Have arrived safe in Cairo STOP
1 piece luggage MIA STOP
Within spitting distance of Pyramids STOP
Exhausted from most uncomfortable flight (11 hours) No sleep for 22 hours STOP
Must pass out now STOP
Friday, January 13, 2006
Telegram
Thursday, January 12, 2006
The morning phone call
As I lay in bed last night I tried to relax, but this rather hard to do on the eve of a trip like this.
"Relax!" I told myself. "You're packed and good to go. Anything you forgot you can get on the way or at your destination".
"Unless you never get there" my pessimistic side says.
"What? What do you mean?"
"Your trip, everything you've planned for could all go south. All you have to do is over sleep, or have something delay your flight from Cleveland."
I could feel my heart rate rising. This is not the way to fall asleep. I'm already in Christmas eve mode. Time is at a near stand still. I slow my breathing and tell myself it's okay. We have an alarm clock and Rossana's internal clock always gets her up on time.
Indeed we were up right on time, and as I stood in the kitchen at 7 AM zipping up my suitcase in preparation for hauling it to the van we get... a phone call. The automated call tells me that the flight from Cleveland to D.C. for 'rzwrne fhcherruh' and 'stephm phlackkk' has been cancelled.
Heart rate...shooting...through...roof...
"Please hold while we transfer you to a reservation specialist" (aka 'The person who's head will shortly be resting on a pike in my front yard') There is a click and a bored sounding woman gets on the line. I'm having a hard time forming words.
"Flight...Cancelled...How..Egypt?"
"Mr Flack?" asks the voice.
"Pack."
"Pardon?" she asks.
"Pack. The name of the man who's dreams you've just crushed is Pack, not Flack. It's a small thing really, but it's all I have now" I look over to my wife and I think how sad it will be we will never see each other again when she is sent away for killing everyone at the Continental Airlines counter.
"Mr. Pack we've booked you on a direct flight to New York leaving later this afternoon." She gives me the flight info,
"You mean we're still going?" Outside the sun stops cowering behind the horizon and I swear I see flowers begin to spontaneously blossom to the tune of 'O Fortuna'.
"Yes sir, you will arrive at 5:30".
So we will have to wait around the house while. To tell the truth I wasn't crazy about our original flight. We would have been sitting around in New York for 4 hours, now we will have only 90 minutes. I'm praying that's enough time to transfer terminals and clear any security strip searches (I've done away with wearing underwear today in the interest of saving time for this procedure).
"Relax!" I told myself. "You're packed and good to go. Anything you forgot you can get on the way or at your destination".
"Unless you never get there" my pessimistic side says.
"What? What do you mean?"
"Your trip, everything you've planned for could all go south. All you have to do is over sleep, or have something delay your flight from Cleveland."
I could feel my heart rate rising. This is not the way to fall asleep. I'm already in Christmas eve mode. Time is at a near stand still. I slow my breathing and tell myself it's okay. We have an alarm clock and Rossana's internal clock always gets her up on time.
Indeed we were up right on time, and as I stood in the kitchen at 7 AM zipping up my suitcase in preparation for hauling it to the van we get... a phone call. The automated call tells me that the flight from Cleveland to D.C. for 'rzwrne fhcherruh' and 'stephm phlackkk' has been cancelled.
Heart rate...shooting...through...roof...
"Please hold while we transfer you to a reservation specialist" (aka 'The person who's head will shortly be resting on a pike in my front yard') There is a click and a bored sounding woman gets on the line. I'm having a hard time forming words.
"Flight...Cancelled...How..Egypt?"
"Mr Flack?" asks the voice.
"Pack."
"Pardon?" she asks.
"Pack. The name of the man who's dreams you've just crushed is Pack, not Flack. It's a small thing really, but it's all I have now" I look over to my wife and I think how sad it will be we will never see each other again when she is sent away for killing everyone at the Continental Airlines counter.
"Mr. Pack we've booked you on a direct flight to New York leaving later this afternoon." She gives me the flight info,
"You mean we're still going?" Outside the sun stops cowering behind the horizon and I swear I see flowers begin to spontaneously blossom to the tune of 'O Fortuna'.
"Yes sir, you will arrive at 5:30".
So we will have to wait around the house while. To tell the truth I wasn't crazy about our original flight. We would have been sitting around in New York for 4 hours, now we will have only 90 minutes. I'm praying that's enough time to transfer terminals and clear any security strip searches (I've done away with wearing underwear today in the interest of saving time for this procedure).
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
I can't see how this could possibly go wrong.
As soon as I got this shirt from Angryamericantshirts.com I said, jokingly, "I should wear this somewhere in Egypt". Of course, I say a LOT of things, most of which I quickly forget, which is for the best I suppose.
But this idea seemed to stick around, prompted by people practically daring me to be so crass while in a foreign country. Although we will be pretending to be Canadians on this trip ('Hey, this is my wife, she's from Manitoba and I'm from Winnipeg, eh'), there is no denying that we are Americans. It is our birthright to be slightly 'ugly'. And as such, a little poking is in order. I'm willing to risk becoming a social outcast, and maybe a dank Egyptian prison but I want something from you in return. So here's the deal:
I will wear this shirt in public, preferably near a recognizable monument. For each photo I post on the site YOU will make a donation of at least $5 to a charity of your choice. 2 photo's = $10. 5 photo's=$25. It would be great if you would consider helping the Theban Mapping Project, but any charity is okay. Go check out their amazing website. They are doing some great work.
This is all on the honor system, don't send anything to me. Of course, if I AM arrested, that donation can be used to help pay my bail, or hire the A-Team to break me out. Whichever, I'm not picky.
Peace me unto you!
Steve
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
I am sick
I do not know how I got this way, or if it will clear up or get worse. All I can say is that I am beyond pissed off. If it's a typical cold I will suffer through 1 week of misery and at least another week as it trails off. It doesn't feel like a typical cold yet, and that has me worried. Last time I felt under the weather I discovered that I had BOTH strep throat and walking pneumonia.
I basically have one day to figure out if I should go see a doctor and try to score some general antibiotics. I am not a pill person. My magic exilur of healing is Nyquil. But I am about to leave this country on a trip I have been waiting along time for. Fuck. Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck....damn.
The packing is basically done. At the last minute I talked myself into buying a new digital camera. I managed to finish a website for a client and there should be some money waiting for me when I get home. My current camera is okay but it's starting to act funny at times. Plus its only 2 megapixels. The new camera, the Canon Powershot SD500 is 7.1 I picked up a generic spare battery and a 1 gig sd card. I do not want to run out of space for pics on this trip.
As is typical, a client contacted yesterday me to tell me their website was broken in some way. It is a goddamn mathmatical certainty that if I try to leave home ( or better, I am 1,000 miles away from it) something breaks. Luckily the fix was pretty simple. I have asked the client not to make any changes to the site while I am gone. In fact, it would be best if they didn't even look at it. Do you hear me Rupp? Turn the computer off.
I basically have one day to figure out if I should go see a doctor and try to score some general antibiotics. I am not a pill person. My magic exilur of healing is Nyquil. But I am about to leave this country on a trip I have been waiting along time for. Fuck. Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck....damn.
The packing is basically done. At the last minute I talked myself into buying a new digital camera. I managed to finish a website for a client and there should be some money waiting for me when I get home. My current camera is okay but it's starting to act funny at times. Plus its only 2 megapixels. The new camera, the Canon Powershot SD500 is 7.1 I picked up a generic spare battery and a 1 gig sd card. I do not want to run out of space for pics on this trip.
As is typical, a client contacted yesterday me to tell me their website was broken in some way. It is a goddamn mathmatical certainty that if I try to leave home ( or better, I am 1,000 miles away from it) something breaks. Luckily the fix was pretty simple. I have asked the client not to make any changes to the site while I am gone. In fact, it would be best if they didn't even look at it. Do you hear me Rupp? Turn the computer off.
Monday, January 09, 2006
Land of the Pharoah's
In three days my wife and I depart for Egypt. This has been a trip we have been planning, scrimping and saving for for several years. This is the kind of thing some people call a 'once in a lifetime' trip. I actually hope to have more of these kinds of trips. I don't know, I'm greedy that way.
Although any trip to Egypt will deal with its ancient history our tour is very focused on archeology. We will be traveling with Dr Kent Weeks and will also have lectures with 2 other egyptologists as well as a meeting with Dr. Zahi Hawass. (If you've watched ANYTHING about Egypt in the last 5 years, he's been in it) He is the secretary General of the Supreme Council of Egyptian Antiquities.
Over two weeks we will be covering a great deal of ground; from the pyramids at Giza and Saqqara to the Valley of the Kings in Luxor as well as Aswan and Abu Simbel. We are getting access to a tomb that is normally closed to the public, a private tour of the Egyptian Museum after it is closed and access to KV5 the largest tomb yet discovered in the Valley of the Kings and still being excavated.
I am, to be blunt, stoked.
Right now we are in the gearing and packing phase. These are two different things. When we gear up for a trip we pull out EVERYTHING we think we might need. Clothes, books, maps, luggage, toiletries... then we systematically go through all of it eliminating what we don't need. When we've paired it down we do a test pack, this invariably leads us to dumping more unneeded items.
Once we are happy with what we have we pack a set of our clothes in each others luggage. In the event one of our bags is lost we will have at least 2 sets of clothes. Our personal gear selection is another rigorous project. If you travel anywhere abroad it is a good idea to plan for the possibility that someone, somewhere, wants your stuff. When we travel we dump our wallets/purses. Money and travelers checks get split up. Some carried in an easy to get to travel wallet, some in a neck or belly pouch, some in an ankle wallet and some secured back at the hotel. We use pants with button or velcro flaps. We make copies of ALL our travel documents as well as track down numbers for embassies etc.
Because this trip covers a lot of history and ground I wanted to carry more gear than I usually do. I've tried backpacks but they are bulky and not comfortable to wear. I'm trying something new with a messenger-type bag I got at goodwill for 4 bucks. It has tons of pockets to hold my maps, guidebooks, compass, flashlight, journal, camera, pens, baby wipes etc. It also slings across the shoulder making it hard to grab in a run-by. I've been testing it out over the past few days and it's very comfortable to wear. I only wish it was brown, instead of black so that it didn't stand out at all.
Unlike journeys on the past, we are going with a tour group. This means that we won't get to meet any many native Egyptians as we would if we were hoofing it solo. We are also at the mercy and schedule of the tour operators. This was a real issue the one other time we took a tour in Sicily. We could have spent two whole days crawling all over Pompeii, but we were rushed through the entire affair in a few hours and were forced to visit a cameo shop to boot. Then there's having to deal with other humans. I'm optimistic that this will be a fun group to travel with. If they aren;t I am confident that the shifting sands of the dessert will quickly cover the bodies after Rossana kills them.
It's 2:30 in the morning but I am still pouring over websites trying to cram my brain with as much information as I can. I found a great website that documents the work being done in the Valley of the Kings. Wonderful stuff. I'm scribbling down questions. There have been some big controversies in the field of Egyptology in the past few years and I'm just starting to pick up on some of them. Since we'll be getting our information straight from some of the top people in the field I hope we get some answers.
Although any trip to Egypt will deal with its ancient history our tour is very focused on archeology. We will be traveling with Dr Kent Weeks and will also have lectures with 2 other egyptologists as well as a meeting with Dr. Zahi Hawass. (If you've watched ANYTHING about Egypt in the last 5 years, he's been in it) He is the secretary General of the Supreme Council of Egyptian Antiquities.
Over two weeks we will be covering a great deal of ground; from the pyramids at Giza and Saqqara to the Valley of the Kings in Luxor as well as Aswan and Abu Simbel. We are getting access to a tomb that is normally closed to the public, a private tour of the Egyptian Museum after it is closed and access to KV5 the largest tomb yet discovered in the Valley of the Kings and still being excavated.
I am, to be blunt, stoked.
Right now we are in the gearing and packing phase. These are two different things. When we gear up for a trip we pull out EVERYTHING we think we might need. Clothes, books, maps, luggage, toiletries... then we systematically go through all of it eliminating what we don't need. When we've paired it down we do a test pack, this invariably leads us to dumping more unneeded items.
Once we are happy with what we have we pack a set of our clothes in each others luggage. In the event one of our bags is lost we will have at least 2 sets of clothes. Our personal gear selection is another rigorous project. If you travel anywhere abroad it is a good idea to plan for the possibility that someone, somewhere, wants your stuff. When we travel we dump our wallets/purses. Money and travelers checks get split up. Some carried in an easy to get to travel wallet, some in a neck or belly pouch, some in an ankle wallet and some secured back at the hotel. We use pants with button or velcro flaps. We make copies of ALL our travel documents as well as track down numbers for embassies etc.
Because this trip covers a lot of history and ground I wanted to carry more gear than I usually do. I've tried backpacks but they are bulky and not comfortable to wear. I'm trying something new with a messenger-type bag I got at goodwill for 4 bucks. It has tons of pockets to hold my maps, guidebooks, compass, flashlight, journal, camera, pens, baby wipes etc. It also slings across the shoulder making it hard to grab in a run-by. I've been testing it out over the past few days and it's very comfortable to wear. I only wish it was brown, instead of black so that it didn't stand out at all.
Unlike journeys on the past, we are going with a tour group. This means that we won't get to meet any many native Egyptians as we would if we were hoofing it solo. We are also at the mercy and schedule of the tour operators. This was a real issue the one other time we took a tour in Sicily. We could have spent two whole days crawling all over Pompeii, but we were rushed through the entire affair in a few hours and were forced to visit a cameo shop to boot. Then there's having to deal with other humans. I'm optimistic that this will be a fun group to travel with. If they aren;t I am confident that the shifting sands of the dessert will quickly cover the bodies after Rossana kills them.
It's 2:30 in the morning but I am still pouring over websites trying to cram my brain with as much information as I can. I found a great website that documents the work being done in the Valley of the Kings. Wonderful stuff. I'm scribbling down questions. There have been some big controversies in the field of Egyptology in the past few years and I'm just starting to pick up on some of them. Since we'll be getting our information straight from some of the top people in the field I hope we get some answers.
Friday, January 06, 2006
Flava
You nay recall a few weeks ago that I was in the final stages of the 'meading process' and that soon the sweet nectar MIGHT be ready, that is, if I didn't completely fuck it up. Well, it seems that I did not fuck it up and the results are here for all to see. Behold! I give you Bag End Strawberry Mead.
"How much does it cost?" you ask. Foolish mortal! You cannot buy ambrosia, the food of the gods! But if you beg on bent knee (or just stand near me long enough) I will likely whip out a bottle in the way proud parents enjoy inflicting endless photos of their progeny on complete strangers.
I am told by people with palletes that would know that it is extremely drinkable, if not , in fact tasty. I like my mead sweet and this fulfill my tastes well. Your milage may vary. I am hoping that I can make another batch this February, provided Grimm is willing to hold my hand again. I cannot thank him anough for his help and advice. If you're thinking of making mead I recommend it highly, if only because you might get to set up a contraption that looks this cool in your kitchen (at least for a little while):
"How much does it cost?" you ask. Foolish mortal! You cannot buy ambrosia, the food of the gods! But if you beg on bent knee (or just stand near me long enough) I will likely whip out a bottle in the way proud parents enjoy inflicting endless photos of their progeny on complete strangers.
I am told by people with palletes that would know that it is extremely drinkable, if not , in fact tasty. I like my mead sweet and this fulfill my tastes well. Your milage may vary. I am hoping that I can make another batch this February, provided Grimm is willing to hold my hand again. I cannot thank him anough for his help and advice. If you're thinking of making mead I recommend it highly, if only because you might get to set up a contraption that looks this cool in your kitchen (at least for a little while):
Thursday, January 05, 2006
War is Peace - Ingorance is Strength
It seems that a white-as-wonder-bread average Joe who just happened to have written an Anti-Bush book now finds himself on the TSA 'No Fly' list. This is a list you can't get off of. This is a list with between 35 and 80 thousand names on it. You cannot sue to find out how you got on this list. Yes, it might all just be a misunderstanding. Might just be a glitch in the computer. No reason to get bent out of shape, is there? Unless it was you on that list.
Are we paying attention yet?
Are we paying attention yet?
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Score!
Rossana and I took a trip today to the Goodwill. Rossana hates paying retail and there are sometimes good deals to be had. I did not expect she'd get the goddamn trifecta. First she finds a hat that will be perfect for our upcomming trip. Cost? 99 cents. I just paid over 60 bucks for a genuine Tilly Hat. That's the most I've ever spent for a hat. But it's from Canada, and it has a secret pocket and is guaranteed against damage and loss. If I am killed by insane Jihadists, my hat will go on. She then goes on to find a travel pack for four bucks.
I find a very soft jacket that is medium weight. This thing will make a great pillow on some long bus ride. And at 3 bucks I won't feel bad if I need to jettison it. This is the secret to efficient travel in countries with good swag. In Istanbul I chucked pants, shirts and most of my underwear so that we could transport more silk scarves back to England.
Then my keen elf eyes spot something in the discound coat rack. I zero in on it like a cruise missile, I think I knocked over a small child to get to it. Everyone has heard the story about buying a 2 dollar painting at a garage sale only to discover its a missing Renoire, and Jackal spent less that 25 cents for a First edition of Le Motre D'Arthur that he later sold at a tremandous profit. Today was my turn. We found a mint condition Half Moon Jacket.
If you've been doing renfaires for too long like I have you can spot one of these distinctive wool coats or capes from a mile away. Anyone who does the circuit full time had dropped 200 bucks or more for one. And I found one that fits Rossana like a glove for FOUR BUCKS.
Yes, I did the Happy Dance(tm).
Today was a good day.
I find a very soft jacket that is medium weight. This thing will make a great pillow on some long bus ride. And at 3 bucks I won't feel bad if I need to jettison it. This is the secret to efficient travel in countries with good swag. In Istanbul I chucked pants, shirts and most of my underwear so that we could transport more silk scarves back to England.
Then my keen elf eyes spot something in the discound coat rack. I zero in on it like a cruise missile, I think I knocked over a small child to get to it. Everyone has heard the story about buying a 2 dollar painting at a garage sale only to discover its a missing Renoire, and Jackal spent less that 25 cents for a First edition of Le Motre D'Arthur that he later sold at a tremandous profit. Today was my turn. We found a mint condition Half Moon Jacket.
If you've been doing renfaires for too long like I have you can spot one of these distinctive wool coats or capes from a mile away. Anyone who does the circuit full time had dropped 200 bucks or more for one. And I found one that fits Rossana like a glove for FOUR BUCKS.
Yes, I did the Happy Dance(tm).
Today was a good day.
Saturday, December 31, 2005
Movies
In Boston I got the chance to see the awesomeness that is my Dads home theater system. Since he installs this stuff for a living you might expect his personal rig to have mighty powers. And you would be right. We watched Kingdom of Heaven and it was like sitting right in a theater, except with really comfy seats. Now I learn that Ridley Scotts film originally had about an hour more footage and Fox made him cut. This footage explained all kinds of plot elements that didn;t quite gel in the released version, (such as how a blacksmith knows how to defend against a siege). An enthusiastic geek got to see this full version and you can read about how cool it could have been here. Alas, it was re-released on ONE goddamn screen and i don;t anticipate it getting any kind of wide play. Maybe we will be lucky and get an extended edition DVD in a year. One can always hope.
We also saw Syriana in the theater and I enjoyed it a lot. Great performances and it did not pull punches or dumb down the material. What it did not do is shock or surprise me. At the end I felt I had watched a well acted dramatic portrayal of how the US has run foreign policy in the Middle East over the last 30 years or so.
Lastly we saw King Kong in Philly and I will say that it did not in ANY way dissapoint. It rocked and it rocked HARD. Amazing visuals but also a good story. Scarier than I though it could be. And certainly a tear jerker. Just try to watch the 70's version after seeing this, you will vomit in your own Lederhosen. Andy Serkis (who was Gollem) is the actor behind Kong and they say that he's the actor behind Kong. I don't know, Kong is so damn real, so alive that you don't see Andy there at all. It like they found the Laurance Olivier of Gorrillas and just filmed him doing his thing. It's THAT real. Go see this in a theater, it just won't look as good on the small screen.
We also saw Syriana in the theater and I enjoyed it a lot. Great performances and it did not pull punches or dumb down the material. What it did not do is shock or surprise me. At the end I felt I had watched a well acted dramatic portrayal of how the US has run foreign policy in the Middle East over the last 30 years or so.
Lastly we saw King Kong in Philly and I will say that it did not in ANY way dissapoint. It rocked and it rocked HARD. Amazing visuals but also a good story. Scarier than I though it could be. And certainly a tear jerker. Just try to watch the 70's version after seeing this, you will vomit in your own Lederhosen. Andy Serkis (who was Gollem) is the actor behind Kong and they say that he's the actor behind Kong. I don't know, Kong is so damn real, so alive that you don't see Andy there at all. It like they found the Laurance Olivier of Gorrillas and just filmed him doing his thing. It's THAT real. Go see this in a theater, it just won't look as good on the small screen.
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Chowda!
We're in Boston visiting my father and his super cool wife Millie. My father had the good sence to marry an Italian as well.
We have eaten like kings here. Dinner was at Pizzaria Regina (est 1926). Its small, serves ONLY pizza and has lines to get in. Why? It is quite frankly the best pizza I have eaten in quite a while. We stopped by a bakery and picked up some mini cannoli, pizzelles, a chocolate chip cookie the size of my head and some break. I don't know what every one else is getting for dessert tonight but I'm set.
We have eaten like kings here. Dinner was at Pizzaria Regina (est 1926). Its small, serves ONLY pizza and has lines to get in. Why? It is quite frankly the best pizza I have eaten in quite a while. We stopped by a bakery and picked up some mini cannoli, pizzelles, a chocolate chip cookie the size of my head and some break. I don't know what every one else is getting for dessert tonight but I'm set.
Sunday, December 18, 2005
I may be a whore, but I don't work for 'The Man'
When I was down in Biloxi, Vlads wife had a great t-shirt that said "Product of finely tuned Celtic Rage". It was sweet. When I asked about it Vlad said that a buddy of his was making the shirts. I went to the website and found even more gooder shirts there.
If you're looking for shirts that make statements others may find uncomfortable I highly recommend you spend your hard earned money on shirts that are sure to cause you problems when you wear them out and about. The guy is a fellow SCA member and the shirts are printed here in Ohio. Now that's supporting your local small business. Go now and shop! Zoltan demands it!
Saturday, December 17, 2005
So cool it hurts
I like to think I'm like Kwi Chang Kane from King Fu. I travel the badlands of the internets. I'm not looking for trouble, but it finds me just the same. And when the shit hits the fan I'm there with SKILLS. In the end there are bodies all over the place and we all learned a valuable philosophical lesson.
I'm like that, except without the fighting.
But there are lessons to be learned grasshopper. I like cool things. You must like cool things too, else you would not be here, your eyes sliding across these words looking for 'it'. That 'thing' that is coolness in its purest form.
Well, I have it. And I am happy to pass its linky goodness on to you young Padwan (wait, am I a Kung Fu master or a Jedi? Hell I'm both! Like a Reeses peanut butter cup).
So here it is, the gift that you can give anyone. The Book of Cool. It is an AMAZING book that comes with 3 DVDs showing people doing the coolest things. Card manipulation? Sure. Juggling? Hell yeah. Gun twirling, Frisbee, hacky sack even pen twirling. All of it shot beautifully with great music. Go take a look (the sight is great as well) and then order this thing for yourself, or some other lucky bastard.
I'm like that, except without the fighting.
But there are lessons to be learned grasshopper. I like cool things. You must like cool things too, else you would not be here, your eyes sliding across these words looking for 'it'. That 'thing' that is coolness in its purest form.
Well, I have it. And I am happy to pass its linky goodness on to you young Padwan (wait, am I a Kung Fu master or a Jedi? Hell I'm both! Like a Reeses peanut butter cup).
So here it is, the gift that you can give anyone. The Book of Cool. It is an AMAZING book that comes with 3 DVDs showing people doing the coolest things. Card manipulation? Sure. Juggling? Hell yeah. Gun twirling, Frisbee, hacky sack even pen twirling. All of it shot beautifully with great music. Go take a look (the sight is great as well) and then order this thing for yourself, or some other lucky bastard.
Friday, December 16, 2005
Castle!
I now know how Solieri felt about Mozart. I'm not un-clever. But there are people with skills and visions so far past most of us that you cannot help but envy them. Such is the case with the people who built this amazing castle in New York.
It's for sale by the way. The asking price is about 6 million.
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Lowering my stress levels
I normally don't like to send people "cutsey" things. But we live in dangerous, stressful times. If you're feeling under the gun, or are contemplating using one, I recommend you go here.
Repeat as needed.
Meady goodness
I have been eagerly awaiting the magic day when the mead I cooked up last year with Grim is bottled. This day MAY be Friday. I talked to him today and he asked me if it was clear and if it had stopped fermenting. I answered yes to both questions. Since hitting it with a second applications of the magic sparkloid powder it was now much clearer.
I went out to the shop to, well, look at the gooey mess, like a proud father looks at the placenta and says "That's nasty, but I get a baby out of the deal, and that ain't so bad." But when I moved the bottle accidently, well.. swirled it a little accidently on purpose it bubbled a little.
Fuck. What do I do? Fuck! Does that mean it's still going? Shit. That was stupid. Call Grim. He'll know what to do. I give him a buzz. Grimm is like Winston Wolf, he fixes things.
"Hmm. Well, next to peeing in the carbouy that was the worst thing you could have done." Shit. "You might have stirred up some nastines and there may be some fermentation still going on, you'll need to rack it off. It you bottle it now, each bottle will be a ticking TIME-BOMB that could EXPLODE killing everyone in the immediet area."
Jesus, I just swirled the bottle a little once of twice, I didn't know I was setting up an IED factory.
Grim calmly tried to explain how to rack the mead from one bottle to another. "It's just like when you used to siphon gas when you were younger."
"Younger? Dude I own a cargo van, I siphonedf gas from my neighbor yesterday."
He told me how to use the racking cane (siphon). He then wished me good luck. I cleaned out and steralized the second bottle, did a practice run a few times and the process was actually kinda cool. The process sort of looked like a mad scientists chemistry experiment. Sweet. I successfully racked the mead and hope to bottle it very soon. With luck, it won't kill anyone, but I make no promisses. I want to make another batch, maybe raspberry. But propane is now waaaay expensive, and that's what heats the shop, where the mead god lives. I can't afford to keep the shop evenly heated all ther time. I don't know where I'd put it to keep it warm and happy.
I went out to the shop to, well, look at the gooey mess, like a proud father looks at the placenta and says "That's nasty, but I get a baby out of the deal, and that ain't so bad." But when I moved the bottle accidently, well.. swirled it a little accidently on purpose it bubbled a little.
Fuck. What do I do? Fuck! Does that mean it's still going? Shit. That was stupid. Call Grim. He'll know what to do. I give him a buzz. Grimm is like Winston Wolf, he fixes things.
"Hmm. Well, next to peeing in the carbouy that was the worst thing you could have done." Shit. "You might have stirred up some nastines and there may be some fermentation still going on, you'll need to rack it off. It you bottle it now, each bottle will be a ticking TIME-BOMB that could EXPLODE killing everyone in the immediet area."
Jesus, I just swirled the bottle a little once of twice, I didn't know I was setting up an IED factory.
Grim calmly tried to explain how to rack the mead from one bottle to another. "It's just like when you used to siphon gas when you were younger."
"Younger? Dude I own a cargo van, I siphonedf gas from my neighbor yesterday."
He told me how to use the racking cane (siphon). He then wished me good luck. I cleaned out and steralized the second bottle, did a practice run a few times and the process was actually kinda cool. The process sort of looked like a mad scientists chemistry experiment. Sweet. I successfully racked the mead and hope to bottle it very soon. With luck, it won't kill anyone, but I make no promisses. I want to make another batch, maybe raspberry. But propane is now waaaay expensive, and that's what heats the shop, where the mead god lives. I can't afford to keep the shop evenly heated all ther time. I don't know where I'd put it to keep it warm and happy.
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