JOURNAL

~ 05:06 PM ~

I received treatment for my shoulder/neck. I return on Tuesday for the actual adjustment. I received a physical exam, a deep tissue massage, xrays, and some electro massage. In all, a good experience. But, I would have preferred to have the actual adjustment. It was progress.

Tonight, we are heading to an LCCC faculty film club meeting.

Linkage:
Fugitive Alien...its fun here
Now is the time to clone Sami

~ 08:59 AM ~

I tasted the Acthung Altbier last night and it was good. It is not as sweet as it was at bottling, which is to be expected. It is a nice brown, malty, and tasty. Given that we are busy tonight and maybe tomorrow night, I will bottle the Bandywallop and rack the bitters to secondary on Sunday.

Linkage:
Bush's glass cleaner

~ 12:09 PM ~

I am the first person to say that my problems are nothing compared to the problems that people I know have in their lives. Yet, I am torn between running to the doctor at the first sign of trouble and waiting too long. My primary physician finally gave me ONE name after calling for four days. I called that doctor and I could not get an appointment until May 10th. Bear in mind, I have had this problem since April 14th. At first, I think "muscle pain, I workout, its nothing" and I will be better in a day or so. I do not consider it a good bike ride unless my legs are sore the next morning. Neale suggested that I look at the list of providers and select one myself, which is the right thing to do. So, I have an appointment for tomorrow at 3:30. I know this is really nothing but it does show how people with real problems really get screwed in our medical bureaucracies. I know that am lucky as I not even had the flu in 10 years despite working with people that have less than passing concern for their health (most of my students do not even have breakfast, most smoke, etc.). I just want to get back to normal and I will.

In other bad news, our friends at Eastern Illinois University lost their department due to a fire. I have not heard from them yet but we believe everyone is ok.

~ 07:45 AM ~

My neck/shoulder is better. It is through my own efforts though. It has taken me four days to get a possible name of a chiropractor from my doctor. Luckily, my stretching and therapy of the area has had good results. I heard a "pop" on Tuesday and it turned out to be a good thing. Since, that "pop" my condition has gotten better. I still do not have full movement but I do feel much better. I cannot move my neck back to look directly up without some discomfort. However, I have moved on from the throbbing pain. In all, this is just an inconvenience and I wish I could get back to my regular routine.

Neale has her first election in months today.

We are attending the LCCC movie club on Friday and going to a Kentucky Derby party this weekend.

Linkage:
Another fun day of empire
National Homebrew Day
Pics from Iraq
Pew Poll on War

~ 07:44 AM ~

My shoulder (and/or neck and/or back) is not 100% after a week. I have not lifted since last Monday or rode my bike since Wednesday. So, I must contact medical help. The Tylenol helps and ice/hot therapy makes me comfortable but the stiffness is still there.

My ESB is bubbling. I made a full quart starter and that may be the new norm. The primary was active this morning. Once again, the steep and boil was perfect. By the end of the year, I will be doing full extract boils outside. The full boil helps create a better tasting final product. Samples of the IPA will be available soon.

Linkage:
Estee Lauder passes
Mitsubishi CEO wakes up abd drives off
How Diets Work

~ 02:16 AM ~

We were born alittle too slow...

Linkage:
DJ Hyper

~ 06:14 PM ~

We went to Home Depot and got prices on items we will immediately need for our home, such as:

• trash can
• tree saw
• string trimer

We also priced a small Weber grill, a dining room light, doors, a screen door, vanity, and shower stall with tub. They even had my self-propelled non-motorized lawn mower for an affordable $118. The kitchen remodeling takes about 4-8 weeks to order materials and install items. Therefore, they would not be able to finish the project before we moved in. We decided that we could live without a kitchen for a few days.

We deposited our tax refund at a US Bank ATM. I forgot to take my card so the machine "ate" it. I called and ordered a new one. Luckily, the card was not stolen and will check the account online in the morning to make sure. The transaction was at 1:40 and we called at 2:45. We were talking about our account when I made the transaction and I drove away without the card. I have never lost my card before today.

My starter is finished.

~ 12:35 PM ~

We are heading over to Home Depot for information on kitchens. Later, we are going to Pop's to see the Crystal Method this evening.

I enjoyed Two Brothers Brewing last night. Their white ale was ok. They are located in Warrenville, IL and I will visit them the next time I am in northern Illinois.

I am making a starter this afternoon. I did not bottle last night as it has only a week for the Bandywallop in secondary.

My shoulder is much better. It is just alittle sore.

Linkage:
You go now! Too much roast beef.
Tina Fey

~ 10:33 AM ~

Yes, Mitsubishi is on hard times. My dealership closed yesterday and my service is now at a Dodge/Chrysler dealership owned by the Cancilla family. Needless to say, once this gets all sorted I have a few questions to ask about my warranty and lifetime tire guarantee.

Despite the fact that it makes me feel lazy, I took yesterday and today off from exercising. My shoulder is getting better.

I am bottling the Bandywallop ale tonight. The IPA has mellowed nicely and is still hoppy as it can be. I will also sample some of the Altbier.

Mets v. Cubs.

Linkage:
Mitsubishi set adrift

~ 04:14 PM ~

Photos of our new home have been posted on the Photos page. Please click on the 'new home' link.

~ 07:46 AM ~

A short list of projects in our new home:

• Finish downstairs bathroom
• Clean backyard of loose trees
• New kitchen cabinets
• Add dishwasher
• Update wiring
• Replace doors
• Update bathroom
• Add electrical sockets to kitchen and bath
• Remove downstairs bar
• Paint family room
• Add living room furniture
• ...more to come!

Linkage:
Chicago removes soda and candy (ed: thanks!)

~ 08:20 PM ~

House is go! We are sorting projects. Neale is on the phone to her dad and Joan. I have already called Mom and Dad Sutt. Sorry, Tripod is not accepting uploads. No pics tonight. Check back soon though.

~ 06:20 AM ~

Five years ago today.

Linkage:
Carnival of Capitalists

~ 12:46 PM ~

I found this while looking around for a weissbier recipe. The glossary is helpful to clarify beer terms. I was looking for a weissbier recipe as Neale really liked Boulevard’s Wheat beer. She actually drank a whole glass by herself on Sunday, which is unusual. Bear in mind she almost spit out my Sinister Ale but liked the Achtung Alt in its young stage. So, a clear hop v. malt split with her taste buds. Hops clearing losing the taste test and she will not go near the Hop Head IPA. But, I would like to make something that everyone in the household could enjoy so a straight forward wheat beer is looking like a good candidate. The brewing schedule is ESB, Nentalbatz, Wheat, Mexicola, and Hawaiian APA. I will not be moving a full carboy so brewing will take a break by early June.

Pictures of the new home will be posted tomorrow night.

The long running prospective name for our future dog has changed. Neale is not so favorable of Riesling and Ellie is sounding better. More soon when we actually invite a puppy to our home.

~ 08:56 AM ~

My class finished early as a group was not ready. The class is doing their presentations and I gave a group a pass because they were confused about their topic. Needless to say, I communicated the need to be prepared and together when doing a group presentation. I plan on doing presentations in all of my courses next fall. In the Intro sections, I will be using something called "5 good minutes" (aka Pardon the Interruption) where a couple of students have to research a social problem and present it at some point during class as we discuss the material. So, it will build off the book, give the students a direct contribution, inspire questions, and fulfill the presentation aspect of the course.

Have you used your Spybot or Ad-aware software recently? These people wish they did.

I brew my own beer but this guy dresses like Tron. Hobbies.

Linkage:
Khann....Good Shatner
Bizarro Rush is actually normal Rush

~ 07:17 PM ~

We had a great time in KC. We did not make it to Boulvard but we will make sure of our directions next time. It was great to see Darren and Wendy.

Neale's hearing is almost over. It is going well.

I seemed to have developed shoulder tendoritis. I am icing/heating the area and will try to cure the situation myself before seeking medical help. Given that I am the most active I have been since high school these days, this is natural.

The last few weeks of apartment life.....the countdown is on.

I plan on brewing my ESB this weekend.

Linkage:
Woodward speaks
Trump fires Bush
Stern belongs on the radio as much as Rush
DiedOnline

~ 08:13 AM ~

We are going to KC this morning. We are going to enjoy the conference, have dinner, and be back tomorrow.

I bottled my Altbier and it tastes very malty. The IPA reached its second week in bottles and it tastes great to me. It is all hops. The Bandywallop was racked to secondary and it has a unique taste.

My ride was good. It was the first hot day of April (86 degrees).

Linkage:
New Political Ads attack the voters

~ 10:13 AM ~

Neale is finishing her hearing today. She felt really good about running the hearing. In the past, she was nervous but she has grown accustomed to the role.

We have less than seven weeks of apartment life left. We plan to be all moved in by June 13th. Next week, we will have an inspection and an appraiser review our prospective home. The home maybe appraised for more than we are buying it for as other homes on the street are selling for $20,000 more than what we are paying. In all, we are looking at a nice profit in five years. We plan on painting, removing the carpet, finishing the floors, and knocking out a wall in the kitchen before we move in. Later, we will redo the bathroom and put a bathroom in the basement.

I plan on bottling my Altbier and racking my Bandywallop to secondary tonight. One of my yeast packages arrived yesterday from Northern Brewer and it was starting to swell. So, I may have to brew earlier than I planned. I will do my Scrummy ESB recipe. They did forget an ounce of hops and I emailed them. Within the hour, they responded and sent the ounce out in the morning mail. I enjoyed Rogue's Dead Guy Ale last night and it was good. The style is a Maeirbock or Maibock, which was new to me. It is a lager, which I may have the ability to do in the new home.

It is nice and warm here, I will go for a ride this afternoon.

Linkage:
Onion, Taken seriously

~ 11:34 AM ~

We will schedule an inspection next week and it should be fine. I believe closing date is scheduled for May 17th and will move in early June. Before we move in, there is some painting to do. Goodbye neighbors...hello equity.

I have my last new faculty meeting as a new faculty member at LCCC today. It is at three but I will squeeze in an oil change before that time. We are driving to KC this weekend so an oil change is required.

I am enjoying a sugar-free Nestle Nip (coffee flavored) and it is pretty good.

~ 07:52 AM ~

We have a house! Webster Groves.

We are going to Kansas City this weekend for the Midwest Sociological Association meetings.

My Bandywallop Ale is done with primary fermentation. I will try to bottle the Altbier Friday and rack the Bandywallop to secondary too.

Linkage:
Any Day in History

~ 07:49 AM ~

My Bandywallop Ale is bubbling nicely. The yeast was very healthy and the starter was thick. Plus, it is third wheat, which ferments vigorously. The next batch will be a true ESB rather than the previous bitter. After that, I will be doing the Nentalbatz Ale, which is a Northern European Ale.

The Sopranos was a great episode. Neale really liked last week's episode and I thought it was solidly above average. However, I really liked last night's episode because it reveals the sorrow and pain beneath the surface of the characters. The show never glorified the lives of the characters. Rather, it shows something different and exposes the true cost of crime.

Linkage:
Total Public Debt

~ 08:54 AM ~

Have a Happy Easter everyone. He died on a cross, what's with the chocolate eggs?

Neale took her dad to the airport this morning. We had a great dinner and conversation at Cafe Balaban last night. Neale is going to Betty and Jack's retirement village for an Easter gathering around noon. Later, we are going for a ride.

Neale is looking a home on Tuesday. I have said it before but it is a good prospective.

I made my starter last night. The American Ale yeast was very active and the starter looks good this morning. I have the nice 'pancake' of yeast resting on top. I am brewing my Bandywallop Ale today. It is a recipe inspired by a beer, which I have never had, but everyone raves about so it will be a surprise to me. The inspiration beer is Stone Brewing Arrogant Bastard.

I found this last night and I have no idea what it is. What is a subservient chicken?

Linkage:
Condi Lousy
Claim vs. Fact: Condi's Opening Statement

~ 11:47 AM ~

Random Act of Kindness: I received a coupon for Subway with my recent donation. Since we do not eat Subway that much, I decided to giveaway the coupon. None of my students did anything yesterday worthy of a coupon so I decided to give it to my cleaning person who I have not met. It turns out her name is Tiffany and she appreciated it.

Steve, Neale's dad, is in town today.

I had a great ride yesterday. The wind was a little strong but I was able to get in my 10 miles in about 40 minutes. I plan on going today after yoga.

My neck is fine.

Linkage:
Grammar quiz

~ 12:25 PM ~

It is opening day for the Mets. Gotta believe.

We are going to Kansas City for the Midwest Sociological Meetings in a few weeks.

I am donating this afternoon. So, we are taking the day off from exercising. The ride last night was great.

My neck is still stiff. It is getting better. I was using heat yesterday and some ice. Today, stretching is helping.

Linkage:
Teen smoking trends
Inventor of Answering Dies

~ 10:47 AM ~

Neale is regrouping. We had a bid on a home and even went over asking price. We were in competition and increased our bid. However, we were outbid and did not get the home. Neale was upset by this and is regrouping (a phrase from a movie we both like...Singles). There is always more houses...I hear their popular dwellings.

My neck is stiff. I think I strained it while working out last night as I did not notice it until bedtime. Despite it being a Monday and daylight saving time, I did alright. Neale slept in as she has the ability to do so, I have students waiting for me at 8AM each day and I haven't used a sick day yet in my career. We do get Good Friday off so it is a short week for me.

A colleague sampled my Sinister Ale and enjoyed it. He said it reminded him of Pete's Wicked, which was the loose idea of my recipe. Yet, it needs work but this a hobby that keeps on giving. The Altbier is almost done fermenting and will be racked to secondary soon. I took an inventory of my beer supplies yesterday and have a few loose ounces of materials that I need to use up. So, the next batch after the Bandywallop Ale may have some odd mix of black patent, roasted barley, and crystal malt 60. I need to find a recipe that uses those ingredients. Alas, a good problem to solve.

Linkage:
Google and Yahoo ban gambling ads

~ 12:00 PM ~

Neale went shopping. She need some exercise wear as some has been worn out. That is a good thing.

It is a beautiful day and I have the windows open. I cleaned the place so it is smelling fresh.

We are going for a ride this afternoon and passing by the Schlafly Bottleworks.

Linkage:
Newsmap

~ 07:41 PM ~

The ride was good.

I bottled the Hop Head IPA and it tastes pretty good for a young beer. I should know the real results in about 3 weeks. Sample bottles were done. New recipe today...Mexicola Ale.

The pizza challenge was conducted and Imo's was the winner. Two random pizzas were ordered and two 3 X 3.5 inch pieces were selected. Imo's weighed in at 1.7 ounces and 2.3 for Balducci's pizza.

I am "enjoying" Schlafly's 1904 Lager and it tastes alot like Bud. Congrats to Schlafly, you made a better Bud. I need to stick to ales...

~ 10:41 AM ~

Neale says she will leave work alittle early to ride. So, we are riding at the lake this afternoon. I almost went yesterday but I could not quite get there. I am still waiting for the windless day. But, it is spring and daylight savings time is almost here.

The pizza challenge is on! Probably watch Shot in the Dark tonight.

I thought of Brainstorm this morning.

Linkage:
Steve Earle

~ 09:00 AM ~

I do not do "wacky" April Fool's Day jokes.

Neale found another listing on a better street in Webster Grove and we want to make an offer quickly. The open house is on Sunday and we are doing some preliminary paperwork tonight.

Neale has been enjoying Imo's Pizza since it is an easy meal and low carb. However, I reminded her it is the South Beach diet not the South Pizza diet. This weekend we are doing the St. Louis pizza challenge and will compare Imo's Pizza and Balducci's pizza in terms of size, thickness, and weight. She believes that Balducci's pizza is thicker and heavier, which means not low-carb. I admit I have enjoyed St. Louis style pizza but it will never become a true favorite.

Small Wonder...I like to give this show a mention every so often because I believe to be one of the oddest TV shows ever to air. I have no idea why I thought of this show this morning.

Linkage:
Air America Radio
Google email

~ 11:03 AM ~

Chomsky has a blog.

The Devil Rays are in first place and the Yanks are in last place. It is only opening day but that still sounds great.

Linkage:
Lady Liberty to reopen

~ 04:17 PM ~

We did not get to ride yesterday due to the rain. It was clear until two and then it started to rain. I was frustrated because I consider it a missed opportunity, Neale finds that strange. We did get to walk. Today, I went for a ride and it rained. The wind blew but the path was clear. I feel it is an accomplishment to get my 10 miles. According to weather.com the wind gust were 22 to 32 mph, I got my satisfaction.

My Altbier is bubbling nicely.

Linkage:
Rides through Chernobyl
Costco...paying too much?

~ 09:52 AM ~

Neale is heading into work for an hour and then we will try to ride. The weather is not promising though.

From the Sunday Times: "On March 28, 1899, August Busch, the American businessman who built Anheuser-Busch into the world's largest brewery, was born. Following his death on Sept. 29, 1989, his obituary appeared in The Times." Although not a drinker of Anheuser-Busch products, Mr. Busch made a considerable impact on the American palate. I am willing to guess that half of the people that have had at least one beer had a Busch product. Due to the mass American beer market and its mediocre brews is the very reason why I homebrew, to make beer that tastes so much better than Busch. In addition, today in 1930, Constantinople was changed to Istanbul, why? That is nobody's business but the Turks.

Some of these films deserve more love, some really deserve to be forgotten.

Got a question about Guinness? No, I am not souring any beer at home.

Linkage:
Slashdot
User Friendly

~ 11:26 PM ~

Shot in the Dark was interrupted while recording (late night thunderstorm) so we watched Thirteen. Did I mention we are not having children?

~ 07:02 PM ~

We went for a ride today and stopped by Sunset Cyclery for supplies. Luckily, they had a bottle of Rock and Roll Gold Lube. It is great stuff and does not wear off quickly like Finish Line products. We also got some new gloves as two years had taken their toll on our gloves.

It is a quiet weekend and we are watching Shot In the Dark tonight. It is the second Peter Seller's Pink Panther film and Neale remembers it as being a great film. I only remember the first Pink Panther and it has been so long since I have seen any of them it will be new to me.

I made my yeast starter and will brew my Altbier tomorrow. I modified my recipe to get more within the guidelines of an Altbier using Beer Tools Generator.

Linkage:
Exorcist Bunnies
Sealab 2021 on DVD
TSS: UGM 8.0

~ 10:50 AM ~

This is a very good article.

Linkage:
Last Wishes

~ 12:07 PM ~

I had a rough day in class. I have never ended a class early due to bad behavior and disregard for the goals of the classtime. It was quite upsetting and I will have to deal with this on Tuesday. Unfortunate but probably productive in the long term.

In better news, the weather has cleared and I will be able to go for a ride. A nice long ride should clear my head.

Linkage:
Clarke gives a long awaited apology

~ 05:59 PM ~

Neale looked at a house in Kirkwood today and it was a bad location. It was just across the street from a gas station and you could hear traffic inside the home with windows closed. The house in Webster Groves is still a good possibility.

I rode for 10 miles today in a strong wind. I did well and I believe I am almost 90% healed. Now, I just need to get rid of the stitches.

I had a good set of classes today.

~ 07:56 AM ~

I did 35 minutes of yoga yesterday. I plan on doing yoga twice a week and it was fun. I am watching The Morning Yoga Show on Fine Living.

Linkage:
Yoga

~ 12:13 PM ~

The home in Webster Groves is still looking good. We are checking values of other recent sales on that particular street to see if our profit expectations are real. Yes, I know we are talking about a home but this is not the final home. So, I know this real estate chatter may sound a bit odd but it is necessary.

I exercised yesterday without a problem and sitting in my office chair is much better.

I received a compliment on my office today.

Linkage:
Grammar Guide

~ 10:13 AM ~

Neale really like the house in Webster Groves and we saw good value in recent homes that sold in the area. She will be seeing the house with Britt soon and he can provide a better idea of how much improvements will cost.

I am getting back to exercising today. I took last week off with the surgery and should be able to do my regular routine. However, I am not biking yet.

The Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind was great and dinner was very good.

Kentucky lost so our NCAA bracket is ruined. Who knew?

Linkage:
Virtual Religion Index

~ 10:33 AM ~

We are going to see The Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind and have dinner at Zoë.

Next weekend, I will bottle the IPA, which will be racked to secondary today and brew my Altbier. After that, I am doing my Bandywallop Ale. Finding Mangum hops was not easy and I am looking forward to the results. With the approach of spring, I plan to make my Pale Ale recipe (homage to the Kona Brewing Co., which we visited on our honeymoon) and my Dunkelweizen.

~ 09:44 AM ~

Neale is out seeing a home. It is a possibility and would need some love. For example, the windows are very old and distract from the overall curb appeal.

Our NCAA bracket is going strong but who would have predicted Pacific? They have not won since 1971.

This professor went too far. You really do not have to do that in order to make the point. For example, point out to a class full of young white students that feel a sense of entitlement to resources in a society because of skin color that in 2050 things will look much different. Gotta work it out people...gotta work it out.

Rumsfield calls Saddam uncooperative. Well, how could you manipulate him? Maybe make up some intell, exaggerate some threats and lie to him. It "worked" previously.

Linkage:
Defeat Terrorism Step 1: Look in Mirror
Bleak Trend in US Media

~ 07:16 PM ~

Eagles of Death Metal! Oh, the midnight creeper...

Linkage:
CBS Sportsline

~ 02:35 PM ~

I am watching the Mets on Fox Sports South. They are losing but it is a good game. The coverage is good. I have no idea who the play-by-play or announcers is for FSS.

Our NCAA bracket has a small upset. Florida loses to Mannhattan, which is a game I struggled with when filling out the bracket.

Linkage:
Rumsfield having a bad day (classic)

~ 09:27 AM ~

Correction....correction...The Mets and Braves are on MLB.tv.

I am a little sore. I woke up slightly aching and took an ibuprofen, which helped.

We were watching a show on Fine Living called Now Opening and we realized that we have not gotten out to a nice restaurant in awhile. The recent eating change has influenced that some but we are going to the Central West End soon.

I will be venturing out to Crazy Bowls for lunch.

Linkage:
General Sacked by Bush
United for Peace & Justice

~ 06:27 PM ~

The surgery went fine. As far as medical procedures go, it was better than a trip to the dentist for me. There is no swelling and I am using ice. I stitches are barley visible. The doctor and I actually talked through the whole operation and the only uncomfortable part was the feeling of Novocain rushing through the area. I am also enjoying an Old Peculiar which is a home remedy. It is very tasty and I have never been a fan of Scotch Ale. Schlafly's Scotch Ale is not a favorite and I have had it bottled and on draft at the taproom.

We all learned a valuable lesson from Cat Schwartz this week and yet another reason why I will never put a web cam up in my home.

We had Panera (St. Louis Bread Co.) for dinner and their low-carb bread (there are three versions) are quite good.

Part-time veg? Wha..wha..what?!?!?

The Mets and Braves are on tomorrow on ESPN. The Mets are doing well.

Linkage:
Spitzer

~ 10:19 PM ~

I learned today to take a number at the Westport Post Office. In addition, people can be nice when a disgruntled Post Office worker decides to abuse the little power they possess.

I love zombie films and that is well done zombie films. If you think that is a misnomer, then just walk away. Gone? All right. If you are still with me, then check out the post from last summer (July?) about 28 Days Later. So, I am disturbed about the remake of Dawn of the Dead. Why? The original is easily one of the best zombie films (once again, see the previous post on how zombie films are great sociological pieces) and the remake will focus on the gore and lower the social message (i.e. consumerism).

Linkage:
Google Toolbar 2.0 (highly recommended)
Social Law Library

~ 12:47 PM ~

I have to buy a "supportive appartus" for my elective surgery tomorrow. I am uncomfortable about buying a "supportive appartus". I am sure I will go to Target and the person behind the counter or a person in line will get a chuckle out of this. I get disturbed thinking about myself near a "supportive appartus" much less wearing one. Oh bother.

Like millions of people today, I filled out a NCAA bracket. Duke sucks. Go Kentucky.

Linkage:
Channel 4 ads (bad language)
New Bush ad
IPOD of death

~ 02:37 PM ~

I made another version of chili using Bayless' recipe and my past recipes. It has been in the slow cooker for a few hours and should be tasty.

Linkage:
Carlin on indeceny

~ 10:11 AM ~

I watched an episode of the Screensavers over the weekend and saw a segment on TCP Optimizer. For the price, it is a good piece of software.

The IPA is fermenting fast. This may be the quickest ferment I have ever had. I will rack to secondary later this week.

Linkage:
CNN Money: Best Places to Live...Naperville

~ 08:49 PM ~

Ah..the smell of homebrew. I just finished my first IPA and it should be my first "perfect plan" batch. I did everything right this time so I looking forward to the completed brew even more. The final batch will be over 100 IBU's and that is just right for me. Sample bottles of Bad Monkey Oatmeal Stout and Sinister Ale will be mailed Monday or Tuesday. The Sinister Ale still has two weeks to age.

We went for a ride today and it was windy. I did my usual route at the lake and Neale did some laps along the beginning of the route. It was tough.

I am on spring break and taking a break for weight exercises this week. On Wednesday, I am having my elective surgery so I will be unable to lift, walk or ride for a few days.

Linkage:
Warblogging: Counts

~ 10:38 AM ~

It is a sunny day here but a bit chilly and windy. We rode last weekend and I got out last Monday but the wind and showers may keep us off the bike path. I must have patience...

My Bad Monkey Oatmeal Stout is tasty. However, I can do better. The positives are the great color, body, nose, and head retention. But, I wanted to bring the oatmeal sweetness out more. The beer is only three weeks old so time will tell. Sample bottles will be in the mail soon.

I received my copy of MVP Baseball 2004 in the mail yesterday and it is fun. The Mets may have a struggle in the NL East but the virtual Mets are going to the series. We bought our tickets for the Cards v. Mets game on August 6th. It is a night game and a weekend series. I will probably attend another game that weekend and hopefully the Mets are still alive by August. The Cards have the Cubs and Astros to deal with and it does not look good for them.

Small changes in the site, Cooking is a new link available in the site menu that accompanies each site. I hope that helps navigation. I also cleaned up some spacing and edited out dead links.

Linkage:
Internet Fraud Complaint Department

~ 07:43 AM ~

We have to pay taxes this year. We were not expecting it until next year but it is something we have been having a lot of luck with in recent years. We did not expect to pay until next year but it is more than understandable.

We walk on the shoulder of a nearby street. The street is not too busy and the shoulder is wide in many areas. Local drivers know people use it and there are more than just a few people. There is also a teenage kid that uses the field next to road to ride his minibike. I have seen him before and he was out yesterday afternoon when I was walking alone. When I came back to walk with Neale, the kid was laying the field and a passing motorist spotted him and called for help. It is unsure how long the kid was laying there but he seemed ok except for not being able to stand. He does where a helmet and is lucky that it did not happen when I was there because I would had to jog home in order to call for help. Needless to say, the kid will probably not be riding his bike anytime soon.

My vacation starts on Friday and I planning my next batch of homebrew. I plan on making my IPA (India Pale Ale) and have the supplies from Northern Brewer (except for the yeast). I wasn't planning on brewing since we were moving but I have time for another batch and need to bottle my Sinister Ale (American Brown Ale) as it had its two weeks in the secondary glass carboy (for aging and clearing). I also have the supplies for an Altbier and found a great deal on hops at Brew City.

Bodensatz Brewing is an excellent site. I am feeling more comfortable about doing my first all-grain batch.

Linkage:
Civil Unions favored

~ 02:40 PM ~

I received a score of '9' on this Libertarian Purity Test. Needless to say, the scoring was slightly bias but entertaining.

I have agreed to do another course over the summer. It should be another 6 week course. I say should because it is a new course to LCCC, which is similar to my Race & Ethnicity course. The new course is entitled Cultural Conflict in the Classroom and focuses on helping teachers recognize the various racial, ethnic, and class backgrounds of today's diverse student body. In many classrooms, the focus (and assumption) is that all students are from some version of 'middle-class' life. However, that is not the case and causes a distance between teacher & student, which inhibits sincere interaction. Trust is one of the most important things to develop in a classroom (you may be surprised what students will share with me) and establishing it early helps counter people talking past one another.

Linkage:
Bush flip-flops
RNC tells TV stations not to air anti-Bush ads
International Women's Day
Mystery of Dalaro (Volvo ad)

~ 02:40 PM ~

I heard some Del the Funky Homosapien (Mistadobalina) on 88.1 this morning. It was good start to the day. I will now end esoteric references...

We are back house hunting and had a fun weekend. A very weekend too.

I am going for a ride this afternoon. Neale will not ride after work until the time change.

Linkage:
UFO destoryed Beagle 2?
Walmart has dress code woes
Spalding Gray possibly found
Tofu Big Mac

~ 02:50 PM ~

Lewiston property is no go. Too many problems and too many problems which are huge.

We did get our bikes back from maintenance and they are better. My new shifters are smaller and I have to get use to shifting in the opposite direction. We went for a ride at the lake and they have updated the trail. There is another seven miles of trail to be added soon.

~ 07:20 AM ~

We had dinner with Steve & Joan, Donna Lee, and Britt & Kelly with Harrison, Casey & Anna at Krieger's. It is kid-friendly and convenient. Afterwards, we had a drink with Steve, Joan & Donna Lee at Bahama Breeze, which is a newer restaurant that has some Caribbean theme. We did hear a song from Club Paradise if that tells you about what they are trying for in atmosphere.

We received some troubling news about the prospective home. The foundation, which is concrete block, needs to be laterally stabilized. This is almost the last thing you want to hear when you are buying a home. The important point at this place in the negotiation is having the seller agree to fix the problem. It is not our problem at all but the house has promise so we want to see if the seller, which may have know about this problem due to the telltale crack in the basement, will fix it. He would have to disclose this to another buyer and that could be a serious deal breaker for someone not wanting to make this commitment. We realize how important it would be to have this fixed and take the lifetime guarantee to our buyer in four years. Did we also mention the other changes we can make to the home to increase value? Did we mention the 5-7% appreciation rate in Kirkwood if we did nothing to the home? Therefore, this is significant effort on a first home but we have not invested too much beyond inspection fees and time. We do not have to move so we can take our time. We will know more when we have a contractor make an estimate on the foundation fix.

We are also are picking up our bikes today.

Linkage:
One Look Dictionary (very handy)
New Nietzschean Diet: Fat is Dead

~ 08:33 PM ~

I am enjoying a Sierra Nevada Big Foot ale and it is yummy. If my version (Festive Ale) of barley wine comes even remotely close, I will be very happy. Neale is at a soccer game and Steve & Joan are there too. They arrived this afternoon and will be spending the weekend in St. Louis.

I saw our prospective home today. I drove by this afternoon and it looks good. It needs some care and updates but it has promise.

If you ask me why I haven't seen the 'Passion', then you do not know who Hutton Gibson is and how he is just plain wrong.

Linkage:
The Junk Science of George W. Bush
Passion Fashion

~ 10:00 AM ~

We are celebrating Betty's birthday with dinner at Spiro's West.

Mets v. Dodgers on ESPN! Gotta believe.

Linkage:
Jon Stweart: News source for young America
Chronicles of Narina...pass the turkish delight
'Passion' tickets bear "mark of the beast" (?!?)

~ 01:00 PM ~

It is a great day here. My lectures/discussions were not to my liking. Some days you hit homeruns and some days you hit "seeing eye" singles. Luckily, I seldom strikeout and have a good average. Tomorrow, the Mets play a spring training game with the Dodgers. It will be broadcast on ESPN. The new Mets shortstop, Matsui, will not play as he has a minor finger injury. It is also a split-squad game so some Mets may be playing elsewhere.

Our prospective home passed inspection. There were two main issues and a handful of small things that were really suggestions to help us resell the home in a few years. For example, the inspector suggested we put it a gas fireplace and replace the wood burning fireplace. Also, Mr. Buck suggested we put it a "lay-in" ceiling rather than a drop ceiling in the basement. The two big issues that need to address before we move in are the plaster cracks and the sewer line. I noticed in a photo of the neighborhood homes that a nearby property had recently replaced their sewer line. It turns out that our home needs a similar fix and the current owner was "getting by" on the existing line. The inspector used a video camera to investigate the line. So, those two issues need to address and we are set. The seller will either come down in the price or credit us. Other small issues were the moving of the dryer vent to accommodate the dryer and future basement design (garage, third bedroom, and laundry room). In all, we should have a home on Saturday.

In related home news, I may get my beer fridge for lagering soon enough. We are keeping the fridge that comes with the place but replacing it. The plan is to store the fridge at Debbie's home (also in Kirkwood) and transfer the batches to that fridge to lager. Lagering requires lower controlled temperatures than ales. Maybe I can get this beer fridge someday.

Linkage:
Pew Internet study
Kidnapped?

~ 02:05 PM ~

It is quite nice here.

All of my Oscar picks were correct except for Rene Zellweger winning best supporting actress. I am not a fan of Zellweger's work and based on what I read, Patricia Clarkson did a better job.

The previous journal had been archived.

Linkage:
Guinness "secret" exported
Schlock, Yes; Awe, No; Fascism, Probably
Girl feels no pain
Beerdrinker of the Year

T O P