Archive for the ‘Home life’ Category

Barista – Portland brewpub and coffee shop

Saturday, April 4th, 2009

In Portland, a simple black-and-white sign hangs from the side of a building at 13th and Hoyt. Inside are a few stout wooden tables, stools, and laboratory beakers bubbling away. In those beakers, delicious coffee brews using light, vacuums, and funnels to siphon the liquid gold through a fine cloth filter. The sign above the door reads simply, Barista.

The first thing one notices is of course the vacuum pots, a set of three beakers with funnels to top them off. Halogen lamps heat the water in the base to a boil, once sealed then water then is forced up the funnel. With water holding at the perfect brewing temperature, coffee is added and stirred to ensure perfectly even brewing. When taken off the heat, the brewed coffee is pulled through the cloth filter into the base. What is served can best be described as a clean, tea like, cup of coffee.  In all my years of loving coffee, and even being a barista myself, I have never seen coffee made this way, it’s fascinating.

The perfection doesn’t end with the vacuum pots, it continues even down to the “regular brewed coffee” in the air pot. It is not your “regular” coffee by any means, it is French pressed, all of it. The mochas? They’re made with real chocolate melted on the spot right before adding it to your drink, not some syrup from a pump.

Who would be so crazy as to open such a shop? Why, Billy of course! A two time winner of the NW regional barista championships, Billy Wilson’s Barista offers a variety of coffees from multiple roasters. Of those of Billy’s crew that I’ve met, Peter, Christine, and one other guy whose name I forget (Sorry!), they’re all great.  They love their coffee, know it very well, and are a pleasure to chat with.

From my experience, and seeing others come and go, everyone has a great time. It’s a fantastic neighborhood coffee shop! This is the type of coffee experience that I love, baristas that know and love their coffee, are happy to talk with you, and where you feel comfortable just sitting and playing Scrabble or reading (you have to bring your own board or book).

If you’re ever in the area or want to make an outing of it, be sure to stop by Barista at least once during your Portland life. Just don’t ask for a Grande Frappucino.

What I’ve had there – All of them were fantastic

The Beloya in a vac pot

Straight up French press

Stumptown Capp

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Apartment search

Friday, April 3rd, 2009

Been looking for apartments now for a while, some good, some bad, some backwards, some forwards, one or two might’ve even been upsidedown.  I don’t know.  The point is, I have narrowed it down.  The things I’ve been looking for are often contradictory, a short commute to Salem but being close to Portland.  A coworker thinks I should just move straight into Portland, which frankly sounds like a good idea.  But as far as quality of the apartment, space, nice area around it, that sort of thing, these in Lake Oswego seem better.  Yea, I wont be able to walk out my door and down the street to an awesome coffee shop, I’ll have to drive.  But considering the times I’ll be in Portland will still mostly be for the day or in the evenings, I don’t think it’ll be much trouble.

In Lake Oswego I’ll be right by PCC, have a shorter commute than Beaverton, be closer to Portland, and have a small gym within walking distance.  Sadly the apartments are on a hill so I can’t go street running, and there aren’t any shops within walking distance.  So I’ll be driving everywhere.  But still I think they’re the best I’ve found, at least for 6 months.  I can always move further into Portland after that.

Keeping up on my Willamette Week, looking for cool things to do.  Let me know if you find anything, I’ll start trying to discuss what I find/do.  I’ve been playing Theme Hospital too!  It’s pretty fun!

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I have a commute

Saturday, March 28th, 2009

My commute is an hour in the morning and at least that in the evening. It’s long, takes a lot of gas, and is tiring. Not to mention it’s 100 miles on my odometer every day. But on the bright side, I have a commute. Unemployment is around 11% in Oregon, making it one of the worst places to try and be looking for work these days.

The Oregon Lottery is a great place to be working, everyone has been great so far as showing me the ropes and being nice to “the new guy.”  The more I’m learning there the better of a place it seems to be to start my career.  I’ve already started working on stuff that should be out by the end of the year, woo!

The commute from Beaverton however, is no fun. My apartment search began in Salem, then moved to Wilsonville, then Tualatin, and now around Lake Oswego. A coworker has been suggesting just to go into Portland itself, which is very tempting. But Lake Oswego would fulfill all my requirements, shorter/easier commute, near Portland, near a place to take classes (PCC), and some of them would be right by a gym. It seems like the best option so far so now I just need to wait for the right apartment and then move.

With such a long commute you may wonder why I’d want to stay near Portland. The reason, there’s actually things to do, and I love the city. In a shameless plug check out my brother’s website, Ryan Fish TV, for info on the artsy happenings of Portland. It’s great stuff, and I’m not just saying that because we’re related, it’s actually good info. That sort of stuff is why I want to stay near Portland, you can’t find it anywhere else.

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The Holidays: Why holly, and why for so many days?

Friday, December 5th, 2008

            The holiday season starts with Thanksgiving and ends with New Years here in the states.  There are so many celebrations it’s a wonder people can keep track of which friends observe what.  You of course have your major religious holidays, Christmas being the most commercialized.  Thanksgiving, while having been created by Christian pilgrims, is not inherently religious or even nationally bound.  It is simply a time to gather with family and recognize everything you are thankful for from the past year.

            Back to Christmas though, it’s going to be my main point anyway.  It was created as a religious holiday, to celebrate the birth of Christ.  Note, it is NOT the actual birthday of Jesus.  Just like Americans have President’s Day to celebrate the birth of several presidents, it is not actually their birthday.  Many believe Christmas actually came from a Roman celebration of the winter solstice, which the church then adopted as their own.

Fast forward a ways to 2008 and you have a massive retail machine trying to make a buck by cranking out every sort of toy, decoration, and knick-knack.  I swear, this year I even saw Christmas decorations in the stores alongside those for Halloween.  I say, it’s too much!

Yes the holiday has lost its religious meaning for the vast majority of people, me being one of them.  That does not mean that it needs to be a celebration of materialism.  There is still something to be saved of Christmas.

Here is my proposal.  Those that want to still observe the religious aspects of the holiday feel free to do so, for the rest however, take a look at Thanksgiving.  Christmas can become a holiday to celebrate our families, friends, and your puppy, everyone you care about.  Make it similar to Thanksgiving, but directed towards our loved ones.  Sure exchange gifts to express that caring, but don’t get carried away.  Gather with your family, your friends, take time to acknowledge each other, and take note that no matter your situation there is always someone who cares about you.

There it is, make Christmas about the people.  Not the church of retail, the god of gifts.  Let those who choose to observe the religious aspects do so.  But make it an international celebration that everyone can take part in.  A celebration of all those that care about you, and you care for, even your puppy.

 

-          Kevin

“Live your life until love is found, or love is gonna get you down,” Lollipop by Mika

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Still rock’n

Friday, October 3rd, 2008

So here I am, having been job looking for a while now.  Most of my responses have been from companies that upon further research are of questionable validity, there are apparently a lot of scams out there preying on job seekers.  Others, when speaking to the recruiting manager, become obvious that I would end up leaving very quickly out of distaste.  All this has led to a draining of moral and confidence making the search less likely to succeed.

Then a few days ago my mom’s best friend called, I answered, she was trying to reach my mother but we talked for a few minutes anyway.  She is going in for surgery to remove a cyst from her spine within the next few weeks.  Being a religious woman she had plenty to say about my waning sprits.  Hearing from her how things will work out when they are meant to, and how much confidence she has in me, really lifted me back up.

Even without her saying those things, simply speaking to her was a reminder that things could be worse.  My family is all in relatively good health, my parents are kind enough to allow my brothers and I to stay as long as we need, and I don’t have a baby (Our one rule for college was “No babies”).  My only necessity is that come January 1st I lose my parents’ medical insurance, but I am a healthy 23 year old so I should be ok.

Anyway, back to the job search.  Not much longer and I will need to start working anywhere that will take me, no matter the job.  With the economy looking how it is, that prefect job probably wont come any time soon.   But I’m still applying, and hoping. 

Wish me luck.

Kevin

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