Tag Archives: cicerone

Science, Beer, Food, and Blathering Gift Suggestions

Well, after blogging for four and a half years, I guess I’ve started to get the hang of things. Like, in December, a blogger should consider having a “gift guide” or something. Or a good cookie recipe. Or both.

Well, I have several cookie recipes, but nothing new for you, so I guess we’ll have to settle on a gift ideas. I tried to come up with a few things that I have liked, used, or given as potential gifts from each “section” of the blog (food, beer, science, blather).

Mostly, I think these things are neat, fun, or wonderful and I hope to help you find something spectacular for someone awesome in your life. Or, if not find, give you some a springboard for other ideas.… Continue reading →

Updates!

So, here it is the middle of December and I didn’t even tell you all what happened in November. My apologies. Basically, after going so freaking hard in November I crashed, hard, in December.

I’m only just resurfacing, frankly. The shortened days always do a number on me, and it’s been a bit of an odd year overall. But I’m starting to come back up and I realized I should give you all the updates I can think of.

First, I did complete/”win” NaNoWriMo. The goal being 50,000 words in 30 days and I got a bit over 53,000 words. Unfortunately or fortunately, I’m not sure which, this wasn’t in any way the end of the story. So, I kept writing into December a few days, until the aforementioned crash.… Continue reading →

A Variety of Things

My last post mentioned that I’d had some moles hacked out of my body and sent off to be inspected. The report on them came back basically fine. I also am healing well, though much more slowly than I’d like. I was only allowed to start bending my right arm again yesterday. Turns out that when you go two weeks without bending your arm much that your bicep objects when you finally do. Also? You can’t aim for crap. Washing my hair yesterday morning was a bit of an adventure. Let’s not even discuss what I look like while trying to maneuver a fork. (Bill laughs. I’m apparently hysterical looking.)

The day before we left for New Mexico, I attended a bottle share and discussion put on by Kim Leshinski of Hail 2 the Ale.… Continue reading →

I Actually Drank Something That Smelled Like the Ass-End of a Skunk

And I did so intentionally. I’d say I’m ashamed to admit this, but you all know I’d be lying. I mean, what else was I likely to encounter in a basic course about off-flavors in beer?

Yup, that happened this past Saturday, and I found it fascinating, so I wanted to share a little bit with you guys. And, frankly, encourage anyone who is in Chicago and interested to go try this course. It’s a very educational hour and a half. Well worth the $40 it cost me. Spoiler: I’m strongly considering going again.

The set-up is pretty simple. There’s a classroom and a lecturer with Power Point slides that don’t violate good Power Point rules by too much. Each seat in the class is provided with some of the slides, note-taking space, water and very bland crackers.… Continue reading →