Fire and beer rock

Time really does move On.. Nordic black metal

2011-04-14T12:03:00.000-07:00

So, I am back here after a year or more with no postings. But Guess what ? Doing exams again so suddenly this is more important again. Last exam tomorrow and then a few Dopple Bocks I reckon... and maybe a belgian ale or an american craft beer to follow........... Music Choices while studying. Mostly Burzum and Blut Aus Nord with some Journey from their 1975 Debut thrown into the mix. Back to work on Monday and the grind begins again but hey, Whitesnake have a brilliant new album out and i have an Accept tee shirt to wear. Got it at the Accept gig a few weeks ago. Storming. First time in ireland in 25 years I think. Right, better go.

Time moves on

2010-01-08T13:28:00.000-08:00

So, It's January 2010. Listening to early 1980's Turkish Rock music. Makes a (slight) change from 1970's Turkish Rock music.

I really should update this more than twice a year I guess. Well, I managed to graduate with a masters degree in the last few weeks so that's good i supose. Another two pay cuts since my last Blog but I do have a job, a wife who rocks and a large amount of early 1970's Rock music to listen to (Turkish and otherwise)

I also have a pile of SF DVD's to watch. My usual number of one dvd/movie every 4 months does lead to a pile up of unwatched ones. However, there is a serious amount of snow and ice out there. No moving outside for weekend (at the least) and NO outdoor fires so time to kick back, have a glass of good wine or port and Hook speakers up to laptop and watch District 9 and SGU.

To be continued.

Studying, Pay cuts and Renovating the House

2009-02-07T12:39:00.000-08:00

You know, studying is very little fun, particularly when you loathe what you are studying. And getting a massive Pay cut Sucks too. And having a whole pile of tiles in the hall as well as two toilets and wash hand basins, that sucks too.

And waiting for the Builder/Handyman to come back to you to give you a quote/date for starting? Now That Sucks Big time.

So, It's time for a beer I reckon.

Yes it is.

2008-04-16T09:15:00.000-07:00

I saw this post on Homebrew http://beerbits2.blogspot.com/2008/04/homebrew-blogging-day.html and it reminded me of my first experiences making beer as an impecunious student in Dublin in the mid 1980's.

Massive unemployment and severe lack of anything approaching spending money that wasn't spent on college fees meant that if you wanted the taste of sweet sweet beer you had to make it yourself or be a pool hustler. I wasn't up to much at pool. (still no good at it nearly 25 years later)

So beer it was. Homebrewed beer. Me and my mate Steve were lucky in that his mother who was from Finland had left equipment and yeast in Steve's place.
We tried to make lager first. Moved it from the bucket after a week, put it into lots of beer bottles we had aquired, added more sugar (too much I reckon). We waited in anticipation of that sweet yellow nectar. Six weeks later we tried our first brew. We expected it to be a bit cloudy. We did not expect it Jet Black and utterly horrific! We were gutted. Phone calls to his mother ensued. She said she'd show us how to do it and true to her word she did. Over the next two years we made many batches, gaining confidence each time. We made lager, Stout and (bizarrely) 80 pints of non-alcoholic cider.............. not good.

Towards the end we got cocky. We started using wine yeast so the beer was ten or eleven percent by volume alcohol. It Rocked. Black Sabbath, Deep Purple full volume metal and over proof beer. Good good times. Cheap and cheerful. Our Parties wer pretty popular. Hell yeah...........

We moved to different countries, Got older, married and all that life stuff intruded on the party but I am introducing my younger brother to the joys of the homebrew in the next few weeks so the party will continue one way or another. Keep the faith.

Doing Exams means your house is tidier

2008-04-16T00:36:00.000-07:00

It's true. No matter what age you are, when you have exams to do you will find many other things to do that suddenly become enticing.

Drain Unblocking: Done
Bins emptied to Master Bin: Done
All clothes washed: Done
House Tidied: Done
update blog for first time in over a month: done
Ironing................. Well, there is a limit.......

So, no time for fire or beer for the next week or two.. but the time will come soon.... yes soon........

Enough of this. Time to study! Dammit!!

staying up late

2008-03-13T20:02:00.000-07:00

Staying up late for no reason is all very well, but it means you are wrecked the next day. But only if you have to get up I suppose.

Fire and Beer. How good are they?

2008-03-06T09:09:00.000-08:00

They are Brilliant. Sitting by a fire in the back garden, drinking beer....... It's just fantastic. More on this soon. Have to throw more bits of door on the fire.

Now, you can smell like a bonfire afterwards but hey, That's celtic and mystic..... and you can have a shower afterwards too.

Listening to Deep Purple Gigs from the early 1970's. Now that really rocks. And if you can listen to them while freshly showered, drinking quality belgian beer at your fire. Well that's just fabulous.

A transcendent non-zero sum game to beat the band.

Arfton