Camp chair and Devil's Backbone

Once upon a time I came across a small chair for sale on the internet.

Photo via Wood&Faulk

Amazingly, the list price for this item is $165 before shipping. Which is absurd. I was mad enough to use my internet powers to find the guy who would put such a value on a simple stool. When I found him, my opinion softened because he seems like a cool guy and he wrote a tutorial how to build the chair. So I decided to make my own instead of being an internet complainypants.

I started with Ash shovel handles instead of the hardwood dowels he prescribed. My reasoning is that these are a bit thicker and therefore less likely to split under sheer strains and they're already sanded smoother and treated with a weatherproof lacquer. I scored them with a knife and cut them with a Bahco Laplander camp saw (it's a great little tool that's well worth the price).

Pivoting hardware was installed following the tutorial

For the seat, I decided to do a combination canvas/leather. It's a bit more laborious than using a single piece of hide, but cheaper for me. I got a bag of leather scraps and synthetic sinew from a craft store and the heavy cotton canvas comes from old saddlebags that a previous employer was throwing out. I cut equilateral triangles from the leather scraps and drilled the hole pattern to make the sewing easier. Sewing through the leather and two layers of canvas was tedious, but I have zero fears that the materials or my workmanship there will be the source of failure.

Finished chair, about 2 years later

For mounting the seat to the legs, I chose galvanized finishing washers and weather-proof decking screws instead of the soft brass hardware he recommended. I had intended to also do a blanket stitch around the raw canvas edges to reduce fraying and keep the layers together, but it doesn't seem to need it. It also doesn't need that dumb lanyard/leash that the original has. This chair is nearly 2 year old now, including a deployment to Afghanistan, and still going strong. It's an easy little perch to move around the yard or garage. I haven't calculated my time or materials invested, but I'm pretty confident it's less than $165 even if you include the cost of my drill.

Devil's Backbone

This Tripel from Blanco, Texas-based Real Ale Brewing Company pours bright like a golden shepherd with almost no head. It's got light carbonation with a floral and fruity flavor that embodies the abbey style. BeerAdvocate reports 8.1% ABV and it's masked well. I find finishing the larger 22oz bottles of Belgian-style ales to be somewhat difficult by my lonesome, so this 12oz size is more convenient. Definitely a great value for your money if this style is something you enjoy. 

Super Bowl Brew

Northern Brewer ESB kit
I didn't take pictures this time because honestly, all homebrewing looks the same.

1514 Brew Kettle with 10 quarts warm tap water started on High heat uncovered.
1530 Crushed Grains added. Surface temp: 174
1540 Surface temp: 193
1550 Grains removed, kettle removed from heat. LME put in hot water bath. Surface temp 204
1555 1st 3.15 lbs LME added
1600 2nd 3.15 lbs LME added, Kettle returned to high heat burner
So that 2nd Jug of LME was supposed to be added in the last 15 minutes of the boil. Whoops: error # 1
1614 Still not boiling. Surface temp: 193
1620 Placed a clean, bamboo cutting board on top of the brew kettle to act as a partial lid. The actual lid for this kettle is missing somewhere. Surface temp: 207
1625 Boil achieved. 2 oz Willamette Hops added. Still on High heat, stirring occasionally.
1710 1lb Briess Golden Light DME and 1 oz UK East Kent Golding Hops added
1724 1 oz UK East Kent Golding Hops added
1725 Brew Kettle removed from heat
1730 Fermenting bucket, lid, and airlock in starsan solution
1735 Brew Kettle in cold water bath
1825 Surface Temp 84. 1 quart cool tap water in primary fermenter. Siphoned wort into primary fermenter. Pitched yeast. Added cold tap water to bring the volume up to 5 gallons.
I am a little concerned because the airlock wasn't immediately bubbling, but I'll check on it in about a day and maybe re-pitch.

Pike Monk's Uncle Tripel

Representing Seattle, an amber tripel. tonight we've got Very thin, lacy head.
Strong, floral hops profile, but not too bitter.

New Belgium 1554

Representing Colorado (Fort Collins), a Belgian-style dark ale. Looks like Coca-cola with very little head. Roasty, malt, and it's an overall winner.

Awesome August update and Tripel B

Financial Progress

I think I've made the greatest progress here: reconnected with my Pennsylvania Bank, online access to my student loans re-established, opened an account with Vanguard. All of it pouring data into Mint so I can see what's up. I was feeling pretty good about tracking my loan debt on Mint until I reconnected with the owners of my private loans, revealing the full total. I thought I had public loans and private loans rolled over into one location, but I was mistaken. It's an unpleasant revelation, but at least now I know the gory details. I haven't exactly succeeded in the "Chill out on Car/Motorcycle shopping," but I think I'm going about it in a smarter way. I have automatic alerts set from list-alert.com so I get emails when certain brands/models I'm interested in pop up on the Waco, Temple, or Austin craigslists. Instead of just posting/passing those links around, I'm compiling a weekly summary email that I'll send out to interested parties for their thoughts and advice. Let me know if you want to be included.

Still to do:

• Start deployment Savings Deposit Program allotment (where is Finance?)
• Make a student loan repayment plan

Army Progress

I've been to Kandahar Crossfit 11:30 class 5 times. Not a great record, but there are no Sunday classes and I've also moved twice this month. In the past week, I went to 4 classes in a row before the Sunday reprieve and it was sorely needed. I just felt beat up. I'm not a huge fan of the Olympic weightlifting, but that may just be because I don't know what I'm doing technique-wise. But my general outlook is that going 6 days a week to struggle is still worlds better than just hanging out in my room. I'm finding little purchase for my intentions to be ambitious and thorough with my role in the TOC. Too many of the changes I think are necessary require more gravitas and authority leveraged on others than a specialist can manage. I have expressed those desires to some of the folks with gravitas and authority, so we'll see how it goes.

Still to do:

• Promotion tracking (what exactly would I need to make those points?)
• Studying for promotion board (Dayshift uses my book more than I do) 

Education Progress

This has been the area with the least progress since it requires computer time. My internet usage has been cut shorter with Crossfit and rather busy with financial machinations. I have decided to not try to take any classes this fall because of this shortage in concert with the uncertainty of the job. The financial bits will eventually take less of my time and I can spend more of my energy on program research.

Still to do:

• Find degree programs for Geosciences and Secondary Education in every destination location (TX, PA, NY, DC, MA?) 
• Get physical, edifying books to digest in the TOC (not super necessary while I can still use the internet at work, but I'm confident that time is coming to a close) 

Tripel B "Bad Boy Brew"

I've had more than my fair share of nicknames due to my personality and penchant for certain facial hair, but back in the engineer company, I had been called "Beer Blogger" after some of the guys discovered this site. I want to recapture that one with some new beer posts here. Unless I develop an overwhelming urge to tell you about my recent experience with Beck's Non-Alcoholic, these will all be retro-reviews. Some of them are actually from before my Ambitious March blitz. The Tripel B is one such brew hailing from Adelbert's in Austin. I remember it being yeasty and strong at 9.3% ABV. My picture looks significantly darker than the new ones on their website. Maybe they changed the recipe when they revamped their branding. Unless I visit the brewery (a very real possibility), I probably won't get this again.

It's my birthday in just a few hours here; hopefully it will pass by pleasantly without fuss.

Update, Reminder, & Gulden Draak

I'm back in Texas after 3+ weeks at Fort Polk, Louisiana. Highlights: our wargame opposition did not breach our base defenses this year and I got to watch a wild bobcat hunting rabbits with our night-vision overwatch camera. Lowlights: no laundry facilities and a guy in my platoon had an emergency appendectomy while another contracted a flesh-eating bacterial infection also requiring surgery. Overall, it was vitally necessary training for me in my new role, but I really wished we could have kept our slot to train there in March. The well-populated deployment timeline would have been much more agreeable with those additional 2 months.

I know this is tiny, but I really like USGS topo maps.

It's about that time to remind my dozen or so readers that there can't be any operational details published here or on Facebook. If you want to be included in my more substantive email updates, please shoot me an email. Any details I include in letters, phone, or skype shouldn't be mentioned online either. Keep it vague or ask me first. Fortunately, this time I expect to have internet access during the whole tour.

Since I interact with most of you entirely online anyway, the deployment may not seem like a huge change. However, for Sarah this will probably be more rough than the 2011 Iraq tour. She's developing friends and a support network through her Masters' program at Baylor, but it's not as well-established or geographically dense as folks she could rely on in Pittsburgh and State College. I'm sure I'll find my fair share of adversity, but please remember to support her as well.

Gulden Draak

If it were merely a 10.5% ABV beer called 'Golden Dragon,' it would still be extremely cool. But Gulden Draak is more than that. It's "named after the golden statue at the top of the belfry in Ghent;" leaving the name untranslated is much more powerful and the opaque packaging is at once both iconic and mysterious. And it keeps UV light from skunking your beer. The beer itself pours with a rich color and rocky head. I didn't take notes on the aroma, but I remember it being appealing. The flavor is full of sweet malts that don't stray over to the saccharine line. That 10.5% goes down smooth.

Is it a Tripel? A Barleywine? I don't care, but it's definitely a brew worthy of a chalice.

Mini-Mil and New Belgium Trippel

A month ago, to the day, I sent BC this message

I think I've found my next pair of boots.

I just didn't think it would happen so fast. On Monday I had the misfortune of using a broken oil dispenser and managed to get LMTV transmission oil all over the McRae Desert boots I got issued in Kuwait. Oil doesn't hurt the boots functionally, but it does permanently change the appearance of the tan, flesh-out leather. If I were deployed, I wouldn't sweat it, but in a garrison environment, around as much rank as I am, they had to be relegated to PT and personal use only.

My oily old McRae Hot Weather Desert Boots, after attempts to clean them

These are a great example of the standard combat boot; I wouldn't be surprised if Uncle Sam has over a dozen companies churning these out. They're pretty good once their broken in, but not exceptional in any way. As you can see, they have a thick sole with 2 different types of rubber glued to the upper.

I had intended to get some cheaper Panama-soled version of this standard combat boot at a surplus store when I discovered they carried the Tactical Research Mini-Mil I'd read about in February. They seemed just as cool as the article and only 10 bucks more than the best price I'd seen online. How could I say no?

Tactical Research Mini-Mil TR101

They came with strange tubular laces like you'd find on cross-training shoes. After switching those out for more standard military laces they fit even better. The hand test says they're the same weight as the Nike combat boots that a lot of guys wear, but with a very minimal sole not unlike the Merrell Sonic Glove Barefoot Running Shoes I use for PT. I got 9.0 wide and there's plenty of room for my foot to spread out without feeling lost. I've only worn them for a day, but I really like them so far. They've got my recommendation if you've already got some experience with minimal footwear.

New Belgium Trippel Brewed With Coriander

Good, but not great. I appreciate the inventiveness that drove the New Belgium brewmasters to say "Hey, let's throw some coriander in a golden trippel" but this recipe isn't anything special for me by itself. Maybe the right food pairing would wake it up?

Internet, Mustache, & Incubus

Some have said that I'm online as much from Iraq as I was back in garrison.  That may be true!  But it's quite a bit different for me due to the time difference (7 hours ahead of the east coast) and slow internet speeds (alas; no youtube, hulu, or netflix).  The best way to contact me is through my gmail account, either email or chat.  I have tried and failed to install google voice and video, but skype will sometimes work for voice and video calls dependent on weather and network traffic.  However, I do not always stay logged into skype because it slows my computer down.  She's about to turn 5 and running an operating system that didn't exist when she was built, so I don't hold it against her.

The mustache is reborn once again.  Although it is much more tidy this time in accordance with army regulations.  That and my practical-but-nearly-bald haircut sparked a bit of nostalgia for my civilian hair styles.  My squadmates were amused to see these pictures featuring previous iterations of my mustache:

One of Sarah's visits, Fall 2008

Spring Break 2009

December 2009

Spring Break 2010

Sly Fox Brewery's Incubus is a fruity, ester-y Trippel that didn't suit my palate. The reviews on BeerAdvocate are all over the place with flavor descriptions and I'm finding it difficult to remember if it was pears or coves or banana that I was tasting. But to be sure, there was an abundance of extra flavors to taste though not enough "beer" flavors (the traditional hops, malt, grains, etc). I wouldn't get it again, but I'm still curious about the brewery and their other recipes since this seems to have been a small-batch experiment.

Zax & Urthel Hibernus Quentum Tripel

I was getting restless in Killeen so I decided to take a daytrip to Austin.  Stopped in the REI in Round Rock and later saw a movie in a giant art-deco theater on the south side of the city.  For dinner, I decided on the Zax Restaurant and Bar after a Google search told me it was one of the best places in Austin to have a pint.  It's a pretty upscale place with bistro-style menu and pricing with a fairly impressive tap and bottled beer list.  I don't know; I expect "great place to have a pint" to be more like Zeno's or Gene's Place, but this was sparsely filled with upscale, older patrons drinking wine and cocktails with their meals.  Maybe the crowd changes later in the evening, because I actually arrived early enough to see the most overrated 2 minutes in sports.  After that spectacle I got a tasty steak salad with crumbled blue cheese and a very nice discontinued Tripel.  Strangely, they wouldn't accept my Military ID as proof of age, but then I got an awesome 50% military discount (not including tax) on both my meal and beverage.

I don't know why De Leyerth Brouwerijen would stop brewing their Urthel Hibernus Quentum Tripel when so many folks seem to have liked it.  Maybe the high-end sources for their ingredients dried up and they didn't want to compromise in finding substitutes.  The last bottles were capped in 2008 and the one I tried had a different label that what shows up in an image search, so it had probably been aged for at least 3 years.  I want to call it a Kolsch or Blonde-like Tripel because of the lighter golden color, thin head, and grain/bread flavors.  It had a medium body compared to the Dark Belgians I usually go for with an unobtrusive 9% ABV to let you know it's still a Tripel.  I picked it out of the list because it was a Tripel I had never heard before and I got lucky that it was so was good.  I'm noticing a drift in tastes towards the brown ales and dark Belgians so I probably wouldn't have chosen this from all the others in their stores had I known it was so light.  I would get it again if I ever see it since it was pretty good, but only going to get more scarce as time marches on.

Zonk & Affligem Abbey Belgian Tripel

Zonk /zɒnk/ Unofficial army command. Typically used during PT (physical training) formations during extremely uncooperative weather as a way of dismissing a unit from duty. After the command of “Zonk!!” is given the entire unit runs off screaming and shouting to their barracks rooms or cars.

That's the command we received after marching away from our 0630 formation this morning.  It was cooler this morning, but nothing unbearable.  I think my sergeants are just eager for this week to end.  Can't say I disagree with them; I've been juggled around in a predeployment medical bureaucracy for over a week now.

Affligem Abbey Belgian Tripel 

I pick this one up last weekend because it was next to the Unibroue offerings and because it had apparently won the World Beer Cup for its class three separate years.  I started off pretty unimpressed; it's lighter in body than other tripels and a little hoppier, but generally less bombastic in flavors.  I wasn't a fan for the first glass, but subsequent tastes got better until I was a little sad to finish it off.  Does this abbey ale have a complexity that only reveals itself over time?  Was I just getting used to its particular flavor profile?  Or maybe the 9.5% ABV was influencing my change in affection?  Probably a combination of the three, but tasting is not an empirical pastime and analysis can only take you so far.  I doubt I'll get it again, but I wouldn't call it bad either.