The subject of this post could very well be one of those Hallmark movies that they put out every Christmas. You now what I mean, those ones that make you cry like the commercials that they make, too. So hear is the adventure of Christmas:

It all started on Christmas Eve, and as we walked through the door of my parent's house, Mikayla, my daughter decided to through-up while I was carrying her through the kitchen. Then proceeded to another two time that night, but otherwise was a great evening. We where scheduled to then go to Ruth's parents house, but decided it was better to go home and see how things went with Mikayla. She slept on the way home and all through the night with no other issues. Kids are so resilient that way.

The next morning, with all seeming well, we decided to go to my wife's parents. If you had not heard, this year the Northwest was hit with lots of snow, at least for us. In downtown Vancouver, we had 18 inches and more in the hills and towns north of us. Most of it had melted away on the roads so it was easy going. When we got in her parents town, north of us, there was a little more snow, but I know I could handle it. By the time we got the the back roads leading to the road where they lived it had started to snow again!

At this point I'm sure that you know where this is going. We started up the hills to her parents house when we got stuck in what the man that helped us get our car unstuck called "grease snow". It was bad stuff! I had just put the chains on a little before we reached the hill that was are "resting place", but there was a problem by the time we got half way up the hill. The chains keep coming off. After some inspection I found that the latch for one was bent in the open position and I had no pliers. Ruth, the wonderful wife she is, ofter to go down to a house and ask for pliers. On her return, I fitted the chains and we were off, or so I thought. Twenty minutes later and about three yards up the hill, the chain with the problem came off again!  Only this time it broke and was now wrapped around the trans-axle. I couldn't get the side I used had used the pliers on open. At this point, Ruth went to the house down the road again to get wire cutters, but her and a man on a tracker returned. We get the chains cut off and the car down to the his house where he said that we can keep it tell it clears up enough to drive home.

I'm writing this post from my father-in-laws computer on our third day at their house. Later this afternoon we should be on our way home. I'll write a return home post, barring we make it.

"Here's looking at you, Kid"

Do you remember when you were a kid and playgrounds had those metal merri-go-rounds? The coolest thing was to get an adult or an older kid to push you as fast as they could. You'd close your eyes and watch as the sun danced behind your eyelids, and the sensation of lifting off into space made you giggle.

Well, that's been my life. You might say, "Cool!", but for me it's been "Crazy!" What I omitted from the above account, is the issue of being spun to much. That, "I'm going to loose something", feeling and I don't mean your new velcro-wallet. Not to mention trying to walk afterward, if you could... "The lift off is the fun part...it's the landing that's tough!"

I think I'm somewhere between, "I'm going to loose it" and trying to walk.

I think of myself as a kid at heart, so it's the struggles of lining up dreams with reality and desires with necessity that puts me in that "tough landing" frame of thought. What started as a euphoric journey ends in something rather unpleasant.

I'm rambling that this point and I told my self that I wasn't going to whine. So, I will sign off.

Ta-ta-for-now!

Most of you know that I work with coffee and that I love my wife. I'm a man that likes to keep the spark alive with my wife. You know: notes, flowers, dates, that sort of thing. Well on a phone call with my wife I brought up that a certain coffee that I dealt with reminded me of her. I don't think she was expecting that, there was a pause, but she played along. Trying not to giggle I said, "It was extra (pause for emphasis) fine. Just like you!", putting on my best romantic voice. Even now it makes me smile. Little did I tell her that the coffee was ground extra fine, but that's not the point. (I am by no means advocating pre-ground coffee. Please buy whole bean and grind it as you need it!)

I just like a good pun. It's like a butcher saying to his girl that she's Grade A Choice... Well you get the idea!

Keep the fire burnin'!

Have you ever started on the way to the auto shop to have the car looked at for the "clunk...whrr...whrr" noise, only to have it stop making it about a block from the shop? Then when you have the mechanic drive it it purrs like a kitten?

Well that was me this week. The week before, I started having severe pain in my shoulder. For what reason I'm not sure. It got bad enough that I just about passed out a few times if I reach for something wrong or laid on it. So my loving wife made an appointment to see the doctor, unbenouced to me.

Then just two days before the appointment it stopped hurting. Still tender, but no where near the pain. So, reluctantly I sent to the doctor questioning if I should still go. It's not that I dislike doctors or any thing, I just don't like to going.

This where the similarities of the auto story and mine stops. The prognosis was that I have "bicep tendinitis". Who know? I've never hear of it, but the doctor said that it was common if you hit a wall hard or have repetitive motion that uses the bicep. Since I don't remember hitting any walls really hard lately I must fall under the other reason for the tendinitis.

Well you learn something everyday.
Cheers

I've just got a chance to collect some of my thoughts.

Life:
...I look frantically at my feet, seeming on the edge of the cliff. Below, a wave crashes against the rocks. Here and there moss and sparse flowers cling to the raged wall. The landscape is bleak, tattered by the sea winds. I have to catch myself from leaning to far. Gasping, heart pounding. Where am I?
Behind me there is no sign of the path I being diverted elsewhere. No turn that was missed. Yet, how did I get here? One foot in front of the other. My shoes are worn and show the dirt of the path taken. Searching again, I find foot prints that mark the path as be correct, but from where I stand they can go no farther. Wind...waves...path...my heart burns. What to do?
The resolve I know I had, is somewhere. Questions bounce around in my head making me spin. Yet peace comes to step forward...

(Please watch the video below. I know that it's in a different language, but just look at the imagery!)

Last weekend my oldest daughter and I went on adventure (a delivery to Tillamook, OR about a 2 hour drive one-way!). Just as we were leaving the valley area surrounding the town, my daughter yells, "Cows, cows!" So proud of her find, she proceeded to point out every cow in the field. If you know anything about Tillamook, it's a dairy producing area, namely cheese. So there were a lot of cows to be pointed out. When we came to a break in the cows, it was my turn. I said, "Oh...look that one is all alone." For a split second I thought that she was going to say something sad about the cow, but instead starts singing...

"The cow...It is all alone...The cow...It is so sad...it is all alone...The cow is alone..."

To get the full effect, think of your best 4 year old voice in a two tone mellody, probily a minor key. If you've ever seen Enchanted or Dr. Horrible, you know what I mean. It's not just in the movies though. My family and yes, majorly I, did start singing in the middle of conversations! Much to my wifes chagrin. We can walk, we can talk...and we sing?

Happy Trails

Yes, the end. It has come to my attention that this blog has come to an end. Not by any other power, but mine. My life has been in transition for some time and it's time to start moving on. I hope you get the idea. It's not you, it's me...

I will continue to be in the coffee biz, dreaming biz, but not this blog.

My aspiration is to continue the blog, but as a journal (hmmm...Live Journal?). What you can expect of this blog is Ray-isms, daily updates, and funny life stories. Ok, at this point if you had been reading for coffee stuff, it'll still be there, but not just.

Make it so!

As I aways say, "It's been to long since my last post:" Well, it has. I really don't think that I could recap all of the stuff that has happened in the last few months. The best way is sum it up is with the word, "GROWTH".

Tomorrow I start a new job. I will be working at Kobos Coffee Roasters, in Portland, OR as a production worker. I know, it's not much, but hopeful it will put us back where we need to be financially. I had the prerequisite that they would help me further my knowledge of coffee, and they were glad to oblige. Eventually even roasting!

I started a project to create a coffee roasting profile creator. For those of you out there that don't roast you probably have no idea what that is. Basically, it an aid to help keep a particular coffee roast consistent.

Then there's still Polar Freeze.

Well, I hope to keep up with posts

See Ya Soon

I know that it's been a long time since the last post, but I've been a bit busy. I'm catch you up later.

I fine myself in a foreign town, sleeping in a foreign bed, but among friends. Denver, the mile high city, the destination of the first ever Mountain Regional Barista Competition. I have come to see if my skills have allowed me passage to the realm of judge. I have seen many barista competitions and helped, out since they are ran on a volunteer basis, but on this occasion I'm looking to be certified as a judge. I know that it may sound silly, but the people that I know, as friends in the barista world are now foes. Well not really, it's a great opportunity to further the coffee community by providing guidance and advise to these that see coffee as a culinary art. We'll have to see what tomorrow holds.

And so we'll end with my daughters evaluation of a macchiato


Mmmmm....                                       Maybe a little over extracted?                        Nice crema retention!

This I think, will be a series of posts on the subject matter of coffee mid-life crisis'

So...I always end up starting posts that way...I was laying in bed in the wee hours of the night, a week ago, and had a thought. Why am I in the coffee business, besides the "perks" (pun intended)? I thought back to events of customers that I've come to now as friend and the enjoyment of the first time I cupped coffee and smelled the smells and tasted the tastes of fresh roasted coffee. But it goes deeper than that. Why have I decide to make my life so wrapped up in a single plant seed we call coffee? Yes, there are lots of farmers in three-world countries that need help to raise their children and a global economy to keep going, so on and so on, but why coffee? There are farmers in our own country that are on the brink of going bankrupt because of a system that only helps the giant corporate farms. From dairy farms to vegetable producers that are literally on our back step, ran by "mom and pops" like us, just needing a little support from the communities they surround. Why didn't I become the personal spokesman for the goats that produce some of the best chevra I've ever had, and they live ten miles away? Again, what is the compulsion to be a ambassador of coffee, fighting for the cause, converting the wrong?

to be continued...

please comment!

So, when people think of Washington state they think snow, rain, and trees. Not that that isn't right, but where we live snow is a rarity. The rain and trees are the more likely. So, when it snowed on Christmas I had to prove it. It's not much, but you know, it makes me want to brake out in song..."I'm dreaming of a white Christmas..."

To all a Happy Holidays

    In the last post I had mentioned that I was working on project, but "I'd have to kill you" if I told you. Well, it feel through. Not bad, but a little disappointing, none the less. But as their say,  "one door shuts, and another one opens".  It seems that the gentlemen that was fronting that project wants to continue to work with me and my roasting friend Ty. The details aren't quite worked out, but for now he's the money, Ty's the passion and roaster, and I'm the experience. I'm still a little leery going into a business project with partners since the whole Paradise thing. I will be continuing to post on the subject as time goes on.
    It is just a few days to Christmas and our friend are in town for the holidays. I can't wait to catch up with then, though I feel like I know me about what's going on in their life than others at our church, since we've been following their blogs and keeping in contact with calls. I think that this has been the longest lasting long-distance relationship with a family that Ruth and I have ever had (going on 8 months). I know it's not much, but I admit that I am the worst at staying connected. I HATE phones. It may be the new found bloggings that have helped.
    To all a Happy Christmas and Merry New Year!!!

    I am sitting here, at one of the best coffee houses in the NW, ironically, Coffeehouse Northwest, and I fine my mind swimming with a tidal wave of thoughts. It is the holiday season and as everybody else in the US, I am finding that I am over whelmed with the hustle and the bustle. Not the usual shopping and buying, but a group of projects that are self imposed. Yes, I have put this on myself. I don't know what I was thinking, but I am working on a business plan, Point of Sale (POS) items for Polar Freeze, two new products and all the things that are involved in that. That is just for my business, then there's a project that I'm working on for another business that I may become the manager of. This includes the creating of employee manual and training to what decor and flow the coffeehouse will need. The second one is coming to a climax tomorrow, when we have a meeting. I'd tell more, "but then I'd have to kill you." 

    So, it's a normal NW morning, rain with rain all day and rain for the next week. It not really that bad! In reality, it just makes you want a really good cup of coffee. Which brings me to my rambling of the day:

    I live in the NW, the mecca of coffee. You'd think that you could find a good cup of coffee just about anywhere, right? No. Case study #1: My wife grew up in a small town in between Seattle, WA and Portland, OR, well they just got their first coffee roaster. I've been working with Vintage Coffee Roasters in Kalama, WA another small town between Seattle and Portland and thought that I'd check the quality of coffee as an insider and also see if they'd be interested in Polar Freeze. I had a cup of coffee to go since they didn't have cups for staying in (porcelain) and the smallest size being 12 oz. I should have known better, I know how to prepare espresso and coffee and even roast a little, but the fact that they pulled the espresso into little metal pitchers was the first strike, not to mention the cup matter. I could go on, but I think it best not to.
    How can this be? What makes people think that they can make coffee? Where is the accountability? The last question is a large one. Not only in coffee, but in life. Accountability in coffee is missing. I don't see it. What do you do? Do you ask for the barista to pull the shot again, if it's over extracted or a 10 second pull? The most likely answer is, "No", but why not? I fine that I don't. I went back to the "small town roaster" to deliver some Polar Freeze samples with my wife and we ordered a 12 oz. double mocha with no whip. Not to hard, right? Well, let's just say that I hope that we didn't kill the grass where we pured it out. I has never had a drink so bad...not even on the Oregon Coast! So did I tell them, "No!!!" Later I talked to my wife about this and that was what got me thinking about this blog post. In the end, I have resolved to tell the barista that the coffee or espresso was bad. This will be hard, for me at least, but I hope that you, the reader will do the same. Not that you are a picky customer, but that you will partake in coffee accountability! Maybe we should make this a holiday? The day that everybody is honest with they local barista and speak their mind. I'd opt. that it would be everyday, but I don't want to think to big.
    From the other side, I am trying to come up with a manual for a shop that is based on quality and not the "novelty of coffee" and create a knowledge base that provides that customer with the ability to tell if the preparation or product is to blame for bad beverages. Then when they go to a different shop they can taste the difference. It will draw them back and maybe they'll tell that shop about the problem, it's like a virus. It then also falls on the shop owner to have a transparent knowledge that is transmittable to the general public. This my friends is a perfect world (of coffee), but we don't live in it, so...accountability...Try it!
   

Tasty...That's right we've got the notes in from the samples of coffee from Mercanta. In the past post, I said that we received 7-8 samples, well looking at the notes we really only had 5. Well can you blame me, I was just excited. So here we go...

1. Brazil COE Lot #9 (Organic): Farm-Fazenda Santa Terezinha and Fazenda Santa Maria Process-Pulp Natural~~~ Well balanced as drip and Espresso; Smooth crema with sweet notes (espresso); smooth with spice and carmel (drip).
   
2. BSCA Fazenda Sertaozinho Pulped Natural: Farm-Fazenda Sertaozinho Process-Pulped Natural~~~ Thick with a salted butter and sweetness. INTENSE!! Almost, to much as a espresso shot, but possible in an espresso blend.
   
3. Guatemala Finca Santa Ana La Huerta: Region-Sierra De Las Minas Process-Fully washed~~~ Floral, Jasmine and Walnut in espresso; mellow as drip. Most of the flavor.
   
4. Brazil Fazenda Rodomunho Natural: Farm-Fazenda Rodomunho Process-Natural~~~ Full bodied all the way around; Carmel, bakers chocolate, light spicy notes with nice crema (espresso); chocolate and spice (drip).
   
5. India Monsooned Malabar AA: Sadly we didn't take any notes. Having a make shift cupping and lack of equipment me were coming to an end (of wits and energy), but to my recollection it was like spicy wet cardboard.
   

Disclaimer: (Again, I stress that point that this was not the best of circumstances for cupping, but still a very fun experiment with a friend and with roasting. We probably will be a little more prepared and equipped next time. Also, the profiles we used my not have been the best for espresso or drip, but still you get the idea.)

I realize that I've been posting some more serious subjects other than coffee, so here's what's been going on in my coffee world...

Wednesday, I went to my friends roastery (Vintage Coffee Roasters); right now he's roasting out of Kalama, WA, but should be moving to Vancouver soon. We had received some samples from a green coffee bean importer called Mercanta, the coffee hunters. We're not talking the usual stuff. One sample that we got was a Cup of Excellence coffee from Brazil that sells for $9 a pound. Know in the specialty coffee realm that is a lot, but for truly specialty coffee that not bad for COE (Cup of Excellence) coffee. All in all we roasted 8 or 9 samples from this generous company.

General Note: I realize that not all of those that might read this blog my not understand a few of the terms or ideas presented, but feel free to make a comment with the question and I will gladly write back.

My friend at Vintage has been a great guy to working with. He's in the process of getting the company in the right direction. One of such projects has been working on new coffee profiles and getting higher quality beans. This has been right up my alley, though I haven't roasted physically, I had recently been studying coffee roasting and sourcing coffee beans.

The next day was the true joy, we got to cup the coffees. Having both never really roasted a sample for cupping, we did OK. The tricky part was roasting 1 lb. of coffee in a 30 lb. roaster. We had talked with the manufacturer, Diedrich, at Coffee Fest and he said that they do it all the time. If they can do it then surely we can!?! We roasted the Brazilian that he uses now, since it was what most of the samples were and then went for it. It was fun since we both hadn't roasted this little of coffee and for cupping, but we worked off of each others ideas and nailed most of the profiles. For the cupping we tasted them as french press and as espressos. We would have done it right, but the order for the official cupping supplies didn't show up yet. We took notes on both the press coffees and the espressos, both of which were up there in flavors. I'll post a listing of the coffees and notes soon! One of the most surprising was a Brazilian pulp natural that was astonishing as a SOS (single origin shot [espresso]), it blew my mouth away!!! Then there was the Guatemala coffee that was a bit lacking in all arenas, but that I think had to do with the profile that we went with. Finally, there was the coffee that I was familiar with, the Monsoon Malabar from India, we had it in the espresso that we served at Paradise Cafe, when we roasted our own. It's noted for it's, let's just say unique flavor, something like wet card-board. but it produces amazing crema and body in an espresso blend. A note about Mercanta, is that 90% of the coffees they have are traceable to what variety of plants they came from, which is a fairly new thing in the coffee import business. They also only deal with farms that provide reasonable living standard for the pickers, and help get farms to use composting and other non-chemical fertilization all at a reasonable price. So there you have it, what's happening in my coffee world.

I've been thinking about a few things that people have told me over the last few months. So please bear with me, they do pertain to coffee, but also life...

"You have to create something special or be someone of notice to excel in life (in the coffee world)".

My be I'm just a little naivety to have thought that to be true, still I continued in that pursuit. My personality is that of not being "of notice", at least dwelling in the lime-light. Yet I strove against myself to be such. Long story short, I've come to a point where I've been reevaluating a few things in my life. I know that sounds a bit cliche, but that's not the point. I strove to be noticed and make the uncreated item to solve the coffee universe, and it didn't come. So what am I left with but a life (a year) of let downs and failures.

So what do you do with a preconceived idea that influences your life and you find it at fault...You move on. I know that it sounds like it wasn't that influential you my life, it's more that I don't have the time nor the luxury to carry a dead weight. I have now come to the end of my rant, the rest is the conclusion.

I don't need to be "of notice", but confident in who I am. I have knowledge of things that few have (at least in the coffee realm). This has allowed me to help people in ways that are more natural to me. In other terms, I am no Rock Star, but a base that people can build off of. Through support and guidance, I believe that we can build a new world...a world that embraces coffee...a world that...sorry, just kidding. You've heard the phrase, "be true to yourself", well here's the whole thing, "Above all, be true to yourself, and if you cannot put your heart in it, take yourself out of it.", Hardy D. Jackson. And so ends my thoughts about this, for I could not put my heart into it, so I leave it behind.

    I've been staying over in Bellevue while going to Coffee Fest, and every morning I cross over the floating bridge in Puget Sound. It's quite an amazing bridge, you cross over what seems like the middle of the sound; it's just you and the water (well and the road, but it's floating). Every morning that I've crossed over, one side of the water is "sea" like with crashing waves and the other is as calm as can be. Not just next to the bridge, but as far as I can see both sides...
    I had a night of reflection last night, no parties, no TV, just me and God. I haven't taken the time for self reflection on a while. See, after driving across that bridge I saw a mirror of our choices in life. One side that is calm and looks so easy, yet there's a closure that holds you back and then you have the "turbulent" side that is ruff going yet you have the freedom of the open ocean at your finger tips. I don't know if I'm making any since, but often in life we fail to see the side that we're on regardless of how we got there it doesn't become clear tell we stop and look at our location.
    It was nice to stop, look, and listen. Even if it's a little painful. Knowing where you are allows you to see where you're going and make adjustments in the course of life.

    Today was yet another busy day at Coffee Fest, classes, trade show floor, latte art competition, and more barista. After all was said and done I had a chance to hang out with a few friends, in which there seemed to be a lot of other things hanging, too. First at lunch, or at least on the way, we found a few shoes. Though they were just hanging out with each other (see pic) and then latter we stopped at Vivace Espresso at their newer location, "Alley 21", where they had a few fixed gear bikes just hanging about (see pic). 
    Tomorrow, the last day of the show, will be any easier one. One class, a few laughs with friend s that I probably wont see for a while and then the drive home. I am looking forward to getting back home to wife and the kids. I don't know how some of the people do it. I am so worn out and tired. Maybe I'll hit a few more cafes before heading home...

    So the question lingers on peoples minds...What do barista do when they get together after hours?...or...What do you get when you cram to many coffee people in one room? No this isn't the punch line to a joke. It's the Zoka Coffee Roasters Party. Here are a  few pictures from the Latte Art Throw down that happened at the party.

    What better way to start a blog about life in coffee than with by going to Seattle Coffee Fest '07. Having driven all night Thursday, I reached Seattle. Just enough time to have a little evening snack (and beer) at Rock Bottom Brewery. I happened to get there as a local band decided to rock out. Not quite what I was looking for noise wise, but the brew and food hit the spot and I waked back to the hotel (about a mile).
    So, today was the "light" day for classes at the fest. Only, four classes... So the big question was after 4 1/2 years in the industry, did I learn anything? Well yes and no. I suppose the idea wasn't really about learning, but putting down on paper the thoughts and ideas I have stored in my brain on paper, and there's nothing like sitting through a lecture on subjects you know to wake you up! No, really it wasn't to bad I'd end up going off on a tangent that the class didn't (in my mind) to write it down. That's was the point.
    In between classes and visiting booths and the such. I found time to walk to Victrola Coffee Roaster. Aw, I miss those capps. Since the demise of Paradise or the "New Ownership" and the no longer working there, sadly there are fewer and fewer capps in my life. Enough lamenting... So this evening is the Zoka Coffee Roasters and 10th Anniversary Party of NWRBC (Northwest Regional Barista Competition) Party. Lots of fun to be had. I can't stay out to late since I have classes at 8AM again. More to come tomorrow.