New Coffee Shop

Well, Thanksgiving came and went. Now it's the day after. We don't do crazy shopping for Black Friday but sometimes we'll hit a store or two. This time Wilma wanted to go to a sewing store and I remembered this coffee shop next door. We both get something out of this deal. We had a nice time and I got a sketch out of the deal. I was able to do the whole thing before leaving the coffee shop. Those always feel good.

New Tech (I'd Make A Good Wife)

This just isn't what a guy should be saying, but I love my new iron! I know what you're thinking - why does this guy have an iron and why does he enjoy it? It starts with a story.

Over 30 years ago when Wilma and I were dating, we'd talk about many things. In that process she declared that she would not iron, make my lunch or get up early just to cook my breakfast. In pondering all the things to decide if she was "the one", these seemed small. Since she did marry me, these could be considered a verbal prenuptial agreement, so I'll honor them.

Therefore, I iron those shirts of mine that aren't wrinkle-free. These are the shirts that feel softer and the ones I prefer to wear, since the wrinkle-free treatment produces a harsher texture. But I still tend to be lazy so I have both.

In the course of our 30 year marriage we have not upgraded irons. The old iron still worked and I thought it was fine until I used a newer one at a motel while on business travel. The extra steam it produced made a world of difference. Gotta have a new one!

Last weekend we bought this one and I'm in heaven. It has a wide stance to hold it upright, automatic shut-offs for time-out and falling over, and a swiveling power cord. There's a neat little clip on the cord so it can be wrapped up and secured. This all appeals to me as an engineer. Great design and attention to detail. Part of the steam control can even be taken out for cleaning, so there's attention to maintenance, too. So I tried it out on this weeks shirts. It glides with ease and has a nice slow steady stream of steam. Then the burst of steam when you push the button. Wow! I've been missing a lot these last few decades. This is the right tool for the job.

Sketch Crawl Nov. '11

This was a windy cool day in Excelsior Springs so we spent it indoors. Kate arranged for us to spend time at Raymond's, which is a home furnishings place in the old down town. This was our first time there. As with all the buildings in this part of town, the architecture is old and elegant. This place has been kept up, too.

I had a chance to talk with those running the store. That's how I learned about the money transfer gear. They asked about our sketching so I explained the whole sketch crawl and illustrated journaling thing.

Then off for a bite to eat and compare notes and chat with Kate and Vicky and assorted spouses. Christiana had to leave early. This was a shot in the arm to get back into sketching. As my lack of recent posts indicate, I've been off my game lately. I'm hoping to fix that.

Quick Bike Tour

Well, calling it a tour may be a stretch, but it was an over-niter for both of us and we used my pannier bags for our luggage. We hit the Prairie Spirit Trail in eastern Kansas. I've been wanting to try a rail-to-trail bike ride with motel so that Wilma and I could do it together. She doesn't sleep on the ground anymore so my loaded touring method with camping gear doesn't work with her. That will just be my solo thing.

All went well, and Wilma would almost agree with that assessment. It was a bit warm Saturday. I wanted to be off the trail by the time the day's heat arrived but we were running a little late. We hit 95F and there wasn't as much shade on the trail as I was hoping for. It took the wind out of our sails. But we made it fine and recouped in an air-conditioned motel room. We just waited for the sun to go down a little before we hit Ottawa for eating and seeing the sites.

I love cruising small town Kansas on a bicycle to see the sites. I learned that on my two trips with Biking Across Kansas (organized ride), where we'd cruise the cities each night where we stayed. Sunday we got up early to beat the heat and the going was better. We watched the sun rise as we were pedaling South, back to Garnett. We gave a dozen farmers having coffee at the local dive pit-stop something to talk about with our biking attire as we came in for a bite. I had a nice chat and ear-scratching with a blue healer in a pickup in the parking lot as we left, waiting for his gossipy master inside.

That all made for a 58 mile two-day outing, which was the most Wilma has ever done. I'm proud of her! Also, we're still married . . . so far . . . I think.

Some Scenery on Business Travel

I spent a day inspecting some utility construction of one of our member coops. Coming back I drove through my Alma matter, K-State. I love to visit Manhattan, with it's coffee shops, grab a bite, and visit either the K-State Union bookstore or its rival, Varney's bookstore. This time it was Varney's and I picked up a new product for me - Art Alternative's "Pen & Ink" fountain pen and their 3.5"x5.5" sketch book that copies the Moleskine style. Then, while driving out of town I stopped at a scenic overview of the Kansas River Valley at sundown to try it all out. They built this neat stop after I graduated. So, here's the first sketch with that pen and that sketch book. The pen is $16, a bottle of ink was $6 and the book was cheaper, too. Seems to be entry level stuff, but it seems to work good so far. Next I'll check the claim that the ink is waterproof for using watercolors.

Omaha on Business

Well, time for our quarterly SPP TWG meeting. This time in Omaha. Our hotel is down by the restored Old Market area, so we can walk around after the meeting and check out their neat restaurants, bars and shops. Meeting with my peers is great but I like to get away from it, too. I knew there would probably be a big chain coffee store somewhere, but I like the small independents and if they were here, they'd be on the outside fringe area of the high rent district. Wednesday night I was in the mood for a decaf latte. I found Scooters in the high rent district, but they had no decaf. He recommended a competitor, and it was an independent! It's a neat little shop on the fringe of the developed area and they had my decaf. I decided to stop by the next day after our meeting disbanded at lunchtime and do a sketch and, since I'm there, have another cup of joe as I write the text. Sometimes I love business travel.

Sketch Crawls

I've made it to the last two Sketch Crawls in Excelsior Springs. That's just northeast out of Kansas City. They're organized by Kate Johnson. The June crawl was at Van Till Farms, just outside of town. It's an interesting blend of winery, restaurant, green houses to supply the restaurant, and part time pizzeria. Never been there before, but I cruised their website in advance. Their old-style masonry wood-fired oven is a slap the the face of technology. The work tools caught my eye initially, so I sat out in the sunny heat to sketch and sweat. Then I moved around for the other views. We would then sit and chat and eat. This is only my third crawl so I'm still getting into the swing of it.


Then the July Sketch Crawl was in the town at their City Hall. The building name is Hall of Waters, and hails back to their heyday as a resort town using their mineral waters. This place is build with interesting architecture and materials. I don't know the name of the style, but it has plenty of sketch potential. I started outside in the heat but came in after an hour.

My next sketch will be about our recent lightning strike that wiped out a bunch of electronics. This is added onto a hail storm in April. Bunches of insurance claims. The sketch is in my mind.

On the good side of life, my herb garden has proved to be very delicious. It's fun to cook with them. The smell is heavenly. I'll need a sketch of that, too. Stay tuned.