Coffee, talk to me.

This morning's coffee sits here, like it does every day, a coarse, hazy glow of steeped bean particles, swirling around from the physics of contained heat. We each stay warm and silent for about ten minutes, while I intellectualize, reflect and sip. It is always a scorpion and turtle moment with my coffee, except at times I think we have very similar natures.

We are so connected to food that sometimes I cannot see the difference between us. We can dress each thing up, pair them well, put them in pretty clothes and napkins in pretty places, but our essences will not change; we, both people and food, will either nourish or poison. If poison, we should take them in small, indulgent doses, like cake or a one night stand. If nourishment, we should hold onto them, love them, treat them like our greatest gifts, and forgive them their shortcomings of ill-timed words and hard shells.

Yesterday, roller derby taught me that there is no stop, or backwards. Everything is progress. Even a fall is forward movement. I wish I had that perspective when I was feeling sorry for myself three years ago. Today, my coffee sits, settles, as I think of everyone's need to be honest with ourselves about the elements we allow to take time and space in our lives. Look at something, someone, around you. What is the goal of allowing this time to be spent this way? Is it nourishing or poisoning the forward movements of your dreams, your ideas, your projects?

Thanks, coffee, for this time together. You don't create meaning, but you allow me to. I will see you again, tomorrow.

How To Blog About Anything

Ojai, California, offers fewer encumbrances than the working life in Los Angeles, so I've had a chance to get a tan, clear my head and dive in to my meta-mind, the one that writes about being a writer.  Great. Hey, at least I told you up front so you don't have to jump the break to keep reading.

I've had a few breakthroughs since I've been here. I put them into tidy compartments for later use.

Vice

If you have a rule that you don't drink while writing, which I do, an equal and opposite rule should be made that you should drink heavily if you're stuck, angry or blocked.  It might entice a drunken inspired moment that if you are still sober enough to write down, the next day you may have something to work with.  The kumquat post came out of not drinking, not drinking, then drinking. People seemed to like that post.

Top three kitchen maintenance must-haves.

Just three things?  Yep.

You do not have to be a brand fan in the kitchen to reach the pinnacle of functional kitchen tools.  Some of my most durable kitchen instruments were thrift store finds that I compare to their similar best-in-class items, and here's why; I maintain what I've got with three items below.

Rescued thrift store knife, dollar store cutting board.

1. A diamond-dust knife sharpening steel.  This is not the straightening steel with narrow grooves that came with the 14-piece butcher block given as a wedding gift in 1975.  Used once a week, (or more) a diamond-dust sharpening steel creates a half-straightening half-sharpening life for knives in between professional sharpenings.  This steel turned a Goodwill fiddycent find into my loving compadre's favorite knife in the kitchen, and one which I will stand up to my favorite Global 5-inch vegetable knife. I use a Wusthof sharpener, but I found this Henckel's on Amazon for $45.

The math: $.50 knife + $45 steel = $45.50 for a $75 knife + maintenance for all your other knives.