He sent me this poem
poem-(unknown):
For every wound, a balm.
For every sorrow, cheer.
For every storm, calm.
For every thirst, a beer.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Pictures
Portland Rules, Seattle Drools... I mean rains
http://picasaweb.google.com/yourfriendtyler/PortlandTwoSeattleOne?authkey=Gv1sRgCNzInM3moO6R3gE&feat=directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com/yourfriendtyler/PortlandTwoSeattleOne?authkey=Gv1sRgCNzInM3moO6R3gE&feat=directlink
Yesterday was amazing
I don't want to leave you out of the loop, but I got to WORK at a small (10 barrel) brewery for about 4 hours yesterday.
I don't have time right now to tell you the whole story. I will edit this post later, but I wanted you to know.
I am in Seattle. I like Portland better so far.
LATER... the whole story.
On Saturday, I met Ike Manchester at the Widmer brewery bar. I was excited to talk to a brewer again, but I was in a rush to go on their tour. He gave me his card and said, "If you're coming back through Portland, give me a call and come by the pilot brewery." Well, I emailed him immediately and set up a time to come by and visit.
Tuesday morning, I swung by the R&D brewery to see what their process was like. Ike had emailed me to say that his regular helper was out sick and that they may have use of me. When I showed up, Ike had been given Dan to help, but he also found ways to put me to work. They work on a 10 barrel system which is the size of a small micro-brewery. They are brewing at this size because they are only the Research and Development part of Widmer - a very large brewery otherwise. I was put to work stirring the wort in the mash tun, running heavy lifting errands, pouring anti-foaming salts into the boil, cleaning out the mash tun, etc. It was hot, wet and hard work, but I loved every minute of it. Ike was a perfect director. He knew what he was doing and was able to integrate me into their process fluidly.
Near the end of my time there, one of the Widmer brothers actually showed up to see what was going on! I met Rob Widmer and we were able to talk about homebrewing and my trip.
I would have loved to stay all day to see the brew through to the finish, but I had to make sure that I was going to get to Seattle.
It was a unique experience because I learned that the processes that happen in a brewery of any size need to be taught and cannot be extrapolated from the stuff that I do as a homebrewer. There were chemicals, tools and other functional parts of the process that I had no idea about. Investing time and money into a microbrewery without functional, practical knowledge of how these things work on the larger scale would be foolish. This is good to find out because it means that I must get a job at a brewery to learn before I think about starting my own.
Now, in Seattle, I am getting homesick. Because of this I am having trouble being optimistic and open to whatever comes my way. I got to see Pike's Place Market, but it is raining outside. Boo, Seattle.
I don't have time right now to tell you the whole story. I will edit this post later, but I wanted you to know.
I am in Seattle. I like Portland better so far.
LATER... the whole story.
On Saturday, I met Ike Manchester at the Widmer brewery bar. I was excited to talk to a brewer again, but I was in a rush to go on their tour. He gave me his card and said, "If you're coming back through Portland, give me a call and come by the pilot brewery." Well, I emailed him immediately and set up a time to come by and visit.
Tuesday morning, I swung by the R&D brewery to see what their process was like. Ike had emailed me to say that his regular helper was out sick and that they may have use of me. When I showed up, Ike had been given Dan to help, but he also found ways to put me to work. They work on a 10 barrel system which is the size of a small micro-brewery. They are brewing at this size because they are only the Research and Development part of Widmer - a very large brewery otherwise. I was put to work stirring the wort in the mash tun, running heavy lifting errands, pouring anti-foaming salts into the boil, cleaning out the mash tun, etc. It was hot, wet and hard work, but I loved every minute of it. Ike was a perfect director. He knew what he was doing and was able to integrate me into their process fluidly.
Near the end of my time there, one of the Widmer brothers actually showed up to see what was going on! I met Rob Widmer and we were able to talk about homebrewing and my trip.
I would have loved to stay all day to see the brew through to the finish, but I had to make sure that I was going to get to Seattle.
It was a unique experience because I learned that the processes that happen in a brewery of any size need to be taught and cannot be extrapolated from the stuff that I do as a homebrewer. There were chemicals, tools and other functional parts of the process that I had no idea about. Investing time and money into a microbrewery without functional, practical knowledge of how these things work on the larger scale would be foolish. This is good to find out because it means that I must get a job at a brewery to learn before I think about starting my own.
Now, in Seattle, I am getting homesick. Because of this I am having trouble being optimistic and open to whatever comes my way. I got to see Pike's Place Market, but it is raining outside. Boo, Seattle.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Pictures from
Eugene, Bend, Newport, and Portland... I think that is all
http://picasaweb.google.com/yourfriendtyler/EugeneBendPortland?authkey=Gv1sRgCMn63c7Ah6y0DA&feat=directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com/yourfriendtyler/EugeneBendPortland?authkey=Gv1sRgCMn63c7Ah6y0DA&feat=directlink
I love my friends
Yesterday afternoon on the way to Portland, my phone died. I didn't know because it was in my pocket and Portland traffic was a beast. When I got to Phil's apartment, I plugged it in and got a avalanche of texts. They were all from Lawrence friends and they were all in riddles.
Here is the complete texts in order.
From Katie Kritikos: dear tyler hipster usa holds a treasure for u. call this man. (phone number that I haven't seen before). he wil only tel u if u insist on calling him raddle dozar.
From Hannah Nusz: Tyler its time. i wanted to wait until you were older to tell u this but i think ur ready. please cal this number (strange number, but different). it will explain everything.
From Katie Kritikos: (2 of 2) whose number is (...). Call him to retrieve your tuffet & curds & whey. Over and out. Katie K
From Paul Kaldahl: Hey, i've heard Big things about your package. People are talking.
From Nicole Schmidt: You need to call (the number). RIGHT NOW! And turn around...
From Nick Frisby: Remember to cut the blue wire first.
Graham also sent a text, but sent it today. He didn't know that I had already solved the mystery, but for his sake: A package has arrived in the land of port; Call the man whose name is a type of nail but not so large. (number).
So, understandably, I was confused. I think that I would have called these people back if I had gotten these texts slowly, over time. As a mass, though, I knew something was up and the only rational response was to follow it through. I was given two phone numbers to call and I dialed the one that was sent to me by Hannah. Her text was the most intriguing. The phone was answered by a lady, "Hello."
"Hey," I replied, "I received a call from this number earlier..." an obvious lie. "This is Tyler Harnett."
"Yes, Mr. Harnett. Where are you?" This seemed like a reasonable question because the lady's phone number was from DC.
"I am in Portland." I was confused but playing along.
"When did you get to Portland?"
"This afternoon. I am staying with my friend Phil." At this point, I butted in, "With whom am I speaking?"
"I am a super secret agent. I have something to deliver to you. Is there a place that I could meet you?" At this point, I was completely thrown off. I thought that my friends had found some sort of phone prank to play on me, but a delivery?!? My interest was piqued. I am staying with Phil, but my first thought was that I didn't want to involve his apartment.
"I am heading to the Bridgeport Brewpub. You could stop by there sometime in the next hour."
"In the next hour, sure. What are you wearing so that I can recognize you?" asked Super secret agent lady.
"uh, I have a brown Kansas hoodie, dark jeans, and I have a beard, and glasses."
"Thank you, Mr. Harnett, I will see you soon."
Phil and I continued walking to the Brewery as I told him about the strange phone call. Immediately, I realized that it could be a very socially embarrassing situation and I should have told her to come to Phil's. We sat down upstairs and my first thought was how hot it was and how I wanted to take off my hoodie, but I couldn't because of the super secret agent. Phil and I had a nice conversation, but I had my eye on every person who came up the stairs and looked around. There were a number of good looking girls and I got excited. I thought, maybe this is a blind date or something like it. There were a few people with things in their hands; "the Package," confused me. Finally, I was engrossed in conversation when a couple of people came upstairs that I recognized almost immediately.
Ben and Mirela Watson were Bridgeway folks (a church in Oklahoma City that Ichthus has a relationship with) who visited Lawrence once on their eventual way to Portland. I was surprised and happy to see them again. I was planning on getting in touch with them anyway to go to their House Church. They brought with them 'the package.'
It was a mailed bag full of Lawrence goodies for me from my friends and church. Hannah, Katie K, Alex K, Nikki, Jeff, Graham and Nicole all wrote me notes about how wonderful I am and how much they miss me. They also got me a long sleeve Freestate Brewery t-shirt to make up for my stolen clothes.
I felt fully loved by my community. It was an adventure and a great night.
Here is the complete texts in order.
From Katie Kritikos: dear tyler hipster usa holds a treasure for u. call this man. (phone number that I haven't seen before). he wil only tel u if u insist on calling him raddle dozar.
From Hannah Nusz: Tyler its time. i wanted to wait until you were older to tell u this but i think ur ready. please cal this number (strange number, but different). it will explain everything.
From Katie Kritikos: (2 of 2) whose number is (...). Call him to retrieve your tuffet & curds & whey. Over and out. Katie K
From Paul Kaldahl: Hey, i've heard Big things about your package. People are talking.
From Nicole Schmidt: You need to call (the number). RIGHT NOW! And turn around...
From Nick Frisby: Remember to cut the blue wire first.
Graham also sent a text, but sent it today. He didn't know that I had already solved the mystery, but for his sake: A package has arrived in the land of port; Call the man whose name is a type of nail but not so large. (number).
So, understandably, I was confused. I think that I would have called these people back if I had gotten these texts slowly, over time. As a mass, though, I knew something was up and the only rational response was to follow it through. I was given two phone numbers to call and I dialed the one that was sent to me by Hannah. Her text was the most intriguing. The phone was answered by a lady, "Hello."
"Hey," I replied, "I received a call from this number earlier..." an obvious lie. "This is Tyler Harnett."
"Yes, Mr. Harnett. Where are you?" This seemed like a reasonable question because the lady's phone number was from DC.
"I am in Portland." I was confused but playing along.
"When did you get to Portland?"
"This afternoon. I am staying with my friend Phil." At this point, I butted in, "With whom am I speaking?"
"I am a super secret agent. I have something to deliver to you. Is there a place that I could meet you?" At this point, I was completely thrown off. I thought that my friends had found some sort of phone prank to play on me, but a delivery?!? My interest was piqued. I am staying with Phil, but my first thought was that I didn't want to involve his apartment.
"I am heading to the Bridgeport Brewpub. You could stop by there sometime in the next hour."
"In the next hour, sure. What are you wearing so that I can recognize you?" asked Super secret agent lady.
"uh, I have a brown Kansas hoodie, dark jeans, and I have a beard, and glasses."
"Thank you, Mr. Harnett, I will see you soon."
Phil and I continued walking to the Brewery as I told him about the strange phone call. Immediately, I realized that it could be a very socially embarrassing situation and I should have told her to come to Phil's. We sat down upstairs and my first thought was how hot it was and how I wanted to take off my hoodie, but I couldn't because of the super secret agent. Phil and I had a nice conversation, but I had my eye on every person who came up the stairs and looked around. There were a number of good looking girls and I got excited. I thought, maybe this is a blind date or something like it. There were a few people with things in their hands; "the Package," confused me. Finally, I was engrossed in conversation when a couple of people came upstairs that I recognized almost immediately.
Ben and Mirela Watson were Bridgeway folks (a church in Oklahoma City that Ichthus has a relationship with) who visited Lawrence once on their eventual way to Portland. I was surprised and happy to see them again. I was planning on getting in touch with them anyway to go to their House Church. They brought with them 'the package.'
It was a mailed bag full of Lawrence goodies for me from my friends and church. Hannah, Katie K, Alex K, Nikki, Jeff, Graham and Nicole all wrote me notes about how wonderful I am and how much they miss me. They also got me a long sleeve Freestate Brewery t-shirt to make up for my stolen clothes.
I felt fully loved by my community. It was an adventure and a great night.
Newport = Dirty Bingo?!?
Newport is the home of Rogue Ales and a cute little bay community. I had high expectations considering Rogue because they are one of most innovative breweries in the NW. The Rogue tour was normal, their facility is small, relatively, but they have a community that is unparalleled. You can sign up to be a Rogue Nation Member, which is free, and then you receive benefits of discounts on beer and merchandise. Yearly, they petition the UN for statehood; they are rejected yearly. They are not only a Brewery, but a Distillery. I was interested in the distillery because Spirits have an almost mythical quality to me. They are like the mysterious older sister of beer. Many Spirits are made out of grain, especially barley, like beer. I couldn't wrap my head around how a beer like product is turned into straight alcohol.
So, I was excited for the tour - only to be disappointed. The head distiller walked out of the small adjacent room with the still and sat down behind the bar. I was expecting a long discussion on distilling, similar to the beer tours, but he just poured shots of the different spirits. I asked about the four o'clock tour, and he waved his hand toward the still and said, "that's the still." Upon further discussion of home-brewing vs. moon-shining, I decided not to be a moon-shiner. Alcohol burns without a visible flame so your batch could be on fire, burning the house down, and you wouldn't know until something else was torching - like the carpet, or the walls.
I had to really work to get this guy to talk, but as he took a smoke break and I left he spoke his mind. I asked him about the best way into the industry and he said that I should try to win some home brewing awards. This was a good idea that I had heard of other brewers doing, but I hadn't considered for myself because of cost. He said that I should try to home brew 'to style' instead of trying new creations to show that I understand how the different styles are made. Good advice from an otherwise jerky guy.
Later, I went to Rogue's Public House for dinner and a beer. I sat down at the bar next to a couple of guys and we began talking. They both were travelers. One was up from SoCal, the other from North Carolina. In a strange twist of fate, a local came by, patted us on the shoulders, and said, "Bingo in the back room in 10."
I was intrigued. Bingo? like old people? like gambling? ooh! I was wrong. It was the raunchiest, lewdest, dirtiest bunch of locals who were passing out free boards to win prizes. The caller had to have been a stand up comedian at one time in his life. If you won, you had to come up and tell a joke - some of you may have gotten texts from me asking for one. After three or four winners, there was a challenge between the group for a prize - drinking from a frisbee without hands, Wii bowling, straw swallowing, etc. The other classic part of the night was the calls. For a large number of the balls, the caller would say some irreverent or funny anecdote to remind the players what the ball number was. "Thank God it's ... B9." ; "Our favorite ball on the board... O69." ; "They are finally legal... I21." etc.
And some were made up during the night. Tom was one of the other travelers and somehow the caller found out that he was 43 years old, so when N43 was called he would say, "The Tom-Tom... N43." Once, when it was called, Tom was no where to be found. The caller guessed that he was out in his mobile home having a snack or going to bed. We all ran out there - a 'Tom-Tom break' - and shook his mobile home to almost tipping over. Tom eventually made it to the door, took the joke well, and came back inside to finish the night.
I can't recall all of the hilarious events of that night, but I can say that it was worth playing Bingo with a bunch of strangers.
So, I was excited for the tour - only to be disappointed. The head distiller walked out of the small adjacent room with the still and sat down behind the bar. I was expecting a long discussion on distilling, similar to the beer tours, but he just poured shots of the different spirits. I asked about the four o'clock tour, and he waved his hand toward the still and said, "that's the still." Upon further discussion of home-brewing vs. moon-shining, I decided not to be a moon-shiner. Alcohol burns without a visible flame so your batch could be on fire, burning the house down, and you wouldn't know until something else was torching - like the carpet, or the walls.
I had to really work to get this guy to talk, but as he took a smoke break and I left he spoke his mind. I asked him about the best way into the industry and he said that I should try to win some home brewing awards. This was a good idea that I had heard of other brewers doing, but I hadn't considered for myself because of cost. He said that I should try to home brew 'to style' instead of trying new creations to show that I understand how the different styles are made. Good advice from an otherwise jerky guy.
Later, I went to Rogue's Public House for dinner and a beer. I sat down at the bar next to a couple of guys and we began talking. They both were travelers. One was up from SoCal, the other from North Carolina. In a strange twist of fate, a local came by, patted us on the shoulders, and said, "Bingo in the back room in 10."
I was intrigued. Bingo? like old people? like gambling? ooh! I was wrong. It was the raunchiest, lewdest, dirtiest bunch of locals who were passing out free boards to win prizes. The caller had to have been a stand up comedian at one time in his life. If you won, you had to come up and tell a joke - some of you may have gotten texts from me asking for one. After three or four winners, there was a challenge between the group for a prize - drinking from a frisbee without hands, Wii bowling, straw swallowing, etc. The other classic part of the night was the calls. For a large number of the balls, the caller would say some irreverent or funny anecdote to remind the players what the ball number was. "Thank God it's ... B9." ; "Our favorite ball on the board... O69." ; "They are finally legal... I21." etc.
And some were made up during the night. Tom was one of the other travelers and somehow the caller found out that he was 43 years old, so when N43 was called he would say, "The Tom-Tom... N43." Once, when it was called, Tom was no where to be found. The caller guessed that he was out in his mobile home having a snack or going to bed. We all ran out there - a 'Tom-Tom break' - and shook his mobile home to almost tipping over. Tom eventually made it to the door, took the joke well, and came back inside to finish the night.
I can't recall all of the hilarious events of that night, but I can say that it was worth playing Bingo with a bunch of strangers.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Further Bend Fun
Just keepin you updated...
Bjorn came to Oregon via Minnesota where he grew up. He is an intense Twins/Vikings fan. Providentially, I have been able to enjoy big games in these teams' seasons in the time that I have been with Bjorn.
Sunday, the Twins beat the Royals to force a playoff with the Detroit Tigers. That playoff is in an hour.
Go Twinkies!
Last night, Bjorn and I watched a great Monday Night Football game at a local Theater, yup, and watched Brett Farve thwart his former team and heated rival, the Packers. It was joyous and epic.
He loves the game!
I love sports.
Bjorn came to Oregon via Minnesota where he grew up. He is an intense Twins/Vikings fan. Providentially, I have been able to enjoy big games in these teams' seasons in the time that I have been with Bjorn.
Sunday, the Twins beat the Royals to force a playoff with the Detroit Tigers. That playoff is in an hour.
Go Twinkies!
Last night, Bjorn and I watched a great Monday Night Football game at a local Theater, yup, and watched Brett Farve thwart his former team and heated rival, the Packers. It was joyous and epic.
He loves the game!
I love sports.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Bend OR break
get it?
Bend has been exceptional. I drove through the mountains of Oregon from Eugene to Bend on Saturday morning with the sun shining through the trees. I saw some unbelievable landscapes. The river followed me most of the way, but there was a section of visage where it looked like the highway crews had taken a backhoe to everything but a few trees. I asked myself, "how did they get so close to those trees and miss their roots?" I learned that the landscape had been torn apart by Volcanic rock and not a backhoe. When the landscape looks like it is in conflict with itself, I love it. I had this experience is Ireland and somewhere else, I can't remember.
Bjorn was waiting for me. He had a whole day planned for me.We had lunch at Cascade Lakes Brewing Co which was great except we saw Minnesota fail to make the comeback and Michigan bomb in overtime. Good beer, pub beer and an IPA on Nitro - great. Bjorn took me on a tour of the Deschutes Brewery. It was a large brewery, but they make a lot of great beer. They reminded me of Odell in their business model and New Belgium in their commitment to green brewing. We went to The Old Mill district to a Mc Menamins and smoked some cigars in the gentle snow. Yes, the snow! I was not ready; I came to the NW to get away from Fall, not speed it up! It was beautiful, though. The highlight of the beer day was the Deschutes Public House. It was in a different location from the brewery, but had a smaller brew setup and made some beers for the pub only. They have 20 of their own beers on tap. TWENTY!!! This is astounding. Four of them were IPA's. I had some beers that hadn't even crossed my mind as a possibility. 1) A Black IPA. Dark in color, but not deep in mouthfeel. Full of Hop aroma and bitterness, but smooth. 2) A Wheat IPA. Surprisingly, the wheat shows up. This is the type of revolutionary brew that could make a Kansas (wheat state?) brewery if I find the balance and uniqueness of hops and wheat. Write it down, this is it.
That evening, Bjorn, his wife Elise, and I went and listened to Shawn Mullins. You may know him from the popular song from a few years back, "Rockabye." He is a classy, singer-songwriter, storyteller.
Sunday, I got to go to Bjorn and Elise's church, Nativity Lutheran Church. It was a classic liturgical church. But they have found a passion for Social Justice, actually giving to and serving the poor, environmental stewardship and having an invitational community to groups not normally invited into the Church. In church, these themes dominated because it was St. Francis of Assisi day, but afterward, it seemed to me that they were good at community. I was invited to an afternoon meal with close friends of diverse ages within the church. I was impressed with the way that they discussed what was actually going on in their lives and planned on creating webs of support for each other. It was a beautiful example of a possible progression of our House Church in Lawrence.
I am going to try and stay another day because it is really fun to hang out with Bjorn and Elise. They are great hosts and giving with their time and home.
Bend has been exceptional. I drove through the mountains of Oregon from Eugene to Bend on Saturday morning with the sun shining through the trees. I saw some unbelievable landscapes. The river followed me most of the way, but there was a section of visage where it looked like the highway crews had taken a backhoe to everything but a few trees. I asked myself, "how did they get so close to those trees and miss their roots?" I learned that the landscape had been torn apart by Volcanic rock and not a backhoe. When the landscape looks like it is in conflict with itself, I love it. I had this experience is Ireland and somewhere else, I can't remember.
Bjorn was waiting for me. He had a whole day planned for me.We had lunch at Cascade Lakes Brewing Co which was great except we saw Minnesota fail to make the comeback and Michigan bomb in overtime. Good beer, pub beer and an IPA on Nitro - great. Bjorn took me on a tour of the Deschutes Brewery. It was a large brewery, but they make a lot of great beer. They reminded me of Odell in their business model and New Belgium in their commitment to green brewing. We went to The Old Mill district to a Mc Menamins and smoked some cigars in the gentle snow. Yes, the snow! I was not ready; I came to the NW to get away from Fall, not speed it up! It was beautiful, though. The highlight of the beer day was the Deschutes Public House. It was in a different location from the brewery, but had a smaller brew setup and made some beers for the pub only. They have 20 of their own beers on tap. TWENTY!!! This is astounding. Four of them were IPA's. I had some beers that hadn't even crossed my mind as a possibility. 1) A Black IPA. Dark in color, but not deep in mouthfeel. Full of Hop aroma and bitterness, but smooth. 2) A Wheat IPA. Surprisingly, the wheat shows up. This is the type of revolutionary brew that could make a Kansas (wheat state?) brewery if I find the balance and uniqueness of hops and wheat. Write it down, this is it.
That evening, Bjorn, his wife Elise, and I went and listened to Shawn Mullins. You may know him from the popular song from a few years back, "Rockabye." He is a classy, singer-songwriter, storyteller.
Sunday, I got to go to Bjorn and Elise's church, Nativity Lutheran Church. It was a classic liturgical church. But they have found a passion for Social Justice, actually giving to and serving the poor, environmental stewardship and having an invitational community to groups not normally invited into the Church. In church, these themes dominated because it was St. Francis of Assisi day, but afterward, it seemed to me that they were good at community. I was invited to an afternoon meal with close friends of diverse ages within the church. I was impressed with the way that they discussed what was actually going on in their lives and planned on creating webs of support for each other. It was a beautiful example of a possible progression of our House Church in Lawrence.
I am going to try and stay another day because it is really fun to hang out with Bjorn and Elise. They are great hosts and giving with their time and home.
Eugene - Go Ducks!
PUNCHED! That was what my time in Eugene was like, jk.
Eugene was a great relief. If you had to have a conversation with me during my post-robbery, slow-car-fixing, dealing-with-insurance-from-MIZZOU, bs time, then you would know how frustrated I was. If not, I was frustrated. Stuck in the muck of Eureka. So, Eugene was wonderful. I got a place at the Eugene Whiteaker Hostel.
It is a hip, clean, comfy hostel in the middle of downtown Eugene. It is a diverse area - I'll take pictures when I go back later this week. I was able to have a good whole day in Eugene. I planned on restocking my closet because Eugene has so many thrift stores, but I only got 2 shirts by 2 pm. I shopped through all of the Good Wills and was planning on hitting other stores, but gave up to despair. The two shirts I got, you'll like, but it is hard - I am picky.
Then I went beer-ing. I decided to check out Ninkasi Brewery, but their power had gone out. They were scrambling around their parking lot trying to get things that needed chilled into portable chillers. I didn't get to talk to anyone, but I will swing back by. I also went to Steelhead Brewery, but they don't get a hyperlink. I was really excited walking into the brewpub. I saw the brewers working behind the glass wall and I thought, "I'll drink a flight of trials and then have something to start the conversation over." But when I finished each trial beer, I was less impressed with the brewers than before. I walked out disappointed with their beers - all were at or below average. After drinking, I couldn't have lied and told them that they were great.
I spent my evening watching "The Fifth Element" with the roomies in the Hostel. It was a green evening, super green.
I am excited to head back to Eugene. It is a cool town.
Eugene was a great relief. If you had to have a conversation with me during my post-robbery, slow-car-fixing, dealing-with-insurance-from-MIZZOU, bs time, then you would know how frustrated I was. If not, I was frustrated. Stuck in the muck of Eureka. So, Eugene was wonderful. I got a place at the Eugene Whiteaker Hostel.
It is a hip, clean, comfy hostel in the middle of downtown Eugene. It is a diverse area - I'll take pictures when I go back later this week. I was able to have a good whole day in Eugene. I planned on restocking my closet because Eugene has so many thrift stores, but I only got 2 shirts by 2 pm. I shopped through all of the Good Wills and was planning on hitting other stores, but gave up to despair. The two shirts I got, you'll like, but it is hard - I am picky.
Then I went beer-ing. I decided to check out Ninkasi Brewery, but their power had gone out. They were scrambling around their parking lot trying to get things that needed chilled into portable chillers. I didn't get to talk to anyone, but I will swing back by. I also went to Steelhead Brewery, but they don't get a hyperlink. I was really excited walking into the brewpub. I saw the brewers working behind the glass wall and I thought, "I'll drink a flight of trials and then have something to start the conversation over." But when I finished each trial beer, I was less impressed with the brewers than before. I walked out disappointed with their beers - all were at or below average. After drinking, I couldn't have lied and told them that they were great.
I spent my evening watching "The Fifth Element" with the roomies in the Hostel. It was a green evening, super green.
I am excited to head back to Eugene. It is a cool town.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Old things that I wrote down and meant to blog, but didn't have time.
From San Francisco:
The prevailing answer to questions about my time in Alan's apartment is, "Don't ask..."
From my first drive up the coast:
My old pseudonym was Charles Dubois, but I have found a new fake name: Newton B. Drury. Drury received praise for his leadership as director of the National Park Service and "for his courage, resourcefulness, and adherence to high principles." He was out to save the Redwoods. I think his name is awesome.
From Saturday, when I couldn't find a place to camp and I watched the sun set in Trinidad Bay:
The song that I have been listening to all night, on repeat, speaks to some of what I am feeling tonight. It is "Wayside (Back in Time)" by Gillian Welch but the version I have been listening to is performed by Chris Thile. It is a faster version of the song and it speaks tonally to the speed of my trip.
The lines that really feel like they are hitting me are:
Wasted on the wayside, wasted on the way
If I don’t go tomorrow, you know I’m gone today...
Peaches in the summertime, apples in the fall
If I can’t have you all the time, I won’t have none at all
Oh, I wish I was in Frisco in a brand new pair of shoes...
Back babe, back in time
I wanna go back when you were mine...
Finally, from today because I have time to write my random thoughts:
When I first visited Eureka, CA, I thought that it was a cool town like Lawrence. Now that I have spent more time here, I like it less. It really reminds me of Manhattan.
Oh, slam!
The prevailing answer to questions about my time in Alan's apartment is, "Don't ask..."
From my first drive up the coast:
My old pseudonym was Charles Dubois, but I have found a new fake name: Newton B. Drury. Drury received praise for his leadership as director of the National Park Service and "for his courage, resourcefulness, and adherence to high principles." He was out to save the Redwoods. I think his name is awesome.
From Saturday, when I couldn't find a place to camp and I watched the sun set in Trinidad Bay:
The song that I have been listening to all night, on repeat, speaks to some of what I am feeling tonight. It is "Wayside (Back in Time)" by Gillian Welch but the version I have been listening to is performed by Chris Thile. It is a faster version of the song and it speaks tonally to the speed of my trip.
The lines that really feel like they are hitting me are:
Wasted on the wayside, wasted on the way
If I don’t go tomorrow, you know I’m gone today...
Peaches in the summertime, apples in the fall
If I can’t have you all the time, I won’t have none at all
Oh, I wish I was in Frisco in a brand new pair of shoes...
Back babe, back in time
I wanna go back when you were mine...
Finally, from today because I have time to write my random thoughts:
When I first visited Eureka, CA, I thought that it was a cool town like Lawrence. Now that I have spent more time here, I like it less. It really reminds me of Manhattan.
Oh, slam!
The Robbery and Evidence
If you aren't reading chronologically, you may miss the full depth of this post. Check out the last post to get a glimpse of how joyful things were. Oh, how innocent and virginal.
I drove north from Fortuna, CA to Orick, CA to hike into Redwood National Forest and see the Grove of the Tall Trees. At one time, this grove had the tallest tree in the world, but sometime in the past decade a wind storm blew the top off. These trees are so impressive and I am not sure if the pictures do them justice. There is something so crazy about the width of the base and then looking up 320 feet or so to the top of a gigantic tree that has been around longer than Christianity. The hike was exhausting. I don't know what made me think that I could quickly hike through the forest for 7.7 miles there, a mile loop of the grove, and 7.7 miles back. It was bear and cougar country and I was constantly on guard. I was dreaming of getting into a fist fight with a bear and ending up on The Colbert Report recounting my adventure to Stephen. At a particularly dark part of the wood, I kept thinking that I saw Sasquatch around the bend. I didn't know how I would knock him out, but I hoped I could use my Judo moves on him.
Finally, I made it to the grove and had a good hour sitting, reflecting and calming down in the presence of the old trees. The trip back was psychologically faster, but I was more exhausted. When I saw the parking lot, I was overjoyed.
But only for that moment...
The first thing that I noticed was that there was no reflection from the rear window of my Fit. As I got closer, I saw that it was busted out and there was glass scattered in the parking lot. My thoughts went straight to the stuff that I had left in the car. I saw that the vandals took my bags of clothes, my tent and sleeping bag, my guitar and other things that had been in the 'trunk' part of my car. Luckily for me, the villains were not able to unlock the doors from the back. These horrible thieves cut themselves on my back window and must have given up trying to get stuff through that window. The evil doers took the rock they had used to bust the back and went after the driver's side window. The pictures show the evidence. They threw the rock 3 times and bled on the door, but couldn't get in. Something must have spooked the criminals and they gave up; also, their window-breaking rock broke.
I saw that they left my laptop, my books, my food and some other random things. They didn't find the cash secretly hidden in my car. I called 911 and they transferred me to the Forest Service. A ranger came out and helped me calm down, take evidence and explained the situation. He said that they have been having trouble with two groups of criminals. The locals have been breaking into cars that are parked over night at remote campgrounds. Homeless people living in the park have also been smashing and grabbing from tourists. He believed it was a homeless person because my clothes and tent were taken, but I believe it to be a local. Using my CSI skills, I noted a trail of glass from where it was scattered on the ground away to another parking spot. It would seem that the guilty took my stuff from my car to their car and trailed the glass on the way. The Ranger and I decided that it would be no good to take blood samples.
I drove back to Eureka, CA to try to get the windows fixed.
One positive note: I am now clothes-less and I get to buy all new clothes. My first purchase was some new jeans from Target. They are the hipster style, dark, slim and cool. I got advice from the Target employees, don't worry. Also of note, new boxers are uncomfortable.
So, that is the drama, and here are the pictures.
http://picasaweb.google.com/yourfriendtyler/TheRobbery?feat=directlink
The culprit
I drove north from Fortuna, CA to Orick, CA to hike into Redwood National Forest and see the Grove of the Tall Trees. At one time, this grove had the tallest tree in the world, but sometime in the past decade a wind storm blew the top off. These trees are so impressive and I am not sure if the pictures do them justice. There is something so crazy about the width of the base and then looking up 320 feet or so to the top of a gigantic tree that has been around longer than Christianity. The hike was exhausting. I don't know what made me think that I could quickly hike through the forest for 7.7 miles there, a mile loop of the grove, and 7.7 miles back. It was bear and cougar country and I was constantly on guard. I was dreaming of getting into a fist fight with a bear and ending up on The Colbert Report recounting my adventure to Stephen. At a particularly dark part of the wood, I kept thinking that I saw Sasquatch around the bend. I didn't know how I would knock him out, but I hoped I could use my Judo moves on him.
Finally, I made it to the grove and had a good hour sitting, reflecting and calming down in the presence of the old trees. The trip back was psychologically faster, but I was more exhausted. When I saw the parking lot, I was overjoyed.
But only for that moment...
The first thing that I noticed was that there was no reflection from the rear window of my Fit. As I got closer, I saw that it was busted out and there was glass scattered in the parking lot. My thoughts went straight to the stuff that I had left in the car. I saw that the vandals took my bags of clothes, my tent and sleeping bag, my guitar and other things that had been in the 'trunk' part of my car. Luckily for me, the villains were not able to unlock the doors from the back. These horrible thieves cut themselves on my back window and must have given up trying to get stuff through that window. The evil doers took the rock they had used to bust the back and went after the driver's side window. The pictures show the evidence. They threw the rock 3 times and bled on the door, but couldn't get in. Something must have spooked the criminals and they gave up; also, their window-breaking rock broke.
I saw that they left my laptop, my books, my food and some other random things. They didn't find the cash secretly hidden in my car. I called 911 and they transferred me to the Forest Service. A ranger came out and helped me calm down, take evidence and explained the situation. He said that they have been having trouble with two groups of criminals. The locals have been breaking into cars that are parked over night at remote campgrounds. Homeless people living in the park have also been smashing and grabbing from tourists. He believed it was a homeless person because my clothes and tent were taken, but I believe it to be a local. Using my CSI skills, I noted a trail of glass from where it was scattered on the ground away to another parking spot. It would seem that the guilty took my stuff from my car to their car and trailed the glass on the way. The Ranger and I decided that it would be no good to take blood samples.
I drove back to Eureka, CA to try to get the windows fixed.
One positive note: I am now clothes-less and I get to buy all new clothes. My first purchase was some new jeans from Target. They are the hipster style, dark, slim and cool. I got advice from the Target employees, don't worry. Also of note, new boxers are uncomfortable.
So, that is the drama, and here are the pictures.
http://picasaweb.google.com/yourfriendtyler/TheRobbery?feat=directlink
The culprit
Pictures...
from after I left San Francisco, my time with Mike, the Avenue of The Giants and the hike to the Tall Trees Grove.
http://picasaweb.google.com/yourfriendtyler/MikeAndCostalRedwoods?feat=directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com/yourfriendtyler/MikeAndCostalRedwoods?feat=directlink
Thank God for Fortuna
After my first night with Mike, I tried to find a place to camp in Redwoods National Park. All of the campgrounds were full, so I returned to Mike's house. He was overjoyed because he wanted to share his church with me. This was a special blessing because you can't imagine how much I miss my Community and my church.
I feel like I am starting to peel off some layers of business and consolation that I had used to make my year as a teacher easier. I remember not enjoying conversations after school because I was completely zapped from work. School became easier, but I don't remember engaging in life to the depth that was a hallmark of Me before teaching. More on this later.
Mike's church was a seeker-friendly, Evangelical American church. I enjoyed their worship band and the good teaching practices of the pastor. As a first-timer, I didn't feel the connection to the message that a normal member may have, but that was only the first part of my 'church' for the day.
After lunch Beverly, Mike's girlfriend, took me on a tour of "The Avenue of The Giants." Though this is the tourista section of the Redwood forest, it was an amazing road trip. In Beverly's generous nature, she bought me a sapling of a Giant Sequoia. Check out the pictures of the Immortal Tree and us as Tree Huggers.
It was such a refreshing trip. I felt calmed by the slow life of the Coastal Redwoods. A certain tree that fell was measured at 2200 years old. That is almost too much to comprehend.
Later that night, I was refreshed again by the Church. Mike was listening to a sermon online and I was reading. He paused and asked me about my faith story. Our discussion of Christianity, politics, life and love made me remember that aspect of my personality. That deep reservoir of conversation that I used to be able to dip in whenever I wanted felt like it was being filled back up after it had dried.
I am thankful to Mike for this conversation and for Bev and his constant giving over the weekend.
I left yesterday morning preparing to go to Redwoods National Park to hike the 16 mile trail to the Tall Trees Grove.
I feel like I am starting to peel off some layers of business and consolation that I had used to make my year as a teacher easier. I remember not enjoying conversations after school because I was completely zapped from work. School became easier, but I don't remember engaging in life to the depth that was a hallmark of Me before teaching. More on this later.
Mike's church was a seeker-friendly, Evangelical American church. I enjoyed their worship band and the good teaching practices of the pastor. As a first-timer, I didn't feel the connection to the message that a normal member may have, but that was only the first part of my 'church' for the day.
After lunch Beverly, Mike's girlfriend, took me on a tour of "The Avenue of The Giants." Though this is the tourista section of the Redwood forest, it was an amazing road trip. In Beverly's generous nature, she bought me a sapling of a Giant Sequoia. Check out the pictures of the Immortal Tree and us as Tree Huggers.
It was such a refreshing trip. I felt calmed by the slow life of the Coastal Redwoods. A certain tree that fell was measured at 2200 years old. That is almost too much to comprehend.
Later that night, I was refreshed again by the Church. Mike was listening to a sermon online and I was reading. He paused and asked me about my faith story. Our discussion of Christianity, politics, life and love made me remember that aspect of my personality. That deep reservoir of conversation that I used to be able to dip in whenever I wanted felt like it was being filled back up after it had dried.
I am thankful to Mike for this conversation and for Bev and his constant giving over the weekend.
I left yesterday morning preparing to go to Redwoods National Park to hike the 16 mile trail to the Tall Trees Grove.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Yesterday, I was ready to give up
Sorry to be dramatic. It's fun and mostly true.
I woke up in Fort Bragg, CA feeling that the routine of coffee shop, the road, and brew pubs similar to Free state was wearing me down. You can scoff and say, "Oh, how tough, poor Tyler, enjoying the coast and drinking beer, boo hoo." And I agree. This trip has been a beautiful, fun, refreshing experience, but I am traveling with high expectations.
Part of these high expectations involve actually talking with brewers and owners and learning from them. I am interested in what makes a professional brewer tick.
"Why did you get into this business?"
"What is the goal of your brewery?"
"How can you measure if you have met this goal?"
"Why did you chose to make this or that beer?"
"How is your brewery involved in the community?"
These are the type of questions that I could answer, when I was a teacher, about any of my teaching choices. I feel like these are still the important questions for me if I pursue brewing. I cannot be about 'the bottom line' - it is not my personality. I can try to make a profit, but only if I am doing so for the right reasons. With teaching, it is easy to say I am doing the right thing. In beer, it is a harder decision. Many people are addicted to alcohol and could ruin their lives because of a product that I manufacture. This is a danger of the industry, but is something that I think can be redeemed instead of 'throwing the baby out with the bathwater.'
Back to yesterday.
I woke up worrying that I wasn't ever going to have an intentional conversation with a brewer. I spent my previous evening enjoying great beer at North Coast Brewery where I couldn't get a tour because they were remodeling. I was looking forward to a trip to a brewery that I heard about from a nice man at the North Coast Bar. He said, "As long as you are going north, you should stop by Eel River Brewery." I was impressed by their claim to be the first certified organic brewery in the US, but I couldn't find any thing on their website about a tour. I called to ask their address and ask about a tour. The secretary told me to hold on and went and asked someone in the back if he had time to give a tour. I was told to come by, and someone would be there to give me a tour.
Mike Smith, the head brewer, met me at the door of their warehouse/brewery.
Mike, I came to find out, came to the industry as a home brewer (eh, like me!) and found a home at Eel River because they had similar goals. He took me on the best, most in depth tour I have ever been on. Most tour guides assume brewing ignorance. Mike asked me about myself and skipped large sections of the tour because I knew about the malting process, etc. At the same time, he took me deeper into an industrial brewery than I have been. I saw their mash and boil kettles up close and inside. Mike even pushed some buttons on their equipment and I got to see how some things worked. I had an idea from my home brewing and such, but seeing the parts move around really inspired me. I know that a large scale brewer is a part of the machine, but it is still beautiful to see it work. We talked about how they get their organic hops from New Zealand because they don't have spider mites, so they don't have to use pesticides. We discussed how they ferment, bottle and keg and the reasons for each of the choices they made.
In the end, Mike asked me if I wanted to try some. I was impressed with their beers and we talked more about his history and the brewery. I felt comfortable and threw out ideas about a brewery without a pub (Speakeasy?) and Mike told me that he thought that it wouldn't work because of some slow yearly times in the brewing industry that could hinder a small brewer. We talked for over an hour and he sent me off with a six pack of their best stuff.
I was renewed. I felt more encouraged about my choice to take this trip. I was excited about continuing up the coast with high expectations for meeting great people and discussing beer.
Later last night, I was at the Eel river pub watching the Mizzou game (damn them, they pulled it out) and I met another local named Mike. He struck up a conversation with me when the bar tender asked me for my ID and he saw that it was from Kansas. He told me that he grew up in Kansas - just outside of Ottawa! We talked for a while and I asked him if he knew a cheap place to camp in the area. He was gracious enough to offer me the use of his new mobile home. I couldn't turn him down because of his amazing hospitality. When the game was over, we talked into the night about his church, Earthquakes, the beauty of the coast, and life. I am planning on going back south to go to church with him tomorrow. He was a real blessing.
Today, after I finish watching the KU game on ESPN gamecast, I am going to head to McKinleyville to Six Rivers Brewery. I am told that the brewer, Carlos, is very open to discussion. I have high hopes to catch him this afternoon. Even if I don't, I feel confident that there will be other brewers down the road who are willing to chat. I expect to learn a lot and catch a vision.
I woke up in Fort Bragg, CA feeling that the routine of coffee shop, the road, and brew pubs similar to Free state was wearing me down. You can scoff and say, "Oh, how tough, poor Tyler, enjoying the coast and drinking beer, boo hoo." And I agree. This trip has been a beautiful, fun, refreshing experience, but I am traveling with high expectations.
Part of these high expectations involve actually talking with brewers and owners and learning from them. I am interested in what makes a professional brewer tick.
"Why did you get into this business?"
"What is the goal of your brewery?"
"How can you measure if you have met this goal?"
"Why did you chose to make this or that beer?"
"How is your brewery involved in the community?"
These are the type of questions that I could answer, when I was a teacher, about any of my teaching choices. I feel like these are still the important questions for me if I pursue brewing. I cannot be about 'the bottom line' - it is not my personality. I can try to make a profit, but only if I am doing so for the right reasons. With teaching, it is easy to say I am doing the right thing. In beer, it is a harder decision. Many people are addicted to alcohol and could ruin their lives because of a product that I manufacture. This is a danger of the industry, but is something that I think can be redeemed instead of 'throwing the baby out with the bathwater.'
Back to yesterday.
I woke up worrying that I wasn't ever going to have an intentional conversation with a brewer. I spent my previous evening enjoying great beer at North Coast Brewery where I couldn't get a tour because they were remodeling. I was looking forward to a trip to a brewery that I heard about from a nice man at the North Coast Bar. He said, "As long as you are going north, you should stop by Eel River Brewery." I was impressed by their claim to be the first certified organic brewery in the US, but I couldn't find any thing on their website about a tour. I called to ask their address and ask about a tour. The secretary told me to hold on and went and asked someone in the back if he had time to give a tour. I was told to come by, and someone would be there to give me a tour.
Mike Smith, the head brewer, met me at the door of their warehouse/brewery.
Mike, I came to find out, came to the industry as a home brewer (eh, like me!) and found a home at Eel River because they had similar goals. He took me on the best, most in depth tour I have ever been on. Most tour guides assume brewing ignorance. Mike asked me about myself and skipped large sections of the tour because I knew about the malting process, etc. At the same time, he took me deeper into an industrial brewery than I have been. I saw their mash and boil kettles up close and inside. Mike even pushed some buttons on their equipment and I got to see how some things worked. I had an idea from my home brewing and such, but seeing the parts move around really inspired me. I know that a large scale brewer is a part of the machine, but it is still beautiful to see it work. We talked about how they get their organic hops from New Zealand because they don't have spider mites, so they don't have to use pesticides. We discussed how they ferment, bottle and keg and the reasons for each of the choices they made.
In the end, Mike asked me if I wanted to try some. I was impressed with their beers and we talked more about his history and the brewery. I felt comfortable and threw out ideas about a brewery without a pub (Speakeasy?) and Mike told me that he thought that it wouldn't work because of some slow yearly times in the brewing industry that could hinder a small brewer. We talked for over an hour and he sent me off with a six pack of their best stuff.
I was renewed. I felt more encouraged about my choice to take this trip. I was excited about continuing up the coast with high expectations for meeting great people and discussing beer.
Later last night, I was at the Eel river pub watching the Mizzou game (damn them, they pulled it out) and I met another local named Mike. He struck up a conversation with me when the bar tender asked me for my ID and he saw that it was from Kansas. He told me that he grew up in Kansas - just outside of Ottawa! We talked for a while and I asked him if he knew a cheap place to camp in the area. He was gracious enough to offer me the use of his new mobile home. I couldn't turn him down because of his amazing hospitality. When the game was over, we talked into the night about his church, Earthquakes, the beauty of the coast, and life. I am planning on going back south to go to church with him tomorrow. He was a real blessing.
Today, after I finish watching the KU game on ESPN gamecast, I am going to head to McKinleyville to Six Rivers Brewery. I am told that the brewer, Carlos, is very open to discussion. I have high hopes to catch him this afternoon. Even if I don't, I feel confident that there will be other brewers down the road who are willing to chat. I expect to learn a lot and catch a vision.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Two Excellent Days
Sorry for the delay in posting. San Francisco has been great, but on Tuesday I was feeling that the beer part of my trip was lacking. I haven't heard back from the contact that I believed I had made and the breweries have been brew pubs similar to Free state in Lawrence. Nothing about their business models shocked me.
So, I thought that I would play the tourista in San Fran! I hopped on the F line which uses antique streetcars from other cities. I was on the streetcar from Louisville. I felt like a tourist when I got on, but slowly the F line filled with foreigners. A young British boy sat down next to me - total cockney accent. We rode the F line to Fisherman's Wharf, a tourist trap. I decided to walk on and found the 28 bus to the Golden Gate Bridge.
When I reached the bridge it was shrouded in fog. I could not see where the bridge began from 20 ft away! I asked a gardener what the chances of the fog clearing were and he said, "You'd have to be real lucky to get it to clear."
So, I decided to walk across in the fog anyway. If you check out my pictures, you will see how wonderful the Golden Gate Bridge is. It is so majestic sneaking through the fog. The fog horn blows deep and loud like the bridge is grumbling. About half way across, the fog started to clear. I was able to enjoy the second support structure without any fog. It was a real lucky trip across the bridge.
I spent the rest of the afternoon in Golden Gate Park reading and hoping that someone would see the Frisbee that I brought and ask to throw it around. At the end of the day, Alan and I went and got sushi. It was astounding. There is no comparison in Kansas to fresh sushi. The texture, flavor and even amount is better here in San Francisco. It was a great day.
Yesterday, Alan and I went surfing in Bolinas. We rented from 2 Mile Surf shop and had lessons with Nick. I was pleasantly surprised how easy it is to "get up." Everyone has been asking, 'Did you get up?' and I don't know what type of surfing they had experienced, but Alan and I both got up on our boards.
Now, it became increasingly harder as the day went on because our arms became like jelly. The difficulty lies in paddling out against the tide, through waves, against the wind and then turning around in a timely way to catch a wave right before it crests and paddling again, faster, to hope to be on top of the crest. If you fail, then you are twice as far in as you had just paddled out. Work, work, work.
Yet, I am addicted. I cannot wait for another trip out to the coast for some surfing.
Today, I am leaving San Francisco. It will be good to be back on the road; I want to be a road warrior. The time I spent in San Francisco, though, was excellent and I couldn't have asked for more from Alan and his roommate. I will try to come back sometime in the future.
So, I thought that I would play the tourista in San Fran! I hopped on the F line which uses antique streetcars from other cities. I was on the streetcar from Louisville. I felt like a tourist when I got on, but slowly the F line filled with foreigners. A young British boy sat down next to me - total cockney accent. We rode the F line to Fisherman's Wharf, a tourist trap. I decided to walk on and found the 28 bus to the Golden Gate Bridge.
When I reached the bridge it was shrouded in fog. I could not see where the bridge began from 20 ft away! I asked a gardener what the chances of the fog clearing were and he said, "You'd have to be real lucky to get it to clear."
So, I decided to walk across in the fog anyway. If you check out my pictures, you will see how wonderful the Golden Gate Bridge is. It is so majestic sneaking through the fog. The fog horn blows deep and loud like the bridge is grumbling. About half way across, the fog started to clear. I was able to enjoy the second support structure without any fog. It was a real lucky trip across the bridge.
I spent the rest of the afternoon in Golden Gate Park reading and hoping that someone would see the Frisbee that I brought and ask to throw it around. At the end of the day, Alan and I went and got sushi. It was astounding. There is no comparison in Kansas to fresh sushi. The texture, flavor and even amount is better here in San Francisco. It was a great day.
Yesterday, Alan and I went surfing in Bolinas. We rented from 2 Mile Surf shop and had lessons with Nick. I was pleasantly surprised how easy it is to "get up." Everyone has been asking, 'Did you get up?' and I don't know what type of surfing they had experienced, but Alan and I both got up on our boards.
Now, it became increasingly harder as the day went on because our arms became like jelly. The difficulty lies in paddling out against the tide, through waves, against the wind and then turning around in a timely way to catch a wave right before it crests and paddling again, faster, to hope to be on top of the crest. If you fail, then you are twice as far in as you had just paddled out. Work, work, work.
Yet, I am addicted. I cannot wait for another trip out to the coast for some surfing.
Today, I am leaving San Francisco. It will be good to be back on the road; I want to be a road warrior. The time I spent in San Francisco, though, was excellent and I couldn't have asked for more from Alan and his roommate. I will try to come back sometime in the future.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Chico and San Francisco pics
Not all of San Francisco, I'll be here for a couple of more days.
http://picasaweb.google.com/yourfriendtyler/ChicoSanfran?feat=directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com/yourfriendtyler/ChicoSanfran?feat=directlink
Friday, September 18, 2009
Sierra Nevada Brewery - providence
I feel God's leading in this time. I felt in the planning stages of this trip that there was a right way to go about this trip. I felt unsure of myself when I was trying to make definite plans and send out emails to the owners/brewers of the breweries that I was planning to visit. It seemed like I needed to be "open" to whatever happened along the way. When I talked to some people about my trip in this way, I received positive replies, "Awesome, dude." (In surfer accent) Other people seemed supportive, but had a doubting way of asking, "What will you do if you don't meet any brewers? How will you learn about the industry?" I could only reply that the process of planning was as important as the trip itself. I was needing an emotional posture of being free and open. Submissive and willing to try.
I thought that I may have some luck along the way, but I had no idea that it would come on the First brewery tour.
Sierra Nevada Brewing was a beautiful, gigantic, natural compound. I'll have pics later. I didn't expect to pick up any bits of wisdom from their brewery tour considering that they are the 6th largest brewery in the US and the #1 privately owned brewery. They ship to all 50 states and the UK. Damn, they are big. On their compound - I think that I wrote down the numbers right - they have ten or twenty 500 barrel fermentation tanks each holding what will become almost a million bottles of beer. So that is a scale that I don't want to shoot for as a start up. They do some cool things like get 90% of their electricity from Solar panels in their parking lot and grow hops and barley on site for a brew called Estate Harvest - excellent. Overall, the tour was fine.
But I spent some time in the taproom before and after the tour and met two important people.
(I don't know if I should use names or not... I am not going to, for now. feedback please)
I met an actual brewer coming off his shift! I slyly moved in for a conversation when I heard him talking to the bar tender about the day's brew. I told him about my trip and asked him questions about his path to get into the industry, etc. We have similar paths. He was in bio-tech and was fired for succeeding. He found passion for homebrew. He then went to brewing college at UC Davis, something I have looked into and had his internship at SN. He was on his last week as a functional brewer and was moving in to R&D. He enjoyed the brewing, but told me things that I have heard before - long hours, hard work, hot, wet, and tiring. He told me about a couple of breweries that I need to check out in the Santa Cruz region - south of San Fran. I may or may not check these out, but he said that there was one where the owner was always more than happy to discuss brew.
I was overjoyed at this interaction and went on the tour thinking about what he had said.
After the tour, I intended to sit back down and shoot the shit some more, but the bar was full. I asked the host if I could get a table, but as he pointed me in the direction, a place at the bar opened up near a white bearded older man. We began talking when he asked me what beer I ordered. When I described the flavors and aromas in such detail, he had follow up questions about brewing. I told him my story and we began to talk about beer and teaching. He had been in and out of the industry working mostly as the investment capital and business support person. He talked about the hard side of making it in the industry. He talked about how increasing production, bottling and kegging don't always equal more profit. We were chatting about Lawrence and the market there. We talked and talked.
He told me about a few breweries that I needed to check out, also, but he went further and gave me the name and contact info for the brewer/owner of Auburn Alehouse. As we talked more, he ended up saying, "When you give him a call [at Auburn] make sure to mention my name and tell him to call me. I'll come down and have a beer with the two of you."
I was overwhelmed at the providence. That is all that I can say at this point. I haven't called because I don't know what my time here in San Fransisco is going to look like. Alan and I need to figure out when we are going to Surf and I need to figure out what breweries in the Bay area I am going to visit and then I will call. I hope to see him this next week, but if I need to back track, I am willing.
I am open and willing to see these adventures through. I am walking in high expectations that things similar to this will happen all throughout this trip. I feel God's leading in this time.
I thought that I may have some luck along the way, but I had no idea that it would come on the First brewery tour.
Sierra Nevada Brewing was a beautiful, gigantic, natural compound. I'll have pics later. I didn't expect to pick up any bits of wisdom from their brewery tour considering that they are the 6th largest brewery in the US and the #1 privately owned brewery. They ship to all 50 states and the UK. Damn, they are big. On their compound - I think that I wrote down the numbers right - they have ten or twenty 500 barrel fermentation tanks each holding what will become almost a million bottles of beer. So that is a scale that I don't want to shoot for as a start up. They do some cool things like get 90% of their electricity from Solar panels in their parking lot and grow hops and barley on site for a brew called Estate Harvest - excellent. Overall, the tour was fine.
But I spent some time in the taproom before and after the tour and met two important people.
(I don't know if I should use names or not... I am not going to, for now. feedback please)
I met an actual brewer coming off his shift! I slyly moved in for a conversation when I heard him talking to the bar tender about the day's brew. I told him about my trip and asked him questions about his path to get into the industry, etc. We have similar paths. He was in bio-tech and was fired for succeeding. He found passion for homebrew. He then went to brewing college at UC Davis, something I have looked into and had his internship at SN. He was on his last week as a functional brewer and was moving in to R&D. He enjoyed the brewing, but told me things that I have heard before - long hours, hard work, hot, wet, and tiring. He told me about a couple of breweries that I need to check out in the Santa Cruz region - south of San Fran. I may or may not check these out, but he said that there was one where the owner was always more than happy to discuss brew.
I was overjoyed at this interaction and went on the tour thinking about what he had said.
After the tour, I intended to sit back down and shoot the shit some more, but the bar was full. I asked the host if I could get a table, but as he pointed me in the direction, a place at the bar opened up near a white bearded older man. We began talking when he asked me what beer I ordered. When I described the flavors and aromas in such detail, he had follow up questions about brewing. I told him my story and we began to talk about beer and teaching. He had been in and out of the industry working mostly as the investment capital and business support person. He talked about the hard side of making it in the industry. He talked about how increasing production, bottling and kegging don't always equal more profit. We were chatting about Lawrence and the market there. We talked and talked.
He told me about a few breweries that I needed to check out, also, but he went further and gave me the name and contact info for the brewer/owner of Auburn Alehouse. As we talked more, he ended up saying, "When you give him a call [at Auburn] make sure to mention my name and tell him to call me. I'll come down and have a beer with the two of you."
I was overwhelmed at the providence. That is all that I can say at this point. I haven't called because I don't know what my time here in San Fransisco is going to look like. Alan and I need to figure out when we are going to Surf and I need to figure out what breweries in the Bay area I am going to visit and then I will call. I hope to see him this next week, but if I need to back track, I am willing.
I am open and willing to see these adventures through. I am walking in high expectations that things similar to this will happen all throughout this trip. I feel God's leading in this time.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
So far
I feel like I have traveled so far away. I am amazed at how similar and different my destinations are from things that are familar. Both nights' camp sites were dammed-up-river lakes, just like Clinton. The mountains near Salt Lake City were the same Rockies from Estes Park or New Mexico. There were subtle differences in the foliage, but it felt the same.
The people don't have accents, or at least no noticeable accent. When I traveled to Georgia, I knew when I had crossed into The South. Not so with California, Nevada, Utah or Wyoming.
The hills that I was in last night were similar to a trip to Branson and Table Rock Lake. Cicadas.
The differences, though, are astounding. Near the Great Salt Lake is the Salt Lake Desert. It was miles of white, salty sand and occasional mud. It is hard to describe and the picture doesn't do it justice. It was brutal.
So too, the Sierra Nevadas are the best mountains ever. I couldn't stop to take a picture because I was coasting down hill for an hour through noble pine. The smell seemed fabricated, it was so overpowering. The afternoon light cut through the canopy from the byway's path and blotched my view of the misty down slope.
Ah, I should have spent a day in those mountains.
I thought that I would feel the weight of the trip when I got to Wyoming. I didn't. The drive has been weighty, but only the exhaustion of a long trek. Today, I will visit Sierra Nevada Brewery and I hope to feel more of the coolness of this trip.
Camping and driving are cool, but I am here for beer.
Important side story. I was preparing to camp in Utah, when I saw a sign that said that I couldn't gather wood from the park. I went into town to buy some wood and the attendant at the gas station told me of a guy in town who sold wood. I went to him and he was out, "It rained all day, but there is a guy on the other side of the lake. He's just past the cemetery, look for the piles in the driveway." So, I traveled and found the house. But only half a house. It looked like half of it had been torn down including the front porch. I pulled in the driveway next to the CAT with the grabbing-claw-thingy. I would have rung the door bell, but I couldn't get to the door. I saw a little girl in the window and waved. She called for someone inside. A man stepped out and I apologized, "but I was told that I could buy some wood from you."
He said sure and began to load me up with kindling and good wood, "That will keep you warm tonight."
I was surprised how much he put in my car and I thought it was going to cost me a lot, but he refused to let me pay him.
I went away with a wave and a smile.
The people don't have accents, or at least no noticeable accent. When I traveled to Georgia, I knew when I had crossed into The South. Not so with California, Nevada, Utah or Wyoming.
The hills that I was in last night were similar to a trip to Branson and Table Rock Lake. Cicadas.
The differences, though, are astounding. Near the Great Salt Lake is the Salt Lake Desert. It was miles of white, salty sand and occasional mud. It is hard to describe and the picture doesn't do it justice. It was brutal.
So too, the Sierra Nevadas are the best mountains ever. I couldn't stop to take a picture because I was coasting down hill for an hour through noble pine. The smell seemed fabricated, it was so overpowering. The afternoon light cut through the canopy from the byway's path and blotched my view of the misty down slope.
Ah, I should have spent a day in those mountains.
I thought that I would feel the weight of the trip when I got to Wyoming. I didn't. The drive has been weighty, but only the exhaustion of a long trek. Today, I will visit Sierra Nevada Brewery and I hope to feel more of the coolness of this trip.
Camping and driving are cool, but I am here for beer.
Important side story. I was preparing to camp in Utah, when I saw a sign that said that I couldn't gather wood from the park. I went into town to buy some wood and the attendant at the gas station told me of a guy in town who sold wood. I went to him and he was out, "It rained all day, but there is a guy on the other side of the lake. He's just past the cemetery, look for the piles in the driveway." So, I traveled and found the house. But only half a house. It looked like half of it had been torn down including the front porch. I pulled in the driveway next to the CAT with the grabbing-claw-thingy. I would have rung the door bell, but I couldn't get to the door. I saw a little girl in the window and waved. She called for someone inside. A man stepped out and I apologized, "but I was told that I could buy some wood from you."
He said sure and began to load me up with kindling and good wood, "That will keep you warm tonight."
I was surprised how much he put in my car and I thought it was going to cost me a lot, but he refused to let me pay him.
I went away with a wave and a smile.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
We're Not in Kansas anymore
Sorry about the cliche - I'm still working on creative titles.
Yesterday was significant, but I believe that today is going to be more so. I have traveled to Denver many times for skiing or JD or the Row Boat Retreat, but I have never traveled West of the resorts. I am about to do this and I believe that some of the monumental gravity of this decision will hit me. A drop hit me yesterday when I was saying good bye to Nick. I felt the butterflies.They were calmed, though, by Western Kansas' endless fields and domed sky. I was also lulled into comfort by the hospitality of my childhood friend Kyle Winders and his wife Janelle. He had saved dinner and good beer to mark the beginning of much more drinking to come.
He also gave me a great idea for the reality of starting a brewery in Lawrence. I will have to put reality on the back burner for a tick, so that I can enjoy that tonight I am going to be sleeping 30 ft from a lake.
Bam!
Take that normal life!
Yesterday was significant, but I believe that today is going to be more so. I have traveled to Denver many times for skiing or JD or the Row Boat Retreat, but I have never traveled West of the resorts. I am about to do this and I believe that some of the monumental gravity of this decision will hit me. A drop hit me yesterday when I was saying good bye to Nick. I felt the butterflies.They were calmed, though, by Western Kansas' endless fields and domed sky. I was also lulled into comfort by the hospitality of my childhood friend Kyle Winders and his wife Janelle. He had saved dinner and good beer to mark the beginning of much more drinking to come.
He also gave me a great idea for the reality of starting a brewery in Lawrence. I will have to put reality on the back burner for a tick, so that I can enjoy that tonight I am going to be sleeping 30 ft from a lake.
Bam!
Take that normal life!
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Brewfest / Banff day 2
Banff day 2 was more environmental than extreme sports, but the last film was a tour-de-force by Ryan Leech (similar video). In the Banff film, he jumped from a chain to a chain on his bike! On the way out, I was talking with Nick about it. I said, "I couldn't do that from my feet."
Nick said, "Neither could he."
This got me thinking about about some of my reflections from Brewfest. I was not impressed with the beers that the Lawrence Brewers Guild made for Brewfest. This could be a fluke of my choice (there were 97 beers of which I had 10-12 half beers) but I think that I started to see a pattern in the brews. Patient quality was sacrificed so that the beers could get consumed as soon as possible. They tasted sugary and like they weren't fully fermented. Wort tastes and unfiltered floaties ruined some creative brews.
This relates to Ryan Leech because I saw a group of people that I implicitly respected let me down. Leech is a giant in his craft, but isn't flawless.
When I strike out on this adventure, I am going to see the breweries close up and may see some negative aspects of the industry. I could become disappointed by this fact, or it could motivate me to be the Ryan Leech of brewing.
Either way, Banff and Brewfest were a good introduction to my trip.
Nick said, "Neither could he."
This got me thinking about about some of my reflections from Brewfest. I was not impressed with the beers that the Lawrence Brewers Guild made for Brewfest. This could be a fluke of my choice (there were 97 beers of which I had 10-12 half beers) but I think that I started to see a pattern in the brews. Patient quality was sacrificed so that the beers could get consumed as soon as possible. They tasted sugary and like they weren't fully fermented. Wort tastes and unfiltered floaties ruined some creative brews.
This relates to Ryan Leech because I saw a group of people that I implicitly respected let me down. Leech is a giant in his craft, but isn't flawless.
When I strike out on this adventure, I am going to see the breweries close up and may see some negative aspects of the industry. I could become disappointed by this fact, or it could motivate me to be the Ryan Leech of brewing.
Either way, Banff and Brewfest were a good introduction to my trip.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Banff - Night 1
Highlight of the night for me: Three of the world's best base jumpers travel to China to jump from a tight wire into the Heavenly Pit and fall almost 2000 feet to their almost certain doom. Beautiful scenery, amazing Tension and Release (when they were OK) and wonderful joy sitting next to Parker Guidry who said as one of the jumpers launched, "oh, Jesus Christ in a fried chicken basket."
Yup. Banff.
Yup. Banff.
Friday, September 11, 2009
First Post - Molting
Hello,
I just finished packing up most of my life and it only took me an hour. I think that this is metaphorical to the way that I feel now, before this trip. I feel that there are only a few things that are tying me to the routines of my life - my friends and family, my dog, and my love of Lawrence. The rest of the things that have until recently defined me are still a part of my life, but are no longer hold the same weight. Like an animal that is molting, I feel that I am going to go through a time of shedding my dead skin, fur, or feathers. This is different from the metaphor of the butterfly. Butterflies are completely different than caterpillars. A snake that molts looks and acts almost identical to the snake it was before.
Maybe that is just a wish, though, for this trip. I have been using the phrase, "hitting the reset button" to describe my trip, and I have been talking about how I have to be willing to accept however I change. But another part of me thinks that things are fine status quo. This may become a tension that I need to work through.
This weekend before I go is going to represent some of the aspects of my trip. Tonight and tomorrow night, I am going to Banff Mountain Film Festival. This amazing film festival shows films about the outdoors and adventure sports. I am hoping to experience a bit of these things as well on my trip.
Tomorrow day, I am going to Brewfest. This is part of the Lawrence Brewers Guild and will be a full on Beer experience.
I will try and blog about both these experiences.
I will also try and reflect in the near future about how I got into this trip. For now, imagine you are in a mystery movie - you'll find out the back story later.
Your assignment: I am going to say "trip" at least a million times unless you readers give me creative alternatives ie. synonyms. I like the word, but it is good to use varied word choice in essays. So, if you reply, do so with a synonym of "trip" that will be useful for my blog.
I just finished packing up most of my life and it only took me an hour. I think that this is metaphorical to the way that I feel now, before this trip. I feel that there are only a few things that are tying me to the routines of my life - my friends and family, my dog, and my love of Lawrence. The rest of the things that have until recently defined me are still a part of my life, but are no longer hold the same weight. Like an animal that is molting, I feel that I am going to go through a time of shedding my dead skin, fur, or feathers. This is different from the metaphor of the butterfly. Butterflies are completely different than caterpillars. A snake that molts looks and acts almost identical to the snake it was before.
Maybe that is just a wish, though, for this trip. I have been using the phrase, "hitting the reset button" to describe my trip, and I have been talking about how I have to be willing to accept however I change. But another part of me thinks that things are fine status quo. This may become a tension that I need to work through.
This weekend before I go is going to represent some of the aspects of my trip. Tonight and tomorrow night, I am going to Banff Mountain Film Festival. This amazing film festival shows films about the outdoors and adventure sports. I am hoping to experience a bit of these things as well on my trip.
Tomorrow day, I am going to Brewfest. This is part of the Lawrence Brewers Guild and will be a full on Beer experience.
I will try and blog about both these experiences.
I will also try and reflect in the near future about how I got into this trip. For now, imagine you are in a mystery movie - you'll find out the back story later.
Your assignment: I am going to say "trip" at least a million times unless you readers give me creative alternatives ie. synonyms. I like the word, but it is good to use varied word choice in essays. So, if you reply, do so with a synonym of "trip" that will be useful for my blog.
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