what did you do today? (2008-2015) (closed)

[braumeister]

Spent all day drinking beer.

This was the first day (of 3) for the judging at the Great American Beer Festival.
It's hard to describe, but the affair gets huger ever year, and to nobody's surprise we have a new record.

222 judges are evaluating 5,510 beers from 1,330 breweries in 90 categories. Needless to say, the logistics of this operation are staggering, and it takes over 150 very well trained and experienced volunteers just to sort and bring the beer samples to the judges.

All tasting is completely blind, so we don't know who won what until the medals are announced on Saturday.

Yes, it's a lot of fun, and we have some great discussions around the judging tables, but it's a serious task at the same time. The medals are a huge prestige and marketing asset for the breweries, so we're very scrupulous about how we do it.

 

[Meadbh]

Spent all day drinking beer.

222 judges are evaluating 5,510 beers from 1,330 breweries in 90 categories.

That's an average of 24.8 beers per judge. I'm sure you are not just average! Cheers!

 

[Gumby]

Spent all day drinking beer.

I hate it when that happens.

 

[Dreamer]

Bought tickets to the upcoming Ian Anderson concert. A last minute decision, the concert is this Friday! It was $10 extra per ticket for 'fees' (groaaan), but the fee money apparently went to the performing arts center instead of the much reviled TicketMaster. So, I bought tickets AND made a $20 donation to the performing arts center (not to mention a $15 donation to the state of NC in the form of sales tax).

Jethro Tull used to be one of my favorite bands and I loved seeing Ian playing his flute and dancing on the stage. I saw him a few years back and almost wished that I had not seen him. I liked thinking about him as he was in his younger days. I have a son named Ian, imagine that. I hope that you have a great time at the concert!

 

[braumeister]

That's an average of 24.8 beers per judge. I'm sure you are not just average! Cheers!

It quickly gets complicated but every beer is judged by at least three judges (and as many as 20 for the medal winners).

Generally speaking, each judge samples nearly 50 beers each day. We typically consume less than ½ ounce of each.

 

[HFWR]

Jethro Tull used to be one of my favorite bands and I loved seeing Ian playing his flute and dancing on the stage. I saw him a few years back and almost wished that I had not seen him. I liked thinking about him as he was in his younger days. I have a son named Ian, imagine that. I hope that you have a great time at the concert!

Last time I saw JT, Ian's voice was pretty much shot. Expect very good music, but lackluster vocals...

 

[W2R]

It quickly gets complicated but every beer is judged by at least three judges (and as many as 20 for the medal winners).

Generally speaking, each judge samples nearly 50 beers each day. We typically consume less than ½ ounce of each.

I'm glad that SOMEBODY is willing to taste all those beers so that the winners can get their trophies. Those of us who are not at all fond of beer salute your courage and sacrifice.

 

[sengsational]

Thought he would at least be retired by now! Bouree baby!

He loves what he does. In a concert I went to a few years ago, he said to buy the record only for the other guys in the band...he didn't need the money!

Last time I saw JT, Ian's voice was pretty much shot. Expect very good music, but lackluster vocals...

...almost wished that I had not seen him. ...

I've been going to concerts and listening to Tull records since high school, including recently, and yes, the vocal quality has gone down, and is varible (good days/bad days). They play Aqualung in a lower key too. And Ian's got no hair any more! But I'm used to (and like) the current state of affairs. I've been listening to the current album and it sounds like various eras of Tull, old and new, albeit with a more limited vocal range. The premise of the album ("Homo Erraticus" = Wondering Human) is to take the position of various people in England through the ages (pre-history to the future). Sort of a UK history lesson through goofy lyrics.

 

[sengsational]

...judging at the Great American Beer Festival.

I might start on my BJCP soon. I've judged our club comp (460 entries judged and 196 registered participants, judges, and stewards), but actually like to steward better...listen to guys like you talk about beer without having to write anything down, hehe!

 

[H2ODude]

Had lunch with two folks who worked for me. I bought the lunch because for $43 it made me feel nothing but great because I no longer work! The litany of problems, how the organization is suffering, on and on, it was just a great lunch!

They're both a good bit younger than me but I wouldn't trade places for anything! Life is good...that's what my hat says anyway.

 

[Walt34]

I'm glad that SOMEBODY is willing to taste all those beers so that the winners can get their trophies. Those of us who are not at all fond of beer salute your courage and sacrifice.

When duty calls, someone has to step up and shoulder the load.

The birthday present I ordered for DW's older grandniece arrived today. When I told her nephew that I'd ordered it his response was "Great! She'll love it!" She'll be nine in a month.

 

[pb4uski]

Today was my weekly "Tour" day, a group of 16-24 retirees who golf at a different course within two hours or so of home every Thursday. Today we played one of my favorite courses about an hour from home and I had a good day for me. I was crushing the ball off the tee and actually had rare eagle putts on two of the par five holes (albeit from the senior tees and very long eagle putts but I am never on in two on par fives). The sun came out early on and we had a great day and my partner and I had a 4th place finish (out of 12 teams).

P.S. I missed both eagle putts but ended those holes with a birdy and a par

 

[seraphim]

Took a break from the kitchen remodel and did some overall cleanup of aggregated drywall dust. Taped up the cabinets to finish primer paint tomorrow. Considering what to do with popcorn ceiling before putting down the color coat. At least, I'll paint over it. Would rather cover it, but it's such a large expanse I'm looking at, we can't find a texture (panels, planks, or whatever) we'd like. Easy enough to cover later, but if I'm going to paint it, I want to do so before I put color on the walls.

Got in a a great power nap. DW says it lasted two hours. I love my recliner...


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[pb4uski]

We had popcorn ceilings in our old house. While most people hate them, I actually like them. We usually repainted them with a roller and ceiling white.. but only go over it 2-3 times at the most after that, it gets too wet and the material started to peel away from the ceiling. For a couple smaller rooms that got a lot of moisture, like the bathrooms, we scraped the popcorn off and repainted with ceiling white.

 

[FIREd]

Today is hot hot hot. Probably one of the hottest days so far this year. So I stayed inside and cleaned up my terrariums. My fern and moss terrarium has not been watered in 5 months, but it still managed to become overgrown (see picture). I loosely seal it with a lid, and the water goes through natural cycles of evaporation and condensation. So it actually rains in there. It's pretty neat.

 

[Khan]

Ran many errands.
Went to doctor and we decided to keep up current drugs.
Got flu shot.
Pneumovax shots next year (65).

 

[sengsational]

Ordered a whole house humidifier from eBay based on this old thread http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/whole-house-humidifier-70561-3.html#post1422308
Usually I start turning into a lizard in January, when the heater is running at full tilt. But getting up in the attic now, while it's not blazing hot, and not cold seems like a good plan.
http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/whole-house-humidifier-70561-3.html#post1422308

 

[ERD50]

He loves what he does. In a concert I went to a few years ago, he said to buy the record only for the other guys in the band...he didn't need the money!

I've been going to concerts and listening to Tull records since high school, including recently, and yes, the vocal quality has gone down, and is varible (good days/bad days). ...

I saw Ian last summer - I'm glad I went, he did 'Thick as a Brick' part I and II (his new composition). There was a lot of 'performance art' to it (interactive videos. actors, etc). Unfortunately, between his accent and the miking and loudness of the band, it was very tough to make out any of the lyrics, so I was kinda lost - couldn't follow the story (assuming it could be followed!). He danced around quite a bit for an old guy, I sure couldn't keep up!

But still, hearing this performer that I admire and have listened to for decades hit that line 'and your wise men don't know how it fee-ee-ee-e-els ....... to be thick as a brick', just sends shivers down my spine.

And 'Locomotive Breath' as the 'encore' - awesome.

I might start on my BJCP soon. I've judged our club comp (460 entries judged and 196 registered participants, judges, and stewards), but actually like to steward better...listen to guys like you talk about beer without having to write anything down, hehe!

I'm the same way, and I won't even go through the effort for the BJCP. I found judging hard work, to the point that I really didn't enjoy it. Supporting the club/hobby/judges by stewarding was enough for me, and that has gotten to be old hat for me as well. But I love doing semi-formal tastings with experienced judges in our club - no pressure, just learn and enjoy.

-ERD50

 

[sengsational]

Unfortunately, between his accent and the miking and loudness of the band, it was very tough to make out any of the lyrics,

I've been studying-up
Ian Anderson:Homo Erraticus (2014) Lyrics - Lyric Wikia - song lyrics, music lyrics
Tons of googling and wikipidiaing while listening...I now know a lot more about the history of England than I did before...but odd little bits, like a hangman's structure that could do three people concurrently.

 

[seraphim]

what did you do today?

We had popcorn ceilings in our old house. While most people hate them, I actually like them. We usually repainted them with a roller and ceiling white.. but only go over it 2-3 times at the most after that, it gets too wet and the material started to peel away from the ceiling. For a couple smaller rooms that got a lot of moisture, like the bathrooms, we scraped the popcorn off and repainted with ceiling white.

Probably what I'll end up doing. The biggest problem is that builders use the popcorn to hide an incomplete drywall job - they save on labor costs by doing an inadequate mudding job. Same with wallpaper. Ours was a demo home and the builder added molding and wallpaper. The reason this simple renovation has taken so long was because I had to finish the mudding job. What wallpaper hid will jump out when the wallpaper was removed and the wall painted.

I'm going to use primer n a small water stain and see how it works before painting the entire ceiling ( about 14' x '49)


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[seraphim]

what did you do today?

Tried a roller over the popcorn ceiling, but it's old and dried, plus I noticed it had been sprayed non bare dry wall. I noticed this as it fell off and left bare patches. Going to cover it somehow. Did get the primer coat on the walls completed.

Going to take a couple of days off. Heading back up to Columbus, Ohio, with family members so they can watch our son perform in 'Forever Plaid'. They haven't seen him perform since he was in Junior High, so I think they'll be in for a surprise. Lol.


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[rodi]

Did the usual chores and housework, walked the dog, analyzed the pension lump sum info that arrived in the mail - all to the background sounds of the blue angels. They're not supposed to create sonic booms - but that didn't seem to stop them. Car alarms being set off added to the lovely symphony.

But it's only one weekend a year and I usually get some great shots of them buzzing our backyard. Part of living just west of Miramar... Been living with this since I was 4 years old. (I grew up in this house.)

Edited to add:
Really glad we upgraded our windows... the sound insulation and heat insulation is MUCH better. Not only is it loud outside- it's super hot again, too.

 

[Walt34]

But it's only one weekend a year and I usually get some great shots of them buzzing our backyard. Part of living just west of Miramar... Been living with this since I was 4 years old. (I grew up in this house.)

Cool! Photos, please.

These are some from an air show in WV four years ago. The AF Thunderbirds don't make it to WV very often.

 

[Theseus]

While munching on a bowl of breakfast cereal followed a link to Pew Research from Marketwatch for a ridiculous sounding headline of "We have no idea how government spends its money, Eight in 10 Americans can't name the biggest target of federal expenditures. Can you?"

The link The News IQ Quiz | Pew Research Center hooked me up with the 12 question survey "The News IQ Quiz"; so I figured game on - I do not subscribe to any printed or online news sources, just what I can point and click to for free. Rarely watch broadcast news, no pay TV, just OTA. Absolutely amazed me that I ended up as being a 1%'er in that I got 12 for 12. Or should I say I'm amazed how 99% could be so far off on news that is pretty easy to follow, at least in my perspective. I'll bet the majority here will also be in the minority of astute news hounds.

 

[BBQ-Nut]

Yesterday was a relaxing but HOT Saturday.

Made a full breakfast for the family, did some chores around the house, ran some errands - did the propane tank exchange for my grill, then went to my specialty butcher for some nice steaks and ribs (doing those today).

Came home to prep the ribs and then watched some great College Football games til dinner.

Grilled up the steaks and corn, twice baked potatoes, and some fresh sourdough - washed down with a nice rich Cabernet.