I did this one, too!

I made it myself

Empty Soju bottles. Taken in South Korea.
Cool, huh?

Beer!

Since this is my first weekend in a long while where I'm not traveling all over God's creation I've decided I'm making beer... Saturday AND Sunday!

I've been in a brewing drought. Last batch brewed: December. Yikes.

As you may or may not not, a new hobby developed in the meanwhile: infusing spirits. So far I've made kiwi vodka and am in the process of making triple-berry rum (of the black, rasp, and straw varieties) and raspberry gin. I think green tea something (rum? vodka? what do you think?) and rose pedal rum will be next. (For the right price, I can make anyone something)

But back to beer.

First, a historical style: Kellerbier. I'm sick of making wheat beers so this will replace it for the season. This brew will be straight to keg and straight into the fridge.

Second, an American barleywine. There's a metric shit ton of hops going into this brew. Cascade for aroma, bittering, and dry hopping (I've never dry hopped before, so here goes nothing). I'll bottle this bad boy and age it until Winter 2007.

Maybe I'll give mead another try, too....

It's that time of the year...

and I don't mean baseball season. It's moving time!

Well, it's not really moving time but it's time to start looking (damn two month warning period). By the end of the month I need to know where I'm living for the next 12 months.

Now, being a pet owner severely limits my options. Specifically, being a dog owner severely limits my options. In Rochester, there are three places I was considering: The Village at Essex, Quarry Ridge, and GrandeVille at Cascade Lake.

After talking with a friend about her experience at "The Village" (of the Damned) I realized that it's not a place I want to live. Turns out they also offer Section 8 housing at their property. That means one of her friends woke up to an arm coming through a cut in a screen window. No way will I live there.

Yesterday I cut out a bit early and went to Quarry Ridge. I learned there's one one bedroom available, a handicap unit. I looked at the place and for the price it isn't worth it. Sure there's underground parking and a pool, but still, it's a small overpriced apartment.

Which brings us to today and GrandeVille. Think townhouse meets apartment. I'm really digging "The Aspen" on first floor. Right now I have a two bedroom townhouse, and I hardly ever use my second bedroom. It sits empty as an office and a greenhouse for my pepper and rosemary, respectively. The particular unit I was shown is two doors down from the lake (sweet!) and in the back of the development. Nice and quiet.

Amenities: Pool with cabana (think grill, fridge, sink, prep area), exercise equipment, tanning, sauna, clubhouse, personal garage and private entrance. Oh and the unit I was shown had a fireplace.

Price: It's more than what I pay now, but I'll be paying less in utilities.

Other: It's in Rochester and not PI. It's close to a kick-ass sledding hill and a produce market (yes, they belong in the same sentence). The daily commute will be 10 minutes instead of 25. Oh, and they like pets.

So, yeah. I really like this place. What do you guys think?

That was fun...

So today after I dropped my car off at the dealer for an oil change something red caught my eye. I thought it had a familiar body style, but since it was a Honda dealership I ignored it.

When the dealership picked my up at three I had a better look at the red car.


That's right a 2005 MINI Cooper S. Six-speed transmission, GPS/Computer, CD, sunroof, leather heated seats. The whole caboodle.

After I picked up my car, I decided (on a whim) to stop at the Honda dealership to take a look. As I looked, a crafty car salesman wander over and told me about the car. Then he asked, "Do you want to take it for a test drive?"

Image my consternation. I've never driven a stick in my life. When I told the salesman this, he replied, "Do you want to learn?"

A jerky start later we were off on a drive around NW Rochester. This is a hella fun car to drive. I killed it only once (at a stop light), otherwise I was jetting around with the 198hp this MINI has to offer. Tight and responsive, a welcome change from the Pontiac Grand Prix.

When we got back to the dealership I asked the damage: $23,550. I don't think this car is in my future, but maybe one of it's other Oxford-born twins will be.

Cool wHip

Curling

I thought I would pass along this nugget of information:

This is a reminder that the Dakota Curling Club has an Open Ice session scheduled for this Sunday, April 1st, from 1:30 to 3:30. If you are new to the game, come give it a try!

Members may practice or makeup games at no charge. Guests will be charged $10 per person. Club members will be on hand to work with guests who come to check out the game.

We play at the Burnsville Ice Center at 251 Civic Center Parkway in Burnsville. See you on the ice!

Let me know if you're interested and we'll plan something. I will be there fo'sho.

So there we were...

standing in the pasta line at Cossetta in St. Paul after a disappointing Swarm loss, when I told T of my master curling plan.

You see, as a member of the Dakota Curling Club I can register for bonspiels (tournament for those curling noobs) at clubs around Minnesota. As a mater of fact, the St. Paul Curling Club (on fantastic Selby Ave. next to the glorious Happy Gnome) is hosting just such an occasion April 13-15. Those of you in the Cities should stop by one, or all, of these days to see us in action. Granted, I think we have a total of -0.5 years experience in curling, but really, who gives a damn?

Curling and Ages

Tuesday is the Social/Skip's Meeting for the Dakota Curling Club's spring league. Now, when I first registered/paid member dues, I was going to play in the Single's Learning to Curl league. A few weeks later the club lost it's clubhouse and postponed all leagues until after hokey season finished so we could return to the Burnsville Ice Center.

In preparation for season's start I learned that the single's league consisted of four people: two males and two females. That's it. So the club canceled/merged the single's league into Instruction League II, and made the four of us into a rink (team). Now here's the cool part: What's the team's name? That's right, it's Team Claussen.

As time went on someone on the team decided to send an email giving some information about who they are, their skill level, etc. Before I go any further, remember, this was supposed to be a singles league and I'm 23 years old.

Here's her email:

Fellow curlers,

I wanted to introduce myself as I am on your team for the upcoming league. I am the Lower School Principal at St. Paul Academy having just moved to Minnesota in July after having lived the last 2o years overseas, the last 8 in Spain.
...

Hmm, 20 years overseas and a principal. Probably way out of my age range. Not exactly what I'm looking for.

Oh well. It's curling and will be fun. Oh, and there are still lots of open spots in the instruction leagues if anyone is interested. For $150 you get a club membership, a Learn to Curl class, six curling sessions, and a name pin! Wooo! Do you have anything better to do Sunday afternoons?

Harold Crick

I just finished "Stranger than Fiction."

Wow.

This is the best movie I've seen in a long time. Better than "Children of Men." You can't help but be drawn in by the many different stories taking place concurrently throughout the movie; stringing them together into a coherent whole. The characters are so vivid that you actually care what happens to each of them as the movie progresses.

When the movie comes out on Tuesday, I will buy it and I suggest you do the same.

New name for Tyson

Poopy McPoop-Maker...his mom wanted to keep her maiden name.

It's just like...it's just like...

Be on the lookout...

Number One on our Threat Down is KP. Beware!

Whee!

While I was ditzing around on Wikipedia today, I discovered that Jack's Mannequin is playing at Myth on February 12. ROCK! I am going to be there and not be square. Are you?

TGIF...maybe not

Ok, so this afternoon has been the most infuriatingly long afternoon I've had since my (not so) triumph return to Rchland. I've just spent the last three hours on the corporate IM client talking with my project mentor. He's pulling edge cases out of the woodwork while saying "What if this happens? We need to plan if the customer modifies this file."

Then he comes up with these ridiculous solutions that will eat up weeks of time. When I try to contribute something, he dismisses it, and then thinks of a solution that incorporations what I just said.

Now it's 5:30 on a Friday afternoon and I'm still at work. Hell, it isn't even afternoon anymore: It's evening. Fuck.

hmm

Don't trust dentists from Eagan. When they say two, they actually mean five.

Two years...

While out at a bar last night, one of my friends mentioned this week was his two-year IBM anniversary. Two years. I'm feeling a bit nostalgic, so let's see what happened over those two years (in no order):

• Turned 21 (boy was that fun)
• Lived in three different apartments
• Traveled to Missouri
• Blew out my knee
• Ginger & Peter married
• Dusty & Jackie married
• Angela & Chad married
• Chris & Melissa married
• Quinn & Kari married
• AJ & Maria married
• Blew my ankle
• Had foot surgery
• Graduated
• Visited South Korea
• Visited Purdue
• Cursed the University of Minnesota
• Left IBM
• Came back to IBM
• Had a spring break experience
• A dog appeared in my life
  
• Lost a grandpa
• Saw my dad drunk as a skunk
• Had a case day
• Showed Edward Forty-hands who's boss
• Realized, as fed up with State as I am, that Brookings was home
• Graduated
• Applied to grad school for the second time
• Wondered, what can I do with a B.S. in Physics?
• Graduated
• Visited the SPAM Museum
• Visited Watertown
• Accidentally ran three-quarters of a half-marathon
• Brewed five batches of beer and two batches of mead

Hmm, another 2006 review?

I suppose so. So what happened last year in the "Year o'Claus?" (I'll even go in order!)

• Went on my first ski trip
• Made hard alcohol (mmm, super-strong amaretto)
• Drank bum wine
  
• Went on my first spring break trip
• Went to Watertown for the first time (I remember a lot of drinking when we got back)
• Case Day
• The brownie scavenger hunt
• I graduated! (party number one)
• Went to South Korea
• Got screwed out of an easy summer graduation
  
• Graduation party two
• Moved back across Minnesota
• Starred in two SDSU Commercials
• Saw RENT!
  
• Got a dog!
• Started a new job
  
• Graduated for real
• Visited Purdue
• Took the shitty subject GRE
• Applied to graduate schools
• Tried to organize my life (it semi-worked)
  
• Experienced a funeral and a wedding within three days of each other

What does 2007 hold?

• Graduate school?
• Government service?
• Brewing school?

As I fill out applications I'm starting to realize how scary the next few months will be. Most people can look at their lives and say, Hey, I'll be doing this a year from now. I, on the other hand, have no clue where I'll be or what I'll be doing.

I'll take strength in these words:

Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is bliss, taste it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it.

-Mother Teresa

Oh, and I have a New Year's resolution to go the entire month of January (sans-birthday) without drinking. So far so good.

Mmm

You know what goes with beer?

That's right, Kimchi (or Kimchee or Gimchi). It takes a little getting used to, but it gets you where you wanna go.

Heehee