Espresso Weekend

About three years ago, I splurged and bought a nice espresso machine. As a rule, I am not terribly materialistic. I live in a humble neighborhood of moderately priced townhouses. I drive a car with nearly 200,000 miles on it. I buy most of my beer, admittingly good beer, on the bargain rack (past expiration) or make my own, and do most of my shopping at the surplus grocer. I do have a bit of a weakness for books but I generally read them all.

But, great coffee is truly one of the few luxuries I indulge in daily. I'd say I really like beer but I love coffee. I love the ritual, the taste, the caffeine, the aroma. It is so entwined with my life that it is inseparable from it. I particularly like espresso. It is both lusciously creamy and bitterly strong. No sugar, no dairy or equivalent. The bean itself is sweet and its oil creates the crema, along with carbon dioxide. 

To my shame, the espresso machine, like a piece of exercise equipment that falls into disuse, has been taking up a large amount of my counter space. Inert, not being used regularly. During the week, it is too time consuming but the weekend does have the space to brew. Up until two Sundays ago, I'd only brew on Sundays. That had become somewhat regular. But, grinding and tamping the grounds was messy and frustrating. I did buy a digital scale to get the grams of coffee correct (another instance of me being more measure oriented these days).

Truthfully, I need an espresso grade grinder which runs around $250. I can make due with my Cuisinart almost but not quite burr grinder and the second step of using old blade grinder to make it even finer. Here is the big step that has brought things full circle. Doing the grinding of the beans on Saturday for both Saturday and Sunday (keeping the grounds in a coffee airtight container).    

I am at the point of my life where macro-innovations on my approach to life are rare. COVID has definitely played a compressing role. So, any changes I make are generally  micro-oriented. I take a small but significant joy in figuring out a better way of doing something.  Here is a super silly example. I found a better way to put on a shower curtain ring the other day. It made my morning.

Getting more used to this Google Chromebook has also had all of these micro moments. Just sticking with it and forcing myself to not run back to using my laptop. It is said that the "Devil is in the details." Yet, so is God. There can be immense satisfaction in doing the everyday task well and looking to improve.  

             

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Shake the Dust: Anis Mojgani

Pslam 90:2 "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God." I am not real certain where Anis Mojgani comes from belief-wise. Cats like him tend to be synchrestic spiritually rather than Christ-centered. Yet, this poem captures the spirit of Jesus. What this poem also needs is grace....we shake off sin and mortality and take on Christ and immortality. This is for the fat girls This is for the little brothers For the former prom queen And for the milk crate ball players This is for the school yard wimps And the childhood bullies that tormented them Shake the dust. This is for the benches and the people sitting upon them. This is for the bus drivers driving a million broken hymns And for the men who have to hold down 3 jobs, Simply to hold up their children. For the nighttime schoolers And for the midnight bike riders trying to fly Shake the dust. For the two year olds who cann
Read more

White Shoes, White Stones

Rev 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches. To him that overcometh, to him will I give of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written, which no one knoweth but he that receiveth it. (ASV) With the white stone mentioned above in the Scripture verse, "And will give him a white stone" it is "Supposed that by the white stone is meant pardon or acquittance, and the evidence of it; and that there is an allusion here to the custom observed by judges in ancient times, who were accustomed to give their suffrages by white and black pebbles; those who gave the former were for absolving the culprit, those who gave the latter were for his condemnation." (Clarke) What has brought about this essay was my purchasing the other day of some very white and new Nike jogging shoes. My old pair of Nike's have been worn down. I was developing serious pain in my feet which is a solid sign that it is t
Read more

Going Rogue: Dare, Risk, Dream

Image
I picked up a bumper sticker at a Pub recently from the Rogue Brewery . On it there are the words: DARE, RISK, DREAM. Typically, the word Rogue is a negative term. I will let you decide if Sarah Palin and her book has made the word less or more so. Initially, I taped the bumper sticker to my computer lap top with the backing still on it in case I wanted to remove it. Just a second ago, I committed fully, and pulled the backing off and affixed it to my Dell. No turning back. Is that not an illustration of how to accomplish great things? We have to stick and commit. If we go taping ourselves to the backs of things, it leads to easier removal but also to tepid efforts. Now, if I take this bumper sticker off the back of my lap top it is going to be a mess...I am all in. Consequences be damned. My summer vacation officially began today at noon (why else would I be blogging at 3:26 am?) and my creed for the summer is DARE, RISK, DREAM. A Kerouac quote to light the fireworks... "Great th
Read more