The world can seem blurry until you've had that first, perfect cup of coffee in the morning...

 Coffee prep. The "pour over." Leica SL + 50mm TTArtisan f0.95.  Not sharp until after the first dose.

A rift in the fabric of mannequin reality.

 

New Shoes. Starting out the next year on the right foot. Or the left...

 My favorite shoes for all day walking around are just about anything from Keen. These Targhee iii casual walking shoes were on sale for half price. I couldn't resist. I get about two years of wear out of most hiking shoes. I tend to put on a lot of miles and very few of them on smooth floors or carpeting. The soles eventually wear down. Resoling them isn't very cost effective. I'm not even sure it can be down. But this brand is one of the few with enough arch support and good tread to make me comfortable and happy. 

After wearing this new pair around for a week I could kick myself for not ordering a second pair at that price. It's a good practice to rotate through your hiking shoes to keep them from wearing down too quickly. Also, letting them sit a day or two after a long day's service lets the absorbing materials regain their loft for the next foray. 

I think we have three more days of good swim weather until Thursday afternoon brings the deep freeze to town. I made the most of today's swim. Attendance was sparse for the noon workout but that meant the three of us who showed up had more personalized coaching. Thursday morning's pre-storm workout should be packed. 

And for the those brilliant readers who follow swimming... I was excited to see Brendan Hanson on the pool deck today. He was giving a one on one coaching session to a lucky high school swimmer. I listened carefully between my sets.... 

Brendan Hansen

Personal information
Full name	Brendan Joseph Hansen
National team	United States
Born	August 15, 1981 (age 41) Haverford Township, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight	189 lb (86 kg)
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Breaststroke
Club	Longhorn Aquatics
College team	University of Texas
show Medal record Brendan Joseph Hansen (born August 15, 1981) is an American former competition swimmer who specialized in breaststroke events. Hansen is a six-time Olympic medalist, and is also a former world record-holder in both the 100-meter and 200-meter breaststroke events (long course). He won a total of twenty-five medals in major international competition, eighteen gold, four silver, and three bronze spanning the Olympics, the World, and the Pan Pacific Championships. He was a member of the 2012 United States Olympic team, and won the bronze medal in the 100-meter breaststroke and a gold medal in the 4×100-meter medley relay at the 2012 Summer Olympics.