Meet Jim & Pete

Last week we picked up a couple of goldfish after our trip out west to the racetrack. Jim and Pete:


They're lion heads. We found out after we got home that this means they're going to have freakishly enormous heads as they get older... but for now they're still cute. They're interesting fish... no dorsal fin and a double tail fin. Active, too, if not that bright. I've heard that fish have a memory that lasts seven seconds. I don't think these guys have that long of a memory. The other day we watched Pete eat his poo and spit it out when he realised it was not food.
"Hmmm, what's this?"
(gulp, chomp-chomp, blach!)
"What's that thing that just came out of my mouth?"
(gulp, chomp-chomp, blach!)
"Oh, what's that? That might taste good!"
(gulp, chomp-chomp, blach!)

This went on for some time before he got distracted by an air bubble.
No offence, buddy. Ah he won't remember. More photos:

Moth Invasion!

Every year around this time the bogong moth migrates from somewhere near Canberra to somewhere north of Sydney called the Australian Alps. Their flight pattern does not take them directly over Sydney, but with any luck (ie wind) they wind up right in the middle of the city. They're attracted to light, like most moths, and they spill through windows, crevices, or air filtration units at night. Despite the increasing heat, most Sydney-siders keep their windows and doors closed, but these buggers can still find their way in. There have been reports of schools and churches shutting down. In the 1950s a new electrical building attracted so many bogong moths that they filled one lift (elevator) to the point that the cable snapped and it plummeted down the shaft. As recently as the late 1980s the new parliament house in Canberra had to close up shop because of the plague. The architects still struggle to keep fresh air in and thousands of moths out.

So these fellas are just about back in town. I've seen a few, and if I see a few more I may look into the upside of the migration: culinary delight. Canberra, the inland capital city, got it's name from the Aboriginal word Kamberra, which means "meeting place". Why was it a meeting place? Because this time of year you could go there and harvest the cave walls of these guys:


Gather some up, cook them on some hot coals, mash them into a paste and spread on a ritz cracker. Or a bagel. Supposedly they're delicious... nice and nutty. If I can harvest enought I'll let you know.

A Day at Eastern Creek Racetrack

Since I hate cars it should not be a surprise that I have never been to a racetrack. However, after visiting one, I'd have to say I'm a big fan and hope that someday all cars are confined to racetracks! Everyone could drive around and around as fast as they like and not have to worry about any pedestrians! Best of all it it looks really fun. The rest of us could ride segues.

<-- Clicking on that link will take you to a little gallery of snapshots from the day. Dana and I went with Bennifer to Easter Creek to catch up with a former co-worker of Jen's. He builds, maintains and drive these little two-seaters that whip around the track at 240km/hr (150 mph). There were other types fo cars racing that say, but these 1950s-style roadworthy cars were the coolest.

Dana's Special Day

This pas Wednesday was DANA'S SPECIAL DAY! so we were off to The Australia Hertiage Hotel for some beer and pizza. This place is a classic Aussie pub, and it serves one of the best beers made in Australia: Little Creatures.

It was a fantastic night, though no one ordered the coat of arms pizza (kangaroo and emu). Check out the photos here.

Homebrew Batch

This past Saturday I brewed up two big beers: a double IPA and an imperial stout. These two guys are fermenting furiously as I type, but I'd like to share a bit about how the brewing was done.

First off: I'm still a pretty new brewer. These are batches 18 & 19. I've had success with previous brews, especially with the pumpkin ale, chocolate stout, barleywine and Celebration clone, but if you know your shtuff and would like to give me some tips, please do. If you would like to try a homebrew batch, please read How to Brew. It's a free, on-line step-by-step guide. I follow it for the most part. This the recipe executed below: The Captain IIPA.

Right. So I live in Sydney CBD and have an electric range. This stinks for cooking and brewing, but I also have a butane gas grill! This saved me hours of waiting. Once the water reached just about 75C I added the grain bag. The grain bag is pantyhose with specialty grain in it. Tasty. Dana did not get her pantyhose back, but I got a lot of good colour and flavour thanks to it. And perhaps I got some fermentables. I steeped/partially mashed the grains for 1/2 hour. In the last photo you can see the 4 kilos of extract that will be added to the boil.


Once the steeping was complete, I brought the pot to a boil and added the hops. Hops are the natural preservative in beer, but they also add flavour, aroma, and bitterness to the brew. I used cascade and amarillo hops for the IIPA. Once the pot was boiling, topped-up with more water to get as much hop utilisation as possible, I added the first round of hops and the extract. It takes a bit for the boil to get going after that, but once it is going, the hops are added over time until the boil is complete. Note the difference in the top of the pot before and after the hot break. Right around the hot break is when you can really destroy your stove with a boil-over. Kids, if you try this at home, be careful.


After the boil was complete, some more hops were added for aroma and the batch was cooled. In my case, it was cooled in the bathtub. Finally the good stuff goes went a carboy, the yeast was tossed in, and the vessel was sealed. You can see the airlock below. It has a little bit of water in it to allow pressure to be released while keeping the nasties out. This is where the magic happens. The yeast, in this case the strain is White Labs California Ale V, goes to town on the fermentables (sugars), turning them into alcohol while releasing gas. A hydrometer is used before and after the fermentation, measuring the gravity of the liquid. Before the yeast tuck into their buffet, the liquid is dense with sugars, so the gravity reading is high. The IIPA had an OG of 1.090. After fermentation the sugars are gone and the reading (final gravity) should be somewhere between 1.010 and 1.020. Measuring the difference is how I will know the alcohol content.


"Denis, what did you do with the grain bag?" Good question! I used it to fertilise the garden on our balcony!


I'll report back when it's bottling time...

Bridge Run

Dana and I have run across the beautiful Sydney Harbour Bridge many times - probably more than we've crossed the Brooklyn Bridge - but this past weekend runners had the opportunity to participate in a massive, stampede-like run across the part usually set aside for cars, buses and other large, wheely vehicles. Very cool... especially since the other vehicles were not allowed on the bridge at the time. I did not do the run, thanks to knee problems, but Dana made excellent time. She ran the 9 kilometers over the bridge, through the Botanic Gardens, past grandma's house, and to the Opera House in 48:28. The view at the finish line was fantastic. I can only imagine what the views were like from the run, but Dana has the privilege of knowing.

Michael and CJ - Baseball Stars

Michael Hurley and CJ Hurley, brothers hailing from South Carolina, are taking the baseball world by storm. Mike and CJ are pictured here with their winning team and their dad, the head coach:
http://www.dwarbi.com/MikeCJBaseball/MikeCJBaseball-Thumbnails/6.jpg

CJ, a top fielder for the Athletics, is known also known for keeping their team in high spirits and for his daring slides.


Michael, with his positive attitude, is always a reliable hitter when the team is in a crunch. He also led the All Star team this past season.


As these two winners grow, we can expect to see their talent mature. Scouts, keep your eye out for Michel and CJ Hurley.