In the first panel, Ozzie sits contemplating what to write in his gratitude journal. In the second one, Earl arrives with a ball in his mouth and barks gently. A heart floats up from Ozzie's head in the second panel. In the third panel, Ozzie's chair sits empty, his pen on top of his open journal. Above the frame, we see lines from his journal with a single word: "Dogs."
A picture of Doug taken in 2019. He is facing the camera with a small smile on his face. He is white, wearing large glasses with squarish lenses and a red t-shirt. He has a tiny Canadian flag pin on his collar.

Because coffee…

I’m into coffee. I had my first sips when I was six, and by the time I was in high school, I was nicely addicted. Eventually, I hit 12-14 cups a day when I was working as a control system designer in the 1990s. Something had to give. I started to reduce the quantity, opting for quality. Now, I drink 2-3 double espressos or espresso-based drinks (most commonly an Americano, but flat whites, ristrettos, and cappuccinos are in the mix.)

So, what makes a good coffee good? I recently found this great video by James Hoffmann exploring what a great cup of coffee taste great.

My current favourites for commercially roasted beans are:

  1. Lavazza Espresso Barista Gran Crema
  2. Lavazza Super Crema
  3. Lavazza Crema e Gusto
  4. Lavazza Qualità Oro
  5. Lavazza Qualità Rossa
  6. Lavazza ¡Tierra! Organic

I’ve also experimented with many locally roasted beans. One of my favourites is from I Drink Coffee in Milton, Ontario, Daterra Farms Espresso Yellow.

Bio

I was born in Alberta, but I’ve lived most of my life in Ontario. I’m embarrassed by the behaviour of my birth province. It’s kinda the Texas of Canada, really. It’s just embarrassing; between the provincial position on oil & gas, their behaviour during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, and their inability to understand how federal transfer payments work.

I’ve been married for many years to a wonderful lady who has helped me grow into who I am today.

I went to school to study electronics engineering technology and became a machinery safety specialist and a standards developer. I volunteer on CSA, IEC, IEEE, and ISO technical committees related to my work. I also mentor colleagues at the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) when they start standards development.

I love to motorcycle, bicycle, canoe, and hike with my girl and my dogs, and I still do some yoga once in a while. Not often enough.

I also enjoy writing, although I mostly do that for work. This website and my technical blog are where I exercise my need to write in a public way.