Swamp juice

[randy_byers]

Yesterday evening I went to jackwilliambell's house to bottle the mocha porter. Jack's grandson, Riley, was there this time, and he was interested in playing spelling and rhyming games. He had a pretty funny idea of what constituted a rhyme, I have to say. His sense of spelling wasn't much better. He'd reel off a series of random letters and ask what it spelled. I yodeled in reply.

kate_schaefer and Glenn came over as well, and Jack barbecued delicious steaks and corn on the cob. Kate and Glenn and I talked about aging, and Glenn said that as you get older (he's turning 60 next year) you realize there are certain things you will never accomplish. "Maybe I'll never finish a novel," Kate said. After dinner, Jack brought out his telescope, and we looked at the craters on the moon and at the moons of Jupiter. Riley said the stars might be ghosts, so the kid's got a sense of wonder, for sure. After the star-gazing, Kate and Glenn went home, Riley went to bed, and Jack and I bottled.

Jack's afraid that he over-diluted the beer at one point when it was looking too thick. There was an amazing muddy sludge of yeast and chocolate at the bottom of the brew. We'll see how it comes out in a couple of weeks after it has finished fermenting in the bottles. Considering that it started out with a very high specific gravity and ended up at nearly zero, it should at least be damned strong.

Next week I turn 48, and I'm likewise unsure whether I've aged well or am over-deluded. Perhaps a mixture of both, and a bit on the muddy side.

Comments

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

You've gotten to the nub of it. I've been feeling flat lately and wondering whether further fermentation is still possible. Would adding more yeast help, or is there nothing left for it to eat?

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

This can only end in a joke about head, you know.

[holyoutlaw.livejournal.com]

What about a pinch of salt? That can sometimes bring the bubbles back a little bit. Maybe it ruins the taste, though.

One thing that surprised me about turning 50, or even nearing it, was that I had more patience for five year plans than I'd had in the past. Five years is a long time when it's 1/4 of your life, not so much when it's 1/10.

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

Like I told Kate and Glenn, the 40s have been my best years so far, and certainly greater patience has been part of that. Although I still get durned impatient at times.

[surliminal.livejournal.com]

I'm under-deluded I think. Sadly.
I refuse to believe you;re that old!!!!

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

I'm having a hard time believing it myself!

[bluewoad.livejournal.com]

You've aged well. I'm sure there are plenty of people who, if they saw us standing side-by-side, would figure me for the older of the two. (Heck, I would've put you about 44 at the oldest, except I know a bit about your past, so you couldn't've been *that* young.)

[randy-byers.livejournal.com]

Nice to know that I still look immature after all these years! Er, I mean, boyish. Yes, that's it. Peter Pan ...