Care Packages and Warsteiner Dunkel

Our platoon got a care package from Soldiers' Angels nearly a month ago now after my squad leader applied for it. There were several large boxes containing mostly snacks but also playing cards and crossword puzzles and smallish toys. Included with the Package was a stack of postcards from a high school in Florida; probably where the snacks were donated/collected.

More recently, I personally received a care package from my Grandparents' newspaper.  They also had a collection and our unit was selected; there was more than enough for our platoon.  The 5 packages were full of books, a few movies, puzzles, lots of sunflower seeds and jerky, various trail mixes, soaps, deodorant, disposable razors.  I had the guys go through my room and take what they wanted, but there's still 3 boxes worth of stuff left.  The jerky, gum, and bodywash were most popular.

-- Edit 10/Aug --  2 more boxes have arrived from the newspaper.  Holy peanut butter cheese crackers, batman.  I'm spreading the wealth around to other platoons now.  Unfortunately, I've already sent the thank-you note back to the editor.

-- Edit 12/Aug -- Another box arrived.

I've never been on the other side of such charity/support before.  It's good to know and appreciate that real people took the time and money to collect and send us these items.  Of course we always "know" people care, but it's more tangible when your holding a postcard from a high school kid or a novel someone thought you'd enjoy.

Warsteiner Premium Dunkel

I found it similar to the Flying Dog Tire Bite Golden Ale, but with less hops and slightly more roasty malts.  Upon reflection, it's a rather strange association (Golden Ale to Dunkel Lager), but that's what I wrote when I tried both back in February.  The Warsteiner brewery of Germany is better known for their brews with citrus fruits added.  Adding grapefruit to a lager doesn't sound very unappealing, but I'm curious nonetheless.

Photo from 365beers.wordpress.com

Naked Goldwing: Condor

"What's this?" you say; "Honda Goldwings are fairing-encased full-dresser touring machines.  Surely there's been a mistake."  Well Goldwings are usually comfy tourers that come in conservative colors like wineberry red and metalic blue-black.  But "usually" doesn't apply to the folks that populate the online community Naked Goldwing Club.  They specialize in restorations and customizations on older Goldwings that "release the thoroughbred from the plough."

This particular machine stared out as a crusty 1000cc '76 belonging to forum member HOTT.  Behind the dirt and plastic he found this elegant cruiser waiting to be released.  Gone are the front fairing, seats, and saddlebags.  The new seat and headlight/instruments were fabricated to fit.  Everything else has been stripped down, cleaned and repainted.   The paint job is obviously custom, but takes design cues from earlier Hondas and BMWs to give it a classy retro look that befits its age.  This simple seat is probably not as comfy as the old one, but the suspension is just as smooth and the 4-cylinder boxer engine is still the king of the road.

My grandfather's '86 Goldwing is completely stock and currently does not run.  It's far too much bike for me to handle as a rider or mechanic right now (and belongs to my mom), but doing something like this would be a cool heirloom project to work on sometime down the road, either with my parents or with my own future offspring.

Questions, Google+, & Sierra Nevada Kellerweis

In the past few days I've been asking folks via email what questions they have about me/Iraq/the army/the deployment.  I still have to be doubly careful what I publish since it's a public site.  Everything published here is out there for all to see which includes "bad guys," but also members of my platoon and folks up the chain of command.  Still, it can't hurt to ask questions if you're curious about something.  Let me know in a comment or email and I'll fill you in as best I can while fulfilling my Army obligations.  Some of the questions I've already received will be turned into updates here in the next few days.

I've been on Google+ for a while now and while refreshing, I'm not too impressed.  It reminds me of the earlier days of facebook, before the latter became cluttered with ads and games and twitter updates.  The best improvements for me are a) the circles system which lets me sort people and follow semi-famous folks without a digital handshake and b) embedded gchat.  Gchat now works better in google+ than it does in gmail.  That's strange for me; leaving a gmail window open for chat had been a fixture of my browsing experience for several years.

Sierra Nevada Kellerweis
This is a well-wrought hefeweizen that comes off with a hint of Belgian sophistication.  The main flavor I got out of it is banana and it was bewildering for me at first.  It's not a harsh banana, though, and there are clove and malted wheat flavors to remind you it's still a beer.  I'm glad I got the 6-pack; trying a single bottle would not have been enough let my palate adjust and appreciate the flavors.  I haven't seen it since, but I would probably get this again especially for Sarah to try.

Photo from 365beers.wordpress.com

Gear Update 2 & Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale

A few words on more of the items I've brought with me.  I dunno; is this something people like to read about?

• Casio Analog-Digital Forester

Many of you probably know, I don't like to wear watches.  I think they're a) largely unnecessary in a cell-phone age and b) a silly and potentially expensive exercise in man-jewelry/status symbols I don't care to partake in.  However, cell phones are not a viable option and wall and dashboard clocks are in short supply here.  A watch was a mandatory item for our deployment so I had to get one.  This Casio has been alright; it's not huge, the buckle band is tough and not failing like a velcro one would have.  Plastic magnifying face is unfortunately raised and staring to scratch, but otherwise going strong.  I don't think this is destined to become an heirloom "the watch grandaddy wore in the war," though.

• Poncho Liner

I was never issued a liner for my snazzy silicon-impregnated nylon poncho the way everyone else has since Vietnam (it seems).  So when I finally got frustrated with using the lightweight sleeping bag I was issued, I order a military-spec one from Amazon for myself.  It's just as nice and useful an item as people have said.  Keeps my torso warm, while letting my feet air at night.  Provides insulation from my hot-running laptop. Can easily add several degrees of survivability to the 3-piece sleeping bag system we were issued and packs down really small.

• Creative Zen Vision: M

Hector, like my laptop, occasionally shows his age.  So far his fits have been alleviated with normal troubleshooting and patience.  I don't use him/it much here; I don't need music to work out or sleep.  It will be quite handy when/if I get R&R.  The pink leather case still draws comments, though.

From Yorkshire’s oldest Brewery, Samuel Smith’s Nut Brown Ale is a classic and proper English brew complete with a white rose as part of their logo.  I liked it a lot, but I think by their nature brown ales don't wow the palate enough to warrant the specialty bottle/price treatment.  This is the brown ale with the highest pedigree, but if I ever stumble upon it again, I may just pass it over to try something new or stock up on something cheaper.

“Samuel Smith’s of Tadcaster has the richest, maltiest and nuttiest of brown ales”
~Michael Jackson’s Beer Companion

Ramadan, Rivale, & Celis White

Ramadan is based on a lunar calendar, which is why it's earlier each year.   This year it falls from August 1st-29th.  The month commemorates the length of time in which the Quran was revealed to Mohammed in 610.  It is a time of fasting and religious mindfulness for Muslims.  They will abstain from eating, drinking anything other than water, or activities evoking strong emotions during the daylight hours.  After sundown, they will break their fast with a date just as Mohammed broke his fasts.  Iftar is a big meal with family that follows.

This is the Rivale from Italian custom motorcycle builder Roberto Rossi.  It began life as a 2003 Triumph Bonneville T100, but has been worked over to be intentionally scruffy, home-grown, and scrambler-like.  Highlights include the tank and mirrors from 70's Triumphs, finessed to fit the modern frame.  The seat and detachable saddle bag were custom creations for this bike as were the high-exhaust and fenders.  More details at Bike EXIF.

I'm not a fan of the intentionally-scruffy detailing, but I like the bike overall.  I'd like to see a larger speedometer and tachometer and the seat could have easily been extended a couple more inches for passengers' comfort.

Celis White
I'm reaching back into the archives for this one.  I'm not exactly sure that the beer in the link is the one I tried, since there is an awfully similar brew from Austin.  Regardless, I was not a fan. Similar to the continental hefeweizens, which is a bad thing for me.

Image from Brewpublic.com