New Year Inspiration

I have this quote by Winston Churchill pinned up at home, and I see it every day. So, it's on my mind every day.

I love this following video. I found it so moving and inspirational that I just needed to share it. How many times have we just quit? Accepted our circumstances? Convinced ourselves that something was impossible? Not followed our dreams? 

This posting is not to sell anything or endorse any product. I just think this video speaks to something deeper and human inside of us all.

This video has also proven to me that:

1. Music makes the movie;

2. Diamond Dallas Page has some great yoga chops!

Enjoy, and Happy New Year!

Christmastime in Pasadena

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! I was just cleaning out my SIM card from a camera, and found several photos that I decided to post. They show what Colorado Blvd. is like on a busy Christmas shopping night. I love it here at this time of year! The air is clean and crisp, and for LA, is quite cool. I had company in town and took them out to Old Town, Pasadena - my town - for a big hang. It has a small-town look and feel, but jammed with traffic. Everyone looking for that perfect parking spot. In a week this will be the Rose Parade route. They have had the bleachers up along the street for a couple of weeks already. Always the biggest annual event here in Pasadena, and one of the biggest New Year's parades in the nation.

                                     Me just hanging out, I guess. OK, not so interesting...

Shot from inside Intelligentsia Coffee

Colorado Blvd. facing west...

...same...

...top-notch establishments...

Intelligentsia decked out!

...yes, it's Colorado Blvd....

...again...

A very skilled and artistically rendered "through the window" shot. Don't try this at home.

Very Proud

December 16, 2012 - 5:33am

This is arguably my best espresso pull ever. I've had a few, and this quality is rare for me, but this morning the coffee gods on Mt. Java looked down upon me favorably.

The photo was hastily taken, so I didn't even take time to clean off the usual coffee splatter on the inside of the cup. I was too excited to document the moment. Even with a Rocket Giotto machine that is need of a little tech work (random coffee spraying from filter basket), this double shot had deep color, a very thick crema (in this photo creme is deflating already because it took me a while to set up the lighting and angle - you can see from the ring where the creme HAD been) and a profoundly rich flavor. Blend was bought at Jones Coffee in Pasadena yesterday, and must be a fairly fresh batch, judging from the consistency of the grind (grinder: Ceado), and was a 50/50 blend of their Espresso Cara Mia and PRC roasts. This is my standard blend I use, but I do notice that, as the beans age a few days, that the creme is less and flavor naturally more stale.

I am a little verklempt and pretty proud. So excuse me while I enjoy it. It's getting cold!

Update: even after taking time to write the blog entry, the espresso, now virtually at room temperature, has held its flavor very well. Wow. And, mmmmmmm.