Give Thanks for Coffee and Carrot Cake.

I stopped into Zeke's Coffee in Lauraville this afternoon to say hi to the Toddfather and pick up some beans. While I was there, he gave me an impromptu primer in small-batch coffee roasting and let me shoot a few pictures.

Zeke's takes pride in buying beans from single plantation growers, insuring the beans are of the highest quality, and roasts them in small batches using hot fluid air, much like a popcorn popper, for a consistent and even roast.

They've been in business since 2005, and their coffee is featured in restaurants and cafes across Baltimore. The selection has grown by leaps and bounds since I'd been there last, and they have a huge selection of organic and fair trade varieties. I can't wait for tomorrow morning's cup!

On the subject of food and friends, I should also mention the excellent meal we shared with Mr. and Mrs. Scout the other evening at the Salsa Grille, a Spanish/Latin American restaurant hidden in an otherwise unassuming strip mall just inside the Beltway. While the bench seating was a little uncomfortable, the atmosphere was friendly, the wait staff was attentive, and the food was delicious. I had the Caribbean Paella (I know, I know, but I wanted chicken and seafood) which was large enough for two people but good enough to make me try to eat the whole thing. I left impressed enough to move this to the top of our local restaurant choices.

After dinner, I tempted our company with the promise of cake, and we stopped into the Catonsville Gourmet to see what they had left. Even though the wait staff was closing up for the night, they carved us four slices of cake, offered us milk and coffee, plied us with water, and made us feel at home, something I doubt we'd find at most other restaurants where the chairs were already up on the tables. (Their service has always been nothing but impeccable). We were finally able to get Mrs. Scout the carrot cake she wanted for her birthday, while Jen and I were able to satisfy the craving for chocolate cake we've had for a week. And, because we were commenting on it but did not order it, they gave us a slice of Smith Island cake on the house. Their desserts are all from Sugarbakers, and they did not disappoint. It felt great to get out and enjoy good company on a random Tuesday given the rapidly approaching Life Event. Especially with cake.

Jen has gotten the baby's room as close to done as possible; this weekend I will be moving the office downstairs and clearing out space for a third bedroom so that we might finally be able to clean something. Mr. Scout will be by on Saturday to install the final door while I try to tie up a bunch of unfinished projects before the weekend evaporates. (The lawn? I mowed it this evening, for the first time in a month.)

Posted on September 18, 2008 10:43 PM | link to this entry | comments (2)

On Trucks and Bromance.

Continuing our illicit and misunderstood affair with all things rusty and loud, Mr. Scout called me yesterday to tell me about a pair of 800 B's he needed to check out in Elkridge, not far from here, and asked if I'd like to play hooky with him. He used his most sultry meet-me-in-the-junkyard voice, which he knows I can't resist, and picked me up after lunchtime. We turned off Rt. 1 through town and onto a side road parallel to the railroad tracks, snaking up into a wooded community where two trucks sat rusting mere feet from the tracks.

The 800 B was the final variant of the original Scout model, produced for a short while in late 1971 before the rollout of the Scout II. It came with a choice of a 4-, 6-, or 8-cylinder gas engine and multiple transmission options, and little other creature comforts. Designed in the late 1950s as a competitor to the Willys Jeep, it was a wildly successful utility vehicle produced by a manufacturer of agricultural equipment, which meant it was a bulletproof way to get from field to town and back again when one needed to fetch a part for the tractor from the dealership. I was a little excited when he told me about them, because the only trucks I find more appealing than the Scout II are the Scout 80-800 series.

The two examples we looked at were in pretty rough shape from sitting for an extended period of time. The "runner" had a 6-cylinder 266 cubic inch engine and a 3-speed stick (most likely a Borg Warner T-18), and it was painted a bright blue. The color couldn't hide the fact that several of the body panels were laced with rust, and the interior floor was gone in several places. We were told the transmission was shot, which was the reason for its retirement, and apparently it had been sitting for several years waiting for a donor.

The second truck had a V-8 of indeterminate size (because of their similar body mounts and identical bellhousing setups, IH engines were very easy swapouts) and the same transmission, but it was in much worse shape. An advanced state of cancer had taken the body tub and most of the panels, although the top was in reasonably good condition.

After an extended viewing, we both agreed these two trucks were well beyond our help, even though they contained a wealth of rare parts. I think they add up to 2/3 of a decent Scout for a man with lots of spare time and a tolerance for pain—but not this man. It's gotten to the point now where I'll hear about a Scout for sale and set my expectations purposely low because of the condition I usually find them in, and these were no exception.

Posted on August 13, 2008 7:41 AM | link to this entry | comments (1)

Riverfront.

This weekend, we had the good fortune to be invited to a riverfront cabin in West Virginia to spend the weekend with friends, both human and canine.

We were treated to warm, dry weather, more food than we could eat, cold beer, water only a few degrees cooler than body temperature, and a welcome case of vacation amnesia.

Claddagh the dog showed off her training for the Women's 500 meter individual medley, rarely leaving the water in favor of chasing dragonflies and herding sticks.

Later, she shipped out for a tour as the first mate of the kayak.

Saturday night we sat around a fire and made s'mores, and I attempted not to ignite our marshmallows into flaming sugar bombs.

Big, big thanks go to Mr. Scout and his lovely wife, who made the whole thing possible. My brain, My wife, our baby, and my carpal tunnel THANK YOU.

Posted on August 4, 2008 9:26 AM | link to this entry | comments (8)

IT IS ALIVE.

Between client meetings this afternoon, I got an email this afternoon from Mr. Scout, asking me would I like to stop over this evening for the inaugural first crank of the engine? I don't think a squad of Marines could have kept me from seeing that sight, so I threw my cameras in the Jeep and hauled ass over there.

It's gotten further along since the last time I saw it, and the first thing I noticed was the engine block painted with a fresh coat of International Harvester red. There's a new Holley carburetor and a set of shiny new exhaust pipes hung from the frame to go with a MASSIVE new distributor, stainless steel brake lines, and huge new gas tank. It is, in effect, everything I wanted to do when I owned her.

Five minutes after I got there, the engine roared to life. It sounded fantastic, too—clean, smooth, and even. They let it run for about a minute before shutting down (the radiator isn't attached yet) and we retreated to the yard until the exhaust dissipated. At this point, they're done with the mechanicals, and it's time to get the tub onto the frame.

Posted on July 2, 2008 11:14 PM | link to this entry | comments (0)

Memorial Weekend.

This weekend was spent as any good summer weekend should be: lots of friends, outdoor activities, and laughter. I carried my camera with me pretty much everywhere but only took a select few pictures, which seems to be the M.O. these days.

I had a chance to catch up with Mr. Scout on Friday, who has been hard at work on a familiar friend:

Compare that shot with this one:

He's been able to get the body off, have the whole thing sandblasted and painted, then replace the fuel tank, brakes and brake lines, water pump and fan assembly, as well as a pile of other things too long to list here. it makes my heart feel good to see the old girl looking better.

We then joined he and his wife for the Herb Festival on Saturday morning, where we enjoyed the sunshine and picked up a cartful of plants and vegetables from the assembled vendors, including this little gem:

This is a Northern Purple pitcher plant, not as sexy or elegant as a Venus Flytrap, but still deadly to our eight-legged friends. Leaving the festival, we wasted no time feeding it a live ant, which now seems to be in a state of digestion. I set it up on our office windowsill in wait for more unwanted tenants, and we'll see how well it does.

Thus endeth the photographic portion of the weekend; we had another dinner and picnic scheduled for our remaining days, interspersed with yardwork, sloth, and delicious scratch-made coconut cake. Not a bad way to spend the holiday, in my opinion.

Posted on May 27, 2008 5:16 PM | link to this entry | comments (0)

TechShop

Check it—an episode of BoingBoingTV with a cameo by my friend John, about TechShop, a Silicon Valley community tinkering space. Instead of a normal tool library with hammers and drills, this is a shop with stuff like CNC plasma cutting machines, full-size hydraulic presses and three-dimensional printers. The last time I was out in San Francisco, I met up with John for dinner, and he was telling us all about this place—this is yet another reason I would love to move to California.

Posted on May 3, 2008 11:35 AM | link to this entry | comments (0)

Big Red Truck.

There's really not a whole lot to talk about today. The internets are boring, and it's a gray, rainy day outside.

But in brighter news, our buddy Dave, who is always doing nice things for us, swapped our Jeep for his Ford F-350 pickup yesterday. I figure he must have spotted me Sanford & Sonning a load of 2x4x10's out the passenger window of the Jeep Saturday (their combined weight would easily have broken the roof rack) and he took pity on me. So the problem this week is to get as much demolished as possible while I have an all-purpose utility vehicle to haul it away in—the crap on the floor and out in the garage goes first—and then I move on to the front porch. Fortunately/unfortunately, I have a bunch of paying work to wade through first, so I can't start swinging any hammers until that's complete. Thanks Dave!

Posted on March 31, 2008 12:59 PM | link to this entry | comments (0)

Relics and Artifacts

Our new gallette iron (Berarducci model Grand GI-3) showed up yesterday! It's in absolutely beautiful condition when compared to the other one I bought last year. Notice the difference in the size of the patterns—the top is a Petit GI-1. I must now resist the urge to track down a GI-2 to complete the trio.

And, as a heartfelt and thoughtful birthday gift, the Scout's new daddy gave me this beautiful display case, with a fender badge cut from the original sheet metal and a copy of the VIN tag (he needs the real thing to re-register the chassis with the DMV). I need to dig up my Chewbacca action figure and put him in the case too.

Posted on March 28, 2008 10:26 AM | link to this entry | comments (2)

The King Of Beers.

I couldn't wait for the full two weeks to pass, so I popped one of the beers in our basement and sampled the brew this evening. The result: A rich, medium hopped wheat beer with a sweet finish and a pleasant carbonation. Very tasty.

Posted on February 28, 2008 10:26 PM | link to this entry | comments (0)

Old Friends, New Friends.

This weekend, I took a drive up to White Marsh to see my old girl, and to help her new dad take her apart in order to start the process of restoration. Based on the weather we've had this past week, I was expecting a cold slog through the mud and ice to bang knuckles against cold metal, so I wore about fifteen layers, but somebody upstairs was smiling on the three of us. The sky was deep blue, the air was clean, and the sun was warm on our backs.

She's in an enclosed yard, surrounded by semi tractors and utility equipment of all kinds, which is fitting, I guess, considering the lineage of the manufacturer. The only thing more appropriate would be a tractor repair yard.

B.'s already gotten a lot of work done since the beginning of the year—more than I would have in the same amount of time: both seats are out, the dashboard is out (wiring carefully marked, not a small or easy job), and the steering column through to the pump is out. After piling the parts on the ground and setting up a sheet of cardboard and plywood (cheerfully referred to as "Tennessee creepers" by our host) under the truck, we spread out some tools, rolled up our sleeves, and got to work.

First, we went after the seatbelt anchors, which were located in the center of the rear bed, and which are impossible to remove with only one person. After struggling to break them free with vice grips and a breaker bar, B. pulled out the cutting wheel and braved the rain of rust underneath to split them in half. Next we worked on the rollbar, and got three-quarters of the bolts off before being stymied by the remainder, tucked carefully under the front lip of the rear wheel arch.

I would have laid money on requiring an impact wrench, a weightlifter, and an hour of prayer to get either of the doors to budge, but surprisingly, both of them came off in about ten minutes. After a break for lunch, we pulled the hood off and started on the fenders, which were fastened with a bucketful of bolts in interesting and challenging locations. So the headlights, marker lights, and turn signals all came off in order to reach the last few.

Standing back to survey the results, it was surprising to see just how quickly it came apart, and how much we got done. There is, of course, much more to do, but it felt good to get ouside and get my hands dirty, and help B. with his new project. I'm happy to help him realize his dream, but I'll admit my motives are not entirely altruistic: Helping him rebuild the Scout, even if it's just lending a wrenching hand once in a while, makes me feel a little better about leaving it to sit in the driveway for three years. I'm excited to see it's finally getting the attention it deserves.

Posted on February 24, 2008 11:10 PM | link to this entry | comments (0)

Home Brew.

I love beer. It has been well documented in picture, story, song, and interpretive dance that the Idiot enjoys a cold frosty beverage after a long day in the sun, a stout by the fireplace on a wintry day, or a crisp pilsner with his sushi. I have entertained the idea of brewing my own beer for years now, but due to my other commitments, jobs, and hobbies, pursuing the thought has taken a back seat to other things. It was with excitement, then, that I accepted an invitation to learn to homebrew with the new father of the Scout.

After cracking a hefeweizen and adding some lemon, he stepped me through the process carefully, explaining the methodology and the purpose of all the tools laid out in careful order on the counter. He's been brewing beer since 1998, and has careful notes of each of his batches, from ingredients to alcohol content. After boiling the water and adding the wheat, we sat and chatted as it cooked. It's pretty striking how may interests we share, from old trucks to home renovation to camping.

After an hour's boiling time, we added the beer to a tub of cold water and made plans to reconvene in a week or so for the bottling process. Meanwhile, I am taking baby steps, looking into a kit of my own. Plastic fermenting tub or glass bottle? Red Irish ale, Raspberry wheat, or Oktoberfest lager? The mind reels at the possibilities (and the mouth waters).

Posted on February 7, 2008 9:54 AM | link to this entry | comments (2)

Home Again

I'm back in Baltimore after a whirlwind tour of San Francisco. My internal time clock, which has never really been that accurate, woke me up at 7:45 EST after being forced backwards all week.

I didn't really get the chance to take a lot of pictures this time around, because much of my time was spent working, commuting, eating, or sleeping. The job itself is new and challenging, and I like the people a lot. While I was out there I was able to catch up with a bunch of friends, which made the trip twice as valuable to me—a lot of good people are out on the Left Coast now, and my work schedule has made it possible to visit with them and get paid for it, something I appreciate greatly.

Meanwhile, I've taken over some additional responsibility on a current project which should make April a very frantic month, something I view with a mixture of excitement and dread. There are a lot of balls to juggle in the upcoming weeks, and I hope I have the ability to do so.

Posted on March 30, 2007 11:00 AM | link to this entry

Emmett and First Snow

I stopped over to the Cauzzis this afternoon to say hello and peep out the new porch addition. While his brother and sister slept, Emmett got his mother, father and I all to himself, and checked out his first snowfall in the bargain.

Posted on January 21, 2007 11:28 PM | link to this entry

Nate and Stellan

During the baby shower. How can you not be mezmerized by those eyes?

Posted on April 4, 2005 9:04 AM | link to this entry

You Say It's Your Birthday.

I don't usually make a big deal out of my birthday, which is kind of stupid, because I love birthdays. When I was a kid, I loved having all my friends over for the day, opening presents, and having fun (and let's face it, who doesn't like to be the center of the party?). Since I got out of college, I've kept the day sort of on the down-low, and with a few exceptions it's been a quiet occasion.

Because money is tight, I told Jen the perfect gift would be to hit our old haunt Peter's in Fell's Point for a quiet dinner together. Sometime in the middle of last week, she asked me if switching to the Helmand would be OK for a change of pace. Having always wanted to try Afghan food, I agreed immediately (it's on the long list of places-we-want-to-go but never do).

Imagine my surprise when we walked to the back of the restaurant and I recognized the profiles of our friends Matt and Emily sitting at the bar, and suddenly realized there were four other couples waiting to surprise me. What a great evening! We were seated at a large table in back and proceeded to eat, drink, and catch up with great friends over delicious exotic Afghan cuisine. For anyone who hasn't tried it, I recommend the Helmand and their waitstaff highly.

From there, we headed up Charles Street for a cocktail and conversation, and stayed out until midnight like grownup cosmopolitan adults, something we haven't done in months. I didn't know how much I needed to get out and be with friends until Jen made it happen, and it was the best gift she could have given me. Thanks, baby, and thanks, everybody! (and to the folks who couldn't make it—we'll see you soon.)

Posted on March 20, 2005 3:45 PM | link to this entry | comments (1)