Hop Madness

There is nothing like walking into a room that looks like this:Upon the recommendation of Andy, who could not himself attend, we spent the better part of yesterday at a hops and brewing event properly called Hop Madness. Oh my goodness.
It was a fair sized gathering of people who brought many different homebrews to share and different shapes and sizes of equipment to brew with on-site.
But before sampling too many beers, we were taken down the street to the hop farm that had provided the Willamette, Cascade, Magnum and Crystal hops to brew with. Ah, what a site to see:
...and then down the road to the processing area...

Where the vines are strung up and whisked away to be separated from the hops-

Fresh hops on their way to being dried out-

Drying out-

Big kid ball pen- (don't worry all of these hops are going to AB) -

Happy Hop head :)Joe did a front flip into the hops and emerged covered in yellow stickiness.

The baler (kind of looks like a drug operation might)

So I figured this was pretty much the highlight of my being there and prepared to settle down with a book and drink another beer or two while Joe brewed and hung out with the other brewers. People are too damn friendly. We were recruited to help pick the fresh hops off the vine for the brewers...I never knew just how sticky these suckers could be and they have little tiny pricklies on the vines so, it doesn't hurt (actually you can't even feel it) to touch the vine, but at the end of the day it looks like a miniature swordsman hacked up your arms and legs.
So I hung out with the die hard hops enthusiasts for awhile and then on the 20 foot walk back to our stuff, to get water and a snack and sit down with a book, I was delayed by about 2 hours as I was taken around the rest of the campsite to taste other peoples beers and be recruited by various homebrew clubs in the Pacific Northwest. Stringent competition let me tell you.Joe mostly stayed close to the brew as the afternoon went on. Andy was kind enough to lend us his mobile brewing apparatus so Joe could partake of the fresh hop brewing. We should have a fine pale soon. It was going so strong this morning I thought the bubble noises were the shower dripping. It was so loud I got up to turn it off.

Sunset on the brewers

Fishes, Fire and Four Wheels

Well...I just wanted to go with an "F" theme, but it was really only two wheels, each.
On Tuesday we went and spent a colossal fortune of $.12 each on Comet Goldfish (and a water cleaner) for our outdoor pond.
On Tuesday we had ten fish.
On Wednesday we had nine fish.
Today we have eight.
I'm hoping at least some will survive the weekend for our visitors...
I wanted to name them all "Buttons" for Pat, however, that was overruled, but one will defintely be Buttons, once they stop dying.The cats took no delight in being shown water, they refused to look in it, frantically clinging to me thinking they were about to get an outdoor bath. I thought they'd love watching the fish, but they can't get over the water. So I'm hoping to get some excitement out of Howie. The fish are fun to watch, we created a little hiding spot for them out of bricks, in case they need to protect themselves...of course that limits our viewing to watching them race for cover.

Also, we enjoyed our first real fire in our outdoor fireplace. We scrounged up the crap wood that was littering the back and side yard and made a sacrifice to the brick behemoth. It was warm and put me in the mood for marshmallows, so I broke them out and Joe scrounged for a cooking utensil. We had several toasted marshmallows via coat hanger and spent a lovely evening cleaning up the backyard and sneaking up on the fish. I derived much pleasure from the burning of a couple gallons of the fallen apples of which we probably have about 50 or 60 gallons of at this point. Plus, the sounds of sizzling and popping and the aroma were much better than the cries of Joe and the smell of burning shoelaces. Using your foot to move burning wood only seems like a good idea.

To start out the day though, we took a short loop around the Island that is quickly becoming one of my favorite places outside the city limits. It was a 12 mile road loop that was pretty much flat, which was perfect for riding one handed, as we had filled the other hand with blackberries. The smell of blackberries permeated the majority of the ride and made it irresistible to stop and pluck a few, er...many.

A sidenote from OBF...

...and reminiscing on funny quotes from Toph.

The 6 month reign of "Wildlife preserves?...what you mean like jam?" is over. At OBF a fellow beer enthusiast gave us all a little trivia when he asked if we knew which state had the fewest breweries in the U.S. Of course we guessed Utah...but we were wrong.

Mississippi, to which Toph replied, "Well, they are M-I-S-S-I-N-G Out"

Eh...it loses a little on the screen, but it's still the new champion.

Eat, Drink and be Berry

We have entered a land where fruit is plentiful and rains from the skies....Well when Joe's throwing it at my exposed back to get a paintball effect.
We set off a few days ago to seek out blackberries. Joe had a stop on the side of the road and sneak around and fill our buckets sort of plan in mind...however, most of the bushes we came by were in residential areas. So we scrapped that plan and went a beautiful U pick site where we picked and sampled the glories of marionberries, blueberries and the seasons remaining raspberries.
On our way back, we spotted a park that was surrounded by blackberry bushes, so we stopped off and grabbed some containers and went for it. There were berries everywhere. We just kept picking, I actually started to feel a bit greedy and then I started to wonder why there were so many berries present...why weren't other people picking them? Were they sprayed routinely with pesticides? Had there been some radiation exposure, or toxic waste spill? Was it against the law? Did the locals know something that we didn't? I mentioned this to Joe, so we decided to consult the state parks sign on our way out.
Door number 3 - Under state park regulations, you are not cut or destroy or pick the fruit or plants. Whoops! Suddenly I imagined a great hulking pile of abandoned blackberries at the foot of the sign from others who had made our same mistake. Our forbidden fruit however has been picked free of debris, rinsed and bagged and is residing comfortably in our freezer.

OBF

I must admit that a strong selling point for moving sooner rather than later was to be able to comfortably partake in this event. It was worth it.

I originally balked at the idea of attending more than one or two days, however, spreading many excellent beers over three of the four days of the festival was helpful in many ways. More beers, better memory retention and zero hangovers. The weather was perfect, if even a little cold towards the end of the night.

Obviously this post has been in limbo for a few days...I wanted to find my list of beers.

So notable beers (er... for me) are as follows:

- IPA's -
- Pliny the Elder (really a double) from Russian River --when they ran out on Saturday Freed actually let out a cry of anguish so loud I thought the entire tent would turn to find its source.
- Hazell Dell IPA from (you guessed it) Hazel Dell
- West Coast IPA from Green Flash - I went back for this one twice (oh yeah)

- Pales -
- Double Dry Hopped Pale from Boundary Bay
- Powderfinger Rye from Big Time

I was going to go through a few more styles...but only a few stand out so those are:

- Other -
- Ned (Flanders style Red) from Rock Bottom - had the smell of a good red wine, the most unique beer I tasted all weekend
- Sirius Ale (Imperial Cream Ale) Laguanitas

...and of course there were many beers that I have had before that I had to restrain myself from trying in the first two days so I could experience new ones:
- Summer Solstice Cream Ale from Anderson Valley (hot moving day beer)
- Hop Rod Rye from Bear Republic
- Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout from North Coast
- Proletariat Red from New Old Lompoc
- Pike IPA from Pike Brewing Co.

Alright alright, now I can recycle my list which is all messy and has stains on it from some precarious chili rice snacks...

Crime Scene

This picture is actually from the salmon hatchery on the Gorge. But it looks like a chalk outline from a murder scene...and it made me chuckle.

Colorfast?

An observation:

I noticed that the large magnet "ribbons" that people have placed on their cars have a tendency to fade.

The yellow "Support our Troops" ribbons have all faded to white. Perhaps it's a sign?

In case you were wondering...

It takes about the same amount of time to listen to the Tool album Aenima as it does to watch the apartment building across the lot try to burn itself to the ground.
Sorry I woke you Toph.

But in all seriousness the apartment building closest to us [which is across from us] had shrubbery catch fire (the day after fireworks...I just don't understand) tonight. We can't sleep. The 3 engines, 2 trucks and supplementary SUV's blaring and flashing their lights are a bit sobering. We had been playing a nice game of rummy and sharing a bottle of Viognier; the screen doors letting in all manner of apartment ambiance and I heard someone outside say something had caught on fire...we have had at least 3 false alarms in our building alone...kids pulling the alarm...blah blah blah...I stood up and saw one floor of the apartment directly across from us ablaze. I reached for the phone and Joe reached for our orange bucket. He went to stifle the fire (barefoot and boxers I might add) and I called 911. For all the bad things I've said about the loud, raucous, obnoxious apartment dwellers in our complex (who may have possibly started it--three cars sped off from the scene...cue bad mystery music) at least 5 or 6 guys rallied grabbing buckets, large bowls and locating extinguishers whether personal or apartment supplied to put out the flames. In fact I was feeling a bit silly about having called the fire department because they had calmed the 30 foot flames so well. Until the roof caught fire. Joe said it was like trick candles, watching the shrubbery go out and the wall catch on. Indeed, I had a hard time explaining to the fire department the proximity of the bushes..."how close to the building?" " ZERO FEET! The wall is about to be on fire." And so it was, Joe says the entire wall burst into flames.

So the Tool album ended an hour ago and the lights are still flashing. The flames have been quelled, the dueling chainsaws lulling us into...well, further alertness; both Joe and I were called outside to talk with the "inspector" and the wine is gone. How depressing. 8 days to go until we're out of here...and two apartments crisped. I mean really fried. I know I'm being a bit tongue and cheek but...

We had all our rain for the year in one go and now it's dry enough for whatever caused this. I have nothing nice to say about the weather and its calamity. At least everyone got out. I was so astounded that for all our false alarms no ONE had pulled the fire alarm that while I was one the phone with 911 I screamed for someone to pull the one for the building. We all like to think we did our part. Turns out 6 people called 911, that makes me happy. The last time I called 911 I got put on hold. (of course it was in Los Angeles, during rush hour, in 1997...ask Toph he was there).

Sitting in a car can be exhausting

...actually that pretty much sums it up. A few long drives and many days touring the city trying to figure out where we are (mostly me...it will take years before I can figure it out, I'm sure) and where we can live...and who will employ us.

When we weren't sitting in the car becoming one with the seats, we did have the opportunity to hang out with Andy and Michelle (who graciously gave us a guided tour and sustained us with excellent food) and to go hiking up in the Gorge area. Simply beautiful.

And given a 9-hour drive back south to reflect, I can now assess some interesting points about moving.

• Being close enough to drive to a wedding the same day it is held (good)
• Mountains... (very good)
  
• Neighborhoods and crime areas come in "pockets" (hmmmmm)
• Close proximity to good friends (very very good)
• Close proximity to good beer (very good)
  
• Being in a relaxed city where people smile and say hello as they pass you on the street (mostly good)
  
• Being in a relaxed city where returning phone calls can be done in the 11th hour (bad)
  

Pretty much everything came down to the end of the wire and the only thing that is certain is that there will be a roof over our heads. For that I am thankful.

...and blah blah blah came home and started the process of deconstructing.

there is more to say, it involves a beautiful windy wedding, a bit of interviewing, a long-awaited DVD :) (well worth it) and this past June - 2 years and counting for us.

Another knot :)

I'll take a wake up call with news like that anytime :) Congrats to Toph & Jess

In the Hog's Head

Taking advantage of the bridge from the park, we also popped into Old Town, and finally were able to sit down and have a pint at the Hog’s Head (which keeps random hours). Highlights of the brewpub included: the pints of IPA we enjoyed, the otherworldly feeling of the woody, dusty, basement setting, the dollar bills immortalized and push-pinned to the ceiling (and the two Brits with the story).

There was a couple already at the bar when we arrived who, in the best of possible worlds, were quite obviously loaded. As I was taking this picture, the female half said I had to get her dollar in the photo because there was a story behind it…She said that she had pinned it there last year when she and the gentleman with her were having a secret affair; and now she’s pinning another one up because they’re no longer a clandestine couple, but happily unattached from their formers and with each other. They spent the better part of the next half hour making fun of each others ring tone song purchases and being boisterously loud and in love. It was quite funny. (and of course...I have no idea which dollar bill it was or if it is even featured in the photo).

...and the waters receded...

After some months under water, the park and bike trail near our place has finally reached flood free status. We’ve been casually observing the water level as it has receded, passing by once or twice a week to see its progress, and were finally rewarded last weekend. We were shocked. In fact, we were so shocked that the vehicle barricade was removed that Joe almost had a head-on collision with a senior center transport shuttle on its way out of the park.

The park itself looks as though it weathered the flood quite well; it has taken on the aroma of a muddy tidal area (for those who know it…think Dyes Inlet), and the paved road looked like land in the final stages of desertification, but the grasses were lush and long and the trails clear.

Before and After:

Flooded: taken 01/12/2006

Er...not flooded: taken 05/20/2006

Not the best before and after shots, because it's been so long since I took the first ones...but you get the main idea ( (1) flooded road (2) the flood waters were up to almost 6 feet high against the park ranger building-you can still see the dirt and grime line from where the flood waters stopped on the road the and the building).

The first time we came to the park, back in November (pre-flood), I fell in love with the huge trees, so while Joe hunkered down to study in the grass, I ran around with my camera trying to capture the trees…most of my shots were done with my film SLR (black & white film) and are still in the camera (5 more shots on the roll), but I also snapped a few with the digi…mostly just enjoying the pictorial quality of Joe’s relaxed manner and the relatively quiet (for a Saturday) day.

Being felt up by the Patriot Act

I recently completed my first air journey since our trip to Thailand. I was "randomly" selected at both my entry and exit point airports for the "special search." Normally I would not be too ruffled about this, I'm not carrying any lighters or knives or shoe explosives...maybe some knitting scissors and fearsome bamboo knitting needles with ridiculous green sock tip covers (they were the only ones available at the moment I needed them and are quite silly), but seriously I just try to be friendly and let them run that stupid sensor wand over me and go on my way.

I can't really think of the last time I beeped going through the metal detectors at an airport (which, as I recall was the only way to really get you pulled to the side and security super checked...long long ago), I do believe it was when I wore my overalls once and the metal clips at the top set them off. The overalls serve as a good indication of the time period...you know, some time in the early '90's.
oh dear, how things have changed.

Because my ticket had printed a special distinction they pulled me aside immediately and grabbed my bag for me. This woman comes over to me and as she's walking up I can see that she's donning rubber exam gloves. I'm trying to be friendly and make a passing joke about the rubber gloves, to which I received a cold glare and was told that they were "for her protection." Yikes.
Then I got the legal run down.
"Would you like a private room?"
Is that really necessary?
"We're required to ask, however, this is a fully clothed search."
Thank goodness for that. No I'll just stay right here in the public eye, thanks.
"I'm going to be patting you down in areas covered by your clothes and if required some areas that are covered by your undergarments, do you understand?"
Go for it.

Apparently the outside and inside of my arms and legs did not pose a significant threat, nor did my stomach...so we never really made to first base even.

And then there was the bag search...ah I love packs, no matter how many dozens of them that come through each day security staff always seem quite baffled by them. They can't quite figure out how to open them or where all the nooks and crannies are; so although my clothing and books were subject to search, my toiletries kit was never found (I think I may have been absconding with nail clippers...shhh don't tell--on second thought I think they're allowed now anyway). They can never get stuff back in right and usually just give in and let you do it, although she did try to let me leave without my camera and my boarding pass which would have been both annoying and awkward.

A desk is a dangerous place from which to watch the world.
- John le Carre


**Google's quote for the day.
John le Carre is the author of several books in the mystery genre, including "The Constant Gardener" which sits on my shelf, waiting for me to not be afraid to read it.

Run! Drink!

These days, even the simplest things can give me a little smile. Our apartment complex, like many, has its own pool. It is a "swim at your own risk pool," i.e.: no lifeguard etc etc. There are, however, various rules and signs to promote good behavior and to limit life-threatening incidents. Er...golly gee, thank goodness....

I think it might be time, perhaps, for a little upkeep as the faded/washed out signs seem to be bending in the other direction.

RUN!
DRINK!

Homesick

After a week hanging out in the "old haunts" I am homesick for carefree times in the ham. I am NOT, however, feeling any nostalgia for hangovers....Thankfully there are no pictures to go with that comment. I think the Beav prohibits photography in the bar anyway...maybe it's for the best.
Otherwise, it was good friends and good fun the rest of the week...we even got a hike in before Joe had to attend the conference.

Viewpoint from Fragrance Lake Hike --^

Viewpoint from Sehome Arboretum

"Tainted" Love Symbol

We've just returned from a nice long weekend in Portland...the weather was actually much better than we expected and it was a wonderful time. I had opportunity to hang with just the girls; which involved an awesome show, men in tights, a lot of walking around Portland, good food, good conversation, dancing, drinking, a sleepover and the threatening of several Frenchmen (and I didn't even cry once). After a couple of wild days, we settled down on Sunday, helping our friends to bottle beer. For those familiar with these processes please excuse the brief explanation...when bottling beer sanitation must be observed, as a result, each bottle and instrument of the bottling process must be cleaned and sanitized. Each homebrewer has their favored sanitizer and for this day we were using the time honored "iodophor;" each bottle was handplaced in the sanitizer, filled and cleared and then sent off for filling. We switched off and on the filling and the sanitizing, but in the end 150 bottles were sanitized and filled with beer and we called it a day.
The following morning when I was showering I noticed a strange gold glint coming off of my left hand and studied it more closely only to find that my wedding ring had turned a coppery color. A couple hours later it resembled the dark color of hematite. It hadn't occurred to me that my ring would have issues. It is both highly funny and slightly disturbing that my wedding band has gone chameleon, any thoughts on reclaiming the sterling silver?

Hop to it

So...last week while hanging out with the brew class I was challenged to eat a hop pellet. Not knowing that I was hazed through several years with the FFF I think my unwavering acceptance of the challenge was unexpected. Joe usually brews with whole leaf hops, so it has been awhile since I've seen the rabbit food look-alike hops...and I'm sorry to say that after a few beers that evening I can't even tell you which type it was. I am so embarrassed :) In any event, for me, pellet hops taste, (perhaps not unlike rabbit food) like imperial IPA soaked cardboard (mmmmm alpha-acids). It was a worthless if not disgusting experience, not that I couldn't handle the taste (as, under Joe's careful beer purchases, I have become a total hop-head over the past few years), but that it ruined the good taste of the fine ales I had been drinking...and it took some effort to brush it out. Be forewarned, garlic cleans up easier.

Bike & Weather...

So I haven't been biking much because I can't get used to the schizophrenic weather here. I'm used to rain and then shine or gray...not rain, shine, rain, shine, rain...in the space of an 8 hour period. So as a result...less biking, more carpooling. I was thinking today, though, how much I hate biking in the wind, so much to the point that I'd rather bike in the rain. Well, like most people I'd prefer neither, although, I find that they come together quite often. In any event, it was quite windy today and I was glad to not be biking in it. Blah Blah Blah.

Our Civilization is descending into Anarchy!

...Or maybe I've just been sitting in front of the computer playing Civ too much (as Freed seems to have noticed :) ). I just finished reading Tom Friedman's new offering, "the World is Flat" which has some fabulous stats (I especially liked that he got Dell to give him an exact readout of the assembly of his laptop computer and where each of its parts came from and where they were assembled etc) and is quite well-researched, but left me wanting a lot more. I suppose I should have just read the first part where he discusses how the world became "flat" and then set it down and called it good. He gives ten events that have caused the spread of globalization to the "four corners" of the world, a few examples are (1) the fall of the Berlin Wall, (2) the phenomena of outsourcing and (3) off-shoring, (4) the widespread use and access to the internet, (5) software improvements etc, etc. he goes on to give examples in each; of which I found the examples of Google and the implications of the fall of the Berlin wall most interesting and those about Walmart's supply chain and 9-11 the most disturbing. In the back of my mind, while Friedman is extolling the features of the flattened world I'm questioning the implications on the environment and on the large percentage of the global population that are considered "have-nots." I felt as though there were more pages to be turned at the end explaining the downside of things, but this was not that book. It was not, I believe, Friedman's aim to tell that story. However, in the latter chapters of the book he begins discussing why the flattened world has helped some tremendously and others negligibly...which is helpful, but at the conclusion of this analysis I felt as though Friedman was asking the developing countries to pull up their bootstraps and find a comparative advantage over their competitor countries. (Like getting their debt forgiven? or erasing the vestiges of colonialism? or overhauling their export sector overnight?) For example, Mexico, key trading partner in the NAFTA block and second largest exporter to the US (after Canada) for some years has been edged out by China. Friedman's recommendation? To focus on demand and create a more business friendly atmosphere; i.e.: reduce the number of days it takes to incorporate a business etc. UGH! Mexico exports many things, but over half of the exports tot he US are AGRICULTURAL products. So then I wonder how we're going to eat in a "flat world." Obviously I'm making a gross generalization while I slide down a slippery slope. Sorry about that. I've been slowly reading this book and every day I would say to Joe, I wonder when he's going to address X, I wonder when he's going to address Y or even Z? And finally I finished, completely unsatisfied, and was sitting, playing Civ on a difficult level and I keep getting picked on by the other countries...I keep giving in to their demands for spices and territory maps, because I know if I don't, they'll just send some spearmen in to kick the crap out of my fledgling cities and if I do stop developing my marketplaces or universities, or what have you, to create war units my civilization can't grow. I spend years and years just trying to keep enough units in the cities to sustain them in one turn of fighting while trying to create an arsenal on the other civilizations border meanwhile, the cost of the units overruns my treasury and so I cannot use the money to research new advances. And suddenly its all coming clear to me. or perhaps I'm just bitter.

Tech Kitty

I don't quite understand it but I love it.
Risa has an intimate relationship with my computer and printer, she hangs out up on the printer even when we're not in the room. It's not on except when we use it, so it's not producing any heat or vibration or anything...

Tilting at Windmills

At this point they came in sight of thirty, forty windmills that there are on plain, and as soon as Don Quixote saw them he said to his squire, "Fortune is arranging matters for us better than we could have shaped our desires ourselves, for look there, friend Sancho Panza, where thirty or more monstrous giants present themselves, all of whom I mean to engage in battle and slay, and with whose spoils we shall begin to make our fortunes; for this is righteous warfare, and it is God's good service to sweep so evil a breed from off the face of the earth."

--Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote (Ch. 8)

What a calling, to be both crazy and to work to restore a golden age; to restore a sense of peace and happiness to the world...er through battle (of course in this case it happens to be windmills). Of course the word restoration may be too far-fetched as I cannot recall such an age in human history. A little help?

Perhaps that last bit came across as a wee bit of a downer. I just really enjoy Vonnegut's take on life, and I think that the word "used" is usually based in a negative sense, so to see it here as he describes it is a bit different. I recently read a charity book that Vonnegut did for NPR called "God Bless you Dr. Kevorkian" which is a quick book of shorts compiled from bits on NPR where he undergoes supervised near-death and interviews people from just outside the "pearly gates;" the subjects are diverse and include John Brown, Mary Shelley and Newton (and a few more). The cover shows his cartoon self on a gurney smoking a cigarette. I can't help but enjoy the dark sense of humor and commentary that it provides. I mean, c'mon, this is a man who has been saying he's going to sue the cigarette companies because he's been smoking for decades and the cigarettes haven't killed him yet (thank goodness).

"The worst thing that could happen to anybody, would be to not be used for anything by anybody."
-- Kurt Vonnegut

Working the corner has a whole new meaning...

I'm sure that this phenomena is not exclusive to where I live...however, I imagine, or at least I hope that it is not undertaken in less climate friendly areas....But I've noticed over the past few weeks that the favored mode of outdoor advertising is people dancing with signs on the street corners. It's really quite disturbing to me. I bike past them and wonder how they can stand there twisting a sign around loking like they care about the content, which is usually somthing like "senior housing" or "new apartments" and the sign is in the shape of an arrow. I can't even figure out what they're pointing at...and I know that if it was me, I would stand on the wrong corner with the arrow pointing the wrong way just to piss people off.

Too much Potter on the brain

I was watching Joe study for his weekly exam and thought to myself how wondrous it would be to study for tests with the aid of a pensieve :)
(Image courtesy of OOTP, JK Rowling)