WednesDay TeaDay 5/28/08

[Salsero]

... there is just so much good stuff!! ...

I think you've identified the source of the problem! "So much tea, so little time."

[auggy]

Gardenia radicans with this empty teacup.

So lovely. How'd you get it to glow?

On the poll question, I have too many open, I'm sure, but most are sample sized so they go away pretty fast. I probably have 3 that are a little old with maybe one cup left in them. I should do those to finish them up soon. But I like the variety so I have to have a lot open.

Drinking a vanilla tea today, but I was so tired and spacey this morning that I didn't notice the Zo was at the wrong temp. So it ended up really weak. Reason number 327 why I need to actually get more sleep. I'm thisclose to breaking into the sleeping pills I have just so I can actually get more than 4 hours of sleep. I even went no-caff yesterday after 10am to see if it would help. Nope. So screw that plan - no more herbals for me!

[Salsero]

How'd you get it to glow?

See the post immediately above yours. There lies the source of the glow.

[auggy]

How'd you get it to glow?

See the post immediately above yours. There lies the source of the glow.

Duh! My eye was drawn right past the text to the picture - I didn't even notice you had typed anything above it!

[bambooforest]

I'm relatively disciplined, in having only so many teas open at once.

This morning, Shincha Tekumi from Yame region: zencha .net

[Chip]

Used to be, I was sooo stressed out about allll the tea I had OPEN that I realized I needed help. I sought the council of Bamboo Forest...he would always seem to have a handful or so open. This is my path now for greens. I have to admit, it feels very good having so few open. I never worry about the freshness of my greens anymore.

I have finally wittled down my blacks to around 5, pu a few, and oolong to around 5.

Samples are dangerous...I remember Sal once having over a hundred going. They seem to build up so quickly.

For as out of control as I was 2 years or so ago, I am in a much better place today.

About to have some shincha...but only a few choices open...so it will only take a couple seconds to choose.

[Victoria]

I probably have close to 100 samples myself! Ack!!

But I am working on it!! Seriously!

My goal right now is to get down to just 3-4 blacks and 2-3 whites. My oolongs will most likely always be out of control. But if I can control the blacks and whites, I will feel much better.

And yeah, I feel a little stressed about it. Oy.

[RussianSoul]

3 Assams and assam blends I drink for breakfast
3 Shincha’s
1 Guricha
1 Gyokuro
1 matcha
2 whites

16 Adagio samples (oolongs and green)
10 TeaSpring samples (wuyi and green)
3 Todd&Holland samples (Chinese black)
8 puerh samples from the Tea Box

So it is 11 open teas and 37 samples. I also have a box of teas I tried and didn’t like (flavored, tisanes, decafs). So I put them away in case I’ll like them later... hmmm... right. I don’t want to look into that box and count them.

I think I need professional help. Bamboo Forest, how much do you charge for counseling?

[Salsero]

...I remember Sal once having over a hundred going.

It's probably still about that, prolly more, but the good news is that an enormous amount of that consists of puerh which generally improves with age (much like myself), aged oolongs, and blacks. I have gotten control of my greens and light oolongs.

Auggy, I was referring to the little picture of a lightbulb which happened coincidentally to be directly above your post where you quote my photo. Not sure that meaning was clear.

Actually, I shot a strobe into the cup and let some of the strobe light spill over onto the gardenias. I spent a year trying to fix a similar photo of this cup in Photoshop, but it never worked. I could see what I wanted in my mind, but couldn't get it to come out on my monitor. Finally I just decided to reshoot it in a lightbox with the strobe and it worked out. I was really, really happy when I found I could get a cyan white in the cup and a magenta white in the gardenia petals. There are some photos that just seem to take on a life of their own while I work on them that I am moved almost to tears with the joy of witnessing magic. The world is such a beautiful place to see.

[hop_goblin]

I still have way more tea than I know what to do with, and I continue to reign as King of Samples.

Gardenia radicans with this empty teacup.

Sal what a beautiful picture!

[auggy]

Auggy, I was referring to the little picture of a lightbulb which happened coincidentally to be directly above your post where you quote my photo. Not sure that meaning was clear.

Your meaning might have been clear, but my mind, not so much. It's that 4 hours of sleep thing. I operate in a giant fog.

I feel a lot better now about all the open teas I have. Even with samples, I probably have only 30 open teas. Lots better than 100!

[Chip]

...I remember Sal once having over a hundred going.

It's probably still about that, prolly more, but the good news is that an enormous amount of that consists of puerh which generally improves with age (much like myself), aged oolongs, and blacks. I have gotten control of my greens and light oolongs.

Auggy, I was referring to the little picture of a lightbulb which happened coincidentally to be directly above your post where you quote my photo. Not sure that meaning was clear.

Actually, I shot a strobe into the cup and let some of the strobe light spill over onto the gardenias. I spent a year trying to fix a similar photo of this cup in Photoshop, but it never worked. I could see what I wanted in my mind, but couldn't get it to come out on my monitor. Finally I just decided to reshoot it in a lightbox with the strobe and it worked out. I was really, really happy when I found I could get a cyan white in the cup and a magenta white in the gardenia petals. There are some photos that just seem to take on a life of their own while I work on them that I am moved almost to tears with the joy of witnessing magic. The world is such a beautiful place to see.

Thanx Sal for sharing your successful attempt with us and the history behind it!!! It is breathtaking. Your rewards are in worthy praise on TeaDay!

After 20 seconds of trying to decide which shicha to have, I went with Fukamushi Supreme!

[Salsero]

And yeah, I feel a little stressed about it. Oy.

I think I need professional help.

I always have too many open.

Out of control is an understatement.

I have too much open

Like everyone else, I've got too much tea open.

I have way too many teas open.

I have too many teas open

I have too much open

all the open teas I have

I still have way more tea than I know what to do with

Does anyone else notice a trend here?

Hop, thanks for the nice compliment. I eat it up! Also, I notice you are the only one who doesn't seem to worry about having too much tea on hand, and I know that you have an entire closet stuffed with pu. Maybe that's the secret: give in to it.

It is breathtaking.

OK, Chip, that's going a little too far!

[Chip]

And yeah, I feel a little stressed about it. Oy.

I think I need professional help.

I always have too many open.

Out of control is an understatement.

I have too much open

Like everyone else, I've got too much tea open.

I have way too many teas open.

I have too many teas open

I have too much open

all the open teas I have

I still have way more tea than I know what to do with

Does anyone else notice a trend here?

Hop, thanks for the nice compliment. I eat it up! Also, I notice you are the only one who doesn't seem to worry about having too much tea on hand, and I know that you have an entire closet stuffed with pu. Maybe that's the secret: give in to it.

It is breathtaking.

OK, Chip, that's going a little too far!

Of course there is a trend...evil Mod ulterior motives!!!

And it is breathtaking, just take the compliment and walk away...

[Salsero]

*Walks away smiling*