The Coffee situation...

Well "situation" is a bit dramatic really, isn't it... I don't have a coffee situation though some of you may say I do... espresso_cost_melbourne_Australia_coffee_supreme

I've been wondering "why is coffee so expensive in Australia" and that thought coupled with "should I be buying locally to support local growers and a slowly dying market" has added up to a tiny bit of research... ongoing research... but research that start here. Tonight.

I thought I'd start by working out what I was paying, roughly but you know.. work it out.. So, 1kg of Coffee Supreme "Supreme Blend" beans costs me $40.00 (AUD) and that bag of beans lasts me almost invariably two weeks... I worked out (And I say roughly as I'm sure I missed a couple and a couple of them were consumed by Kate, too, so it works out even) that I made around 51 cups of coffee. Of those cups, I'd say about 10 contained milk, mostly though - this month - espresso. (looks down at stomach, waves)

I won't go down the machine depreciation, water, electricity, milk and time costs in this blog post (but will at some point) ....however, just based on beans alone, my coffees cost me around $0.78 each...

How much does your regular coffee "from the shop" cost you?  Answers below, please!

Coffee_Supreme_Melbourne_Coffee_Cost_Australia

Black tears

After watching some show on the ABC t'other night that had Bernard Fanning and his new band on, I was thinking about this song he / Powderfinger wrote, Black Tears, it was a nod to Cameron Doomadgee,  the Aboriginal man that died in custody, or not... depending on which story you read.. Anyways, I just like it.. Here's my #oneTakeMondays version... [mp3t track="http://gtvone.com/music/black_tears.mp3" caption="by Simon" ind="n" vol="75" style="bigger2" bold="n"]

Black_Tears

Dear cafes of Melbourne....

When I come to you for a cup of coffee and you charge me $4.30, I don't want half of the tiny glass to be foam... I want it to be no more than a centimeter, ever... It needs to be hot but not too hot, fresh, strong... You prove to me often that you shouldn't be allowed to serve coffee and certainly not for $4.30... Here is what I like. Print it out and stick it on your wall.

COffee_Photograph_Gtvone

Sigma Photo 120-300mm F2.8 EX DG OS APO HSM

I've not been able to get out of the house to really give the new baby a run... Seb, the older baby, asked if we could head to the park today - a boys day out - so of course, I was "that dad" the one with the 120-300mm f/2.8 lens... at the park... I'm not going to blabber on... All images shot with the Canon 5D MKIII at ISO640 or above. One or two of the photographs of my little man made me really smile.. that, to me, is the sign of a great lens that I'd be very happy to own full time. Ha. Bias dad? Maybe...

Moments later, Seb dropped onto his head. He was OK and asked "did you get that" Sigma_120_300_DG_OS_HSM_SIMON_POLLOCKThis is called #Fail - By me. Focus point spotting, anyone?

Sigma_120_300_DG_OS_HSM_SIMON_POLLOCKThat's better... Little bit of dust kicking up action with the Tonka! Sigma_120_300_DG_OS_HSM_SIMON_POLLOCKInbound! Sigma_120_300_DG_OS_HSM_SIMON_POLLOCKBabies be cryin' I be driftin'... Sigma_120_300_DG_OS_HSM_SIMON_POLLOCK Dad... this way! Into the spooky forest! #thatswhathesaidSigma_120_300_DG_OS_HSM_SIMON_POLLOCK Melbourne on sun down...Sigma_120_300_DG_OS_HSM_SIMON_POLLOCK Seb in his element.. Tonka, Milkshake, Swishy stick...Sigma_120_300_DG_OS_HSM_SIMON_POLLOCK And in Black and White.... I love this photograph of my little man.Sigma_120_300_DG_OS_HSM_SIMON_POLLOCK His Milkshake brings all the mud to the yard.. damn right.. Sigma_120_300_DG_OS_HSM_SIMON_POLLOCK See... here's the mud! Sigma_120_300_DG_OS_HSM_SIMON_POLLOCK Damn right... its better than yours.. he could teach you etc etc blahSigma_120_300_DG_OS_HSM_SIMON_POLLOCK Just one more run through, dad! Sigma_120_300_DG_OS_HSM_SIMON_POLLOCK I may have splashed mud on my squishy face!Sigma_120_300_DG_OS_HSM_SIMON_POLLOCK And my socks are also squishy!Sigma_120_300_DG_OS_HSM_SIMON_POLLOCK Do you like what the mud does for my eyes... (300mm @ f/2.8) Sigma_120_300_DG_OS_HSM_SIMON_POLLOCKYeah... so that's what a kid, his dad and a sweetly ace Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 EX DG OS APO HSM (Err, Sigma.. less letters? ...or more! Go for the whole alphabet!) do on a cold Tuesday...

Sime