Some things

 I have been needing to frame and reframe a bunch of Artcrank posters for two years.  Felt great to get it done.

 Bike commuter legs was my first Artcrank poster from year one or two of the event?  I don't really remember.  After hours of framing posters this was my last one.   I broke the glass just as I was finishing up. Grrrr.  Ace Hardware cut a new piece only after the old guy working there said that he was not able to measure and cut the glass with the metric numbers I took in.  I suggested we get one of the tape measures on the wall to help.   He wants the metric system to go away since "no one wants them pushing it down our throats."

 A few pre framed versions of the posters.   They are not the best quality pics because my original intent for them was to use my fancy phone stylus to write the dimensions of the posters on each pic.    I did it but then found that over the last two years I actually had collected all the frames I needed for the project.

 I have been wanting to make a grouping of the Paul Bunyan posters and the bike commuter legs.

 I have been needing a new down comforter and found a great solution.  Get one from my favorite sleeping bag company, Western Mountaineering.   My reasoning is this.   It is made with great quality down (850+ fill), it is beautifully made in a relatively small company, it uses ultralight materials, it is a very generous size and is priced cheaper than similar sized and filled comforters.  You can get a down comforter that is just fine at Ikea for half the price.  I used one like that happily for about 8 years.  I like this one way more.  Other details include that it is grey on the other side, doesn't look so shiny in person and can be used with a duvet.  

 I got some Salsa Woodchipper 2 bars, Knard 700x41 tires and suddenly my El Mariachi is a Salsa Fargo/gravel/adventure bike.

 Ride is great on the road and the Knards roll faster than I thought.  I am excited to see how it does on gravel.  Tektros disc compatible road brake levers gotten for $24.  Ultra thin Xpedo spry platform pedals are very light, very thin and relatively cheap.  Time will tell if they can handle my weight...I mean power.

Finally,  Mazy is a good dog.

Some things

 This Burundi was really nice.  Not super complex but very smooth viscous mouth feel like a melted chocolate bar.  I kind of over roasted the Brazil but it is more complex with a bite on the front end.  Good first thing in the AM coffee.

 In case you miss pics of it here is my RK roasting drum.  The bbq grill is used for roasting only and the rotisserie is custom made to handle the weight of up to 4lbs of coffee.  It spins about one time a second rather than every 20 seconds like a normal rotisserie motor.

 Ella helping with moral support while I roast.

 Still looking for a new insulation material for my grill cozy.  The box works ok.  I mostly need wind blocking and then just a little insulation.  I have looked into auto firewall material, wood stove insulation, fireplace insulation, hot water heater and welding blankets and other things all over the internet.  I found a couple of industrial products that are very expensive and likely not worth the gamble.   If any of you see an insulating material that can handle about 800F let me know.

 Maya likes to help with the dog poop.

 Maya is cute and loves pickled herring (in the red bowl).  

 It is really hard to get close to a turkey for a pic.  I think this guy likes the little bit of open grass in our yard.  Every time he hears or sees me move in the house he flys down to the farthest part of the woods a couple hundred yards away.  Beautiful to watch.

 We all pay rent for our existence in our own way.

 Mazy is a good dog.  

Paul Bunyan State Forest

 I have decided I like state forests a lot more than state parks and Paul Bunyan seems like a good state forest.  State forests seem to have few if any facilities and you can camp most anywhere.

 To hall gear I used a Pulk sled and Heath used his back.

 We set up camp and went to bed but then had to pack back up in the night and make our way  out of the forest because I was not able to stay warm for some reason.  I suspect my thyroid med's are not working right since our gear and a past experience suggest this is very doable.   -20F and getting colder while in a relatively remote location meant that I was not willing to try and tough it out.  Heath was super cool about being woken up to pack up and leave in the night.  I feel bad about it.

No pics of the escape but the moonless night mixed with the super dry air made for stunning star gazing as we marched out of the woods.  

2-26-14 Pic dump

 Some of these have been on Facebook so sorry for the replay of pics Facebookers. 

  I have been playing around with sewing and need models.  Ella and I designed and made Maya a skirt.  We are proud and those are model poses made up by Maya.   I have also hemmed some pants, fixed holes in clothes and generally played around with the machine.  Learning to set it up, fill a bobbin and thread the sewing machine is the hardest part.  Over the past few years I have been collecting wool and other nice materials for sewing projects.   Wool cycling hats are my next goal.

 We go to the science museum once in a while.  The girls always love the science museum in St. Paul more than I think they will.   Dino's kick ass.

 I recently got a copy of the cooking reference book  larousse gastronomique (1960) at a thrift store.   In a pic of a "modern kitchen" in the 1960 book was this little pot.  Later that week while at Iverson's Scandinavian Imports I found out that the company Ittala made it and it is in the museum of modern art.  The internet told me Ittala is making it again but only in black.  The name of the pot is a Timo Sarpaneva.  The wood handle also works to take the lid off.

 I really like to have art that I can use as an every day item.

 I need to insulate my BBQ grill that I use to roast coffee.  I currently use an old computer box cut open to insulate and block the wind from messing with my roast temps.

 My goal is to make a grill cozy that is more permanent.  I have been to Home Depot, Mennards, Ace, a fire place store and an auto parts store looking for a material that is good to about 800 degrees.  I found this metallic coated fiberglass at Home Depot and made a cozy with it.  What appeared to be a metal exterior melted to the grill on my first roast.  The internet has a couple of similar looking products that would work at my temp needs but they are often in big rolls and cost more than I want for this project.  Back to my cardboard box for now.

 Heath taught my girls how to both ski and hold ski's for victory pics.

Made noodles with uncle Mike.

 Mazy is a good dog.

 I have too much girth for my Western Mountaineering Bison -40 sleeping bag.  Midwest Mountaineering contacted them and the owner said he would make a one off bag expander for me.  They make a similar product for summer bags but as far as I know they have never made one for a winter bag.

 It took over 4 months but I got it and it is amazing.  Looks like my bag had a tadpole bag baby.  To have the owner hand make me this beautiful item for $69 is amazing.  It is jam packed with 850 (likely higher) down fill.  The expander is also made with windstopper material on the outside like the bag.  It is sewn beautifully like all WM products.

 My only regret is that I had to sleep with it part way open much of the coldest winter we have had in years waiting for it to be finished.

 

 It should get cold next year too.   With the Gore Windstopper shell I can use the bag with a ground pad and without a tent.   I can't wait to use it this weekend.  Come on cold!

MLK day fatpacking

Heath and I watched the end of the late playoff football game on Sunday night then took off at about 9pm for about an 1hr 45minute ride from my house down south west along the MN river.  It was bed time once we got set up.  Heath slept in an Alpine Bivy I slept in my Direkt 2 tent.  The Direkt 2 is really warm and I like to have a free standing tent in the snow.  

 We slept in a marsh like area with these stick trees all around.  Blocked the wind well.  This is a perfect spot for winter camping that would be impossibly buggy and wet in the summer

A rare pic with me actually in it.  Didn't see a single snowmobile on the trail either day.  

 We should have taken the time to eat a real breakfast before our return ride.  There is a lot of up hill coming out of the Minnesota river valley and I would have been much stronger if I had eaten.  Still made good time and really enjoyed the ride.  

Reverse order pic dump

 Sunday (1-5-14) to Monday (1-6-14) slept out.  22 below in Chanhassen when I got up.  Stayed warm all night.

 Used my old wool Navy? face mask and it really made a big difference.  I could breathe and did not get close to frost bite on my face.  Hat pulled over my eyes in my sleep selfie pic.

 Going to bed.  It was windy.  Had to tie out the tent to the very frozen ground.

 During the day on Sunday (1-5-14) Heath and I rode from 35w towards Cedar ave.  Great trail conditions.

 On Saturday (1-4-14) I taught Ella how to skate again.  We have done this one time a year on about four occasions in her life.  Just rarely enough that she has to learn all over again each time.  Cold but fun time.

 We cooked some steak in a hot oil fondue then dipped fruit in a chocolate fondue.

 The girls decorated Susan's cake for her birthday.

 Maya was a little super star at her gymnastics event.  With all the parents and other older gymnastics girls cheering Maya and her other Dynamite team members on it was a really fun event.  

 Ling Hui made the best beef tendon dish I have ever had.  Amazing.

Maya and I started the new year out with a bowl of Menudo.   The Mexican grocery store at Marschall and Gorman st in Shakopee has the best Menudo I have every had.   So good.