The Sunday Times: Incoherent Philosophizing

In the Time's Magazine RZA of the Wu-Tang Clan said that

[t]oday we had a conference call. Inspectah Deck was like: “You’re telling us what to write about, you’re telling us how to rhyme. I got nothing but respect, but I’m a grown man.” I said: “You’re right. But you can’t just plant the seed and expect it to grow; you gotta nourish it. If you don’t nourish it, it may grow, but it’d be a weak crop. If you do plant, nourish it and it grows, and you don’t harvest it, the crows eat it.”

Which seems indisputable if nonetheless complete nonsense.

Elsewhere, Gabrielle Hamilton argued that it is "[t]ime to kill the mouse and swallow it." To which we can all say: amen sister, amen.

Coffeenuering Parts 6 and 7

This has been a great deal of fun. I had forgotten how pleasant going out for coffee can be. One of the more interesting aspects of the challenge is my realization that the staff at all the various coffee houses have one thing in common: they are extremely pleasant. Given that they can't make much in the way of money and that the tips have to be divided among so many, their pleasantness is a bit of a surprise. Who knows maybe it's the result of the precariatization of the work force or maybe it's that the world of peoples, as opposed to the world's climate and the sociopaths that run the political and corporate worlds, is getting nicer.

In any event, on Saturday I went to the ZuZu Cafe
 by the Zoo -- while this is neither here nor there, I really cannot stand Zoos. Who on earth decided that the proper place for animals is in prison? -- about six miles on the meandering route I took on the Trucker:

The BarMitts really do work. I rode without gloves on a blustery and cool day. Actually, I used them all last winter and they really do keep the hands toasty. On days between, say 15 and 45 no or at least only thin gloves are necessary. They are, it's true, spendy but worth it.

So I had a Macchiato, a beer, and roast beef sandwich:

All were very nice, although I am not sold on pita bread the sandwich was very nice and had some kind of an olive tapinade or a Giardiniera on it for extra zest. The place is more than reasonable priced; the staff was extremely pleasant and there were three, I think, sets of bike racks. It's just off of the Wingra/Vilas path and on one of the bike friendly streets. Oddly, given is Monroe Street locale and vaguely left-wing vibe, they had college football on the box. As we all know college football is next but one to the devil.

Today I went about five miles, again on the Trucker, to the Indie Cafe. I had a Macchiato, Spruedel, and a waffle:

Everything was great. The coffee, the Spruedel, and the waffle were all very nice. The place is on Regent so not especially bike friendly, although it is located right next or across the street from 2 of the 4 Budget Bikes.

I also learned that Cello Fury will be there on Monday with a 5 dollar suggested donation. Cello Fury may be the coolest bunch of celloists ever assembled;or, conversely,laughable. You decide:



I kind of like them, in an ironical way -- as is the fashion.

All in all this was lot of fun and thanks to the fine folks at Chasing Mailboxes for the opportunity.

Coffeenuering Part Five

This past Saturday I rode about 3 miles to the Froth House on Allen. There was a small bike parking area where I left the Xtracycle:

 There was a family with a very small child who insisted on flinging his bike in the parking area when the, I assume, dad tried to get him to hold on to it.

How was I dressed? Knickers, of course.

 What did I have? A Macchiato, of course. Too much foam and the coffee was undistinguished.

I also had a BLT which was pretty mediocre. The staff were generally pleasant and the environs pleasantly quirky. I doubt if I'll go back; however, if I lived over there I would probably go more than once.

As by the way, the post is late because the computer died and I only just now got the new one.

Coffeenuering Parts Three and Four

So yesterday I rode about 3 miles to the EVP by the Sequoia Library. Lovely fall day breezy but not cold and on the ride home the sun came out and it was actually warm and extraordinarily fall. I had a macchiato:

They put it in a large cup because the new barrista almost ordered a carmel macchiato. The coffee was nice the place was nice on the whole a double good time was had by all.

Today I rode about 6 miles to Collectivo on the Square. This is one of my favorite coffee shops in the world. Back when it was Alterra in Milwaukee, I lived on Farwell right around the corner from one of the shops and, oddly enough, one block from the Comet Cafe, which was ground zero for Milwaukee Hipsters well before hipsterism became a commodity, where the Red Eye, I think it was, was my drink: a shot of espresso in a coffee, which -- when you think about it -- is a pretty stupid drink. I used to drink Kick in the Head or Punch in the Head, which ever it was. I was even on the buy 10 lbs and get a free birthday pound. When I moved to Syracuse, my folks kept the free bag, drank it, and - so they informed me - didn't enjoy it at all.

In any event, the staff are terrifically pleasant, the weather was blustery but not at all cold, the coffee was great. I had, guess what?, a Macchiato, grilled cheese, and a One Tun beer:

Everything was a-okay; this is my favorite Macchiato in the world. The beer glass was so nice, it required an act of will to keep from nicking it. On the way home I took the elevator back to the path:

The picture doesn't really do it justice but it is one of the nicest views in town.

If, by the way, you wonder how best to dress for the changing fall conditions the answer is knickers:

Knickers are not only freedom, in the sense that aren't as binding as trousers and that those of use who wear them make our own kind of music, sing, sing our own special song even if nobody else sings along because we are free spirits or, possible, just tacky, but they are also just the right length for the lovely fall weather.

Coffeenuering Part The Second

There is, I believe, no one who doesn't like a fall day in Wisconsin. The sky is a not washed out but rather a blue that isn't trying to prove a point; the Sun is shinning pleasantly down on a wide array of happy folk; everyone is aware that around the corner lurks subzero temperatures, snow, and the long tunnel of darkness yet this underlayment of sorrow is well-tempered by the gloriousness of today. So the ride to Lakeside Coffeehouse really couldn't have been better. The wind, as Shane McGowan might say, was gently laughing, the view across Mendota Bay was outstanding. The coffee, alas, was forgettable. I honestly can't recall what it tasted like. The sandwich was equally memorable and the coleslaw bland. The beer, however, was just the ticket and the staff were pleasant and cheerful.

The cafe is right by the bike path and it has two bike racks but at least one rider has no idea  that it is wrong to take up five or six spaces.

I saw this sign on the way home and I wonder why Edgewood decided to ban Pleasure Drive Trucks and, just as important, what one would look like.

 I rode the Xtra-cycle with its new hand built fight deck. Pretty snappy, if I do say so myself.

I figure the ride there was around 10 miles, I meandered, and, despite the forgettable food and coffee, I rate the experience double plus good.

Coffeenuering 2014

This weekend is the start of the Chasing Mailboxes Coffenuering Challenge. Yesterday I rode 4 miles give or take to go to the Zoma Cafe on Atwood, actually I was going to Revolution Cycles but this challenge is all about the coffee. I had a Macchiato and it was perfectly okay.

Zoma is pretty cycling friendly; its backyard abuts the bike path, they have two or three racks along the bike path and so forth. I noticed that the local beer tours are, however, not cycle friendly. The Hop Express, or what ever it is called, passed me unsafely and the all bike brewery tour took up every inch of the corner of Willy and John Noland. Still a good time was had by all, which is to say me, because 1) the new generator hub is on its way, 2) One Barrel Brewery  had a nice small batch sour ale

 and decent Penquin * Sausage pizza

, and 3) the coffee was perfectly fine. The weather, on the other hand, tended tword the bluster and cold.

*No Penguins were injured:
.
The Penguin sausage is regular Italian sausage made using their Penguin IPA.