If at First You Don't Succeed

So our witbier exploded. But, turns out our homebrew is in high holiday demand--thanks, Evan. Two weekends ago we tried our hand at making some American Brown Ale. This time, in order to cut our brewing time and (hopefully) end up with a tastier brew, Eddy decided to construct a new lauter tun. Previously, we were using a nylon sack and a whole lot of time. Here he is drilling some holes in a new ale pail.

Once nested inside a spigotted ale pail, our lautering and sparging went MUCH smoother.

Mmmm... American Brown Ale...

Here's our pre-existing wort chilling system. It kind of looks like a walrus. That's why I am doing the tusks here.

We are happy to announce that this past weekend the brew made it to secondary fermentation. Our laundry room is completely explosion-free!

Behold, I Have Made Cubes

I finished up my semester today and wanted to celebrate my last Monday off work this year by tackling a sewing project I have been itching to do for months. Ever since Etsy told me to read Dorm Decor, I have been itching to make some door stops for our (many) apartment doors that will NOT stay open and/or closed.

So, Eddy helped me select some fabric--"not too girly" being the primary criteria. I coated the fabric with iron-on vinyl (in order to ward off feline fur). Next, I fashioned some handles and stuffed my cubes with rice.

Here's the final product:

Give a Hoot

I like to take my lunch on the fifth floor of the library. Today, seats were scarce because of finals here at UH. When I finally found a seat, my efforts were rewarded. There was a beautiful little owl roosting about 10 feet outside the window. I was kicking myself thinking of how I didn't have a camera with me--not even my phone--when I remembered that I take photographs for a living. I dashed downstairs to snag our digital SLR. Feast your eyes:

Now. This is a very special moment. It has long been thought that during the 1980s my dad resembled owls:

In this crappy photocopy of old half-tone newsprint, it might be difficult to appreciate the glasses. Allow me to assist:
Through the magic of Photoshop, we can draw this comparison even more clearly:

Mom--the only reason you were spared this treatment is because I don't have a photo of you in your owl specs readily available.

Thxgiving--We found some stuff under my bed...

We had an awesome time at home with the parents for Thanksgiving. We bid a fond farewell to our favorite Ozark institution, Riverside Inn:



We also found some sweet, sweet "works of art" under my bed:

This is a book I wrote in 6th grade. The full version of the book is now available on Flickr.

One of the strangest discoveries was this image on one of the last pages of the book. The resemblance between Eddie and Eddy is shocking.

Finally, there's this classic. This is a later drawing of Sgt. Drunkie, so it doesn't quite capture just how strange it was that my little brother drew pictures of a drunken military man, but you get the gist.