Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Lighter than air?


Mug: An Indonesia-made mug with a delightful woodcut of lighter-than-air-craft: blimps, hot-air balloons, and dirigibles.

Coffee: Columbia Supremo... brewed strong enough to walk on its own.

Note: One of a series from 222 Fifth. Eleven ounces (making it a mug and not a cup), with a tall cylindrical body and a very pleasing handle. The usually dainty tear-drop shape has been made more masculine by its extra width. A nice touch, a good mug.

The bottom of the mug has some good info on lighter than air ships, including the little known fact that the top of the Empire State Building was designed as a dirigible/airship terminal.

I got it for 99¢ from Amazon.com (on sale from $9.99). The rest of the series were not on sale, but this just happened to show up when I was buying some other mugs as a housewarming gift. The 99¢ price allowed me to qualify for Free Shipping. So, the mug didn't cost 99¢, Amazon paid me $6.95 to take it.

Further Note: The "lighter than air" concept is of interest to me right now due to the 4000 lbs of leafy tree that responded to gravity's call by landing on our house, delivering the den a crushing blow, and rending the roof asunder. And the rains came.

Sunday, August 03, 2008

It's too damn hot.



Mug: Not. Bodum of Denmark's hand-blown, double walled, insulted glass tumbler.

Coffee: Not. 2 ounces of Gordon's gin, 6 ounces of Canada Dry tonic water, two lime quarters, and ice.

Note: The official temperature today was 107° at DFW Airport, 105°at Love Field (more relevant to me). The Heat Index was 107-109°. Hell on Earth. A gin & tonic is one of the only known remedies.