So after many months, I decided it is time to prove I am still breathing air.  I am comfortably in Impatience Mode as I wait for the batch of Irish Red Ale I am brewing to be ready for consumption.  I have at least another month to go.  I racked to my secondary fermenter on Thursday and now need to wait a week or two before bottling.  Then at least two weeks before even thinking of trying one. Numerous homebrewers will ask why I am using a secondary when it is unecessary.  I answer: "Because the recipe from a certain home brew supply shop in Minneapolis said to, and because I can, and because I want to try it."  Anyway, I will be going nuts as I wait for it to be drinkable.

Irony, Sarcasm, and Ethanol

So here I am again after many many months off - blame it on apathy and lack of anything to say.  Anyway,  our family received a brief message today from a friend concerned about how America is sliding deeper and deeper into Socialism.  I guess this means he will be quitting his job that is entirely taxpayer funded.  Either that or he will need to find a dictionary and look up irony.  I actually have some of the same concerns, but allowing people to purchase their own health insurance from the provider of their choice is NOT socialism.  As far as the mandate part goes, look no further than the insurance companies for the blame.  The mandate was driven by them; they were the ones who have been using the mantra We will be happy to insure everyone if everyone has to buy insurance  for decades.  All the executive and legislative branches did was call their bluff with a little help from the judicial branch.  A smaller version  of this mandate related to senior citizens and catastrophic coverage was even supported by Ronald Reagan in a 1987 radio address.

It also seems that the NHL and NHLPA are working hard to save my family a few hundred dollars this year and are succeeding.  I may need to watch the Sun Dogs - tickets are half that of the NHL, the arena is an hour closer, the food and lodging there are cheaper,  and the players are there to play hockey.  So I save on ticket prices, gasoline, food, and hotel rooms.  There is nothing like millionaires arguing with other millionaires about who has a tougher life.  The employees who work the food stalls at the arenas feel the pain of the owners and players.

I started home brewing again about 2 months ago after a 20 year hiatus.  Fermentation still works.  Beer is still good.  Brewing  at home still gives great results,  and my 13 year old daughter brewed a batch of birch beer and is hooked. All we need is for Toby Keith to write a song about a red fermenter spigot.  It could start like this:

Red fermenter spigot
You're get me hot
Let's brew some more beer
The time is now near...

I'll await Nashville's call. 

THEY DID IT

Ken ewe spehl rownd too? HOWL!! HOWL!! HOWL! On to the conference semi finals!

HOWL! (again)

April showers do not bring May flowers. April showers bring PLAYOFF HOCKEY!

So with a win last night in St. Paul, the desert doggies earned the 2012 Pacific Division Championship. With this comes the third seed (instead of seventh or eighth) in the playoffs. They will face the Black Hawks in the first round. I suppose this might result in more separation of cash from my pocket.

Did I mention HOWL!

Hai-Yah!

Today our daughter broke this board with her bare foot and earned her yellow belt in Tae Kwon Do.

As The World Orbits

I guess it is finally time to post after an absence of a few months. It seems that I have completed another trip around the sun. This year I celebrated by heading up to Snowbowl for a day (of a half day) of skiing. Awesome day overall - quintessential spring skiing. It was crusty/icy in the morning and turning soft as the day progressed. No lift lines! At this rate, Snowbowl's days for the season are severely limited. The good news is I still seem to be able to ski. The bad news is I am not 18 anymore. Heck, I'm not 25 nor 30, nor 40 anymore. The other bad news is that I can tell I missed all last season, and all this season till today. The day ended with munchies, beverages, cake (made by my daughter and presents with friends at a local bar/restaurant.

How to spell yum.

1) Go to the Cottage Place with the family.
2) Our 12 year old daughter ordered the Salmon Linguine with a sparkling cider - served in a fancy champagne flute. The cider, not the entree`.
3) Patty ordered the beef stroganoff
4) I ordered the spinach and goat cheese strudel
5) Wine was a Tobin James Zinfandel. Hey, it went with both mine and Patty's entrees.
6) Dessert: Daughter: Creme Brulee, Wife: Creme Brulee, Me: Pear Flambe`

7) It is so cool to have a daughter that has manners and a gourmet palate.

As If I Needed Another Reason To Drink Beer The Color Of Old Motor Oil

Fun Fact Number Next:

Guinness Stout has fewer calories per gram (or ounce) than Bud Light.

Youtube Vs. Haynes manual

So, I get to replace the water pump on a 1998 mini van. What does the Haynes manual say?

Disconnect battery bla bla bla... jack up vehicle...remove tire... remove hoses... remove plastic shield... remove pulley bolts... serpentine belt... reomve pump bolts... remove... engine bolts.. jack stand... timing belt..secure drive pulley so timing isn't compromised WHAT? Timing belt/chain? Engine bolts? Secure drive? SERIOUSLY?! Bla bla bla. My love for any Chrysler product grows - like Kudzu on a hillside. Yeah, that be a DIY job.

Let's read online: Mirrors Haynes manual, but also says something about experienced home mechanic can do it in 4 hours.

Hmmm. Let me look for a video - can't find one for 1998, but can for a 2003.

summary: jack up vehicle...remove tire... remove plastic shield...remove hose and be ready for a mess... remove pulley bolts...remove serpentine belt... remove pulley... remove pump bolts... remove pump... put new gasket in new pump... reverse process using new pump. Total time for inexperienced me including getting tools together and clean-up: less than 2 hours. And only minor cursing of anything made by Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouth. Not a word about timing belts or engine mount bolts. Video done by mechanics in a shop. My next garage will have a "lift."

Flagstaff Rocks!

Reasons why I like living in Flag

1) Being a college town, it keeps me young
2) Rarely hotter than 90 degrees, rarely colder than minus 15 (I said RARELY - ignore
last year's minus 25 / minus 30)
3) Ice Rink!
4) Ski area less than 30 minutes from town
5) Usually bicycle friendly
6) When not #5 above, it is bicycle tolerant
7) Population fewer than 100K, greater than 50K
8) Smells like pine trees
7) People are cool
8) Grand Canyon, Meteor Crater, Riordan Mansion, etc.
9) When our idea of winter gets to be a drag, a warmer climate is 40 minutes away
10) Outdoor activities!

Two Chemical Haikus

Saying incident
With hydrofluoric acid
Disturbs most chemists

Fortunately the
Incident did not involve
bodily contact

Awesome!

Today, my wife had her company picnic at Ft. Tuthill. Anticipating how I usually wind up feeling restless at these events, I loaded my bike in the truck in case I felt the urge to get some activity in. After about 2 hours, my mood hit - and I was about to fall asleep - so I made my escape to the Soldiers / Highlands trail. I had walked a portion of it a year ago, and forgot some details. I wound up turning the long way on the loop part of the trail and got some extra riding in. I also was awarded some outstanding views. After crossing 89A, I meandered behind Pine Dell and hooked up with Old Munds. Awesome ride! Kudos and thanks to those who built the trail. It takes a lot longer than the shoulder of 17, but Mountainaire is now connected to flag by dirt bike tracks. I felt like a slug for splitting the event early, but at least an active slug. I also needed to compensate for the high fat cheeseburger I consumed. That and my mountain bike was bitching that although it sees a lot of dirt, I rarely take it on a single track. This is an awesome trail, steep enough to not be boring, but easy enough to be good for a gutless wonder such as myself.

The bad, the good, the bad, the good and the ugly.

Father's Day Dinner Adventure:

The bad: For diner tonight, we thought we would go to Buffalo Wild Wings and have a simple and affordable dinner. We were seated at a table with several layers of a cola and beer shellac. My menu had the associated stickiness. This was no problem as I could ignore the menu, and when the waitress stopped by, I would ask for the table to be wiped off. At least 2 waiters passed by several times without acknowledging us or responding to our signals. In their defense, I doubt they noticed. After 15 minutes we left...

The good: for Busters. Within 10 minutes we were seated at a clean table and were enjoying the bread and water/drink orders. I ordered the crab cakes with a spinach salad and fresh vegetables, and a Merlot. Patty and Kim split the shrimp. Patty had a salad, Kim had soup; both had veggies. Desert came. Kim had the chocolate mousse, Patty and I each had the creme brulee. It was awesome, but...

The bad: terribly unhealthy. But it was...

The good: damn good. Seriously damn tasty. No foolin'. It came with a strawberry garnish. Fresh fruit is healthy, therefore good. Then the check came.

The ugly: We spent 3X as much as we would have at Buffalo Wild Wings. Not to mention, it will take a whole bottle of Crestor and Niaspan to undo the damage to my arteries.

Question of the day

Q) What weighs 34.5 pounds, is about 17.25" at the widest point, is 35.25" tall, and is carried by a Bruin?

A) Do you really need to ask?
Hint: It is made from a silver-nickel alloy.
Hint: It is the oldest trophy in professional sports
Hint: It is really shiny
Hint: Boston 4, Vancouver 0


Canucks, I Love ya, but I love the Bruins more.

Think Seven

Today's facts about 7

1) Many schools have seven periods in a day
2) There are seven days in a week
3) There are seven digits in a phone number
4) A dog ages seven times faster than a human
5) My daughter will be in the 7th grade in the fall
6) Bruins 5, Canucks 2: 5+2=7
7) There will be a game seven

(I think there might even be blood)

Oh no, a quote

The following applies to my pseudospiritual side as well as the tasks that need to get done. Sort of a "If you want something done, do it yourself." approach.

I use the term pseudo in front of spiritual because I believe spiritual by itself implies observance of an unnamed, but single religion. I do not pretend to be special enough to claim any one religion as MINE.

No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path.

-Buddha

Now That's Inconvenient!

So,now we need to return shopping carts to the cart corral, AND put them upside down?
It must make it a huge pain for the employees who collect them.

ANOTHER BIRTHDAY PARTY DOWN

Today we had my daughter's 12th birthday party. Among her presents were:
1) A small power sander
2) An air soft gun
3) A Racquetball Racquet

I am reminded of when a young Amy Carter wanted a chainsaw for Christmas.

Fun on a Friday Off

How to make nitric acid in one's nose:

After having stubborn epitaxis for over 8 hours, I had my wife bring me to the local "doc in a box" when she came home from work. The doc was nice enough to dab the problem vessels with some AgNO3. Problem solved plus now my nostril is black:) For the fellow geeks out there: AgNO3 + H2O (from the blood) ======> AgOH + HNO3And a nice tingle to boot.

Just Two Words

Playoffs! Howl!