BEANS
BEANS!
As soon as coffee is in your stomach, there is a general commotion. Ideas begin to move...similes arise, the paper is covered. Coffee is your ally and writing ceases to be a struggle.
~Honore de Balzac
Perhaps here is where I should take my reworked quote from Twain posted in comments on Chad’s post I’m Not Dead, and say for myself ~The accounting of my demise has been to a great extent embellished.
Having to finish a work of the second part of my message to the assembly in Hyde Park that in length ran for 22 minutes this time. (As I must be getting long winded.) That work is for now complete. My friend Jim Brady has encouraged me to put the two messages together and put it to print – We’ll see.
I am not the preacher, Jim is, I count beans. My acronym for being the treasurer for the local church, a job I would trade for being ‘muck rake’, to a stall of dairy cows any day of the week, for at least the cows would appreciate the effort. In a society bereft of covetous consumption and dishonest corporate governance, it is a hard task to keep people honest and happy. I’ve endeavored to do the first; the second has had but limited success. My “You can only spend it once” philosophy and admonishment to the local assembly has faced a tempest of personalities in my four-year tenure, and survived a move of the local assembly to a new building. I would not say my character has provided me with a strong constitution for such matters, as I’ve asked (begged) my friend Jim to free me of this encumbrance. To date I still serve. Much to the chagrin of those who would despoil the church coffers for personal desires or fill them with lucre from sorted gain. Such is my lot on that front.
As to beans, which is the topic for today, or soup de jour for my “frenchie” personage whom I’ve borrowed a quote, and which explains the other half of my absence. Apart from my sideline in counting beans, I as well roast them. A year ago this past October I founded an idea, which now has become a company. Catskill Coffee Company ~ We Engineer the finest flavors! Needless to say the challenge has been fraught with disappointments and great joy. (More joy than the latter.) Such it is with an effort to create a home based economy.
This past Saturday evening as I was completing my message, the turn motor to the roasting drum gave out. I was now faced with a decision to finish my work for the assembly or get to finding the necessary tool and have a look at the roaster. I choose the message, which was delivered the roasting order was not. Fortunately my customer awaiting her coffee was understanding and enjoyed the message, she is a sister in Christ and so was forgiving. Interesting as things get Sunday morning on the way to the car a local shop owner who I previous gave a half a pound to, for he and his wife to enjoy asked if I could roast some coffee for his eatery. Can do! (Thinking not sure how, with a busted roaster) So went the weekend on in to today.
Today I went to work on the roaster, after careful disassembly of the electrical housing and a rough sketch diagramming of the wiring configuration I set to trouble shoot. Note: I am not a licensed electrician nor am I an electrical engineer. I did spend sometime working for my Uncle Sam and receive some training and instruction in basic electrical wiring and circuitry, but this was neither a torpedo tube nor a sonar console and that was along time ago. Not all things that end, end well. I would like to report that though sheer brilliance or some Einstein approach to Tesla theory it was alas fixed. It’s not. One thing I do know, if one has met their match, match it with wisdom and stop! After swapping switches and checking wiring connections I stopped, as I did not want to void the warranty it is under. Well the roaster in still non-functioning and I am waiting on the distributor to return a call to me. I am somewhat sanguine to the fact that I have a smaller test batch roaster and can keep my promises and patrons satisfied until repair takes place. The sad fact is that it will take seven fold the effort and time to produce orders waiting delivery. Life is good! (to be continued)
Having to finish a work of the second part of my message to the assembly in Hyde Park that in length ran for 22 minutes this time. (As I must be getting long winded.) That work is for now complete. My friend Jim Brady has encouraged me to put the two messages together and put it to print – We’ll see.
I am not the preacher, Jim is, I count beans. My acronym for being the treasurer for the local church, a job I would trade for being ‘muck rake’, to a stall of dairy cows any day of the week, for at least the cows would appreciate the effort. In a society bereft of covetous consumption and dishonest corporate governance, it is a hard task to keep people honest and happy. I’ve endeavored to do the first; the second has had but limited success. My “You can only spend it once” philosophy and admonishment to the local assembly has faced a tempest of personalities in my four-year tenure, and survived a move of the local assembly to a new building. I would not say my character has provided me with a strong constitution for such matters, as I’ve asked (begged) my friend Jim to free me of this encumbrance. To date I still serve. Much to the chagrin of those who would despoil the church coffers for personal desires or fill them with lucre from sorted gain. Such is my lot on that front.
As to beans, which is the topic for today, or soup de jour for my “frenchie” personage whom I’ve borrowed a quote, and which explains the other half of my absence. Apart from my sideline in counting beans, I as well roast them. A year ago this past October I founded an idea, which now has become a company. Catskill Coffee Company ~ We Engineer the finest flavors! Needless to say the challenge has been fraught with disappointments and great joy. (More joy than the latter.) Such it is with an effort to create a home based economy.
This past Saturday evening as I was completing my message, the turn motor to the roasting drum gave out. I was now faced with a decision to finish my work for the assembly or get to finding the necessary tool and have a look at the roaster. I choose the message, which was delivered the roasting order was not. Fortunately my customer awaiting her coffee was understanding and enjoyed the message, she is a sister in Christ and so was forgiving. Interesting as things get Sunday morning on the way to the car a local shop owner who I previous gave a half a pound to, for he and his wife to enjoy asked if I could roast some coffee for his eatery. Can do! (Thinking not sure how, with a busted roaster) So went the weekend on in to today.
Today I went to work on the roaster, after careful disassembly of the electrical housing and a rough sketch diagramming of the wiring configuration I set to trouble shoot. Note: I am not a licensed electrician nor am I an electrical engineer. I did spend sometime working for my Uncle Sam and receive some training and instruction in basic electrical wiring and circuitry, but this was neither a torpedo tube nor a sonar console and that was along time ago. Not all things that end, end well. I would like to report that though sheer brilliance or some Einstein approach to Tesla theory it was alas fixed. It’s not. One thing I do know, if one has met their match, match it with wisdom and stop! After swapping switches and checking wiring connections I stopped, as I did not want to void the warranty it is under. Well the roaster in still non-functioning and I am waiting on the distributor to return a call to me. I am somewhat sanguine to the fact that I have a smaller test batch roaster and can keep my promises and patrons satisfied until repair takes place. The sad fact is that it will take seven fold the effort and time to produce orders waiting delivery. Life is good! (to be continued)
posted by Hexdek16 @ Wednesday, November 02, 2005
2 comments
2 Comments:
It is frustrating how products are made shoddily. What is worse is that they no longer come with schematics inside for when they need repair. The assumption is that the consumer is just a consumer, an idiot who can not handle devices "containing no user serviceable components." On top of that, the products are manufactured against maintenance and repair rather than with those necessities in mind. Fight it though! Fix stuff. It won't dent the perceptions of the manufacturers but it will save you money and give you a sense of accomplishment to make things work again and better.
Scott,
I just found your blog... I like what I've read. Do you really roast coffee and sell it? I'm interested.
JM
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