The Progressive Prepworks PKS-410 Spice ProKeeper come with a shaker screen, but that’s easy to pop out, leaving you with a nicely sized container with a good lid and a decent seal. Tea usually should be stored in an opaque container, but since these are kept in my desk drawer, I’m not too concerned about light.
I was briefly stumped. I try not to be about. I replied “Well, I think the last few posts were about notebooks, opera glasses, tea, and bicycle mirrors.”
If I wasn’t me, I would be in to me.
My Field Message Pad is currently loaded with:
A 14mm binder clip secures used pages, allowing the pad to quickly be flipped to a blank (or currently in progress) page.
I still primarily use the Rhodia A6 pads. I install them backwards, so that the cardboard backing is on top. This provides a writing surface to more easily utilize the back of the pages. Otherwise I’m writing on top of the FMP’s tool slots, which is annoying. (The thing the Canadians got right is to put heavy cardboard on both sides.)
When expecting inclement conditions, I drop the fountain pen and the Rhodia, and install a Rite in the Rain *46. But given my druthers, it’s all fountain pen all the time.
The Field Message Pad remains my primary writing setup. One of its strengths is the ability to switch between pads from Rite in the Rain and Rhodia.
The Field Memo Pad is a useful substitute for quick and short notes. I have multiple, which I keep stashed in different places and bags. But its weakness is that it is dependent upon the Rite in the Rain pad. When not outdoors, I like having the option of switching to normal (fountain pen friendly) paper.
I recently discovered the Maruman Mnemosyne N192A Twin Ring Memo Pad. They label this as B7, which ISO 216 defines as 3.5 x 4.9 inches. But in fact the N129A does not meet the standard. It is instead 3 x 5 inches. This is identical to the Rite in the Rain 135, making it a perfect substitute in this kit.
The paper in the N129A is lined, rather than graphed. This is unfortunate, but for my application I’m willing to overlook this imperfection.
In one of my kits I dropped a magnet down the back pocket. This pad now lives on my refrigerator, perfect for grocery lists and other kitchen related notes.
As a gentleman of class and culture, I frequent the opera. I usually cannot afford to sit in the front. Thus I need opera glasses.
Last year I purchased a pair of Zeiss Terra ED Pocket 8x25 binoculars, intended primarily for this application. I think these are an excellent pair of compact binoculars for general purpose use.
As with my camera and rando bag, I keep Peak Design Anchor attachments on the binos so that I can carry them with the Peak Design Leash or other compatible straps. Dummy corded to one of the anchors is the Swarovski CL Rainguard. These fit perfectly on the Zeiss and help protect the optics from rain and dust when they aren’t in use.
Before purchasing the Zeiss, I borrowed a pair of discontinued Swarovski Habicht 8x20B binoculars. The smaller objective lenses on these made the package slightly more compact than that of the Zeiss, but I find the experience of actually looking through both pair of binoculars similar enough as to be practically identical (even in the low-light environment of opera). The modern version of the Swarovski is the CL Pocket 8x25. When one considers how well the Zeiss compare against Swarovski and the huge price difference between them, it becomes evident how good of a deal the Zeiss are.
The Zeiss binoculars, without strap or rain guard, weigh 325 grams or about 11.5 ounces. The discontinued Swarovski model tipped my scale at about 225 grams, so the extra money does contribute to a lighter package. But the Zeiss are light and compact enough for my needs.
When carrying the binos, I usually keep the lenses spread out. This creates a wider but flatter profile, which I find tends to carry better. I usually take the bus or train to the opera, and walk the midnight streets of Babylon home. With the lenses spread, and the strap worn cross body such that the binoculars rest on my side under an arm, I can comfortable conceal the package under a fitted and fashionable jacket with minimal printing. Most people probably think about binocular dimensions in terms of how much space they will occupy in a bag, but for my application I care more about concealment-when-worn. The Zeiss work well here.
In addition to the opera, I also frequently carry the Zeiss binos on bike rides. There are many abandoned artillery batteries and fire control stations around here that make for good spots to watch the world go by. With magnification.
I’ve not owned a good pair of binoculars before this. Over the past year of having these I have used them much more frequently than I thought I would.
My go-to Chinese green tea is Red Blossom’s Pre-Rain Dragonwell. I usually keep a supply of this stashed in one of my Airscape canisters. A couple weeks ago I saw that I was running low, and so saddled up to ride over to Red Blossom for resupply. (The guy who typically works weekends now recognizes me and no longer needs to ask my name to pull up my account which makes me feel like I spend entirely too much money there.)
Instead of coming back with more Dragonwell, I ended up with a couple ounces of Snow Dragon. They describe this as combining “an heirloom white tea cultivar with a traditional green tea crafting style for an entirely unique taste, reminding us of a less vegetal and slightly creamier-tasting Dragonwell.” I have found this description to be apt. Typically I do not truck with white tea, but this white-tea-crafted-as-a-green-tea is quite good. I think I still prefer Dragonwell as my regular green tea, but I plan to pick up more of the Snow Dragon to keep things interesting.
Meanwhile, I have run out of genmaicha, so this weekend I will be paying a visit to the ladies at Chato. One must keep the tea larder stocked while on the path to satori.
