Yellow Dog Coffee Company (Norman, OK) + skateparks + gigs

While I was traveling last week, I could not resist the urge to buy some locally roasted coffee.  So today's post is about some beans from Papua New Guinea roasted at the Yellow Dog Coffee Company in Norman, Oklahoma.

The bag doesn't indicate much about the beans, but from my tasting notes, I suspect it's New Guinea Arona.

As soon as I poured my first cup, I noted the coffee was mellow on flavor and texture.  It starts with a citrusy, floral essence and then finishes with a honey note.  Interesting!  I would say that this coffee is pretty bright with a clean finish.  If you like your coffee with a strong, bold character, then this coffee is not for you.  However, I bet it would go great as a latte.  You know, it reminds me for the Peruvian coffee I reviewed last month from Noble Coyote Coffee: light body and mild flavor.  So I would rate this coffee as polite for an afternoon break.

Besides looking for coffee - I also played several gigs (the main reason for this recent adventure) and checked out numerous skateparks while in the north Texas / Oklahoma region.

I had a fairly aggressive schedule lined up with gigs and skateparks (see previous posts) and I am quite amazed that I was able to hit up five of the six parks on my list:

• Lewisville Skatepark (Lewisville, TX) 
• Northeast Community Park (Frisco, TX)
• Vandergriff Skatepark (Arlington, TX)
• Blake Baldwin Skatepark (Norman, OK)
• Roanoke Skatepark (Roanoke, TX)

Of the ones I got to skate - my favorites were Lewisville and Roanoke.

Lewisville gets high praise because it's a big, roomy park with a wide range of features.  Beginners to experts can find something to love there. I got to the park early (9:30am) and was the only one there for two hours!  By the time I left, two moms showed up with their small children and scooters... but I imagine the place gets much busier later in the day.

Roanoke gets high praise from me because it has several unique features as well as plenty of space for all level of skaters.  Definitely not as large as Lewisville, but still roomy.  Check out this video from Braille Skateboarding where they explore the park.  Actually, it was because of that video that I specifically sought out the park while I was in the region! 

Unrelated side note 1: I had also made a note to visit the gravesite of Townes Van Zandt in Dido, Texas - but I just ran out of time... which I'm sure Townes would appreciate.

The Blake Baldwin Skatepark was interesting in that they used natural rock formations as part of the obstacles / features.  A very cool idea.  

Oklahoma is well known for their red dirt and its ability to permanently stain everything red.  The stuff is not like the dirt found around Houston.  No, this stuff is kind of clay-like.  So... when you skate over it... you might be in for a surprise on how your board has stayed put while you continue falling forward!

Which brings me to why I want to give a shout out to the locals at the Blake Baldwin Skatepark... they brought brooms!  Someone brought a small PA to blast hardcore, punk, and metal... but there were also two brooms sitting next to the PA... and skaters would randomly pick one up to sweep an area to skate.  It was endearing and awesome to see that level of community.

For those who like data, here's how the parks I visited measured.  I have North Houston on the list because I stopped by there while on my way home... but also because it's interesting to note its size:

• North Houston Skatepark - 78,000 square feet (second largest skatepark in the United States)
• Northeast Community Park - 47,000 square feet  ("second largest in Texas")
• Lewisville Skatepark - 33,000 square feet
• Blake Baldwin Skatepark - 20,000 square feet
• Roanoke Skatepark - 20,000 square feet
• Vandergriff Skatepark - 7,500 square feet  

On my way out of town, I made a quick stop at Guestroom Records to drop off some tapes and check out their vinyl.  Highly recommended shop... they even had the Neu 50 box set!!!

Unrelated side note 2: Sadly, I discovered that the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster in Norman was closed (apparently, for quite some time).  

So yeah - the gigs!  Ha ha... guess I should mention those too while I'm here.

It may sound contrived or "playing it safe" when I say that all five were awesome... but yeah... all five gigs were great and absolutely worth it.  The show in Norman at The Deli got posted in the printed city music & arts newspaper!

I've finally purchased a clip-on tuner and removed the trusty Boss tuner that would normally be taped to the folding table where the drum machine sits.  (reminder: I need to find a tuner that is re-chargeable via usb)  As far as I can remember, I've never been a multi-pedal player.  I'm not trying to be an elitist about it, I'm just kind of busy with trying not to mess up the songs I'm playing by trying to remember which pedal to turn off/on!

I also got to say... many times while I'm watching bass / guitar players with loads of pedals... I never hear a significant difference when pedals are switched on / off unless it's something like a phaser / delay / etc... something that drastically alters the sound of the instrument.

So, if my guitar + amp is not giving me the sound I want, I will go out and find the right combination.  When I played metal and punk - I normally used a Mesa Boogie or a basic Marshall.  These days, it's a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe IV.  The amp is plenty loud and can effortlessly go dirty or clean and all points in between.  I modified the circuit board as there are well documented issues with this amp and the values / placement of capacitors & resistors.  Nothing crazy complicated... but I will make a note to post about the mods in a later entry.

And finally... I had left a three-star rating for a place in Farmer's Branch, Texas called The Diner. The food was (at best) okay and the service was slow.  So, three-stars as a reminder to not go back.  Apparently, they had something to say about my rating:

Ha ha ha, fuck those guys.

But... the next time you're in Oklahoma, come visit my valley!  Let me know what it's like because all I know about it is from this highway sign.

Tre Stelle Coffee Co (Dallas) + Gig & Skate

It's a new week and time for a new bag of beans!

I'm back on the Yirgacheffe train this week with a fresh bag from Tre Stelle Coffee Company, based in Dallas but has its roots in Eritrea.  I found Tre Stelle while on a recent tour with the band.  The morning I was leaving Dallas, I stopped by Benny's Bagels and picked up some road snacks as well as a fantastic bagel with lox.  Tre Stelle has several great reviews for their coffee and their beans - and it was along my route - so I stopped by to relax with my bagel and coffee.

And oh damn - both were great!  I think the regular drop they were serving was a Central American blend - which had a great balanced flavor and paired well with my bagel w/ lox.  However, I knew that I was out of Ethiopian coffees at home, so I picked up this bag before hitting the road again.

For the record - all of my coffee is made using either a Moccamaster KBGT or a Chemex Classic carafe. 

So, I would describe this coffee as having zesty fruit notes in the front with a smooth milk chocolate finish.  It feels like velvet on the palette - so it's an easy yet energetic brew.  It's so easy that when I finished my mug, I was kinda disappointed.  No, not kinda... I was sincerely disappointed that it was already gone.  Now I have to wait until tomorrow morning to enjoy another travel mug of this coffee.  Que será, será.

With a new mini tour coming up this month - I've decided that instead of hauling my bike with me, I'm going to bring my skateboard and hit up several skateparks along my route.  I might seek out another coffee roaster too, but I have a good stock now after my recent family trip to Fredericksburg, Texas.

While I was in the Woodlands, Texas about two weeks ago, I skated at the North Houston Skatepark - which is the second largest skatepark in the United States and the largest in Texas.  For this trip - I'm hitting up the Frisco Skate Park (another super large park), the Roanoke Skatepark (featured in this video) as well as TheDailyShredd in Oklahoma City, which is an indoor skatepark!  I've been posting reviews of the skateparks I visit on Google Maps - mainly so I can keep track of the various parks I visit during my travels.  I use Strava to track my progress on my bike rides and hikes - but it doesn't work as well with skateparks since I'm not traversing over a lot of terrain. Plus, I tend to keep my phone off me when I'm skating.

Whole Lotta Shakin Going On

Got a crazy busy month ahead of me!

This weekend, I'm participating in the Pedaling the Prairie ride with several members of the Saint Arnold's Bike Team - along with a few hundred new friends joining in on the fun.  Last weekend I rode 66 miles and I've already forgotten how terrible I felt after the ride.  How much I was regretting the ride by the mid-way point.  How much I wanted it to be over when I had another bridge to crest while riding against the wind.  Yup, I have totally forgotten all of that and I'm ready for the next one.

And then, the following week - I'll be up ion the Woodlands for my annual coursework on my professional certification.  I'll be taking time in the evenings to hit up a few skateparks in the area - making sure I make time on Friday to skate the 2nd largest skate park in the world!

THEN - I'm on a short tour in the Texas/ OK area with my band.  I'm super excited for the tour because I'm running low on coffee (I always pick up a bag or two while I tour) and I'll keep working on the new material that I'll be recording in May in Chicago.

And finally - of special note - I'll be riding in a Gran Fondo being held in far north Houston.  This will be my last big ride before the Texas MS150.  Yowza!!!

Ceci n'est pas un vélo.

Ah yes, the treachery of images. And yes, I have picked up skating again (after a 30 year pause) so I can enjoy cruising around the skateparks with my sons - one of whom is getting better each time and the other son... well... he'd rather just chill.  :)

When I was 10 and living in Jacksonville, FL - I used to skate and/or surf almost every day.  While I was not that great at it, I enjoyed cruising on the pavement and riding the surf.  I didn't think of it as exercise, just a fun thing to do in the days before the Internet.  In high school, when I lived in DC, I would skate around the city with friends and zip through the halls of the underground tunnel system under the government buildings... while also not getting caught by security.

Now that I'm back on the board, I wanted to find something to just kick around on that had simple graphics and made in North America.  I knew there had to be some quality buildings in the States and I'm willing to pay a little extra for their craft.

The Snake Farm "Boom Stick" deck I picked out is made in Mexico by PSSTIX and is 8.375 x 31.  I thought about going for a 9" wide  deck, but it felt a little too wide... like a plank!  and the 8" wide deck my son rides feels a little too narrow for my feet... so this one fits that sweet spot I was looking for.

I had my eyes (and feet ) on a super clean and beautiful WKND deck, but the shop didn't have the size I was looking for.  Next time!

The trucks are Indy Stage 11s and I'm riding Spitfire F4 wheels, 54mm, 99 dura.  Overall, this set up is fantastic for me.  I'm not doing any tricks (yet)... just learning to stay on the board and go up/down ramps without falling face first.

I will be at a work conference next week on the far north side of Houston and I plan on checking out the North Houston Skatepark as it's the second largest skatepark in the world.  What the hell?!