National coffee day

 Happy National Coffee Day to you all!  Today marks the celebration of that most precious of beverages, extracted from the amazing coffee bean.  One popular legend has it that coffee beans were discovered by a 9th century goatherd, but we are all indebted to whoever figured out the hard stony pit  of a cherry-like fruit could be washed and dried, roasted to a dark brown, ground into a powder, and extracted with hot water to provide a beverage so essential to so many.  I myself have previously mentioned how important coffee is in my life.  Accordingly, I roast my own green coffee beans, then brew them using several different methods, from conventional drip maker to French press to moka pot to elaborate, high-end Italian espresso machine.  While many people will today enjoy the coffee that they obtain from some shop or other, I always make my own at home.  It's the only way to obtain the best quality product.  And while I sip my daily brew, I often contemplate the economic, social, and geopolitical roles that coffee has had over history.  Much of this is well documented in the excellent book "Uncommon Grounds" by Mark Pendergrast.  (This book also taught me a different important lesson:  Decades ago, I lent my author-signed copy to an acquaintance who never returned it.  I don't lend books anymore.) So today make a point of remembering while you enjoy coffee in whatever form you prefer the amazing impact the humble bean has had on mankind.

Magic beans

 I like coffee.  A lot.  These days, it's one of my primary remaining joys.  To have a cup of well-made espresso in the quiet early morning before a hectic day is a transcendental moment for me.  To this end, I've expended a lot of time, study, and expense in making good coffee in my home.  So when I learned that the "dumbest trade war in history" would almost certainly lead to much higher coffee prices, I decided to lay in a supply that would hopefully sustain me through the storm.  As is my custom, I placed an order with Roastmasters for a shipment of green coffee beans that I expect will keep me caffeinated through the end of this year.  The consignment left the vendor in Connecticut on February 26, 2025 and finally arrived on March 7, 2025- a journey of nine days.  This makes yet another dismal performance of the USPS Priority Mail service that promises 1-3 day service.

According to tracking information, the parcel's odyssey began as expected.  From pickup in Branford, CT it went to the distribution center in Springfield, MA.  Two days later, it was close to its final destination, in Palmetto, GA.  Then it sat there for two days before turning up... back in Springfield MA!  Like an unwilling hostage, the package "departed" and "arrived" at Springfield, MA for two days before moving on.  Then the beans became magic and achieved some sort of quantum duality when at 3:10 am on March 5, 2025 they arrived at both Springfield, MA and Palmetto, GA at the exact same moment.  Lucky for me, they recovered from this mysterious state and the next day arrived in Birmingham, AL and then were finally delivered to my home.  Fortunately, unroasted green coffee beans are not especially perishable.  They now stand ready for me to personally roast to perfection in my Hottop roaster, then brew in my Rocket R58 espresso machine.  Outside lies a troubled, turbulent world, but with good coffee I am more able to face the tempest.

Sweet Home Alabama

 After a whirlwind weekend in New York, it was suddenly time to head home.  After the long day Saturday, the 8:30 am start for our return journey came early.  But wifey and I managed to get packed and ready to go with enough time remaining for essential morning coffee and breakfast at Jake's, the in-house coffee shop in the Knickerbocker Hotel.

Our UAB Alumni group then gathered in the hotel lobby and boarded the bus to LaGuardia Airport and retraced our steps home:  LGA to DCA, a short layover at Reagan Airport, then the last leg to BHM Shuttlesworth Airport and home.  In contrast to the outbound flights, the trip home was smooth, uneventful, and on time.  Almost.  We landed on time in Birmingham and taxied directly to the gate.  But American Airlines wasn't going to allow an entire trip to go completely without trouble.  We pulled up to the gate and then sat many minutes, waiting as nothing happened.  It turned out the jetway malfunctioned, and it was several more minutes before a tractor could be sent to tow our aircraft to another gate where we finally got off the plane.  Miraculously, our luggage was waiting on the baggage claim carousel when we reached it, and the adventure officially concluded.  We were home, our first real travel in over four years was complete.  It was a fun and memorable weekend.  Here's hoping the next one isn't so long in coming.

National Coffee Day

 Today is the day we celebrate that crucial beverage, coffee.  Happy National Coffee Day!  I've always wondered how we came to create coffee.  Somewhere in history, a person decided that he should pluck the hard stone out of a cherry-like fruit of a particular plant, wash and dry it, then roast it until it was a dark brown.  Then grind it up and mix it with hot water before drinking it.  I offer my deep gratitude to whoever that hero of history may have been.  Coffee is a venerable, old beverage, but is as important today as it ever has been.  In fact, its popularity may have surpassed tea even in such a famously tea-centric nation as England.  The history of coffee is a long and interesting one, worthy of a fascinating book.  (I once owned an autographed copy of this book, but lent it out and it was never returned.  I don't lend books anymore.) As novelist Anthony Trollope once said, "What on earth could be more luxurious than a sofa, a book, and a cup of coffee?" So sit back and nestle in to your favorite reading space, and enjoy a cup of luxury.

Buy local, drink local: Daysol Coffee Lab, Helena Alabama

Java Script

 Let’s be plain- coffee is a big part of my life. And I am interested in all phases of it. From sourcing varietal beans, to roasting my own beans at home, to the various methods of coffee preparation, I’ve approached it all with a scientist’s methodology and a connoisseur’s passion. Over the years, I’ve progressed from a simple hot air roaster to a more sophisticated programmable drum type. Every weekend, I can be found out on the patio, roasting the week’s beans (fresh coffee smells wonderful, but the roasting process produces copious smoke that’s not welcome inside the house).

 

When it comes to preparing coffee, I have many options. Standard drip, French Press, classic Moka Pot, and my pride: a Rocket R58 espresso machine. This professional quality home machine from Milan, Italy is in daily use in our home. I can craft any espresso based coffee beverage you may desire, though my latte art skills still need some work. In a turbulent world, I can always rely on a well-made cup of coffee to anchor my day.