Well not mentioning something for a while is bad. So I’m back. Now. On the same topic as before. Caffeinated beverages, or more importantly, coffee.
What’s happening in the coffee world with me these days? Well let me enlighten you. My current drink of choice, is the result of a few things; 1 – Price, 2 – Caffeine content and 3 – Refill-ability™. It goes by the name of a “Tall Almond Black Eye with hot milk“.
I haven’t really ever written anything particularly Starbucks related in the past, probably because it might not be especially entertaining to read (however that’s a relative point, so I’ll not get into that at the moment). Though recently I have felt slightly compelled to mention a few interesting points about everyone’s favourite (or least favourite) coffee company.
Being an ex-(and maybe possibly future) employee, I have a different outlook and opinion on the company and its ethics, and so do bear that in mind with anything I say, but then again it’s not like I’m saying anything remotely controversial—so don’t worry!
Now that it’s term time once again I’ve gone back to my one post every month or so if I’m lucky. I might try and do better, but I’m never one for promises here…
I do have lots of lovely pictures of bikes and jeans, but I just can’t get round to posting them as it just takes a little time. But maybe, just maybe soon.
The only real rant that I have at the moment is the whole living in Scotland and going to an English University thing. Basically, because I do such a thing (probably clearly considered obscene by the Scottish government) they penalise me… Just because I want to read engineering at one of the best places possible (hint: which isn’t in Scotland) I don’t get as subsidised financially…
Well admittedly it did feel time for a new post—partly because there had been no updates in perhaps a couple weeks, but also because I’m partly (or maybe even mostly) settled into my new (basement) room in Cambridge. Hmm. Oh, and I also did a whole bunch of stuff on the old bikes…
I meant to say last week at somepoint that I had taken some more pictures of my fabulous Nudie jeans and that I should put them up and post them etc., but I clearly forgot and well I have to go and announce them now.
I’ve recently been getting quite a bit further with my bike building… (by the way, to all those interested, this post might be a little ‘bikey’ as it’s all I can think to say right now)
Finally (and I mean finally) I finished the sanding and stripping of the frame itself. To be brutally honest, I was so tired of the whole sanding process that I just wanted it to be over with. I’m sure I had spent at least 6+ hours on it and gone through countless sheets of sandpaper and really just wanted the design to progress a little… Though initially, when starting the project, I really wanted to make sure that the work that I did was of a high quality and not rushed, I knew that this part of it would be pretty testing. I know for a fact that I get pretty bored pretty quickly when doing certain things—sanding comes to mind very fast—and I had to make sure that I put in a decent sanding effort. But to be honest I think I did pretty well. Maybe if I had an electric sander next time, or something just a little more effective. Anyway, I wanted to get the whole project moving, so I could finish the frame part and move on to the mechanics and wheels and so on and so forth. Except that halfway through priming the wonderfully sanded frame, I ran out of the stupid red oxide primer.
Well as I am intending of entering the Nudie Jeans Wear and Tear competition, I thought I should probably get some more pictures. And while I was at that – I may as well have put them on Flickr. Which is what I did—so here they are. I reckon they’re from 3/4 weeks of almost constant wear (except for work that is—Starbucks isn’t a jeans fan). They’re mainly just creased in most places and definitely softer and not as rigid as when I first got them. There’s really not all that much wear patches yet. Maybe give it a few more weeks. In parts there is some more wear – front top and back pockets – especially with my wallet. But it’ll be a lot more accentuated in a wee while. Stay tuned.
