2015-07-24: Setting Up A Base Of Operations

When we arrive at a place which we hope to spend a reasonable amount of time at I have a few things I try to get sorted out quickly.
1. Coffee.
Every nation in the world claims to like coffee. Most of them have no damn idea about coffee. They are invariably happy to crap on about how theirs is better than the others without actually having a clue. At the hotel yesterday I asked where the best place for coffee was as there was no coffee making stuff in the room.

I quite like this little machine

The guy said Dunkin' Donuts. We have become quite tolerant in what passes for coffee. Dunkin' Donuts does not pass muster. Ellery has an interesting electric coffee maker. It passes. Probably have to buy a lot more coffee than he is accustomed to having in the house though.
2. Beer
Local beers are good to try. I like to find one which is easy to drink when I am just thirsty and ensure we have plentiful supplies. US brewing has made leaps and bounds in the past decade or so and I think I know the names of a few fancy places I want to try.

My geography is not so good but I don't think Jersey has a local session beer so I am okay with this failure

I expect them to be strong flavours though and therefore hard to drink after training when I just want to blank out and drink a beer that doesn't insist on me paying attention.
3. Workout Place
Naginata is obviously the main physical activity we do on our travels but most places only train a couple of times a week. Given the amount of food and beverages I enjoy consuming we need more physical activity than this.

Shutters on the main street make me suspect it is a slightly rough area. Therefore htey are probably good boxers.

In a pinch we will just use a gym with weights and other boring activities to perform. In Jersey city we have found a boxing gym though. Jersey City Heavy Hitters. We are not very good at boxing and the guys there look extremely serious about it. I hope Coach Jay doesn't think I was being modest when I said we suck.