Ying and Yang of Cenya ...

That is the title of the picture above. In case you don't know, Cenya (Kenya) is my dog. I liked the way she looked while resting, so I took a snapshot.

Last weekend was a horrible for my Vikings. Its playoff pursuit ended with da Bears beating the Packers. It did not matter as the Vikings lost their game. $h!t. Another promising season gone awry. I guess I rather not get into other personel issues they had. Nuff said!!!!

It was good to have my little sister back home for a week. I think we, the family, were more agreeable and not full of drama. My sister and I went out for lunch two times. We went to Barrio Cafe and Cyclo, which were highly recommended by local papers. They did not disappoint, and I think little sis was pleased. I did get a little tired of driving to and fro. It is a 50 mile-roundtrip to the parents'. It was good to see grandma in good spirit as well.

Random Shot
I got a little ticked off by Lilly's ad about depression. It looked like a public service announcement, but it is a thinly veiled attempt at getting people to buy PROZEC! Go talk to your doctor about depression my A$$!

Beer Update
Export Helles is in primary fermenting. I think siphoning to a secondary fermentation vessel should be done sometime this week. Maybe a diacetyl rest for a day? Cannot wait to sample a little after siphoning!

Movie Recommendation
"Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist" is an okay movie. I liked it just enough. "The Exorcist" is so much better and scarier.

Javelinas scared me ...

I wanted to take some pictures yesterday and walked over to a little hill. As I was ascending, I literally and physically (I don't know why people use this lingo) into two javelinas. I was very startled, and cursed myself for not having the camera ready. I watched as they scurried away. Their odor lingered though. It reminded me of skunks. Luckily I was able to take pictures with my zoom lens later. It is too bad the photos are not focused well enough for me to use them. Mm, bacon. I took one very usable picture. I guess that is the way photography works.

I made a five-gallon batch of export strength Helles Monday. This means more merry time when we finally do drink this fine German lager. It will be more than six percent alcohol by volume. It will be malty and smooth. Mm, Helles. It is fermenting right now. I hope time flies by for this lager.

My sister is visiting this week from San Fran. It is good to have her here. I am not sure what we will do as siblings this time. Maybe to Zoo Lights, Phoenix Art Museum, and good restaurant outings?

Movie recommendation:
"Saint Ralph" made me laugh and tearful. It is like Napolean Dynamite but more heart and marathon training and running.

For fun sci-fi movie, try "Serenity." People talk in entertaining way and actions are pretty good, although much of it darkness.

Pi$$ and moan ...

Let me count the ways things started going wrong with the new car. I think I can count three ways. The first way is running over a parking light. It cost me nine hundred to get the bumper fixed. Ahhhhh! I guess I will chalk this up to my inexperience with driving manual transmission. I am to blame for this but I would not have had this experience since I would not have to worry about pedaling clutch. Oh, well. At least, I am enjoying the challenge and fun driving manual transmission. If I can just up and down shift more smoothly, then life would be grand. Well, as far as the driving is concern.

The second way is not getting a spare key from the dealer. I asked for it about three weeks ago and it is now ready. I guess these new fancy keys with transponder are nice, but it takes forever to get it. Ah, the good ole days when you could just get a copy.

The third way is the rear tire that got damaged and cannot be repaired. A screw punctured a side of the tire rather than the repairable bottom tread. DAMN IT! The dealer took forever to locate and order it. How weird that Discount did it less than three days when dealer could not do it in three weeks?

Now, how can I stay mad at the convertible that brings me so much joy every time I drive it? I just need to get over it. Driving so much fun! Zoom, zoom.

Since I started to complain about things this week, I am going to write about an organization I interviewed with more than one month ago. At the time, I asked how long it would take them to make selections. The interviewers told me the decisions would be made within a week. Well, the first week has come and gone. I am still waiting to hear from them. I kind of regret not sending them a thank you letter, but they made it sound like the decision was going to be made so soon. Well, as the saying goes, hindsight is twenty/twenty. I finally called their human resources last week, but they asked me to contact the interviewers directly. What a crap! Their HR should train interviewers to contact interviewees within a reasonable time with any available information. I found out through my inside source that budgeting is preventing from hiring right away. I would have like to have known this, as I do not have to speculate. I mean I don’t want to piss off interviewers by calling if they do not want to be contacted. I started to look elsewhere for employment and will start substitute teaching in January.

Ah, complaining does make me feel better!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Beer update: Saison tastes pretty good. I guess it is rustic (whatever that means!), alcoholic, and just enough carbonation. I think it can use another couple of weeks for the right amount of carbonation. I hope you kids were nice this year.

Movie recommendation: I saw an old Kirk Douglas movie called, “Detective Story.” It is an adaptation from a play. It is a great little movie about people forgiving loved ones and second chances. I guess all Douglas family members have a chin fold. Check this one out.

Manual Transmission is a pain in the a$$ ...

I have to say manual transmission is a real pain sometimes. I have been driving manual for about a month now, and I feel pretty comfortable driving to places. I am still having enough problems that I would like to avoid driving during bumper to bumper traffic if at all possible. I find myself stalling when I have to slow down and start up again. This is getting much better as I drive more. I am also not doing something correctly when shifting from first to second gear. There is a shake instead of a smooth transition like from third to fourth gear. I am cognizant of it and trying to better it. I like to be a smooth shifter real soon.


I am starting to slack off from my regualr running schedule. I need to find a race so that I will really stick to it. Maybe not. Maybe it is a way for my body telling me to rest up. Anyway, I should step it up.