01 january 25

first installment of monthly fuel

I had no idea the joy lists were something some of y’all looked forward to each month, for the short stint I was rolling them out. In lieu of the previous lists, I’ll be publishing monthly fuel, a subset of Caffeine & Gasoline where I’ll share what’s been fueling the fire that month - must haves, must dos, and favorites under the following categories;

Coffee - what’s been in my cup morning after morning, how I’ve been brewing it, a new shop I’ve tried or a pull out for a tailgate-cup; all things coffee and caffeine here.

Location - a spot I’ve traveled to, driven through or spent a little time in that month

Read - a book, newsletter, substack or other good read I’ve used to pass the time

Record - what’s been spinning most this month

Photo - my favorite film photo taken that month and what I shot it on.

Misc - an item, event, recipe, activity, human - you name it - the catchall category.

A revised and more directional joy list, serving the same purpose of bringing gratitude and appreciation to some of the more simpler things in life. Here’s issue 01.

Coffee

At the beginning of this month, I tackled a new trade and job as a coffee roaster, if coffee wasn’t part of my lifestyle before it surely is now and I’m stoked to get in the weeds a little here with coffee origins, processing methods (how that affects taste), roasting itself and brewing methods too. For the coffee snobs and those who just want to know more, I’ll continue to share thoughts and learnings here.

Maybe its citrus season or maybe its the doom and gloom that has me craving more light roasted coffee, but I’ve been enjoying a single origin Ethiopia-Washed either in a pour over or an Aeropress.

My parents gifted us an Aeropress XL for Christmas this year and it just may have become our new most-used kitchen gadget. It’s a game changer. Two good sized cups instead of one and a carafe to share from? Can’t get much better than that. Gone are the cold mornings, crawling out of my sleeping bag to split a measly 8 ounces of coffee. Our coffee-camping situation just leveled itself right on up and I suppose so did our weekly brew. We love a french press, but for a roadside - tailgate coffee the Aeropress is slick and has easiest clean up. A must have.

Location

The Bonneville Salt Flats. Ajax and I made a recent drive to San Francisco from Missoula, to deliver a car and a dog to an old friend. We made the same trip last year, but took a slightly different route, thinking we’d tie in a bucket list place we’d otherwise never get to. We took all day Saturday to make it to Salt Lake City where we stayed with a friend overnight and thought we’d go see the Bonneville Salt Flats early the next morning. The goal was to make it to San Francisco on Sunday. We woke up not so early and hit the road, making the salt flats around 10:30. They were about what I expected, vast & otherworldly, not much to write home about, especially for a place that’s not a lot more than a wayside rest attraction. We were only there enough time to take a photo or two and I guess that’s about all we needed. Regardless, if you’re able to tune out the hums of the highway and truly take in all that’s around you, it’s the type of place that makes you feel small. As demeaning as that sounds, I love being put back in my place by nature. It’s humbling and grounding. It’s a big world out there; we’re all just living in it and places like these make me realize that.

Read

I bought Ajax a subscription to The County Highway for Christmas this year, which is “America’s only Newspaper.” A real-life, tangible, touchable newspaper that features intriguing stories and a diverse range of topics from incredible contributors. A Sunday morning read. Cup of coffee in your hand, dog on your lap kind of read. So far, we’re enjoying it, and sometimes you just want something to put your hands on. It’s delivered to our doorstep 6 times a year and I suggest it be delivered to yours.

Record

I think I’m safe in saying that after the debut of A Complete Unknown, Bob Dylan made his way back into everyone’s repertoire, ours included… As if he ever left. We have a few Dylan albums, but when it’s time to make dinner and we’re settling in for the night John Wesley Hardin plays softly in the background more frequently than others. The cryptic lyrics, implicit album cover and the song “As I Went Out One Morning” alone makes it one of my favorites.

Photo

Jake on a cold dog walk - before the snow came.

Shot on: Canon Sure Shot Telemax 35mm // Fuji Film Superia Xtra 400

Misc

I’ve been taking Wes on an early morning walk before work. I have to be there before the sunrise, so our walks are dark and have been downright cold lately, but a little morning movement bridges the gap to our afternoon run. Just me, Wes, an owl and sometimes the moon.

That’s all for January’s fuel.