HemiSam

I enjoy rum above other spirits and there was a surprising rum tasting / dinner thingy. Sooooo poorly attended that me and my older son basically sat at a table with three ladies that work in the industry...learned a lot from them and also the head chef only had us to deal with...LOL. Odd but delicious experience. HS

I so regret forgetting to put the Black Cat into my shopping cart. I purchased espresso beans from a roaster out of Dallas that a local, independent shop carries and they are an absolute mess to dial in. Tastes delicious but they make an absolute mess...LOL. HS

Awesome news, Jacob! I bet you'll get many a year out of the replacement. I opened the single origin Guatemalan Francisco Martinez from Intelligencia and it's very good. The dry cherry notes definitely jump out at you. It reminds me a tad of the Yemeni cherry bomb coffee from the Austin joint that was recommended I believe by Voltron? Not as refined as that but similar first note. HS

That curry looks amazing, Grahame! We went to a Vietnamese owned BBQ joint yesterday for lunch I'd read about. The BBQ is fairly traditional with prime brisket, ribs and jalapeño beef sausage, but the BBQ fried rice had brisket and a Chinese sausage that was a bit sweet and yummy. They also pickled their jalapeños in a soy concoction that was delish. Overall, high marks. Place is called Brisket & Rice for those that like to wander Houston... HS

My only experience with a Chopard was many a year ago at a large watch shop and the darned thing literally came apart on my wrist. I don't know if the spring bars weren't seated in the lugs or what, but the salesman was as surprised as I was...LOL. I kindly said thanks and excused myself... HS

Godspeed, Robbie Robertson.... https://variety.com/2023/music/news/robbie-robertson-dead-the-band-1235692172/ HS

His story is something I've read a few times in the last few years. Tragically USA in nature, but quite beautiful all the same... HS

Four Roses bourbon tasting dinner. Very nice having the master distiller in town to walk us through all the pours. HS

The blend is tasty, Jacob. I’m using it with the chemex. The blueberry and honey are there, but it’s not the blueberry bomb I’ve had in years past out of Ethiopia. I’ll provide thoughts when I get to the Guatemalan. HS

The latest from Intelligencia. I somehow managed to forget the Black Cat...ugh. Picked up some Hidden City espresso roasted by Oak Cliff out of Dallas. Sourced from a small local shop that does a nice job. Tasty. HS

Nice score, Jacob! I took a hard look at those machines and almost pulled the trigger on one. HS

Filter setup in case it's of any use to anyone. Houston has very hard water. HS

Reading Jacob's post and realized I forgot to include the actual machine...LOL. So surprised how well it's held up simply by using terry cloth and water after uses.

Approaching two years that I purchased the Lelit Bianca. I ultimately plumbed it directly to water and added a filtration system to make it simpler. This thing is a tank. At first I was using it a few times a week. it's almost a year I use it almost daily. So time for a service and it was good to see how clean things were. Replaced the group head filter and gasket. Gasket was hardening but not brittle by any means and the IMS filter looked very good given usage. Included is the replacement group head filter. The original gasket is in black and 8mm. I bought both 8.0 and 8.5 and the original size was best. Very little to clean under the filter. And finally the product I use to perform backlashes every 1-2 months (mostly latter...). Happy brewing... HS

You had me at meaty…. HS

I'll stick to my 007's. They are quite happy with the Carbon making them sing. HS

From what I read, she did not want to be in this world without her boy. Tragic.... HS

I tried the Intelligentsia coffees for the first time. Very good! I will be buying from them again. HS

The end of an era. That rye and dry humor...amazing talent. Godspeed, Alan, and thank you for the good times... HS

That is awful! Condolences to Dorothy. Godspeed, Bea.... We lost our beloved Maddie Jo after almost 14 years. I haven't had the hard to post... HS

Great points again. That chassis can handle a good bit more power but it is very balanced stock. There are a few guys I’ve seen at the track with power adders and/or built motors in their Miata’s and they are a lot faster. I expect they beefed up braking too. HS

That’s a great point. The HP rating on my Miata is nothing short of hilarious. It forces one to not over drive the car as one learns (eg braking and reaccelerating. HS

I have had the pleasure of going around our track in a Cayman GT4 (a friend's) and it was nothing short of amazing...so balanced and forgiving. It makes one a better driver...better than they are anyhoo. I absolutely love the idea of an older Cayman for the track. Like you, I fear it would not be inexpensive but boy would it be a hoot. I got to visit with an older gent tracking a newish Gentian Blue Cayman S....damn that car was sexxxxxxy. HS

I picked up this tin can a few months ago to learn how to turn....LOL. It's a '91 (aka NA model). Nothing fancy, but it gets the job done. It's going to be about 100 degrees when I track it this week. I need to get a Cool Shirt system installed or my butt may turn into a puddle in the mean spirited race seat... HS

That is awesome! You picked one of the country's best tracks based on what I've read. It looks as if you've gotten pretty serious about the track activities. If you get to the point where the consumables get to be too much you might consider an older Miata. So much cheaper to maintain....brakes, tires, axles, etc... Parts are abundant and relatively inexpensive. They don't give them away, but I figure it might pay for itself if you keep up with all this racing fun. HS