Though I don't post as often as some would like, not having my own computer certainly lessens it. Since I had to login anyway to add to my reading list, I figured I'd do my blogger duty and actually write and post something else. So here goes random thoughts and updates.
1. I think I am in love with Adam Baldwin. He is the greatest Baldwin brother of all, perhaps because he isn't a Baldwin brother at all (no relation to those idiots). You may know him from such shows as Chuck (John Casey), Serenity/Firefly (Jayne), and Independence Day (Major Mitchell). He's also been in about a gazillion other things, and he seems to rock every role he's in. I dearly love him. My Adam is less pleased about that.
2. Carmel is back from her holiday tomorrow. It should be...interesting. She told/warned me that she's a royal bitch when she gets back from Crete because she loves it there and never wants to leave. I told her she could be a bitch until Monday, when I wouldn't put up with it anymore. I've had no word from or about Karen. I hope she's doing as well as she can be. Sarah was nice and very helpful/hardworking.
3. The trafficking of girls is a horrible, grim thing. I encourage awareness of this worldwide phenomenon (yes, it's all over the States and UK as well, and includes domestic girls from both countries, and well as foreign nationals/illegal immigrants), but would not suggest immersing yourself in the topic as full as I have done over the last week or so. Girl Museum research, FYI. Also, Girl Museum has a new exhibition that I forgot to mention earlier: Hina Matsuri: Celebrating Girls' Day in Japan. Go check it out!!
4. Beer Festival this weekend. Two, as a matter of fact, but Adam and I are skipping the one here in Huddersfield (it was only "enh" last year, even with Matthew the freakishly bearded with us) and heading down to Nottingham to what looks like will a totally awesome, rocking, drunken good time. They have over 700 real ales and ciders/perries down there, and it's in the Castle grounds, behind Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem (the oldest pub in England, and it has good food and damn fine beer itself). Plus Matthew (of the freakish beard--he grew it at some point in the like 3 years we hadn't seen him before last year. Mountain man meets Wandering Jew) and his awesome woman Ami will be meeting us there, as well as Claire and her Matt. Claire, Matthew, and Adam all were in the physics department at Leicester, and Matthew is one of our favorite drinking buddies (Gareth is another, but he sucks and won't come visit), and Claire is just a blast. Plus, both of their partners are fun, smart, people, so it should be a good time. No word on Ms. Claudia's attendance at this point, but she may also make a part of the drunken festivities. Sadly, we're heading down early on Saturday, and back on Sunday, so we'll probably be tired for a good chunk of Saturday, and, shall we say, delicate?, on Sunday. Still, the things we endure to experience good beer!
5. Brewing. We bottled our fourth batch weekend before last (I think). Very dark, chocolaty. First proper tasting should happen this weekend, but it won't be truly ready for consumption for a couple more (or longer) weeks. Tony is taking me to pick up ingredients for our next batch and the one after it tomorrow. My recipe is the next one to go into the fermenter; I'm hoping to make a sweetish, darker ale with a smoky aroma and flavor. We'll see how it turns out. The batch after that has already been named: The Bastard Brew. It will be made from all our leftover grains, bulked out with some basic malt, and some random hops that Adam decided on. My batch will probably hit the fermenter weekend after the beer festival, and we'll bottle it right before we fly out to the States for Thanksgiving. The Bastard Brew will, if Adam gets his way (and we have time), be made between our returning in the beginning of December and the New Year.
I'm going to lay down and read for a while. There is probably more to say, but I feel I've covered at least my basic blogging obligation at this point.
