CoffeeStudyTalk

I picked up my third Fountain Pen a Platinum Century 3776 (Fine Point) in Chartres Blue.  There are tons of Reviews on this pen so I'm not going to be doing one and just discussing why I picked the 3776 as my first 'nice' pen.  After enjoying the Pilot Varsity and Metropolitan, I wanted to invest in a good, quality pen to give me a better experience and understanding of what Fountain Pens are all about and the 3776 is an excellent choice for me.  At $67 from Amazon with another $8 for the Ink Converter this is not a cheap pen and I'll have to handle this one with greater care, but that price point is the 'sweet spot' in terms of getting something substantial without breaking the bank.  I was contemplating getting a $30-40 pen that is a step-up from the Metropolitan, but I couldn't justify it as an extra $20 above that would get me the 3776. First Impression I immediately filled it with Iroshizuku Kon-Peki Ink and the first few lines were scratchy and thin, b

I finally received my first bottle of Iroshizuku Ink in Cerulean Blue (Kon-Peki).  It's a popular color of ink that others online have been raving about and I can see why. Using my Pilot Metropolitan Fine Point, I was able to load it and try writing some lines and am very happy with Kon-Peki.  Although, its too early to tell if this is my 'Signature Ink' it's definitely shaping up to be one I'll be using quite regularly. Fractured Bottle Cap The only mishap was during shipping the flimsy plastic bottle cap fractured and some ink leaked all over the inside of the shipping package.  I was able to seal the fracture with tape and will likely have to move the remaining ink to another container.  It's a pity and I'm learning this is a common flaw with Iroshizuku Ink in that the plastic cap doesn't hold up very well.

What a difference a year can make on my perception of Scotch Whisky.  I was barreling towards Single Malts only to be disappointed in a very bad bottle of Macallan 12 year old and now hurtling back to Blends.  While I tried various Blends, none seemed suitable beyond Johnnie Walker Red or Black and while I was tempted to move towards Green Label, the online reviews mentioned it's the older, discontinued variation of Green Label that was limited to just four (4) Single Malts that defined this JW version; in otherwords, I missed the party on that one. And so, to ensure some variety in my collection I opted for Monkey Shoulder which is a Blend of three (3) Whiskies: Glenfiddich Balvenie Kinivie I am familiar with Glenfiddich and Balvenie and for the most part was unimpressed by Glenfiddich until I tried mixing it with some other Whiskies.  So this naturally got me interested in Monkey Shoulder.  I don't really know much about Kinivie other than all three Whiskies are part of the s

Flew down to San Diego for a Weekend Vacation.  Didn't do much (which is the point of a true vacation).  The Hotel had Starbucks in the room and an In-N-Out Burger down the road.  For evenings I enjoyed a tall glass of beer.  A fantastic Weekend and then back to the bustle of work.

Contents Pen Pen Display Case (Clear Plastic Top Cover) Con-20 Style Converter One (1) Blue/Black Ink Cartridge Nib Style - Fine (F) or Medium (M) Color / Model Numbers Classic Black MRFC1BLKFBLKP (F) MRFC1BLKMBLKP (M) Gold   MRFC1BLKFGLDP (F) MRFC1BLKMGLDP (M) Silver   MRFC1BLKFSLVP (F) MRFC1BLKMSLVP (M) Retro Pop Green / Marble Red / Wave Orange / Flower Purple / Ellipse Grey / Hound Tooth Turquoise / Polka Dots Animal Print Purple / Leopard  White / Tiger Black / Crocodile Gold / Lizard Silver / Python My Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pen (Fine Point) arrived from Amazon and its a beautiful writing instrument.  The online reviews were largely accurate in describing this as an excellent starter pen and indeed the immediate sense of quality could be felt just by holding it. There is a certain weight and heft that exudes a sense of quality.  And the overall look and feel is best experienced by actually holding and wielding the pen; for $13 this is a phenomenal deal. It even comes

I've become interested in Fountain Pens and spent a few weeks researching online to develop a plan of how I want to approach this new found hobby. My plan is to invest in about a half-dozen pens over a period of sixteen (16) months and hopefully during that time acquire a decent level of knowledge and experience in using and maintaining a Fountain Pen.  I'd also like to develop some degree of penmanship. 1.  Practice Phase (Pilot Varsity , Pilot Metropolitan) - 2016 (1 Month) Having absolutely zero experience  using a Fountain Pen, I am going to start small with some Pilot Varsity and Metropolitan pens. Pilot Varsity - October 2016 Online there have been many rave reviews about the basic $3 Pilot Varsity or Platinum Preppy and I was okay getting either one.  My local office store had the Varsity in stock and I picked up a pair to begin writing. Selection was limited and they had only Medium Point and in Purple Ink (other choices were Red or Pink). Pilot Metropolitan - October

Everyone needs a reminder that hard work pays off and this year has been an eventful one.  To commemorate and cap off 2016 I'm adding a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label to my modest Whisky collection.  It'll sit front and center next to my JW Black and Red Label as a constant reminder that I've achieved quite a bit in life, but have much more to accomplish before I feel satisfied. I have set some goals in life and perhaps in five years on News Year Eve I'll crack open this little gem to celebrate.  Until then, I'll just glance at it each time I pass by my liquor cabinet to remind me that I've got a lot of work ahead of me.

Drink:  Godiva - Hazelnut Trufflelata  Enjoying a Lazy Saturday at the a New Mall.  They surprisingly lack a Starbucks so gave Godiva a try and ordered my Coffee Fix.  It's certainly not my normal Cup of Joe, but was an interesting audition. Overall, while this New Mall looks very nice & upscale it lacks a lot of basic stores that suit my tastes and more importantly I was on the hunt for a a new Casio G-Shock and hoping to find any store that had on display either a black GW-M5610 or a Mudman G9000.  Sadly, nothing. I ended up chilling by the Fountain Area and ordering from Amazon a Black Military Series Mudman G9000MS-1CR.

Enjoyed a weekend vacation on the Big Island of Hawaii at the Hilton Waikoloa Resort.  I've haven't been here in years and walking around brought back fond memories of running around here as a little kid.  The places hasn't changed much and now as an adult I'm noticing little details that a kid wouldn't have cared for.  There really isn't all that much to do here on the Big Island and after sunset, all you can do is watch movies in your hotel room.  Another thing is to hit up the local grocery store before arriving at the Resort Hotel as the prices are much higher here...although a cup of coffee was reasonably priced at $ 4.50. I stayed in the Makai Lagoon Tower and this was more convenient then the Ocean or Palace Towers as its an expansive resort and took me 15 minutes to walk from one side to the other. My watch of choice on this vacation was the Casio G-Shock GLX5600 in Red.  Handled the water perfectly and was comfortable on the wrist even in the high heat

Finally did it, purchased a bottle of Laphroaig 10 Year old Scotch Whisky.  I had tried some at a party a few years ago and wanted to get into Islay Single Malts.  The first dram didn't disappoint and I could feel the 'peatiness'.  It's certainly an acquired taste and most of my drinking habits have centered around Speyside or Blends, but I can see Islay's as a natural progression.  It was only my first drink in a while and I'll see how it goes over time.  I do plan on making this a regular staple in my collection and adding more Islay's from Lagavulin, Caol Ila and more.

Building back up my Whisky Collection for 2016.  After being on the fence for a number of years, I am going to go all-in and focus on learning more about what are my preferences in various Scotch Whisky.  Basically, this means I'll be buying more bottles of Whisky... Consumption Rates My overall Whisky consumption has held at around 175mL/week; equivalent to a six-pack of Lite Beer, fairly pedestrian numbers.  This translates to: Month -- 750mL (1 Bottle) Year --  9 L (12 Bottles) Consumption Ratios (Blends vs Single-Malts) First Half 2016 (80 / 20) -- 5 Blended ; 1 Single Malt Second Half 2016 ( 50 / 50) -- 3 Blended ; 3 Single Malt The 80/20 Ratio turned out to be rather boring and left me room for only a single bottle of Single Malt (Glenfiddich 12).  JW Black was pleasant and JW Red acceptable, but drinking the same thing for several months is uninteresting.  I am hopeful a 50/50 Ratio is more palatable and not that much more in cost to add-in additional bottles of Single Malt.

Having second thoughts about taking 70-411 Window Server 2012 Administration in lieu of 70-463 SQL Server 2012 Data warehouse.  I'm not a System Administrator so 70-411 while interesting to study and learn some things about the Server OS is not where I'm going to be spending my time professionally.  It's kinda late in the game to switch, but for longer term value I should study and pass 70-463 and get good at SSIS - SQL Server Integration Services, as I'll be doing lots of ETL.  Gotta think about this.... Yes, 70-463 is the right choice for me! I cracked the book open and wow, the first page sucked me in.  This is by far the most interesting book out of the several I've read by Microsoft so far.  This first page just sold me on 70-463.  They should also call this book SSIS as it appears to be so heavily involved with that topic.  Glad I opened the book, time to get cracking... Initial Thoughts? Book is cool and after some casual research I'll likely try reading

Exam prep.  Reviewing my notes and taking practice questions on the CD.  Starbucks Green Tea Frap.

On April 2016 Starbucks will make another change to their Gold Card program.  I've been a Gold Card member since 2010 and experienced all the changes since.  For the most part I don't really care what they do as I'm there to buy coffee or a snack.  It was nice to get 'some' discount by way of a free item every so often, but in reality you can save money by simply shopping elsewhere.  7-Eleven and McDonald's have excellent coffee for a lower price and often that's all I want...a plain cup of hot coffee black.  This new change was something I anticipated they would eventually do and in some ways is 'better' as it makes the program more exclusive.  You now must spend at least $150 per year to maintain Gold status.  Now it all depends on what they will offer to members who spend that much as they raised the cost of earning a free item to $62.50 when you could easily earn one under the old system of 12 stars by spending about $30 ($2.50 X 12).  For me?  I

[Study Only ; Cancelled Exam] I'm taking the optional exam 70-411 Administering Window Server 2012 in lieu of 70-463 Data Warehouses, WS 12 is more relevant and useful to me.  I've always wanted to learn more of the nuances and basics of the Window Server Platform.  Here's my chance and have it count for the MCSA SQL Server 2012 certificate.  If all goes well, I may consider taking 70-410 and qualify for the dual MCSA Window Server 2012 along with MCSA SQL Server 2012.  But no promises. Study Plan 2/6 - Chapter 1,2,3 2/7 - Chapter 4 2/10 - Ch 5 2/16 - Ch 6 2/17 - Ch 7 2/18 - Ch 8 2/19 - Ch 9 2/24 - Ch 10 HOLD - Until I pass 70-462 Cancelled.   Going to study 70-463 instead, makes more sense for my career.  Was a good read though. 2/7/16 Omega and Grado keeping me company as I begin Chapter 5... 2/10/16 I'm a bit behind and haven't gone past 5.  I'll play catch up tomorrow and try to break into 6 and 7.  That would put be back on track.  Learning some great new s

I'm halfway through the next book in the MCSA SS 2012 certification path; 70-462 SQL Server 2012 Administrator.  Fortunately, I have done quite a bit of what the book discusses already at work when I built a Web App from scratch and also deploying quite a few vendor solutions that run on SQL Server.  Kinda cool and I guess in a way better I read the book 'after' I did the practical hands on.  Makes more sense when reading as if second-nature; or so I hope.  I'll bum rush through the rest of the book and sit for the second exam possibly as early as this coming Friday or next week.  However, a lot of this is geared more towards a DBA, which is not my professional goal, but hey better to learn a bit than none at all? Study Plan 1/19 - Chapter 1 1/20 - Chapter 2 1/22 - Chapter 3 1/23 - Chapter 4, 5, 6 1/24 - Chapter 7, 8, 9 1/25 - Chapter 10 1/26 - Chapter 11 1/27 - Chapter 12 1/28 - 2/4 - Exam Prep 2/5 - Exam - Failed - 678 / 700 3/5 - Exam - Failed - 679 / 700 4/1 - Exam