Month: April 2012

It’s Tea Time Again

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Back in March 2011, I placed my last big tea order. Guess what? I’m almost out of tea at work. So it’s time for another order, and time for me to share what I ordered:

Franklin Tea

Franklin Tea is this great little tea shop we discovered on a visit to Tennessee in 2007. They have some of the best flavored teas around. From Frankin, for work, I ordered:

  • Caramel Tea. Just a wonderfully smooth caramel flavored black tea. 4 oz @ $1.89/oz.
  • Chocolate Tea. A great distraction from a chocolate craving, a Belgian chocolate craving. 4 oz @ $1.80/oz.
  • Cosmopolitan Blend. A hearty blend of teas from Ceylon, Kenya, India and China. 4 oz @ $2.25/oz
  • Vithanakanda OP1. A smooth Ceylon with extra large and wiry leaf. Fair trade. 4 oz @ $1.98/oz.
  • Keemun. A well-toasted leaf, known as the ” Burgundy” of teas. 4oz @ $1.68/oz.
  • Berry Blend. A delicious blend of deep fruit flavors, enjoyed hot or iced. 4oz @ $1.89/oz.
  • Black Current. … with dried black currants and berry flavor. 4oz @ $2.16/oz.

Additionally, for home, we also ordered more Caramel (4oz), Chocolate (4oz), Berry Blend (4oz), Black Currant (4oz), Chocolate Nut (2oz), Masala Chai (4oz), Spicy Chai (4oz), Paris (2 oz), Peaches and Ginger (2oz), and Decaf. Masala Chai (4oz).

Stash Tea

Stash is a regular source, but they have gotten much pricier. Thus, we have a much smaller order from Stash. My Stash items are:

  • Christmas Morning. Indian Assam imparts a malty and hearty flavor; the Formosa Oolong adds bright, fruity flavor notes; the China Keemun, a hint of smokiness; our first flush Darjeeling, a flowery note; richness from the Yunnan and Nilgiri black teas; and the jasmine green tea imparts a lingering, sweet fragrance. Overall, this breakfast tea is a rich, multi-layered drink that is sure to pick you up in the early morning. Full-bodied and with a lovely aroma, this tea is a new and interesting take on traditional breakfast teas like English and Irish Breakfast. Enjoy it hot or iced, with milk and sugar or plain. 100g @ 9.95 ($2.82/oz).
  • Bed & Breakfast Blend. A full-bodied blend of fine black teas, including Kopili Estate Special Assam, Tiger Hill Estate Nilgiri, and Kenilworth Estate Ceylon. Kopili Assam has the malty, full-bodied flavor of the best Assams and some unique flavor notes due to the garden’s location. Nilgiris are full-bodied Indian teas with light color and aroma. Tiger Hill Nilgiri produces a more robust tea then typical Nilgiris and has a darker liquor color, while still maintaining the fine characteristics of Nilgiri teas from South India. Ceylon tea is grown from sea level to altitudes exceeding 7000 feet. One of the most famous tea gardens in Sri Lanka, Kenilworth Estate, produces Ceylons with long wiry leaves and exquisite flavor. 100g @ $8.25 ($2.34/oz)
  • Feijoa. Our Brazilian Feijoa is a unique, full-bodied tea that blends premium black teas with the wonderful fruity taste of feijoa. Try this intriguing tea unsweetened or with a bit of sugar. It also makes a delicious iced tea. Imagine a combination of guava, pineapple, and strawberry flavors – that’s what feijoa tastes like. 100g @ $8.25 ($2.34/oz)
  • House Blend. A signature blend of rich Assam, exquisite Ceylon, smooth Darjeeling, fruity Oolong, smoky Keemun and fragrant Jasmine. Each tea adds its distinctive flavor notes to this special blend. 100g @ $8.25 ($2.34/oz)
  • Jamaican Butter Rum. A blend of fine Ceylon, Indian and Chinese black teas combined them with natural rum, sweet butterscotch, and creamy caramel flavors for a rich, aromatic and slightly sweet dessert tea. For a special taste treat, enjoy with a splash of milk and some sugar. 100g @ $8.25 ($2.34/oz)
  • Fusion Green/Black. Premium green and black teas make this an enjoyable morning tea. With Matcha. 100g @ $7.50 ($2.13/oz)

Upton Tea

Upton Tea is an online shop out of Mass. that was recommended by the tea group on LJ. From Upton, I ordered:

  • Orthodox TGFOP Darjeeling. Good whole leaf Darjeeling, producing a delicate, flavorful brew. 125g @ $5.80 ($1.32 / oz)
  • Tindharia Estate FTGFOP1 Second Flush (DJ-76) Organic. This selection represents one of the best values we have seen for Darjeeling teas in recent time. The golden-brown cup has a fresh aroma, with hints of rose and fruit. The finish has a subtle hint of mace. By purchasing the entire, rather large lot, we are able to offer this tea at an attractive price. 125g @ $7.80 ($1.77/oz)
  • Chun Mee Organic Fair Trade.  A very fine grade of a classic China green tea. Sweet and smooth, with surprisingly rich character. Subtle hints of chestnut round out the flavor profile. 125g @ $8.80 ($2/oz)
  • Darjeeling-Ceylon Iced Tea Blend. Half whole-leaf Darjeeling and half OP Ceylon. A great hot tea as well! The brewing information provided is for making an iced tea concentrate. 125g @ $5.40 ($1.23/oz)
  • Organic English Breakfast Blend. A hearty blend of rich CTC Assam and BOP Ceylon teas, yielding a cup with robust flavor and a brisk finish. This is an organic version of a classic, bracing breakfast blend. 125g @ $6.80 ($1.54 / oz)
  • First Grade Gunpowder Green. Superior grade of green tea in the style of gunpowder teas (tightly rolled tea leaves resembling gunpowder pellets). 125g @ $4.00 ($0.91/oz)
  • Mincing Lane Breakfast Blend. For this blend, we paired a hearty Assam with a smooth and flavorful Yunnan, for a cup that is highly enjoyable. The invigorating liquor has a full mouth feel, subtle spicy notes, and a lingering aftertaste. While milk is recommended, it is enjoyable plain. 125g @ $6.80 ($1.54/oz)

For home, we also ordered 125g packages of Monk’s Blend, Hearthside Chai, Orange Spice Imperial, Melange de Chamonix, and Rote Grutze, as well as a sample of Season’s Pick Vietnam Black.

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Three Twos

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As you know, when I post my lunchtime news chum, I like to do things in threes. I thought I had no such luck, but then I realized I had three groupatwos:

Music: Hotcakes (Carly Simon): Older Sister

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Come an’ listen to my story…

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

Yesterday, the Los Angeles Times had an article on TV Themes, highlighting (in memory of the death of Earl Scruggs) themes such as the one to the Beverly Hillbillies that serve to tell a story. In that vein, and as preparation for Passover, which starts Friday night, here’s a little lunchtime something from my Haggadah (originally from the Shalom Center):

Come an’ listen to a story
’bout a man named Mo,
A Hebrew child raised
by the daughter of Pharaoh,
An’ then one day
an Egyptian beat a slave,
An’ Moses stepped in,
the Hebrew for to save…
(Struck the guard, killed him dead!)
 
Well, the next thing you know,
ol’ Mo is all a-feared.
The Hebrews said,
“Mo, run away from here!”
Mo decided Midian
was the place he oughtta be,
And there he stayed,
till he saw a burnin’ tree…
(God, that is… boomin’ voice, majesty.)
 
God told Moses
to go an’ tell Pharaoh,
“Time has come
to let my people go!”
Pharaoh just laughed, said,
“You tryin’ to pull my leg?”
So Mo raised his staff,
and God brought down the plagues…
(Blood, that is… frogs an’ lice, hailstones.)		 Ten plagues in all,
and the last was really bad:
Slayin’ of the first-born,
and Pharaoh was a dad.
He said to the Hebrews,
“Go on! Get away from me!”
So they loaded up their matzah
and they headed toward the sea…
(Red, that is… mighty wide, no way across.)
 
Pharaoh got all crazy
and decided to attack.
Mo raised his staff,
and the waters, they drew back!
The Hebrews walked through,
just as dry as they could be,
And Pharaoh’s army chased ’em,
but were covered by the sea…
(Drowned, that is… chariots, riders, too)
 
Then Mo’s sister Miriam,
she began to sing,
And the womenfolk danced
as she played the tambourine.
Once we were slaves,
but now we are free,
And in every generation
we recall our history…
(The Children of Israel!)

Two other Passover related stories, because I always have to do things in threes:

Music: The Tap Dance Kid (Original Broadway Cast): I Could Get Used To Him

 

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Decisions, Decisions

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It’s that time of year. Seniors need to decide on their college. Erin too. For her applications, she thought she wanted to go away to school. But now she’s having second thoughts, and has decided to go to a local community college for a year while she figures things out. Perhaps she’ll be a CSUN alum like her mom.

.

.

.

OK, the part about community college was just April foolin’. But it is college decision time. We’ve heard from all of the school we’re gonna hear from. She’s accepted at UC Santa Cruz, UC Santa Barbara, UC Berkeley, American University (DC), Bard (NY), George Washington (DC), and Occidental. She’s waitlisted at Wash University St. Louis and Reed. She was rejected by Georgetown. Tulane, it turns out, never got her transcript :-(, and there’s nothing we can do about that now.

The leading candidates (depending, of course, on the financial packages offered) are: George Washington, UC Berkeley, and Bard. All are very different than each other. Remember: Erin’s current inclination is History and Political Science, perhaps with some anthropology thrown in. Bard is a small liberal arts campus in the middle of nowhere (90 min NW of New York), much like Reed. UC Berkely is a state-school, a commuter campus with a great reputation and excellent academics… but large classes. George Washington is in the heart of DC, next to the White House and the State Department, in an urban setting with non-urban facility about 30 minutes away on 26 wooded acres. GWU is the current favorite, but it all depends if we can swing the finances (as an aside, I’ve heard a rumor that you get more financial aid the 2nd year on, as you are more likely to finish with that college’s degree and give them a better return on investment… that might make it reasonable to spend more year 1).

As a dad, independent of the financial issues, I’d prefer GWU or Berkeley. For GWU, I have numerous friends and colleagues in the DC, Virginia, and Maryland areas that I know with strong confidence would be my local parental (or grandparental) representatives if she needed something. Berkeley is similar: we have so many friends in the Bay Area that would watch out for her. In terms of a future career with a history degree, GWU wins out here because of the internships she could get and the connections she could make. Berkeley is a close second. Bard is unknown.

The financial packages come out in the next two weeks, so here is hoping we get something that makes this all work, demonstrating the universe is behind a particular choice. It is interesting how this all worked: she has been accepted into none of the schools we visited on our college trips this summer, and other schools she thought would be right have turned out not to be ideal, on second thought. The whole college selection and application process seems to different than how I remember it to be in the 1970s. Back then, I think I just applied to the UC System (UCLA, Berkeley, and San Diego) and to USC, and didn’t think about the rest. Perhaps I applied to Wash U as well to make my mother happy… I don’t remember. Nowadays, there are just so many choices to investigate and so many financial considerations. It’s just a hard decision.

As always, thoughts are welcome.

Music: Color Me Barbra (Barbra Streisand): One Kiss

 

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Revisiting a Musical Friend

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

In addition to theatre, I’m a long-time folk music aficianado. So naturally, every time Tom Paxton comes to town, I’m out to see him. Last night was no exception: It was Tom’s second show at McCabes in Santa Monica. It was supposedly a sold-out show, yet there were a fair number of empty seats (I’d say the room was at 85%-90% of capacity) and the store was not as crowded as usual. It could be that the drizzily Saturday evening kept some folks in their homes.

The show itself was good, although looking back, it was roughly the same program as last year (this seems to be a common problem with artists–Erin noted that Bernadette Peters’ recent show repeated 80% of the show (including jokes) as her previous show two years before). Tom was accompanied last night by Zack Sokolow, Fred’s son, a regular performer in Los Angeles (he was out to do a Rockabilly show in Burbank after Tom’s show), and an instructor at McCabes. The show consisted of the following songs (* indicates new for this show):

Act I Act II
How Beautiful Upon The Mountain
Your Shoes, My Shoes*
Lament for a Lost Election
What Did You Learn In School Today?*
Getting Up Early*
Passing Through Tulsa*
My Pony Knows The Way*
And If It’s Not True
New Song – Central Square
Bottle of Wine		 Anytime*
New Song – Buffalo Dreams*
New Song – Finding Ireland*
Jennifer’s Rabbit
Katy
Jennifer and Kate
Marry Me Again
Last Thing on My Mind (Parody)
Last Thing on My Mind
Ramblin’ Boy
The Bravest
Comedians and Angels

What was new this year was a collection of “Oklahoma” songs, starting with “Passing Through Tulsa” and going into songs from characters that just showed up in Tom’s notebook. This replaced the set of songs Tom did previously with Joe Frazier. In the second part of the show, there were some new songs that, to my knowledge, are not on any of Tom’s albums (“Central Square” is also new, but (a) Tom did it last year, and (b) it is available on an album by Geoff Bartley)

Upcoming Theatre, Concerts, and Dance: This coming weekend sees the beginning of April, as well as the beginning of Pesach. We may go to the Southern California Renaissance Faire on Easter Sunday (or perhaps the following Sunday). Friday the 13th sees us at the Pantages for Billy Elliot” and I”m hoping to get tickets for the new small-theatre production of “Spring Awakening” by Over The Moon Productions at the Arena Stage (curious to see this in a small production, runs 3/14-4/22) on that Sunday (they aren’t on Goldstar yet). The following weekend brings student-directed plays at Van Nuys HS (Erin is in one of them), plus I’m judging an ethics competitation at UCLA, and hoping to book tickets for the new production of “Working” at The Production Company in Hollywood (haven’t seen the show in years, opens 3/16). The last weekend in April sees us out in Thousand Oaks for “Once Upon a Mattress” at Cabrillo; I’m also hoping to book tickets for “The Heiress” at the Pasadena Playhouse on that Sunday (heard it on LA Theatre Works and it sounds good). May begins with “Dames at Sea” at the Colony.  It also brings the senior dance show at Van Nuys HS, the Spring Railfest at Orange Empire, “The Great American Trailer Park Musical” at REP East, and it may also bring “Follies” at the Ahmanson. Oh, and May also has my daughter’s HS graduation. June is more open, but does feature both “Addams Family” and “Million Dollar Quartet” at the Pantages. As always, open dates are subject to be filled in with productions that have yet to appear on the RADAR of Goldstar or LA Stage Alliance.

Music: Je m’appelle Barbra (Barbra Streisand): Free Again

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