carbon frame

 

Marty’s Rivendell Romulus

 

 

 

Nichelini wine tastings

 

I hadn’t noticed this Surly Cross Check cable hanger before.

A fancy Ti/carbon Serotta

 

Cruising down Sage Canyon Rd.  This guy was pushing it on his Bike Friday.  The descent was so fun that we did it twice.  Actually, we wanted to make up some mileage so we did a little loop back along Chiles Pope Valley Rd, then a climb up Lower Chiles Valley Rd and then headed back down Sage Canyon Rd.

 

We had a bit of a fast paceline on the last few miles back along Silverado Trail rd.

 

 

Velo Vino threw in a wine tasting afterwards to celebrate.

 

Clif cork

 

Torta carnitas from the shop next door.  I didn’t realize I was so hungry until this was in front of me.

 

All in all, I got in 59 miles, which wasn’t too far off from our goal of 63.  The wine and the fast pace got us pretty sleepy.  I think we turned in at 8pm that night.  All in all, a really nice day.

Mount Diablo

Last weekend, (pardon my 1-week delay) the second part of a back to back ride was up and down Mt. Diablo.  My legs were quite tired from the day before which made it pretty hard to spin the legs around with any sort of force.  Looking back, it was a good reminder that I have zero 2nd day endurance and will have to build that up in order to survive 7 days back to back.

 

It was a pretty day though.

 

 

This photo is from near the base of the hill, just at the start of the climb.  I believe I took it from Mt. Diablo Scenic Blvd.

 

 

 

 

Lots of climbing ahead.  3849ft summit.  I was going pretty slowly at this point and really unhappy with how I was riding.. but my legs just didn’t have any juice.

 

 

 

We finally reached the saddle point where North Gate and South Gate road meet.  We saw a few AIDS LifeCycle riders who were part of the organized ALC ride.  It was pretty inspiring to see people tackle that climb for the first time.  I felt better after a little bit of rest and some calories, but things got tough again as soon as we started climbing.  My annoyance at my body kind of shifted towards anger as I decided that I’d push harder up the second half of the climb to get it over with.  It felt like a race.  I was yelling and cussing at my legs with every pedal stroke to get them to spin.  At one point, I looked to my right (above photo) and thought to myself, “Are you freaking kidding me?”.  Pretty steep pitch.  This was my third time climbing Mt. Diablo and I didn’t remember it being so hard the last two times.  Maybe I was in better shape, or maybe my body just needed a lot more rest.

 

 

 

We finally made it to the top.   It was a pretty day and was popular for motorists as well as cyclists.  At the summit, there was a line of cars about 6 or 7 deep waiting to find a parking space.  As I sat catching my breath, I even saw a bit of an argument when one person took a parking space that someone else had been waiting for.  My girlfriend got us a snickers bar for a celebratory snack since they ran out of ice cream.

 

 

 

View from the summit.  The observation deck was closed due to leaks but the views were still nice.

 

 

 

It was a bit chilly descending from the summit back to the saddle point but I didn’t mind since I enjoy the descents.  My fingers were a little tired from braking though.  We met these two guys riding a greenspeed recumbent tricycle.  Looked like a pretty sweet setup.  They said it was hard to climb but the descents were fast as anything.  I was feeling much better at this point since, of course, the hard part was over.

 

 

 

We took off and headed all the way down to the base.  I waited for a bit to rest, took a picture or two and then WHOOSH, saw the recumbent trike go flying by with one of the guys waving.  I’d love to try one sometime.

 

We rode back to Walnut creek BART and called it a day.  49 miles in all.

 

 

 

Skittles for a post-ride snack

 

I heard news yesterday of a cyclist killed in a hit and run by a Ford F-150 while riding a 600k in Southern California.  Really sad story and the guy was a friend of friends.  It’s sometimes hard to work out in your head that despite having the strength to be able to ride 375 miles in one go, our bodies and lives can be so fragile – and that one person’s mistake or impairment can destroy all of that in a matter of seconds.

 


 

 

 

First April ALC East Bay training ride

April 2nd was the first training ride that I’ve participated in in a little while.  The weather finally cleared up.  We rode from Actual Cafe in Oakland up Tunnel Rd and then took Grizzly Peak to Golf Course Rd to Shasta and then Wildcat Canyon down to the east side of the hills.   Then, we did a counterclockwise loop of the bears.

 

Here are the photos:

reading the safety speech

 

 

 

Saw a fire from somewhere in Berkeley.  Dark smoke.

 

 

 

Saw members of the Cal Triathlon team at Bear Creek Rd and San Pablo Dam Rd.

 

 

 

Fields of yellow mustard

 

 

 

Cruising through the streets of Berkeley on the way back

 

 

 

 

AIDS LifeCycle cards, the L letterpress Epic, and plates from Boxcar press

I received the Epic combo kit from Lifestyle Crafts for my birthday and I thought it’d be a cool AIDS LifeCycle fundraising idea to create some custom plates based on my photography.  Designing and creating the artwork took much longer than expected, but I ended up choosing to create something based on this photo that I took from a ride last month:

I decided to create a 2-color print.  I did the color separations in Photoshop and then used Illustrator to create some cross-hatching patterns to give the image a more interesting texture.  It took a long freaking time (I used Illustrator’s live trace.  This was nice, but created a bunch of paths and points.  When I compounded that with the cross hatching swaths, there were even more paths and points.  This made it hard and slow to edit.)

 

Here’s a preview of what I expected things to look like:

 

 

I ordered plates through boxcar press and received them this past week.

The above photo is of one of the plates from Boxcar press.  It’s a flexy plastic material with a bit of hardness to it.  This one is partially inked with the yellow/orange speedball block printing ink that I had purchased.  I was surprised at the resolution that the plates could handle.

 

above:  Brayer, with ink.

 

I tried varying amounts of ink to see what would look better on paper:

 

 

 

 

 

above: blue ink for the second plate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

above: This is what it looks like when you run a plate through the press.  It’s basically some rollers that apply a lot of pressure to the paper and the plate.

 

 

 

above: an unevenly inked blue but still pretty cool

 

 

I didn’t have enough time to play around too much,  but here are some of the prototype cards:

I think I’ll make sure there’s more ink coverage for the next set.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

claremont, centennial, claremont

I did a short but intense solo training ride on Sunday.  The weather was cold and I thought it’d be a good idea to try some intensity workouts as opposed to just putting in the miles.  I ended up choosing a 32.7 mile ride with 4527 feet of climbing.  I went up Claremont, along Grizzly Peak, down Euclid.  Then I rode up Centennial, took Grizzly Peak to Skyline and went down Tunnel Rd.  Tunnel was full of all kinds of stuff from the 3 weeks of rain.  An entire portion of the road was covered with mud and gravel.  There was debris in a bunch of places, which made for not such a great descent.  Then, I rode back up Claremont and went down Grizzly Peak and Euclid again.  Then I went home and took a nap.

 

I don’t have any photos from this ride as I just wanted to get a training ride in.

A day in the city

Vienna sausage cans in the rain on a paper Trader Joe’s bag

 

 

 

Another great drink from MA’velous:   Stumptown Hairbender Cappuccino

 

 

 

A walk up polk st

 

 

 

bike lane, covered.

 

 

 

WE ROCK  HARDEST Ben Eine – bad ass.

 

 

 

Giraffe

 

 

 

googly eyes on BART

 

 

 

got off at ashby bart

 

 

 

Oakland Marathon 2011

I got out early this morning to check out the 2011 Oakland Marathon.  I didn’t have it in me to try to try to run it again this year (especially with all of the cycling training) but it was really exciting to see the runners.  I got out to around the 4.5 mile mark on College ave in front of Crossroads Trading and across from Toast and near miam miam (expensive, but probably the best frozen yogurt I’ve had)

This is Tegenu Beru from San Jose.  He won the race wish a finishing time of 2:30:08.  Damn.

 

 

 

 

 

He had a small entourage of cyclists surrounding him and preceding that were some police motorcycles and an official pickup truck.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ivan Medina from Hayward finished 5th with a time of 2:44:33, but was in 2nd place at this point.

 

 

 

 

 

 

These guys were running together at this point in the race, but eventually Jesus Campos (#1003) pulled off to capture 2nd place with a time of 2:37:31.  Tony Torres (#1000) still finished strongly at 4th place with a time of 2:38:45.

 

Anna Bretan took 1st place for women and 11th place overall with a strong finishing time of 2:53:19.  According to the San Francisco Chronicle, this was her first marathon ever and the longest distance she’s run in her life.

 

 

 

 

Lori Buratto from Washington finished 2nd among women with a finishing time of 3:02:53.

 

 

 

They look happy!

 

 

 

Suet-Fei Li finished 3rd among women with a time of 3:03:25.

 

 

 

This guy was awesome.

 

 

 

By the way, she is ripped

 

 

 

Hawaiian shirt

 

 

 

 

 

 

This guy ran the marathon with a hemp shoulder bag.

 

 

 

Hard to see from the photo since I had switched out to a wide-angle lens, but this guy is “Endorphin Dude” and ran with a cape.  Pretty sweet.  Check out his website.

 

 

 

Eating About Beer Winter 2011 Dinner Part 2

This is the second set of pictures from the Eating About Beer Winter 2011 dinner.  The first set is available here.

Plating the third course: Guatemalan longaniza sausage with a roasted tomato salsa with fresh (homemade) cheese, grilled scallions and a black bean puree.

 

 

 

 

 

The evening’s wonderful guests

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sausage links.  Tied with corn husks ties.

 

 

 

The third course.  The cheese was a homemade queso fresco.

 

 

 

Plates lined up, almost ready for serving.

 

 

 

Describing the course and the beer to everyone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was a posed shot.  “Act like you’re eating”

 

 

 

A lemon sherbet intermezzo.

 

 

 

Sherbet on plates

 

 

 

Lobster.  In butter.  lots of butter.

 

 

 

Prepping the lobster for serving

 

 

 

Crispy potato pyramids.  Szechuan lemon pepper gastrique also went with the butter-poached lobster.  The beer pairing was a Belgian pale ale.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Describing the dish and the beer

 

 

 

Plating the Fifth course: Beer-braised duck leg with a potato-celery root puree.  Paired with a Belgian strong dark ale.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The sixth course:  A bananas foster brulee.

 

 

 

The dessert was paired with a dunkelweizen.

 

 

 

the end.  I hope you’ve enjoyed the photos.   If you liked them, leave me a comment or something (unless you’re a robot who will leave a spammy message).  If you’d like to know about the next event, check out Eating About Beer’s website or their twitter feed: @EatingAboutBeer.

 

 

 

ALC from the Golden Gate Bridge to Petaluma and back

We rode in one of the official ALC training rides last Saturday.  I took the GF1 along on what turned out to be a gorgeous day.  Grand total: 92 miles of training ride, 108 miles total and I felt pretty good.

We started off in Portrero hill.  We rode through Mission bay just after sunrise en route to the meeting point at the Presidio Sports Basement

 

 

 

 

 

Sun over mission bay

 

 

 

 

Riding along the Giants Promenade by AT&T ballpark

 

 

 

 

Fast forward to the climb up White’s hill from Fairfax along Sir Francis Drake Blvd..  A huge group of 20+ cyclists powered past us on the climb.

 

 

 

 

The always popular Rancho Nicasio.  Lots of Dolce Vita riders representing.

 

 

 

 

I forget where this was – probably Point Reyes Petaluma Rd / Red Hill Rd

 

 

 

 

Beautiful shadows on the rolling hills

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The cheese factory – Marin French Cheese Company

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the top of Wilson Hill Rd

 

 

 

 

Lunch at the apple box

 

 

 

 

ALC TRLs

 

 

 

 

Climbing back up the hill on Petaluma Pt Reyes Rd

 

 

 

 

I treated myself to an It’s It at the cheese factory

 

 

 

 

The view of San Francisco from Sausalito along Bridgeway

 

 

 

 

Looking west from the Golden Gate Bridge

 

 

 

 

Always a spectacular view

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eating About Beer Winter 2011 Dinner Part 1

The 2011 Winter Eating About Beer dinner was held at the Commonwealth Cafe and Public House in Oakland this past Sunday.  Here are the photos that I took of the event.

 

Terrariums in the window.  It was a rainy sunday but the lighting in commonwealth was great.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preparing endives for the first course

 

 

 

 

Kitchen knives

 

 

 

 

On the wall

 

 

 

 

Frying pheasant skin

 

 

 

 

Those glasses need an anti-reflective coating

 

 

 

 

Potatoes being cut prior to frying

 

 

 

 

Crispy pheasant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Commonwealth’s coffee condiment counter

 

 

 

 

Discussing pre-dinner activities

 

 

 

 

The Eating About Beer crew in the kitchen

 

 

 

 

Awesome flower arrangements.

 

 

 

 

game face.

 

 

 

 

Chives

 

 

 

 

Frying the “belgin-inspired crispy potatoes”

 

 

 

 

Scallions to later go with cheese and sausage

 

 

 

 

Commonwealth’s storefront, telegraph side.

 

 

 

 

The menu

 

 

 

 

The first guests start checking in

 

 

 

 

Plating the endives

 

 

 

 

seated, awaiting the first course

 

 

 

 

handling the marinated daikon

 

 

 

 

the plating continues

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First course: Endive with roasted pheasant and hazelnuts – paired with a scottish heavy 70 shilling ale

 

 

 

 

The chefs discuss the first course

 

 

 

 

toast

 

 

 

 

Pouring homemade sake

 

 

 

 

plating of the onigiri

 

 

 

 

second course: a deconstructed sake bomb with umeboshi onigiri and marinated daikon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guatemalan longaniza sausages, cooking

 

 

 

 

describing the second course

 

more photos to come.  If you need more of a fix, check out the last eating about beer dinner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

citrus at berkeley bowl west

I don’t even remember what kind of citrus fruit this was anymore.  I was standing in the produce section of Berkeley Bowl.  I saw it, picked it up, stared at it for a while (another shopper even stopped for a second to stare at it with me) and then I bought it.  Then I took a picture of it and ate it.  It was decently sweet and easy to peel.  I wouldn’t necessarily buy one again except for its looks.


 

 

 

 

 

dinner at southie

.. was good.  finished it off with a bacon-infused chocolate pudding topped with whipped cream,  marshmallow and shortbready cookies.  the pudding wasn’t very bacony but it was still a great dessert.

 

Southie – 6311 College Ave, Oakland CA

 

 

 

sidenote:  GF1 @ ISO1600 is pretty noisy!

 

a hilly and chilly february ride

we went for a not-too-long (no 300k for me) but hilly and cold ride yesterday that started in the low 40s and probably warmed up to the high 40s.   We got off to a late start, which I didn’t mind – I was able to get some food in me in advance and my body had time to settle from the espresso buzz.  We would have had to have left at around 6:30am to get to San Francisco in time for one of the official AIDS Lifecycle training rides.  I was okay with missing that because 1) I would have been tired and groggy and 2) the temperature was about 34 degrees at 6:30am.

 

It was still cold despite departing quite a bit later.

plastic bags + socks = windproofish.  despite this, one of my toes was definitely a little purple when I examined it at the end of the ride.  the tingling in the shower scared me a little bit.  but they seem okay.  no gangrenous tissue so far.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

we took tunnel road up the hills.  The clouds were beautiful and the steady mild climb kept me sort of warm.   At some of the turns, you feel like you are almost in the sky.

 

 

 

 

 

 

a bunch of hikers at the top of tunnel.  we noticed that there were a lot of tree stumps on the left side of the road during the climb – what gives?

 

 

 

 

We turned onto grizzly peak.  I was pretty cold by the time we reached south park rd.  We made the descent to save some time since we got such a late start.  It was probably my slowest descent ever – I was freezing and the wind would have been way too much.  I looked carefully for newts on the road but didn’t see any.  maybe it was too cold for them,

 

Wildcat Canyon was a chilly descent as well – though it’s much slower than south park so there was less wind in my face.

 


We stopped for a second on Bear creek rd to enjoy the warmth of the sun and the beautiful wild mustard that was blooming.

 

 

 

 

beautiful day on papa bear.  super wide shoulders are nice but probably necessary given the speed of vehicular traffic.  We took the short climb up happy valley and turned back along sundown terrace to miner rd and took wildcat canyon back over the hills to go home.

 

 

 

 

 

ALC10 Orinda training ride

We joined an AIDS LifeCycle training ride at Orinda BART last Saturday.    Here’s everyone signing in with the beautiful hills in the background.  We did a 33 mile loop or so and then rode back home over the hills to make it a 45 mile or so day.

 

 

 

A crabapple or flowering cherry at inspiration point.

 

 

 

 

 

playing with data: the 2010 kaiser half marathon

A while back, I decided to try to teach myself R.   I thought that running races would have some interesting data to look through.  Here’s what I’ve come up with so far:

This is a scatter plot of finishing times versus runner ages with different colors for male and female runners:

Males generally finished the race faster.  There were more female runners (I wonder why?).  The fastest age group looks to be runners in their mid 20s.  There are a few data points where I’m guessing no age was given and therefore the runner was assigned the age of “1”.  I’m impressed at the people who are still completing half marathons in their 60s and 70s!

More charts to come, maybe!

Hayward to San Jose to Fremont

I did a very flat 60 mile ride to San Jose yesterday with the commuter bike and a pannier.  I didn’t want to spend the entire day on the bike, so I took BART from Hayward and started there.

I needed to repurpose my old iphone 3G and finally found a worthwhile use – GPS using the Trails Lite app.  I created a route on mapmyride.com (yes, I used them despite their obtrusive ads), exported to .gpx and then loaded the .gpx file onto Trails Lite.  I can’t tell if it’s the app or the jailbroken OS (which I had to do since I lost my old sim!) that’s unstable but it crashed maybe 8-10 times over the course of the 60 miles.  GPS works reasonably well without a network and a compass.  I do wish that the screen were easier to read while riding and the app would tell me when to expect my next turn and which road to turn onto.  But, I guess that’s why there exist turn-by-turn navigation apps.  The iphone was held on there with one of those gorillapod holders.  It works decently well but it’s definitely not as secure as a clamp.

There was a lot of flat, straight riding.  Some roads were heavily trafficked with fast-moving cars (but at least a decently wide bike lane) and others seemed a bit more industrial with few cars at all.  In the residential areas, I saw tons of yard sales.  It was a good day for a yard sale.

I spent quite a bit of time on Mission Boulevard.  The Holiday Bowl has a pretty awesome sign.  I wish it were still open so I could have checked it out.

It was kind of funny riding along the hills – my route was super-flat which made me feel strangely guilty.

N I L E S

The route got kind of weird at points.  I feel a bit uncomfortable near highway ramps but at least there was a bike lane.

Tri City Rock – Family owned and operated since 1978.  They sell rock.

This was a stretch on Warm Springs Boulevard.  Pretty during the day but a bit scary at night if you don’t have lighting.

I took a quick break in Milpitas in front of Yang Dental to have an orange.  I don’t think I’d been to Milpitas before.  There were a fair number of cyclists out on Milpitas blvd, probably either heading to or coming back from a ride in the hills.

Milpitas city hall

I took Capitol Ave for a bit and rode along the elevated platform of the VTA

Saw some lunar new year celebrations going on at the Lucky Seven supermarket.  Stopped to watch for a minute.

I just missed the dragon dance!

finishing up

birchy.

Eventually I turned off of capitol ave due to the volume of traffic and rode along Leeward way towards the Reid Hillview airport

tons of yard sales.  seriously.

and finally remembered what it was like to ride up a hill.

I stopped by a birthday party for a bit and then headed towards downtown san jose.  Airplanes were landing at the airport.

the gate was open, so I took a picture of mounds of rocks.

Rode through SJSU for a few blocks

(proof I was there)

I ate some leftovers, hung out for a bit with friends, then started making my way back to fremont.  the ride back in the dark wasn’t as enjoyable but it helped me pick up the pace.

one of many intersections

I finished with a burrito at Chipotle before getting back on Fremont BART.  I know it’s Chipotle.  But I like their burritos..

A rainy ride through Santa Rosa, Sebastopol, Valley Ford, Bodega, and Occidental

Saturday’s bike ride was super soggy, cold, gritty and toe-numbing, but felt strangely rewarding. Here are some photos from the ride.

bikes lined up, pre-ride. lots of blue and white/silver going on. and gold handlebar tape.

the grand cru rolling through santa rosa, en route to sebastopol

joe rodota trail for the win! a pretty sweet, flat, fast trail between santa rosa and sebastopol.

on Sparkes rd, headed away from sebastopol.. things are getting a bit wet!  most of the weather forecasts had called for just a cloudy day.. but this day was mostly mist.  (toes partially numb at this point.)

our crew split up a bit further. here’s a foggy shot from a climb up burnside rd.  (toes mostly numb at this point.)

almost all fog.  but pretty.  but also chilly.

this photo sums things up pretty well.  (toes all numb.)we took barnett valley  down to bodega highway to freestone valley ford rd.  then we took the valley ford cutoff to bodega.  here’s the church from “the birds”

then we began our ascent of joy rd.  I didn’t think it’d be quite so intense.  Though, in retrospect, I do remember seeing a lot of wrinkles on the relief of the terrain map.  I didn’t remember the altitude profile looking so crazy though.  a quick glance at the topo lines shows only 800 feet of climbing?

we took bittner rd down to another small down – occidental – and then descended a chilly and wet graton rd.

I was pretty worn out from the climb and kind of put my head down the rest of the way.  luckily, it was mostly flat.  rain was spotty but there were patches of blue in the sky.

here’s the reward: taps and tastings at russian river.

photos were taken with the gf1 which survived its soggy stint in my back jersey pocket.

woodland creatures baby shower – goodie bags and decorations and cake

I recently participated in and took photos at a wonderful baby shower.  It was a woodland creature theme full of wonderful ideas and cute little woodland animals and hand-made decorations.  It was the first baby shower that I’ve ever attended and I fear that this will skew my expectations from future ones.  Every detail was exquisitely planned:california wildflower seeds or graham cookie party favors.  hand-sewn bags with twine and die cut tags with various wet-embossed owls.  pretty awesome.

terrariums – live plants, moss, little tiny animal figurines and stones in a base of perlite, charcoal and potting soil in various glass containers

a super-fancy yule log by Erin.  marzipan owls, skunks, mushrooms, pine cones and bunny.

various sweets – puffs and eclairs

a lovely view of oakland and lake merritt

kids tables with coloring and DIY masks


yummy sangria filled with apples, lemons, and oranges, peach juice, and baby shower labeling

meat plate

owl food markers and pine cones and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the kids

gnomes and more pine cones

hand sewn hedgehogs and another terrarium with a lil mushroom

thinking gnome

more fancy yule log and marzipan owls, and a skunk and a rabbit

 


Closeup of a terrarium and hedgehog.  The little deer figurine (and the other animal ones) are surprisingly expensive!

paperwhites and a little bluebird

 

the bunny lost its ears!



east coast

photos from an east coast trip in december:

an english mastiff named honey

a so-so espresso from pitango gelato on P st in the district

a wedding reception in rosslyn, va

cold and dark night in reston, va

I was hoping for a bit better of an espresso at caffe amouri in vienna, va but it was a nice visit

an LED project in baltimore, md

Ma-Velous in San Francisco

We finally got to check out Ma-Velous the other day.  Here are some photos from the experience.  The place is swank with an eddie colla mural to complete the interior.

_1030382dm

Mr. Ma himself

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Custom espresso machine with see-through glass panels.  Some cool work by espressoparts.

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The siphon brewers_1030386dm

Peering in through the side of the espresso machine.  La Marzocco guts.

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TCHO hot chocolate

_1030392dmand of course the tim wendelboe norwegian espresso

barefoot coffee and roy’s station

During a little South Bay mini vacation we stopped by some coffee places. _1030229dmbarefoot coffee roasters in santa clara.  Is their sign in comic sans? (for the record, I’m ok with comic sans.  Looking at this pictures also reminds me of this hilarious t-shirt.)  I also appreciate the Freedom Burrito and House of Bagels next door, but for different reasons._1030230dm

Anyways, here’s the espresso.   I had their rule of thirds blend, described by barefoot as

“a bright, complex espresso.  Aromas of apricot and pineapple upside down cake.  Butterscotch and brown sugar in the body, with a lemon bar-like acidity and a clean finish.”

I don’t think I tasted all of that – I don’t think I ever taste all of that.   but I did taste a light to medium bodied, quite bright espresso.  I liked it.  Jesse got a pourover of the $8 Hawaiian Ka’u Typica.  Really smooth taste.

_1030273dm We also stopped by former Mobil gas station Roy’s Station in San Jose’s Japantown at the recommendation of a friend.  I had an espresso with beans from Verve coffee roasters.  It was fine, though not quite amazing.  Shots pulled on what looks like a La Marzocco FB/80.

I’ll add these places to the coffee map.  Finally, some south bay representation!

hotlinked on ebay

Dear Internets,

How do you effectively deal with hotlinking?  A helpful person let me know that images from a previous post involving the use of an 8mm Peleng fisheye on the Panasonic GF1 were being used by seller “opticparadise” to sell that same lens on eBay:

gf1_hotlinked

The images on the listing link directly to the images on my site.

I don’t mind sharing and use of my images as long as I’m credited – that’s why I’ve placed all of my images under a creative commons license.

The images aren’t taking up a huge amount of bandwidth and I don’t really care to send a cease and desist (or delist?) type letter, but I figure I’ll contact the seller and let them know they should be crediting me for the images.

I’ve been trying to think of other options though and am curious about what can be done.  The first google hit for “how to deal with hotlinking” wasn’t very helpful.

  • I suppose you can watermark  – but I think that distracts from the photos.
  • I could just suck it up and accept it – if it’s easy to copy and “steal” then people will
  • I could implement a redirect, but this would mess up legitimate sharing (with attribution) and I don’t really like it when other people do that.

Thoughts?

photos from summer rides

we had some nice summery weather today in  Oakland.  Here are some photos from summer bike rides hadn’t made it out until now for whatever reason._1020603dmFound some pears off of Canyon rd. in Moraga.  Note – This is before I dropped my camera:

panasonic gf1, post fall

Panasonic GF1, post fall on what I think was Bear Creek Rd.

You see, I have a jersey with a small side pocket that I had fit the camera into.  I left it unzipped so that I could access the camera.  My girlfriend warned me that it looked precarious and she was very right.  I hit a few potholes on the descent at 30-35mph.  My back felt a little lighter and I heard a noise behind me.  I stopped the bike and walked back up the road, expecting the worst.

but!  Suprisingly everything was okay.  The lens had a nick on the edge but the glass was fine.  The LCD had a little scratch but not much else.  The body was pretty banged up, but, hey, the camera still takes pictures today and I have a funny (stupid?) story to tell.  I zipped up the pocket for the rest of the ride.

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riding around the reservoir in  Orindariding up rt 4 in the stanislaus national forestwe did one high-altitude ride near Arnold, CA up route 4 in Stanislaus national forest.  I was wheezing from the lack of oxygen.  I do not have mountain lungs.  The 24% grade (see the sign!) probably did not help.P1020053dmPretty, but kind of scary.  Looks like you’re riding off the edge of a mountain.

Note: Mosquito Lake has mosquitoes.

camping at big basin

I went camping at Big Basin in August:  Noisy campground neighbors, a fun long hike and good food and company.bagels on the toaster

I couldn’t help being amazed by this little toaster.  It looks like the “Stansport Folding Camp Stove Toaster”.  Though a little slow, it made toasting so much more fun.

flare

A photo from the hike.  I have tons of the trees, redwoods and so on, but I think I like this photo more than the others.  We took the Skyline to the Sea Trail and checked out the waterfalls.

figs and corn on the grill

Black figs on the grill

grilled figs and goat cheese

black figs off the grill with goat cheese

looking up at night

The sky was pretty.  Here’s a long exposure of redwoods lit by the campfire.

pizza by bike

We finally made it to Addie’s Pizza Pie (3290 Adeline St, Berkeley) tonight.  I took the leftover pizza home on the bike’s back rack:

pizza by bike

cargo net: highly recommended.  also useful for carrying toilet paper.

Here’s Addie’s charming beverage menu:

PBR: Hipsterville, Milwaukee

Pabst Blue Ribbon, Hipsterville Milwaukee

So that’s where PBR is brewed!  (seriously though, PBR does awesome marketing)

east bay mini maker faire

East Bay Mini Maker Faire was rainy but fun.  The mini-sized faire made for a much more manageable experience than the gigantor (but awesome) hodgepodge of overstimulation that is the full-scale bay area version.  it was held at the park day school in temescal.  originally scheduled to be mostly outside, the planners did an excellent job with the rain contingency plan.

arduino lilipad for an electronic quilt project

Lilypad arduino – part of the woven futures digital quilt project

park day school lighting

park day school lighting

skull with LEDsLED skull

eggbot does halloweenthe eggbot does pumpkins for halloween as well.  It looks like the marker holder is hinged so that it just rests on the surface, which is helpful for not-quite-round surfaces like little pumpkins and gourds.

LED throwie

LED throwie

world's smallest postal serviceworld's smallest postal service

Photos of components of the world’s smallest post service kit from leafcutter designs.  Pretty awesome idea.  They send you a real letter with teeny writing and a magnifying glass for reading.  Comes with a custom wax seal, stamp and all.  check out their video.

forging by the crucible

forging knives via the crucibleice brainice brain by anja ulfeldt

such a cool project – it’s a growing (and shrinking) ice brain.  Refrigeration coils form the brain and water vapor in the air condenses and then freezes onto the coils.

list of bay area coffee shops – with a bay area coffee map

here’s my subjective ranking of the best espresso/coffee in the san francisco bay area, complete with a google map.

[googlemap width=”640″ height=”480″ src=”http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=112896448665808697633.00048fe8838715e9e8af6&ll=37.823616,-122.306671&spn=0.2689835,0.371824&z=11&output=embed”]

key: more crema = better.  empty cup =  not so good.  Sorry about the funky anti-aliasing.

excellent:

enjoyable:

not bad:

drinkable but not pleasant:

  • farley’s (san francisco/oakland/emervyille, farley’s blend from sunshine? in san leandro)  Recently had a not good one from the 65th st emeryville location.  doh.
  • peerless (oakland, peerless)
  • woody’s cafe (oakland, ?)
  • crepevine (oakland/berkeley, ?)
  • riva (berkeley, ?)
  • starbucks (starbucks)
  • peets (peets)
  • uncommon grounds cafe (berkeley, uncommon grounds)

not drinkable:

  • none yet.  Maybe I have a high tolerance?

credit for working the google maps/wordpress hack: http://digwp.com/2010/01/google-maps-shortcode/ if you want to try this, don’t forget to add the &embed at the end of your link.

Amsterdam: Day 3

This is day 3 of a short trip to Amsterdam.  Check out Day 1 and Day 2 if you haven’t already.

Breakfast on day 3 was at Latei (Zeedijk 143)I think this is was uitsmijter.  fried egg on a hearty, seedy toast.  I don’t think there was ham.  the freshly-squeezed orange juice was great.

or was this the uitsmijter?  Tomato, cheese, possibly an egg on the same toast.  You can see a unremarkable croissant in the background.

The waitress was super nice but a bit slow.  we ordered a traditional dutch apple pie because we hadn’t yet:

dutch apple pie – appeltaart.

The pie was a bit doughy.  I don’t remember thinking it was all that great.  The place was pretty cool though – great people watching.  There seemed to be a lot of tourists out and we enjoyed watching the groups walk or ride by.

I still needed my coffee, so we walked towards a place that had also been mentioned on a chowhound thread, coffee connection (Nieuwezijds Kolk 33).

coffee connection: storefront

once again, a super nice girl behind the counter.  we chatted for a bit about where I was from and coffee and so on.

espresso at coffee connection

I was really hoping that the espresso would be good given how welcoming the barista was, but it was thin and tasted a little burnt.

I was a little surprised about the espresso selection in the center of town.  my only enjoyable espresso was from the stumptown pop-up shop.  There were other shops that we didn’t get to visit because they were farther off from our hotel or other destinations such as espressofabriek (Gosschalklaan 7) and brandmeester’s (Van Baerlestraat 13) .  Maybe next time.

We walked for a bit to find another place to rent bikes.

older guy with groceries

I think I took this last picture because of the guy’s bike, but I can’t really make it out anymore.  I think it reminded me of a strida.

bike parking at amsterdam centraal

The first place we checked out for a bike rental seemed a little too expensive, so we walked to amsteram centraal station to check out star bike rental (De Ruyterkade 127).  I was kind of blown away by the number of bikes in the bike parking lot.  We just aren’t used to seeing this many bikes in the states.

more bikes in the parking area

we got our rental bikes and rode to the Jordaan.  the bikes were crappy as the last ones we’d rented and slightly more expensive but still pretty cheap.

RIH sport through the window

I’d really wanted to check out the framebuilder at RIH Sport Amsterdam (Westerstraat 150) but unfortunately they were closed.  It was still fun peering in through the window.  The Jordaan was a neat neighborhood to walk and bike through.  It felt a lot more neighborhoody than other areas and seemed like a nice place to live.

A fun set of window decorations

We eventually made our way back towards the city center.  we stopped by the cracked kettle (Raamsteeg 3 to pick up some beer:

bike, with westy crate

we had joked about how it’d be cool if a bike had a westvleteren crate.   here one was..  Its tires were flat, so it was more for display than beer transport.

entry

I wandered around a bit and took more photos.  Our weekend was coming to an end and we had to head back to the southern tip of the country for the night.  We took the train but, not knowing any dutch, did not know that the last portion of our ride was not in operation due to maintenance or construction.  Luckily, the NS train had arranged for a set of shuttle buses.  I was kind of happy to take the shuttle bus because it’d mean that we’d be able to see more of the countryside.

the bus from maastricht

All in all, it was a fun weekend.  A bit exhausting with all of the wandering around, but well worth it.

Amsterdam: Day 2

Every trip I take somehow ends up becoming a bike and coffee (and sometimes beer) tour.  We did some preliminary research on chowhound and coffeegeek for the coffee and beer and found a place for bike rentals.  Also handy was this interview of Stumptown owner Duane Sorensen by Oliver Strand of the New York Times It’s been a couple of months since our trip so my memory is a bit hazy but I’ll try to piece things back together with the help of these photos and the internets.

Die Koffie Salon Storefront

Coffee was my first priority.  We walked from our hotel to de koffie salon (Utrechtsestraat 130) based on recommendations from one of the above threads.  Patisserie Kuyt is across the street and these two were probably taking pictures of the storefront.  I did the same later, of course.

Impressive looking lever machine at Die Koffie Salon.

not as impressive-looking espresso from Die Koffie Salon

The espresso from Die Koffie Salon was pretty disappointing.  Light-bodied and not so good.  Drinkable though.  I don’t remember much else about it.  We moved on to across the street.

Patisserie Kuyt storefront

Patisserie Kuyt was a treat.  We ended up getting a variety of sweets, including the famed Appeltaart.

Bike rentals were from Dam Bike (New 26).  Cheap bike rentals, pretty crappy bikes.  But most bikes in Amsterdam were crappy.  We had some brake and wheel-truing problems, but hey, we didn’t expect much.  Another factor in choosing this bike rental place: we didn’t have to ride the super touristy orange bikes.  We were still touristy of course.

Nespresso storefront

I stopped in here to see if there were any Nestle-fueled single serve espresso innovations.  I didn’t see any, but I did see some (apparently top secret) designer Nespresso machines.  There were patterns screen printed on some of the plastic panels.  They kicked me out of the store for taking photos.  First time for a coffee shop – in the past it’s usually been for taking pictures in churches.

Lots of orange going on – we were nearing the quarterfinals of the the world cup.

women walking along albert cuypmarkt

After hanging out for a bit in Vondelpark, our next stop was Stumptown Amsterdam.  The market was super crowded and the actual store front was obscured by tents.  Lots of semi-crappy stuff but it was all interesting nonetheless.

an overexposed view of stumptown amsterdam

stumptown amsterdam: cupping station

Stumptown Amsterdam had a similar feel to other Stumptown locations but also had a more boutique-y feel to it.  The barista was a bay area guy (if I remember correctly) and it sounded like a pretty sweet gig to be working at that pop-up coffee spot with an apartment paid for by the Stumptown folks.

stumptown espresso

The espresso was predictably good, of course.

Bazar

Dinner was at Bazar (Albert Cuypstraat 182).  We got some sort of kebab platter and though I was stuffed afterwards, I was intrigued by their mint syrup + ice cream + fruit dessert combination.

dessert at Bazar.

Canteloupe, honeydew, apple, grape, ice cream, whipped cream, mint syrup, pineapple, and strawberry.  The mint syrup was too sweet for my tastes but it was an interesting combination made a bit refreshing by the mint.

Albert Cuypstraat, post market

The market had shut down and the cleaning crews were tidying the street as we walked out of Bazar.

Albert Cuypstraat, post market

biercafe gollem

A recommended beer place, Cafe Gollem (Raamsteeg 4),  was nearby, so we sat down and had a beer.  Good selection with a very low-key vibe.  The only thing that sucked was a woman sat down next to us and started smoking.  The breeze was blowing all of her smoke right at my face.  She must have had about 3 cigarettes while we had about 2 beers.

biercafe gollem – at the bar

We left Cafe Gollem to return our bikes to Dam Bike and then walked home.

dam square at night

kind of a sweet bike design.

It doesn’t look very practical but it’s kind of cool how the rack is integrated and how there’s tons of standover clearance.  The decal says “Nationale Postcode Loterij”  Not sure why they’ve branded a bike with their decals or who the manufacturer is though.

the intercontinental amstel amsterdam hotel

The last shot of the night was of the fancy-looking InterContinental Amstel Amsterdam Hotel (Amstel Hotel).  FIVE STARS PLUS!

Amsterdam

I went to Amsterdam earlier this year.

Photos from a weekend in Amsterdam:

I stayed at Hotel Arena.  Its most recent incarnation is a swanky-looking modern hotel.  Glass bathroom doors, a lofted bed.. The building was built as an orphanage with a chapel in 1890, and then was converted into a home for the elderly in 1950.  It became a youth hostel in 1982 and then somehow became privatized and then underwent a drastic transformation in the last couple of years.  The hotel is sort of on the outskirts of the Centrum but it’s only a 10-20 minute walk or so to most areas.. and of course even quicker by bike.

Here are a few of the other things we saw on our first evening.  It was near the solstice and daylight lingered to a ridiculous hour.  I think it was about 11:00pm when dusk started to settle in.

Kitty, on a dumpster covered with somehow color-coordinated tags and paint.

I don’t remember where this was taken, but I am guessing it was on Weesperstraat.

stickers on a red door.

Probably still along Weeperstraat.

And of course there were bikes.  This may have been along Sarphatistraat, but I just don’t remember anymore.  We heard a guy get hit by a car near this intersection the next night – scary, but he walked away and the car drove away and that was that.

More photos from the Netherlands and Belgium to come, eventually.

Fort Bragg

I went to a beautiful foggy wedding in at the botanical gardens in Fort Bragg yesterday:


IMG_2701dmIMG_2689dmIMG_2716dm

huddling because it was breezy and chilly


Eat Real Fest 2010 Part 3 – Pig Butchery Competition

This is part 3 of my photos from Eat Real Festival 2010. For part 1, click here, for part 2, click here.


Dave the butcher and Dan the butcher from Jim N Nick’s BBQ faced off in the pig butchery competition on the afternoon of Sunday the 29th of August.




one of the judges holds up a loin:

Anya Fernald does the play by play:

more dave the butcher:

Dave the butcher liked this one:


One of the judges.  Judging:

These guys were really getting into it:

A few more shots of the pig butchery crowd:

a ride to pt. reyes station

We finally got back on the bike and did a long ride last weekend.  ~88 miles to Pt. Reyes Station and back.

fog in the morning in the Presidio:

fog on the golden gate bridge too, of course.  It cleared up as soon as we were finished crossing.

The Nicasio reservoir.  Our group split soon after – we went to Pt. Reyes Station, the rest to Petaluma and then Santa Rosa.

Old St. Mary’s church + Corvette

Riding back across the bridge that afternoon was a little hairy and a little wet, but this scene was absolutely wild:

this part was a bit scary with the tourists and the fog:

Chrissy field on the way back:

Latte at Blue Bottle in the Ferry Building to end the day:

Taste of Temescal 2010

This year’s Taste of Temescal was Tuesday, September 14th.  For $30 (proceeds went to the Women’s Cancer Resource Center, Good Cents for Oakland, Lion’s Center for the Blind, Emerson Elementary School, Claremont Middle School and the Oakland Tech PTO) you got about 20 tastings of enough tasty food to get painfully full – if you chose to eat it all yourself.  (Note to self:  split the ticket next year)

Los Malcriados, playing in front of Aunt Mary’s Cafe:

“Texas Caviar” (black-eyed peas), salpicon (shredded beef? pork?), and a sweet potato bar from Aunt Mary’s Cafe:

Remedy, serving scones, some of Ritual‘s La Folie drip coffee, and artful barista poses:

Chioke from The Dime

DJ Crimson and The Dime in front of Kasper’s Hot Dogs on 46th:

Raciel from Tara’s Organic Ice Cream serving a variety of flavors – vanilla bean, chocolate, lemon verbena, turkish coffee, blueberry mint, and strawberry and mango sorbets.  Blueberry mint’s my favorite, but I went with the sorbet this time.

Barlata had paella again..

The akido institute was not serving food.

Scream Sorbet, who are opening their store “soon”.  (it’s all good, they’re still at the farmers markets)  I had a delicious citrus fennel sorbet.

Bakesale Betty.  I had their chicken pot pie and banana bread, but only ended up with a picture of coffee cups.  they are so damned nice.

Eat Real Fest 2010 Part 2

This is part 2 of my photos from Eat Real Festival 2010.  For part 1, click here.

After his Chinese Noodle Pulling demonstration, Chef Gordon from ARK Chinese restaurant in Alameda started a watermelon carving demonstration.  The stage MC joked that he’d be going at half-speed so that the people in the audience could observe his technique.  He specified that he’d be carving a peony:

I like seeing the watermelon rind scraps all strewn about.

A little chunk fell out as Chef Gordon was carving.  He explained that he usually uses less-ripe watermelons because they’re firmer and thus less likely to fall apart.

Chef Gordon also threw a carved carrot into the mix.  He said these need to be fresh so they they’re still firm and crisp.  Here’s a bird:

I did some walking around after watching the demonstration.  Here’s some roast pig, ready for serving from Chop bar:


Here’s a hen (taxidermy?) in front of the Food Skills stage in the Urban Homestead area.  As seen on Oakland Local.

Goods from the prizewinners of the Urban Homestead competition:

Samples for the crowd from the Melon Mania workshop in the Urban Homesteading area.

Elote to be:

What comes next?  Half eaten elote:

Mogo BBQ:


Lobster roll from Sam’s Chowdermobile.  My favorite food of the festival.

Gigantic Gerald’s Paella Pan.  You could fit a family of 6 on it!

shot of the eat real 2010 crowd:

Carne Cruda performing at the Lawn Stage – They were goofballs.


Eat Real Fest 2010 Part 1

Eat Real Festival 2010 was amazing.  Jack London Square was beautiful.  Oakland is beautiful.

Here are the photos:

Food Vendors and the Marketplace

Sometime Emeryville vendors Primo’s Parilla showed up with their meats and grill.  They’d recently run into some sort of permit issue with Emeryville regarding the grill but that wasn’t a problem at Eat Real.

Folks from Boccalone (“Tasty Salted Pig Parts”) had a small stand:

Toussant from Besto Pesto providing samples of his pesto with super-delicious organic rigatoni pasta from the pasta shop

Rachel and her crew from Blue Chair Fruit selling some wonderful jams (including black fig, strawberry-pink peppercorn, and spiced burbon-tomato)

This guy was getting ready to make a watermelon salad in the Marketplace area:

A sale at Marshall’s farm natural honey:

The Taco Guys had a sweet paint job on their truck.

Chinese Noodle Pulling

In short, the Chinese noodle pulling demonstration was amazing.  At first, being unfamiliar with the art, I was almost bored – this guy is just kneading dough.  But then, he started doing some twists and stretching..

Chef Gordon from ARK restaurant in Alameda, CA gets to work, starting with a lump of dough.

pretzel-like:


In a short amount of time he went from what appeared to be a few strands of dough to hundreds of noodles:



I was able to get an aerial view of part of Jack London Square.  Super-crowded.  It’s an interesting contrast compared to how empty it normally seems.

This is Dave the Butcher participating in the live pig butchery competition against Dan the butcher from Jim & Nick’s BBQ .  Apparently he liked the photo enough to tweet/facebook update about it: http://twitter.com/davethebutcher/status/22709779717

Cool.  More photos of the butchery competition to come in the next post.

2010 World Footbag Championship Photos

I went to the Oakland Convention Center to check out the 31st international world footbag championships put on with the help of local footbag (aka hackey sack) crew chaos footbag.  I got there just as the women’s doubles finals were finishing up.   Julie Symons and Jody Welch won the title after a spirited match.

The actual setup was pretty interesting to me.  A bunch of different footbag courts with hard puzzle-piece flooring and all were set up for competition on one side, while some plastic turf was set up on the other side of the rented space for freestyle purposes.  Bleachers were set up around the main court and the convention center’s own lone caterer (no BYOB allowed, apparently) served beers and wine to those looking for a little buzz.

Some of the open doubles finalists warmed up while other people juggled and performed some freestyle footbag routines in between the women’s doubles and open doubles finals.

One of the eventual champions, Florian Goetze from Germany sets up for a spike:

Florian spikes once again:

The spikes are pretty incredible.  It’s a 5-foot tall net, and it looks pretty tough to be able to have the flexibility, coordination, and the vertical to be able to kick the bag downwards.

The competition got started a little late, but was worth the wait.  Florian Goetze and Patrick Schrikel were in black, competing against Gilles Demers and Francois Pelletier from Canada.  I hadn’t watched much footbag prior to watching this event, but seeing the guys attempt to block was pretty incredible.

Seriously.  Look at this dude’s face:

And that dude’s.   Acrobatic.

The finals were played to 15 points with sideout scoring per game.  The match was decided by the first team to win two games.  I had expected a 45 minute match or so but the competition was fierce and both teams stayed close throughout.

and the blocks:

I love looking at the expressions of the people sitting in the crowd in this photo:

In the end, the match lasted almost two and a half hours.  The highlight for me was when, while in midair,  one of the Canadians realized he couldn’t kick the bag with his intended foot.  He was able to move that foot out of the way and switch feet to kick the bag over the net.  Like a double-pump in basketball.

bica coffeehouse, oakland, ca

Bica Coffehouse (5701 College Ave, Oakland)  just opened today across the street from Rockridge BART.  It replaces Cafe Lyon, which closed last May.  I had an espresso made with coffee from De La Paz’s 14th St. Espresso blend.  It was nice and brewed well on their La Marzocco Linea.  A bit bright, citrusy and a little sweet.

(Pardon the less-nice iphone photos)

de la paz 14th st espresso via bica coffeehouse

They plan on rotating their coffees between Flying Goat, Ritual, De La Paz, Verve and Barefoot about every 2 weeks.  In addition to coffee, they also offer teas and a few different types of pastries from Bisbane Bakery.

saw this on the way home:

I heart zombies

“I heart zombies”

Cafe Gabriela, Oakland, CA

Cafe Gabriela (988 Broadway Oakland, CA) is located downtown right off of Broadway.  The California Bar exam was being administered the day that I went and I got in just before a rush of test-takers came in for a break.

The Blue Bottle espresso was pretty good, but didn’t have the same combination of flavors that I’ve come to expect.  I feel that I’m terrible at describing nuances and undertones in coffee flavor, but here I tasted a buttery ristretto with a bit of tang, a prevailing smoky flavor with a bit of marshmallow.  I didn’t enjoy the coffee as much as the shots that come from the blue bottle people themselves.

blue bottle espresso at cafe gabriela

I also purchased a pork adobo sandwich which was predictably salty and pretty good.  They’d originally given away my sandwich by mistake – I think one of the bar takers picked up my sandwich instead of waiting for their own.

pork adobo sandwich at cafe gabriela

nuovo point demitasse double ristretto

best of the east bay party 2010

Went to the 2010 Best of the East Bay party at Jack London Square put on by the East Bay Express on Saturday. There was a good mix if people, food, art, merchandise and music. Here are some photos.  Good times.

I watched the skateboarders for a bit.  This is Lem:

Lem in the air

Ferry terminal, Jack London Square:

ferry

Lead singer for Everything Must Go!  Wild set.

"everything must go!"

Gift of Gab and Lateef the Truth Speaker + Headnodic from the Crown City Rockers = The Mighty Underdogs.  They put on a damn fine show.  Gift of Gab shredding the mic:

gift of gab

Lateef the Truth speaker:

lateef

Freestyle:

lateef and gab

lateef: freeze!

freeze

Peerless Coffee, Oakland CA

I tried to stop by Peerless Coffee Company (260 Oak Street Oakland, CA) for lunch,  but found that they didn’t serve food except for the candies in their gift shop.  It’s a neat building and they have a gift shop that holds various tea and coffee accessories as well as candies and books.  There’s industrial-scale roasting equipment in the rear that you can catch a glimpse of while browsing the gift shop.

I ordered a shot of espresso.  The girl behind the counter said it’d be a ristretto, but once I got the coffee, it reminded me more of a “double” that you can buy at Starbucks.  The espresso wasn’t very enjoyable but it was drinkable and contained caffeine that I needed for the afternoon.  There wasn’t much crema.

peerless coffee: espresso

Oddly, there was an Oji brewing machine in their tasting room (which was closed when I visited)

peerless coffee: oji brewer

Eating About Beer 2010

this past weekend, about 32 of us were treated to an eight-course beer-paired culinary adventure: eating about beer 2010.  More extensive descriptions of the event will be written by the makers in the near future, so for now just I’ll share a few pictures:

homemade sopressata

sopressata, cured at home

pickled veggies

“a selection of seasonal pickled vegetables” arranged symmetrically

homebrews

homebrews in fancy packaging

soba-to-be

buckwheat soba noodle making

avacado cutting
beer

homebrews on ice

soba

soba going through the pasta maker

for the fritters

topping for the sicilian chickpea fritters

pickled veggies

pickled vegetables cut up for serving

beer model

marzen model

soba

soba with cale, shredded daikon and dipping broth

empties
ceviche

peruvian ceviche

ratatouille

ratatoullie with cheese scraping

pork

pork chop

prost

prost!

salad

adding wheatberries to the salad

mustard

mustard, in nugget dipping containers

nuggets

nuggets, with dipping containers, in serving boxes

silverware

fancy napkins for the nuggets

dessert

tapioca with a hazelnut and coffee shortbread cookie

the eab crew

the eab crew at the end of the night

Espresso at Woody’s Cafe – Lake Merritt, Oakland, CA

Woody’s cafe (1841 Park Blvd Oakland, CA) located across from the Parkway Theater and next to Woody’s laundromat.

I had an espresso and a turkey panini:

espresso at woody's cafe

The espresso was drinkable but I can’t say that I enjoyed it.  It tasted a little weak and burnt with hints of acidity (I might have liked it a bit stronger) and it also tasted a bit stale.  but it was drinkable, and I needed the caffeine.

turkey panini at woody's cafe

The turkey panini was pretty tasty.  The people working there were really nice and there’s currently a lot of interesting photography on the walls of signs found in oakland.  during the lunch hour, the crowd seemed to be mostly people hanging out on their computers.  I wouldn’t come back here just for the coffee but it’s not a bad place to visit.

the parkway theater:

parkway theater

cafe 504 – Lake Merritt, Oakland, CA

cafe 504 (504 Wesley Ave Oakland, CA 94606) is a pretty sweet spot to chill.  I had lunch and an espresso here:

504

super friendly barista pulled shots of ritual‘s lloyd dobler from a la marzocco machine.  It was quite bright.  I don’t taste the same fruity tones as indicated in ritual’s description, but it was bright, light-bodied and pleasant.   served in a bodum polka-dotted demitasse.

espresso

I also had a salad and a sandwich.  I wasn’t too impressed with the salad (though this didn’t matter too much to me) and the sandwich was good.  the space inside was neat – a small kind of dark space with blue walls with a kitchen that reminded me of a cabin.

there was also a dog patiently waiting outside.  I really enjoyed relaxing outside and enjoying a beautiful day in oakland.

dog

Espresso at Blue Bottle, Local 123 and Farley’s East

I recently checked out Local 123 (2049 San Pablo Avenue Berkeley, CA) and Farley’s East (33 Grand Avenue Oakland, CA).  I also finally got around to visiting the blue bottle cafe near jack london square (300 Webster St Oakland, CA)

blue bottle cafe

espresso with blue bottle

the ristretto was predictably enjoyable – bright and with a bit of sweetness that lingered.  I also had a sandwich with meat from boccalone and some cookie to go with.  the space is nice – well-lit with natural light but pretty small  – there’s a cupping area and then more space in the back for bags and bags of coffee bean storage and roasting.

local 123

Local 123 is just south of University Ave on San Pablo – near Lanesplitter and Acme.

pretty rosetta
espresso in the patio

(apologies for the iphone photos)

local 123 brews flying goat coffee and they made a tasty ristretto.   I don’t remember details of the taste other than the fact that I really enjoyed it.  the two people working there who we interacted with were super friendly and the barista offered another shot if this one wasn’t to my liking.  the space is nice, with big prints of tasteful and uncheesy square-formatted naturey photos and a nice outdoor seating area.

farley’s east

they pull bottomless shots here from a la marzocco.  The espresso was not bad, but not as good as I’d enjoyed from local 123 and blue bottle.  compared to the two shots above, this one tasted a little staler and darker.  still not bad though.  they use beans roasted by sunrise coffee in san leandro.

espresso from farley's east

I liked their interior and the magazine selection and the friendly person at the counter who took my order.  I got a cold turkey sandwich – it was good.  there’s fun art on the walls and deception by blackalicious was playing as I picked up my sandwich.

it was a monday and the bakesale betty nearby was closed for the day.  I wonder how much more business area cafes receive on mondays and if there’s a correlation.  the windows of the subway next door were still broken as a result of the opportunistic rioting that took place after the mehserle verdict was announced.

subway window, broken

I saw quite a few windows being repaired in Oakland today:

window repair

miam.miam in rockridge to serve blue bottle coffee; scream sorbet opening soon in temescal

update: you can expect to see some wild-looking mugs at miam.maim: http://www.unitedbrands.us/miam/miammiam-mugs/fallseries.html

yet-to-open cafe/lounge miam.miam (5856 college ave)  just posted a huge blue bottle banner in their window.  after having a banner in the window promising frozen yogurt in “summer 2009” and then “holiday 2009” from peeks into their front door, it looks like they’re finally getting closer to opening.   The huge banner is a little misleading – the size of it makes you think that blue bottle is actually opening at that location, but not so.

Bittersweet, just down the street also serves blue bottle (or at least they did last time I was there), so miam.miam isn’t alone.

this gets me to thinking – blue bottle’s got a pretty strong brand going if cafes are clamoring to serve their coffee and use it in their advertising, right?

on a slightly related note, scream sorbet is opening up a shop at 51st and telegraph in temescal (5030 telegraph ave), 2 doors down from bakesale betty.  they’re scheduled to open in June, according to a not-fake poster.

they’ve got a hilarious set of fake posters in the window:

scream sorbet posters

hilarious fake ads and websites:

squidazzle!  Bringing squid and squid-based technologies to the greater bay area since early 2010.  We’ll make you aware what the squid has to share”

the root seller: your year-roud source for roots and tubers”

“the mauve emporium: love mauve? so do we!  finally, the store that’s nothing but mauve.  If it’s arguably mauve… we’ve got it!”

TROUGH: food by the minute – Grand opening special!!! Only $9.99 for 10 minutes!  That’s less than a dollar a minute!!” (looks like landing page is broken)

MARZIPAN MADNESS – The DIY almond paste sensation that’s sweeping the nation!”

cafe zoe in rockridge opening soon with serious espresso?

update 3 (September 2012): Cafe Zoe is now Old Brooklyn Bagels.  The same la marzocco machine is in there though..

update 2: samples today but real opening is on sunday the 20th 7am-7pm

update: via teh twitters, @cafezoeoakland is prepping for a 6/18 opening, pending inspection.

peeked through the window of cafe zoe in rockridge and saw this:

the under-construction cafe zoe, through the window

there hasn’t been a lot to be found about cafe zoe (6000 college ave) on the interwebs, which had been vacant for quite some time (one year? two years?)  Apparently it used to be Baby World but they seem to have moved over to the Temescal neighborhood.

Anyways, back to the photo: Rockridge is a neighborhood with a pretty high cafe per resident ratio, but I’ve yet to find a place with espresso that I really like.  On College ave, there’s Cole Coffee (who have a consistent gathering of people sipping coffee outside), A Cuppa Tea, Spasso, and Peaberry’s in Market Hall.  I don’t remember what the espresso was like from Bittersweet or Hudson Bay Cafe, but the fact that it wasn’t memorable probably means something.  Though each of the places have their draw, I wouldn’t go to any of just for an espresso unless I really needed a caffeine fix.  The nearest place to me is the relatively new Remedy Coffee in Temescal, who do a really nice job with Ritual’s beans.

The machine in the photo is a La Marzocco FB80, a dual-boilered, PID’ed out crema-churning beauty (with some nice detailed reviews) that runs somewhere between $11,000 and $17,000 depending on how many groups you want.  A little searching online found this job posting which indicates that Cafe Zoe will be serving award-winning Ecco Caffe coffee (whose coffee I have not tried but hope to soon, as they are planning to relocate their roastery and open a cafe in portrero hill).

I’ve seen this machine before at the Blue Bottle in Williamsburg.  So, I’m excited.  serious coffee + serious machine + a job description that implies a serious commitment to coffee (“The espresso bar was designed with the barista in mind! Super equipment, great workflow, and the best view in the house.”) probably means serious coffee.

2010 I Care Classic South County Century & Bicycle Tour

The 19th annual I Care Classic ride (presented by the Almaden Super Lions Club) was on May 15th, 2010.

registration:

Paramit corporation hosted the staging area and registration.  They love microwaves.  or hot food.

wall of microwaves

The ride was really well supported with plentiful sugary home-baked rest stops.  I ate a lot of m&ms and cookies that day.  yum.

great homebaked food

The ride was a little foggy in the morning, especially once you got up in the hills a bit:

foggy gilroy hot springs

and sometimes sunny

sunny gilroy hot springs

the fog was wonderful though:

beautiful fog
more beautiful fog

there was an accident somewhere on the route where a car apparently hit a telephone pole, requiring that the road be closed while PG&E conduct repairs.  we lost about 30 miles of our ride but we were able to make up 20 miles of it elsewhere on uvas rd.

detour!

Brook hooked me up with some flashy handlebar tape:

rockin the gold handlebar tape

el toro brewing company was nearby, so beers were in order:

beer to cap it off

temescal street fair 2010

Today was the 7th annual Temescal street fair along Telegraph ave in Oakland between 45th and 51st avenues.

temescal street fair banner

Berta Olivia y su mariachi performed an impressive set near 51st ave:

berta olivia y su mariachi

there was a train (with a horn) for the kiddies:

train for the kiddies

oakland recycles and composts:

oakland recycles and composts

I couldn’t resist stopping by the East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse.  I’d sadly never been in there.  There is so much awesome junk just begging to reused (or “upcycled” if you will):

cassette tapes at the east bay depot for creative reuse

awesome drawers of markers and pencils with scribble marks everywhere (of course!)

markers at the east bay depot for creative reuse

Raciel and Tara  (and sorry, I don’t know your name) from Tara’s Organic Ice Cream at their tent:

tara's organic ice cream

Bartender at Barlata:

bartender at barlata

bike and coffee shops in new york (part 4)

This is part 4 of the bike and coffee tour.

(part 1 of the tour and part 2 and part 3)

Abraco (86 East 7th Street New York) is a small space with a strong smell of coffee and a distinctive neon sign that is featured prominently as their logo on their website.  The beans are from counter culture, and the guy apparently has Bay Area roots and had previous experience at blue bottle.   For more information, there’s a good writeup in New York magazine.

Abraco’s website pushes some delicious looking pastries, but I only ended up getting an espresso:

abraco: espresso

The espresso, a ristretto, had a very “traditional” taste to me.

As claimed, the place was tiny and crowded.  Nothing wrong with that.

abraco: crowded inside
abraco: baristas
abraco: from the sidewalk

Sam and I continued walking in the east village, headed towards brooklyn but in search of food.

no love for BNE

We stopped by Dumpling Man for a snack:

dumpling man: bathroom

I only ended up with a shot of the bathroom.  “Please be good”

We took a little stroll through Tompkins Square Park and then came across Busy Bee Bikes (437 East 6th Street, New York, NY)

busy bee bikes

Nothing too crazy here.  You can see a pretty big used part selection behind the glass on the right and a pretty bright paint job outside where some of the people from the shop were working on repairs.

busy bee bikes: sunny sidewalk shot

Our next stop was Bike Works (106 Ridge Street, New York), just on the manhattan side of the Williamsburg bridge.  they had a decent selection of cycling caps here, so I picked a couple up as souvenirs.

bike works: storefront

Also in front of Bike works:

bike works: that's a big chainring

big ring riding.

The city was painting new bike lanes on Rivington St as we approached the Williamsburg bridge.  Fresh green paint!

new bike lines on rivington st! (or at least I think it was rivington)

Williamsburg bridge photos:

williamsburg bridge

Heavily covered with graffiti good and bad:

williamsburg bridge: I don't think this needed to be covered up

aand plenty crowded with cyclists and pedestrians.  It was cool to see the variety of styles.  There were old beater bikes, fixies with chopped bars, cheapo mountain bikes and nice road bikes.

williamsburg bridge: a cyclist, eyeing me suspiciously

We took a break to sit down and rest our legs in Williamsburg.  There was some group ride going on that looked more instructional than anything else:

back in brooklyn

we started walking in the general direction of park slope, feet and legs starting to get tired.    I happened to spot Bicycle Station (171 Park Avenue, Brooklyn, NY).  I went in for a bit.  The shop seemed small, and relatively sparse possibly due to the fact that they had moved to this location not too long ago.  A family came in with a bunch of bikes needing attention and they were starting the repair as I left.

I believe this is bicycle station

I stopped into La Bagel Delight for some food and then took a quick peek into Bespoke Bicycles (64-B Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn) before meeting Sam for a beer at Mullanes across the street.  It was well-lit with some beautiful signage.

bespoke bicycles

replenished and rested, we continued towards park slope.

Saw this on Atlantic Ave:

prizes! (trash)

worst prizes ever.  but cool tape job.

This little amendment to the BNE sticker took some planning.  I got a kick out of it:

"big nut eater". seriously, no love for BNE.

we had some time to spare before meeting up with Sam’s friend for dinner, so naturally we walked up and down 5th and 7th avenues.

Stopped into R&A Cycles (105 5th Avenue Brooklyn) for a second:

R&A Cycles: storefront

R&A has a big shop with many fancy road/tri/whatever bikes.

passed by Dixon’s (792 Union Street Brooklyn), so I stepped in for a second too:

dixon's bike shop wall. But this wasn't actually dixon's

Dixon’s is also a pretty large shop but their focus seemed to be used bikes and repairs:

dixon's bike shop: interior

We walked on to Tea Lounge (837 Union Street Brooklyn) where I didn’t get more coffee because I was already 2 espressos in for the day.  Instead, we sat on a comfy couch and rested.

chalkboard outside of tea lounge

I tried making a google map of all of the places visited but am having a hard time embedding that onto this site.  So, here’s a list of places that I visited (thanks again to Brooklyn by Bike and the New York Times Interactive Coffee Map! and the people who helped me along the way)

Part 1:

  • recycleabicycle
  • cafe grumpy
  • b’s bike shop
  • king kog
  • blue bottle coffee

Part 2:

  • oslo coffee
  • nycbikes
  • gimme! coffee
  • affinity cycles
  • velo brooklyn (bushwick bike shop)
  • lit fuse cyclery

Part 3:

  • recycleabicycle
  • stumptown roasters
  • conrad’s bike shop

Part 4:

  • abraco
  • busy bee bikes
  • bike works
  • bicycle station
  • bespoke bicycles
  • dixon’s bike shop
  • tea lounge

bike and coffee shops in new york (part 3)

This is part 3 of the bike and coffee tour.

(part 1 of the tour and part 2)

the cruiser, parked across the street from lit fuse

my time for the rental was running out and I was meeting friends at pacifico for dinner.  I left lit fuse and rode through downtown brooklyn to get back to recycle a bicycle.

there were a lot of bike lanes going on here under the manhattan bridge (sands st and jay st)
happyface sadface

chris at recycleabicycle invited me in to take more pictures.

ridiculous amount of used bikes and parts.
left crank arms
forks
lots and lots
crates of brakes
right crank arms

I took the subway back to my sister’s place in manhattan.  It was kind of sad to leave the cruiser behind.

I caught this before the end of the night:

chop

your brake levers overlap!  but I suppose it’s good to at least have brakes.

I had to work the next day but continued the bike shop and coffee tour the day after that, on foot with my friend sam.

first stop: stumptown.

I was debating whether to post this. ok shepard fairey, you win.
stumptown barista

I was really impressed with stumptown (18 West 27th Street New York, NY).  It’s a really well done little spot attached to the swank ace hotel.

stumptown: menu

the line was about 8-10 deep, which was a bit long but manageable.

stumptown: grinding and brewing

there was lots of fun stuff, coffee and not coffee related on the walls.

stumptown: espresso

stumptown’s espresso was my favorite of the tour by far.

saw this guy parked outside stumptown:

is this comfortable? I kind of wanted to hop on and try it out.

has anyone ridden a no-nose saddle before?

next stop: conrad’s in tudor city.

conrad's store front

conrad’s bike shop (25 Tudor City Place New York, NY) looked like they got pretty serious with the bike fitting:

conrad's interior. bike fit setup is the 2nd bike in
conrad's interior

there was a decent selection of apparel and accessories as well as many fancy bikes on the floor.

sam and I walked down to the east village next, to hit abraco.

this guy had a good look:

riding a strida? on 10th st

and this note, hilarious:

nobikes, bike, note

“Don’t come crying when we cut your chain and remove your bicycle from the fence!  THAT’S A BIG SIGN!”

one more to go.  part 4 comes next.

ritual coffee at maker faire 2010

here’s the coffee counter from the  ritual trailer (‘sputnik’) at this year’s maker faire:

ritual trailer counter at maker faire, may 2010

here it was last year at the eat real festival in oakland:

ritual truck counter at eat real festival, august 2009

we got a flight of espresso.  $7 got you a shot of each of these costa rican coffees:

  • five candles seasonal blend
  • el alto, grace calderon jimenez
  • los chachones, arturo chacon

    the five candles was my favorite.  I’m not big on tasting notes, but it tasted buttery.

    I wasn’t very diligent with the pictures, so I present here 2/3 of a flight:

    ritual coffee espresso flight at maker faire: five candles seasonal blend
    ritual coffee espresso flight at maker faire: el alto, grace calderon jimenez single origin shot

    and of course the bike cart (photos here as well) was there:

    ritual coffee at maker faire: the ritual bike cart

    bike and coffee shops in new york (part 2)

    (part 1 of the tour is here)

    This is part 2 of my brooklyn bike and coffee tour.

    My next stop after Blue Bottle was Oslo coffee (133 Roebling St, Brooklyn).

    I took some shots  along the way:

    williamsburg pasteup
    GATS gets around

    I couldn’t handle much more caffeine by the time I got to Oslo, so I skipped another espresso and had a cookie instead.

    oslo coffee: storefront
    eddie at oslo coffee

    I told Eddie about the bike and coffee tour idea and he recommended a few places to check out in Manhattan.  I was surprised that it was empty there, but I think it was mid-afternoon at this point, which isn’t exactly a prime coffee hour.

    I visited NYCbikes (spokes and strings? 140 Havemeyer St. Brooklyn, NY) next.

    nycbikes (spokes & strings): storefront
    nycbikes (spokes & strings): interior

    I continued rolling around Williamsburg to Gimme! Coffee (495 Lorimer St, Brooklyn, NY)

    gimme! coffee: storefront

    It was pretty packed in here with quite a few people working on their laptops and it looked like some of the after-work crowd was coming in for a buzz.  Friendly baristas.

    gimme! coffee: transaction

    I didn’t remember to take a picture of the espresso shot until I was almost done:

    gimme! coffee: espresso, mostly finished.

    affinity cycles (616 Grand Street Brooklyn, NY) was right around the corner.

    affinity cycles: storefront

    The guys in the shop were pretty busy with repairs and they were doing some renovations to the interior:

    affinity cycles: interior

    onward.  Grand St. was being resurfaced but the fatty cruiser tires didn’t really care.

    probably on grand st @ bushwick ave

    I rode down to velo brooklyn (bushwick bike shop). (342 Dekalb Avenue, Brooklyn, NY) This shop wasn’t part of my originally-scheduled tour, but I happened to be riding by, so…

    velo brooklyn (bushwick bike shop)

    super-friendly and laid back people here.  One guy recommeded that I check out the biker cafe, boneshakers – but alas, I didn’t have time this trip.  maybe next time.  I browsed through their cycling cap selection and was surprised to see that they carried hats by local lady alloneword.  She had graciously donated caps to my girlfriend and friends who are doing AIDS lifecycle this year.

    velo brooklyn (bushwick bike shop): shop talk
    velo brooklyn (bushwick bike shop): pretty sweet walls

    I headed towards Lit fuse cyclery (409 Willoughby Avenue, Brooklyn, NY) next.

    dekalb ave
    dekalb ave: cruisin bed-stuy
    lit fuse cyclery: entrance
    lit fuse cyclery: interior, with klein

    I was taking interior shots at every shop, but I had to get one from this angle because I have a soft spot for kleins.  this Klein Rascal had the mission control integrated handlebars.   (Side note: I’m happy someone put together www.oldklein.com – the official klein page is just a product registration form.  boo trek.)

    lit fuse cyclery: interior, alternate view

    that’s a lot of photos.  next post is the ride back to recycle a bicycle to return the bike.

    Tierra Bella century: April 2010

    another intermission post with photos from the beautiful tierra bella ride last month. ~6400ft of climbing on a gorgeous day in the south bay.

    beautiful start
    hills
    two horses on the climb up gilroy hot springs
    henry coe is no joke
    enough oreos to make your stomach hurt
    wonderful support
    outtake

    from the archives: ritual bike cart

    a friend sent me this new york times post about kickstand, who have a mobile, bike-transported iced coffee and single-serve drip setup.

    I’ve only seen the ritual bike in the bay area:

    Ritual coffee bike cart

    This guy was selling iced coffee at sunday streets in the mission last july.

    ritual coffee bike cart at eat real in oakland

    and these two were selling ritual coffee at oakland’s wonderful eat real festival last august.

    bike and coffee shops in new york (part 1)

    I was in New York for work a couple of weeks ago and decided to take some time off to wander in the city.  I embarked on a self-guided tour of bike shops and coffee shops in brooklyn and manhattan (with the much-appreciated help of Anita from Brooklyn by Bike who led me to the New York Times Interactive Coffee Map) and took a bunch of pictures.  whenever possible, images were shot at ISO 50 and wide open, just because.

    front counter of recycle a bicycle

    I asked about bike rentals and bikesnobnyc was kind enough to suggest that I check out recycle a bicycle.  I went to their DUMBO location (Recycle A Bicycle, 35 Pearl St, Brooklyn)  They had only two bikes available and this is the one I got:

    cruiser from recycle a bicycle

    Chris from the shop hooked me up with the free official NYC cycling map.

    I took a few pictures outside:

    shredded paper, DUMBO

    and along the way.  It felt weird trying to balance on this bike – it had a coaster brake and I wasn’t used to the way-upright handlebars.   Riding the cruiser kind of made the ride more enjoyable, though, because it allowed me to just kick back at a slower pace and enjoy the ride.

    brooklyn BEEF
    dalai lama stencil - and of course, a BNE sticker

    and then pedaled towards Cafe Grumpy in Greenpoint.

    williamsburg st bike lane
    kent ave bike lane. I've got to say, I'm really digging the bright green.
    this wall is at Kent and Metropolitan

    the weather was ridiculously beautiful.

    Cafe Grumpy front counter

    the espresso at Cafe Grumpy (193 Meserole Avenue, Brooklyn, NY)  was good and the people very friendly.

    cafe grumpy (greenpoint) espresso. I couldn't resist and took a sip before taking the picture.
    roasting at cafe grumpy

    Cafe Grumpy was larger than I expected.  It was relatively crowded with people working on their laptops and they had a beautiful bathroom window:

    cafe grumpy bathroom window. it was pretty. I couldn't help it.

    I headed towards B’s bike shop (262 Driggs Avenue, Brooklyn, NY) next in Williamsburg.

    took a picture along the way:

    but hey, what's up with that frame?
    B's Bikes: counter

    B’s Bikes was a crowded little shop that seemed to be getting a lot of business.  I told the people inside about my plans for the day and they happily mentioned a few neat bike shops in Manhattan to check out.

    B's Bikes: repair stand

    I rode the cruiser down to King Kog (455 Graham Avenue, Brooklyn, NY) next:

    King Kog bike shop
    Inside King Kog

    There was definitely a different vibe here with more bike-lifestyle items on the shelves including a hilarious “One Less Messenger” t-shirt.

    Next stop: Blue Bottle (160 Berry Street, Brooklyn, NY).  I live in Oakland, CA, and wanted to see what Blue Bottle was doing on the East Coast:

    Blue Bottle Coffee, Williamsburg

    I was really impressed by the size of their space.  The natural light was great.  They roast in the back.  I’ve been to their kiosk in Hayes Valley in SF, the Cafe at Mint Plaza, their Ferry Building location, their old roastery in Emeryville and their farmers market in Temescal.  This space was absolutely huge in comparison.

    Blue Bottle Coffee: La Marzocco
    Blue Bottle Coffee: oji cold brew array

    There were quite a few people hanging outside too, enjoying the coffee and the weather:

    Blue Bottle Coffee: hangin outside on Berry st

    Part 2 to come.

    bike to work day 2010

    update (05.17.10)

    video added (view in HD if you can)

    today was bike to work day.  here are some shots from the bike away from work afterparty put on by the east bay bike coalition:

    crazy bike from cyclecide. This bike was really hard to ride!
    crazy bike #2 - I did not get to try this one but check out the rear wheel - made from an old trampoline
    ahh, oakland's uptown.
    crazy cyclecide rides - pretty sweet cape
    this girl is having a BLAST. in comparison, the speed of the swing kind of scared me. I did not ride it.
    phil from rideSFO

    (visit ridesfo)

    stylin
    ebbc bike-friend business award winners - garlynn woodsong from calthrope associates, sal from actual cafe, and gene from innovative interfaces

    (visit actual cafe)

    cyclecide klowns and los banos mayhem

    all photos shot with the panasonic gf1 and the 20mm f/1.7 lens

    Bike to work chipotle

    Wow, my first chipotle burrito in quite some time. Super long lines today at the chipotle on gilman in Berkeley because the bike to work day crowd was cashing in on their buy one get one free coupons.

    oakland panoramas

    I used the excellent hugin to stitch together a few panoramas of Oakland, looking east and west.  I tried the automate/photomerge option in photoshop CS2 but wasn’t satisfied with the results.  photoshop was much faster.  hugin can be pretty fast once you get the hang of clicking on the control points.

    Oakland, looking west:

    Oakland, looking west

    Click on the image for a larger version.

    Oakland, looking east:

    Oakland, looking east

    Once again, click on the image for a larger version.  I took the photos with the GF1 and the 20mm f/1.7 lens.

    cyclists shot in LA while trying to prevent bike theft

    While looking up information for a friend who just had his bike stolen, I found a link to this story in the LA times:

    The shooting occurred about 3 a.m. April 4 when the two cyclists stopped at a catering truck at Pico Boulevard and Westmoreland Avenue and left their bicycles nearby. Two young men in their late teens walked up and grabbed the bicycles.

    The two cyclists gave chase, and a struggle for the bikes ensued. Bopp said one of the robbers pulled out a handgun and shot one of the victims. The second robber managed to fight off the other cyclist.

    As the two thieves rode off, the one with the gun turned and shot the second cyclist in the shoulder, Bopp said. “He shot even though he’d already got away,” Bopp said.

    holy crap is right!

    (stolen bike registry blog)

    brush-clearing goats along tunnel road

    seeing a hillside crowded with goats was an unexpected part of yesterday’s bike ride.  I didn’t realize until it was pointed out to me later that they were being used to remove grass and weeds for fire control purposes.

    goats chomping down

    you can see a clear line between chomped and unchomped areas.  wow!

    apparently there can be problems with the goats being too effective – they can cause soil erosion and can decimate the population of native plants if the goats are uncontrolled.

    Other interesting things I found while searching the interwebs:

    these people rent out goats for clearing brush: http://www.goatsrus.com/

    the ups and downs of using goats to control fires: http://www.emagazine.com/view/?4663

    after this, we continued up tunnel road and made a quick descent down claremont ave:

    looking down claremont ave

    Takumar 35mm f/3.5 on the panasonic GF1

    A friend of mine recently came across some M42 lenses that were being tossed out.  He passed them along to me, thinking they might be of use.  (Thanks Jesse!) In the box were a pentax takumar 35mm f/3.5 and a 135mm f/3.5.  I’ve spoiled myself with fast primes for my cameras, so this is a bit of a departure from what I’d normally use.  It’s a 70mm focal length equivalent with the 2x m4/3 multiplier.

    I used my M42/C-mount to micro four-thirds adapter with a 9mm and 16mm extension tube to get the flange back distance to match that of a 35mm lens.

    Photos of the takumar 35mm f/3.5 on the GF1:

    takumar 35mm f/3.5 on the GF1 three quarters view
    takumar 35mm f/3.5 on the GF1 front view
    takumar 35mm f/3.5 on the GF1 side view

    The lens works alright on the camera.   It’s not nearly as bulky as the 8mm peleng fisheye.  Focusing worked fine and the manual focus magnification helps a lot.  With longer lenses (I tried the 135mm f/3.5 for a bit), I’ve noticed that the magnification isn’t very useful because of camera shake.

    Photos with the 35mm lens look fine.  The effective focal length worked pretty decently.  Here are some samples:

    OSH water tower, takumar 35mm f/3.5 on a GF1 (@f/3.5)
    OSH water tower, takumar 35mm f/3.5 on a GF1 (@f/3.5)
    dodge in west berkeley, takumar 35mm f/3.5 on a GF1 (@f/3.5)

    kfc doubledown

    we decided to try the kfc doubledown today.

    We went to the KFC on 45th and San Pablo in Oakland:

    kentucky fried chicken@45th+san pablo

    We ordered our sandwiches and inspected them.  Mine didn’t look as “disgusting” to me as some reviewers (also check out a little side story here) have described:

    kfc double down

    but it didn’t look too good either.  It tasted super salty, and the flavoring on the chicken totally overwhelmed everything else in the “sandwich” (rox informs me that according to MW, it’s not a sandwich, but a “sandwich” because there is no bread to be found).   you could make out a little bit of the cheese via texture and if you tried, you could taste the “colonel’s sauce”.  It didn’t taste horrible though.  The bacon probably wasn’t necessary – I could hardly tell it was there.  I was scared that I’d get sick.  but I didn’t.

    My friend Israel didn’t have much to say.  He just shook his head.

    We also got 2 biscuits for 99 cents.  Israel got honey and butter to put on the biscuits, but it was actually “buttery spread” and “honey sauce”.  11% real honey!

    biscuits with butter and honey?
    no! it's butter spread and honey sauce!
    no! buttery spread and honey sauce!

    I saw these three guys walk in.

    3 hipsters walk into a kfc

    (note: Israel made the astute observation that their menu is basically only combos – no individual sandwiches.  Perhaps the margins are just that much higher on the combo meals?)

    They were definitely getting double downs – you could tell by their pants and their fixed gear bikes.

    fixies three
    fixies three. no brakes = combo meal.

    and they did.  I can’t blame them though because they were there for the same reason that we were.

    nashbar garment bag pannier review

    update (05.13.10):

    Looks like my zippers are starting to fail as James had mentioned:

    busted zipper. still sorta functional as this is just a side pocket but a little annoying nonetheless.

    update (04.20.10):

    There were a few comments about this post on commutebybike.  I’ll try to answer some of them here:

    I use a single rear pannier in combination with an Eagle Creek “Pack-It” Folder (http://www.eaglecreek.com/packing_solutions/packing_folders/Pack-It-Folder-15-41068/).

    That seems like a decent idea.  I like having a garment bag because the shirt and pants aren’t as folded as tightly (I have the eagle creek folder as well).   That’s just my personal preference though.  The difference in wrinkling probably isn’t that big.

    James says:

    I had this bag for about a year, using it every day on mile 20-mile round trip commute. It was cheap, and I needed a solution.

    After about a year, the zippers just started failing, to the point where I couldn’t zip the bag together anymore, rendering it useless.

    I splurged and bought a Jandd Commuter Garment Bag (http://www.jandd.com/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=FCGBP) and couldn’t be happier!

    The Jandd bag looks like a viable alternative.. It’s a little pricey at $225 and shares a similar mounting system to the nashbar pannier.  But it’s something I’d definitely check out when I decide to replace this bag.  (James in Denver, who has also used the nashbar pannier wrote his own review of the jandd: http://onelessindenver.blogspot.com/2009/08/review-jandd-commuter-garment-bag.html)

    Chris says:

    This is a new product out of Vancouver that is catching on. This one gets everything to work wrinkle free every time.

    One of the things I love about this bag too is that it is easy to carry once you get to your destination.

    The reason why it is fine to have this as a backpack instead of a panier is that you change as soon as you get there anyways so who cares if your back gets sweaty.

    http://www.suitsak.com

    This also looks kind of cool and has compartments for shoes and other accessories.  I’d prefer a pannier because it’d be easier on my back but it’s nice to have this as an alternative as well.

    Nashbar garment bag pannier review

    nashbar garment bag pannier

    I bought this garment bag pannier in October of 2008 when I decided that I wanted to commute by bike to work instead of taking the bus.  I’ve been using it now for about a  year and a half and figured it’d be useful to put a review out onto the interwebs.  It’s gotten a good amount of use: I’d guess that at a rate of about 4 days per week for about a year and a half, that’s about 280 uses.  With a relatively short 6-mile round-trip commute, that’s about 1680 miles of use.

    This bag was the cheapest one that I could find at the time.  I saw it at nashbar.com and also in-store at performance bike.  They’re basically the same product.  The only difference is that the performance bag has the “Trans-it” logo sewn on.

    loading the bag onto your bike rack:

    Loading the bag is a little tough.  The hooks are metal, covered with a soft vinyl-like plastic.  this plastic wears away pretty quickly and you’ll end up scratching up your rack.  this isn’t too big of a deal, but the hooks definitely aren’t as nice as, say an ortlieb pannier with the quick release system and a more secure mounting.

    nashbar garment bag: top hooks, worn.

    the bag is secured to the bottom of your rack with a stretchy elastic cord and another set of plastic-coated metal hooks.  I’ve found that the plastic on these hooks wears away pretty quickly as well.  You can also really hurt yourself with these.  the elastic cord can generate a lot of tension, and if these hooks go flying when you unlatch them from the bottom of your rack, you can cut your fingers or hand.  It’s happened to me a couple of times.  The hooks also get caught on just about everything  when you remove the bag.  These hooks can also fall off of the elastic cord and get lost (see the photo below)

    nashbar garment bag bottom hooks: slightly dangerous.

    There’s a hole in the hard plastic for stowing the hooks, but it doesn’t work so well in practice for me.  This hole is higher than where I attach the bottom hooks to my bike rack and there isn’t enough tension in the elastic cord to keep the hooks engaged.

    There are two more clips that secure the bag even more on the front of the bag and the rear of the bag.  I’ve found that they’re very helpful in securing the bag.

    on the bike:

    nashbar garment bag: on the bike, rear view

    nashbar garment bag: on the bike, side view

    Riding with the bag is usually not bad at all.  It’s well balanced (in a side-to-side sense – the bike+bag is of course top-heavy, so it’s hard to keep upright when you’re not riding) because it covers both sides of the rack.  I had a lot of problems when I first started using the bag with parts of the bag rubbing against the tire.  One time, one of the hooks came off and got caught on a spoke.  after a couple of revolutions, it locked up my rear wheel and my bike skidded to a stop.  scary.

    There’s hard plastic on the insides of the bag (facing either side of the rear tire when mounted) .  This seems to help prevent water and grit from soaking the inside of your bag when it’s raining.  It also serves as abrasion protection if somehow the inside of your bag rubs against your tire.  tire rub is of course rack-dependent.

    nashbar garment bag: tire rub on the inner side of the bag. It's not in focus here, but the bottom hooks on this side have been sharpened by many cycles on loading and unloading the bag. kind of dangerous!

    I have to make sure that I place the bag far enough back on the rack so that the clasp doesn’t rub against the back of the rear tire.  This also helps prevent your heel from hitting the bag when you pedal.

    the two clips prevent the sides of the bag from bouncing around too much if you hit a bump.  the back clip’s gotten a little frayed from rubbing against the rear wheel from times when I’ve been sloppy in placing the bag onto the rack.

    The bag has two reflective strips on the back side.   There’s also reflective piping around the side and top pockets.  I’m not sure how visible it is, but I think it is a good thing to have.  I put a makeshift tail light into the carrying handle on the top of the bag.  it seems to work.

    nashbar garment bag: reflective strips and piping. Also note the clip for keeping the two sides close to the wheel.

    unloading:

    Sometimes unloading the bag is a breeze – you just unhook the bottom hooks and pull straight up.  Sometimes it sucks a lot – the hooks can stubbornly attach themselves to your back rack (I mentioned getting cut on them above!) and then they can catch onto just about EVERY part of your back rack as you lift the bag from the rack.

    The fact that this bag is attached to both sides of your rack makes it a little harder remove the bag.  If you’re using just a regular (single sided) pannier, you can lean the opposite side of your bike against something.  that doesn’t work so well in this case.

    carrying it while walking:

    the bag’s generally pretty heavy and bulky when loaded, so it sucks a bit to carry while walking.  I bought a crumpler velcro shoulder pad (item SP01A) to help distribute the load in a more comfortable way.

    It’s kind of big, so it might bump against your legs as you walk as any other bag this size would.

    how does the bag carry your clothes?

    I’m pretty happy with how the bag carries your clothes.  Typically, I can fit in a shirt, slacks and shoes into the bag.  It’s a bit smaller than other garment bags I’ve used (but of course, those bags don’t mount onto your bike..) so there’s a bit of folding that you have to do to get your pants and shirt to fit.  My shirts get to work with a couple of wrinkles, but it’s not nearly bad enough for me to care.

    nashbar garment bag: open and loaded

    There are two side pockets on the outside of the bag, each with a smaller separate compartment for fitting even more stuff.   Each side pocket can fit about 3 bottles of beer.  (though if you do choose to load your pockets this way, your bag will be considerably harder to carry) There’s also a pocket on top that I probably underutilize.

    nashbar garment bag: side pockets

    If you’ve got clothes already in your bag, there’s not too much more carrying capacity.  I typically have tools and a bike lock in one side pocket and lunch or other miscellany on the other side pocket.  You can stuff more things into the main compartment, but after a certain point, it gets hard to fold the bag over onto your rack.

    in the rain:

    The bag’s not bad in the rain.  Some parts of the bag have a waterproof inner coating, but other parts (especially near the zipper of the main compartment) don’t.  In mild rain, nothing inside gets wet.  When it’s raining heavily, though, I can expect parts of my shirt and pants to get wet.  Overall, it’s decent.

    general comments on build quality:

    the bag feels kind of cheap.  I think the mounting system kind of sucks.  I’ve used other nashbar bags that use the same mounting system, and I dislike those as well.  I’ve found that you can use a carabiner or something similar (google search: “oval screw link”)  in place of the bottom hooks.  this prevents injury and also doesn’t catch on as much as you remove the bag.  I haven’t “upgraded” my bag yet, but I really should.

    price/value:

    As of today, the bag is selling for $59.99 at nashbar.com.  It’s performance bike equivalent is $99.99.  That’s $40 extra for the “Trans-it” brand (which in my mind doesn’t hold much equity).   I think I paid $79.99 for it in 2008.  It was an okay deal for what I paid, probably a good deal for $59.99 despite its shortcomings.  It’s significantly cheaper than similar products:

    • knog neat dog rackless pannier (about $140 according to google shopping, and it gets kind of bad reviews)
    • two wheel gear bag ($150 on their website, www.twowheelgear.com, not sure how well-received it is)

    overall thoughts:

    I don’t really enjoy using it, but I use the bag nearly every weekday out of necessity.  It does its job without too many problems.  The main problems are the annoyances in loading and unloading the bag and the fact that walking around with the bag is awkward.  It’s a good value at its current price on nashbar, but if you’ve more money to spend, I’d recommend finding something where more attention has been paid to ease of use and quality in general.  I’ll probably upgrade at some point, but I haven’t found another bag that serves the same purpose at a better level of quality.

    foggy mt. tam and an affogato

    I went for a cold and sometimes wet ride up mount tamalpais today.  It was my first time riding up there and back.  I thought the fog looked great, though I’m sure the view would have been amazing on a clearer day.

    mt. tam in the fog.

    I treated myself to an affogato when I got home (and a sausage and beer at rosamunde/toronado before that):

    affogato

    peleng 8mm f/3.5 fisheye (and a 8mm computar c-mount lens) on the panasonic gf1

    After purchasing my Panasonic GF1, I thought it’d be fun to exploit the small form-factor and smaller sensor and try some of the c-mount lenses that are out there on the micro 4/3rds camera.  I purchased an adapter off of ebay that had both c-mount and M42 threads.  I tried it with a TV lens that I bought off of ebay, and then an 8mm lens that I already had for my canon.

    computar 8mm f/1.6:

    I tried the 8mm computar first:

    computar 8mm f/1.6 fixed aperture tv lens

    It’s a fixed-aperture lens that only cost about $5 or $10 from ebay.  I didn’t have high hopes – just wanted something to play with.

    Here’s a sample image taken with that lens:

    sample image taken with panasonic gf1 and computar 8mm f/1.6 tv lens
    sample image taken with panasonic gf1 and computar 8mm f/1.6 tv lens

    The image circle isn’t very large, and it’s not very sharp.  oh well.  The lens could still be useful for video – the GF1 gives a 2x or 4x digital zoom option, and with 2x digital zoom there’s no vignette.  the 2x digital zoom results in an 32mm 35mm-equivalent focal length though, which isn’t much wider than the standard 20mm f/1.7 kit lens.

    peleng 8mm f/3.5 fisheye:

    peleng 8mm f/3.5 fisheye mounted on a panasonic gf1, side view
    peleng 8mm f/3.5 fisheye mounted on a panasonic gf1, side view
    peleng 8mm f/3.5 fisheye, isometric view

    The Peleng is a little larger than the computar.  I had to buy some cheapo M42 extension tubes to get the flange/sensor distance within a correct range.   I used the wikipedia table to guesstimate how much more distance I needed, and the 9mm + 16mm extension tubes did the trick just fine.

    It’s a bulky lens, and turning the aperture and focusing rings isn’t so easy on such a small-bodied camera.  You have to grip the body really tightly in order to turn the damped focusing ring and the detented aperture ring.  Luckily, at 8mm and f/3.5, everything’s basically in focus.

    Photos with the fisheye are still fun in a fisheye sort of way:

    primo's parilla on the panasonic gf1 with the peleng 8mm f/3.5

    and it’s still plenty-wide.  The grill belongs to the Primo’s Parilla truck in Emeryville.

    I think I took this photo near f/3.5, but I don’t remember.  Sharpness is pretty much the same across the entire image, since the sensor is already only capturing part of the image circle.  I’ll post 100% crops anyways:

    primo's parilla panasonic gf1/peleng 8mm f/3.5 - center crop

    There’s some standard sharpening and so on in lightroom.

    here’s a corner crop:

    primo's parilla panasonic gf1/peleng 8mm f/3.5 - corner crop

    and I’ll throw in a shot with the peleng on a 5D Mark I for crop-factor comparison:

    peleng 8mm f/3.5 on a 5D mkI

    conclusion:

    The 8mm computar lens isn’t very useful at all, but it was fun to play with.  The peleng on the GF1 is a pretty interesting combination with fisheye distortion, a wide field of view and sort of cumbersome handling.  The image quality looks fine to me.

    peleng 8mm f/3.5 on a 5D mkI

    after the rain

    a photo looking west on ashby ave in elmwood, berkeley after the rain ended and the clouds started to clear.

    and the sidewalk..

    sidewalk on ashby ave

    Cotton and company shop to become crossroads

    update 05.12.10: crossroads confirms that they’ll have a second rockridge location.  As of May 9th, the shelves were being stocked!

    New tenants coming soon – we saw a banner for crossroads trading company while walking by the old cotton and company shop this morning.   I’m guessing that Crossroads is moving from their old location – two spots in Rockridge sounds like a little much.

    farm:table

    went to farm:table this past weekend for a quick breakfast and coffee.  the cereal and yogurt was enjoyble, the latte was pretty, and the ristretto of an espresso, while lacking some crema, was still very satisfying.

    latte art from farm:table on post st.

    daylight savings

    sunset

    Daylight savings means more time to do stuff outside after work:

    sunset
    sunset during a ride through the oakland/berkeley hills

    and the warmer weather means nicer rides on the weekends:

    oakland and san francisco, from grizzly peak road
    climbing

    grizzly peak road. watch out for potholes on the way down.

    brenda’s

    We went to Brenda’s French Soul Food in SF for brunch on Saturday.   We got some coffee at Philz on Van Ness while waiting.

    eggs benedict at brenda's: with fried catfish, on a biscuit with creole hollandaise sauce. yum!

    And we also shared a flight of beignets:

    beignet flight at brenda's: crawfish with cayenne, scallions and cheddar, granny smith apple with cinnamon honey butter, ghiradelli chocolate, and plain.

    snout to tail, stout to pale

    My friend Bill hosted a paired pig and beer dinner that I was fortunate enough to enjoy and photograph.  Here are a few pictures of the madness.  For a full, super-detailed description and many more photos, check out his post: http://billievethat.wordpress.com/2010/02/28/foodbuzz-24-24-24-snout-to-tail-stout-to-pale/

    ears for the salad.
    ears in the salad.
    homemade sausage and homemade pretzels featuring eric's sauerkraut.

    for more on the sauerkraut: http://www.awesomepickle.com

    and of course, the rest of the head.

    Once again, see Bill’s post for more: http://billievethat.wordpress.com/2010/02/28/foodbuzz-24-24-24-snout-to-tail-stout-to-pale/

    new coffee grinder burrs

    Suspecting that worn burrs were preventing me from getting a fine enough grind, I got new burrs from cmc espresso for my la pavoni zip grinder.  Various coffee forums on the internets contain advice that recommend that you replace burrs if you can’t get a fine enough grind with a good grinder.

    From my experience so far, that appears to be good advice.  With the finest setting for each set of burrs (as fine as you can go before the motor stalls) I went from pulling a decent espresso shot with 21g (with a triple basket) to having an way overextracted 15g shot.  I still need to do some tweaking, but it wasn’t possible to overextract at all with the old burrs.

    Here’s what came in the mail, and here’s how the burrs compared:

    top view of the burrs. New burrs on top, old burrs on the bottom.

    3/4 view of the burrs. new burrs on top, old burrs on the bottom.

    and here’s the direct comparison:

    old burrs vs new burrs - closer view.

    I recall reading in some forums that you can tell that burrs are dull if the leading edges look shiny.  That appears to be the case in the above image.  Note that on the left side old the old burrs, the leading edge  (top edge) of the flat part of the burr appears to be shiny.

    The new burrs themselves look to be lower quaity than the old burrs.  There are lots of little burrs (ha) on some of the edges and the finish on the other parts (due to casting? I am not sure how they’re made) isn’t as nice.  The coffee probably won’t notice though.

    bike shops in athens

    I spent a few days in Athens, Greece shortly after the new year and while looking for souvenirs, created my own walking tour of the city by trying to stop by as many bicycle shops as possible.

    A friend had found this post on couchsurfing that linked to this map.  Coupled with my borrowed lonely planet printout, I mapped out places that were within walking distance of our hotel.  Most of the stores were closed because of the new year holiday, but I decided to take a photo of all of the storefronts as  I explored the city.  Here’s a gallery of bike shop storefronts in Athens.  I can’t vouch for the greek letters below – I’ve just copy and pasted them from the map.

    I started near Omonia, since there is a cluster of shops near the square, and it was near our hotel.

    Gatsulis αθηνα, old location apparently. This shop was empty.

    Gatsulis αθηνα, current location? This store was stocked, but closed. here’s a shot through the window. http://www.gatsoulis.gr Γ’ Σεπτεμβρίου 37 & Στουρνάρη Τηλ.: 210 5233198

    Giorgos Altyparmakis is apparently a legendary bicycle mechanic in Athens (or all of Greece: see here, here, and here), but unfortunately his shop was closed when I walked by.  It looks like there were some fun components in there though.

    Storefront of Αλτιπαρμάκης Γεώργιος (Giorgos Altyparmakis). Looks like a fun little shop to rummage through.

    Χατζησαββα Μαρινα at 3ΗΣ ΣΕΠΤΕΜΒΡΙΟΥ 38. Closed.

    Brady Kiesling had some useful information on cycling in Athens.  Here’s the arcade he mentions on his site:

    stounari arcade, with tsipidis bikes (Χρηστος Τσιπιδης) Πατησίων 37 Στουρνάρη 51 (στοα Αλφα) Αθήνα, 10432 210 5243715 – This photo is actually from the day before when the shop was closed.

    I stopped into the arcade again the next day and to my surprise, the shop was open:

    Tsipidis bikes ( Χρηστος Τσιπιδης) the next day. A really nice guy named Stefanos runs the place and was extremely helpful in finding me a souvenir to bring back to the states with me. They had lots of pretty frames hanging up.

    rims and rims and rims at tsipidis bikes

    Βασιλης Καλλιωρας - This place was closed. Looks like they sell Giant bicycles.

    I walked north from Omonia towards Larisis and found more closed small shops.

    I think this is the shop listed as "Κουτουπούσης" at ΙΟΥΛΙΑΝΟΥ 92 - ΑΘΗΝΑ. Closed as well.

    Εφροσυνη Παππα, located at 32 Αλκαμένους. This shop was closed like nearly all the rest.

    From here, I walked a long way along Leof Konstandinoupoleos, towards the Gazi neighborhood.  There was some cool street art along the way, but I walked a long stretch between bike shops.

    Μοτοποδηλατική Αθηνών - Artemisou 39 (ΑΡΤΕΜΙΣΙΟΥ 39) - You can see some bicycles upstairs, but this place didn't seem really together. It was closed, so I couldn't do more than peek in through the window.

    As I was walking to the next shop, a guy yelled to me, trying to explain that the store was closed and that it would be open tomorrow.  I knew that it’d be closed, but I still wanted to take the photo and peer in a bit.  Good looking out though.

    EzeeBike Ιερά Οδός 64 (Iera Odos 64) Closed. Looks like they sell electric bikes and not regular bicycles.

    I walked further south to the next shop.  It was nice walking through this part of town – it’s definitely off of the beaten path for most tourists.

    Αφοι Κυριακοπουλοι - 8 edessis (ΕΔΕΣΣΗΣ 8) - This place looked like it was no longer open for business.

    From here, it was another long walk until I got to the next bike shop.  I got a little lost on the way, but found Athens Heart, a mall that I used as a rest stop.  All of the stores except for the restaurants on the top floor were closed, but it was neat to walk through and a good bathroom break.

    The next neighborhood that I walked through (Koukaki?  Not sure.) seemed laid back, pleasant, and relaxing.  Stergiou bikes was closed, of course:

    Stergiou Bikes - http://www.stergioubikes.gr ΚΟΙΛΗΣ 14 (Koilis 14)

    Another shot of Stergiou:

    Stergiou Bikes

    Another mile or so of walking took me to the next shop:

    Tzortzopoulos bicycles & accessories - Αν.Ζίννη 38 & Συγγρού - http://www.tzortzopoulos.gr/bikesite/index.php - This looked like a fairly large shop. They had some cool looking cycling bags in the corner. Closed, however.

    KRD #1 - 20 Kalirois - this was the final shop that I visited. You can see a full suspension frame on display. The clothing and accessories seemed to indicate a motocross-like theme.

    All in all, it was a nice walk and a great way to explore the city.  It would have been nicer if more shops were open, but I doubt that I would have been able to cover as much ground if I’d stopped into each one.  Plus, I got the souvenir that I was looking for thanks to Stefanos at Tsipidis bikes.

    beer 2 brakers 2010

    I went to the 2010 beer 2 brakers ride on Saturday for San Francisco Beer Week.  My friends Israel and Bill (in a “Eating about Beer” side project) started the day with a “Beer for Breakfast” pairing at cafe la paz and then we rode off to wave “hi” to Speakeasy, and then back into SoMA to visit Thirsty Bear.  From there, the crew rode to Gordon Biersch and then Mojo Cafe and then to the beach.  Here are some photos from the event.

    Beer for Breakfast: 1st Course – Escarole / Arugula / Watercress Frittata + Marin’s Hefe Weiss / Blue Frog’s Hefe Weizen

    folks enjoying french pressed coffee from cafe la paz

    chuey taps the first keg of the morning

    Frittatas…

    …are served

    2nd Course - Tacos de Huevoz con Chorizo with Salsa Verde Cruda + Magnolia's Prescription Pale Ale
    sharky hooking up the espresso
    tamping
    bottomless
    3rd Course - Chocolate / Smoked Bacon Fat Glazed Donut Holes + Anchor's Porter
    people gathering outside prior to the start of the ride
    en route to speakeasy
    en route to speakeasy
    en route to speakeasy
    en route to speakeasy
    riding circles in the speakeasy parking lot
    headed to thirsty bear
    thirsty bear
    thirsty bear
    chuey outside of thirsty bear

    actual cafe grand opening

    Actual cafe, a bike-themed coffee shop in Oakland had their grand opening party last night.  There was a great turnout, fun music and good people.  Here are some photos from the event.