today's creature

Today's Creature

It's a shame how they keep their Animals

Winston on the town

Winston hears everything.

Weekend Update

It was a lazy memorial weekend for us. Our friends Rob & Becky came down for rest in KC from Quad Cities IA. They are long friends of Sarah and are a source of encouragement for us both. We enjoyed our first KC Royals game on Friday night. They lost badly, but it was a good time. Thanks R&B.

Sarah and I spent a few hours watching freaking Lost. We can't stop. That's all I have to say about that.

Monday, Winston, Sarah & I headed out to a lake near Lawrence. Winston had his first taste of water. He didn't mind it, but enjoyed patrolling the rocks more. I enjoyed a nice, blood sucking tick. Thanks parasite.

Sears Family Photo

sorry. we're those dog owners

somore belly

So Sarah is gradually getting the belly. It's a beautiful and round thing. I

felt the flutter of the little creature kicking aroiund last night. It was ever so subtle through my fingers, but I definitely detected it. It's real and the baby's on it's way into our lives. Bring on the family.

The cats are getting used to Winston. He likes to sniff their butts as they trot away, and enjoys the sport of cornering one cat or two. We are relieved they are getting along at all. Pretty soon, we're going to catch them napping together.

I hope your days are well.

scenes from around KCMO

shhhh

It's been a good time with Sharon here. I have come out of my fog and she and Sarah have had a good amount of time to hang. We also learned she is a Dog Whisperer. She can get Winston to do things we cannot. Examples are: walking & pooping within a 2 minute window. It's pretty amazing. She is working on a book deal.

Scenes from our week

Found It!

Here's wonderful Boston Terrierish link. Again, click on the broken box, give it a minute and enjoy. Make sure you give it some volume.

(thanks to Joshua Blankenship for keeping a solid archive)


p.s. Can anyone direct me to a good and basic html source? I would love to lose the broken boxes. Thanks in advance.

GOLLUM!!!

2 more days

Or nights as it is, working with the roaster. Only about 35 more hours in two days to get the whole lot done. I can go back to working days and sleeping nights. Perhaps I can start thinking about what we are doing here in KC. There must be a reason we're here. It must be something more than humping and dumping green coffee all day long. Anyhow, Sarah's mom, Sharon is in town for a few days. It's good to see a familiar face. She brought her pet hamster in hopes it might meet its demise by the tooth or claw of some zealous creature within our walls. It might happen. For now, the cats just sit and stare...

mm.

Our obligatory apology for this obligatory photo. Happy Birthday yesterday Gail. We love you.

Thanks Carlye on the night shift

My body is now fully in the night shift mode. It's the only way to get this job done at work. Aside from sleep deprivation, I get to spend more time with Sarah and the growing family.

Speaking of which, Winston went to the vet today. he is healthy and officially dubbed weird for a Boston. The doctor commented his neck is like that of a giraffe.

And indeed, we must thank Aunty Kizze for suggesting such an apt name for our freaky little friend. It is a proper name for such a fine specimen. We miss you too Kizze. Photo of the day is ode to you. Be glad we didn't post some of the recent transmissions. xo

tuesday

Mundane update: Work til 1:30 am, sleep til five am wake up take out pup, pup passes out on lap as I do until 7am. Work til 12:30pm, come home enjoy lunch, Sarah heads back to work, I take pup to pet store to get a bed and steal a pig's ear. Come home pass out. Head to work at 8pm, work til 2am and repeat. It's going to be a long week, and I imagine the posts will be more random than they have been lately.

And enjoy the sleeping dog photos while you can. For as many shots as we have taken of Winston already, can you imagine how many posted shots of baby human there will be? We will try to curb our selves.

Today's photo caption: yep, even Winston is as bored, shamefully intrigued and wrapped up in the simple, addicting and almost poor writing of the t.v. show Lost. He was commenting on the perfectly manicured shaven and unshaven faces and bodies of the cast stranded without amenities. He's right. It's weak.

Congratulations Sugar & Terri

Nice work on bringing a little dude out of the womb and into your home. Brandon Walter McLean has some cool parents and a lot of love to experience from them. I can't wait to meet him. I am sure he will be as fiiine as his dad and as intelligent as his mom. Not that Terri isn't fine, nor Sugar intelligent... uh, you know what I am trying to say.

Much love to you both from our place in Missouri.

our man Winston

Here's an update on our new friend. He's well. He's whizzing like a champ outside. It's the dumping we are cautious of. I cleaned two large harvests trampled last night in his crate. We look forward to him getting all trained up so he can crash with us. As you can see from the photos, it won't be very difficult for Winston to do.

Come and meet him soon. xogrk

Meet our new friend, Winston

We happened upon a Boston Terrier who was looking for a home. Sarah and I talked it over one final time over a pint of milk. We decided he should come home. The cats are very interested and almost amused. They are still awaiting their moment to kick the crap out of the new guy. Oh, and he likes to eat his own poo. We are going to talk to him about that little habit tomorrow.

summer'shair

Sarah and I are enjoying the weather here. we were able to enjoy an evening in KC for what seems to be the first time in a while. We walked a few miles around our neighborhood, checking out a few fountains and a park. The park has what looks to me like a giant waxed wheel of cheese being lassoed and pulled. The fountain has horses trampling various creatures. Then of course there are cherubs peeling back the lips of large fish and spraying the horses with water. We are loving the laid backness of KC. Our collective freak is blooming. in fact, there is so much freak, it's bloomed in Sarah's belly. Yahoo. Fall and new life is coming quickly. For some it is soon, no? yes.

bellyshot

So, here you go, the beginning of the belly. We are feeding it well, and trying to water it. Here's a shot of my sympathy belly too.

Belly's comin'

I shall post a photo of the 16 week belly tomorrow. Now, remember, the camera takes off about 5 lbs.

Our home is coming together. Sarah has almost all the boxes rummaged through, and it feels much more permanently temporary.

Life's about to get crazy again with work and much roasting. We now have 10 days to roast and package over 24000 lbs of coffee. And of course we are roasting on a 50lb roaster. We'll get it done, and maybe our company will be stronger because of it. At least this time, Sarah and I won't be moving our belongings simultaneously.

I had a good walk to work yesterday. I got a cup of coffee from a spaced out coffee guy in a barely awake shop and roamed the streets of Westport. My journey was capped off with a ride in a stripped out, back windowless white minivan. Thanks to Tony for that. He had picked up the other walker, John Welsh as well. With the Beastie Boys blaring Whatchu Want, we went and did something we kind of all liked for some reason, we think: work.

Sufficient ramble? mmhmm.

oops

Here's something you may accidentally play a lot. Just click on this broken square.

back in KC?

Uh, we're back. I know it's good to be back from California, but I don't know how good it is to be back in KC. Tornadoes are ripping the place up and our basement is flooded pretty good. Our boxes are almost bobbing like a child's imagination in a good story book illustration.

Our cat bj is completely mental. We don't know why, but he's terrified of the main floor of the house. He will huddle in the wet basement or yowl upstairs. On the main floor, he's as low and fast as he can go. Oh, and Sarah and I are being trained for having a child, or punished for going away. No sleep thanks to the cats.

Sarah came back with her belly a little bigger. She returned from MN with her bike and a bag full of tot clothes thanks to Grandma C. Thanks Grandma C. However, creepy bear that laughs? You know the rules. Functional items or toys from the 19th Century. More of that and we will wake up one day like Gregor Samsa.

It takes a certain something to live in Southern California, doesn't it? What offsets all the traffic and concrete and brand names? Sheer proximity to Northern Cal might do it.

This trip to the Coffee Show was pretty fruitful. I met a lot of folks out there I hadn't met before. The coffee roaster community is growing large, and I enjoy being a freaky cog in that machine. I came away more certain of what I do not want to be involved with in the Coffee industry. I need my work to be an art, I need a positive sense of community and I need some serious coffee freak factor. I need less pomp in my life. One should not have to designate one's work or product as 'quality', nor should one have to promote some thing as ethical. Both terms and qualities should be evident in presentation and practice.

Well, I think my brain just stalled. Much love and more comments soon to our readers and NC magnets. we feel the pull.

xo

It wasn't me!

I have to skip town. Apparently there was a little trouble at a local mall. I have an alibi, but that doesn't stop the neighborhood watch from tailing me.

a moment

Whilst I have a moment, I will post a yo. This office is a nexus of chaos. Any time I come to my desk/cube, there is madness all around. That is, there is madness of personalities. I am amazed people can function in life so strung up and uptight. Uh, that's all I have to say about that, except that I enjoy the weirdness on some level. It's a matter of personal development that I am concerned with growing. I figure this is sanctification by fire of sorts, working to stay calm in the midst of tension. Though, it's not really that serious.

We moved into our new place fully now, and Sarah and the cats love it. It's nice to be able to walk through a room to get somewhere instead of walking around the room to get somewhere. See photos for more pleasure. Early morning front porch with coffee. Beautiful.

I am headed out to Long Beach CA for a trade show and coffee freak gathering. I hope to meet some new folks and reconnect with some others. Sarah is heading to Minnesota with her truck and her beautiful growing belly to hang with her parents for a few days.

We shall tell you all how it went. Much love, grk