Puppykicker

The ginger beer is now in bottles:

1 x 2l bottle

10 x 1l bottles

16 x 500ml bottles

I'd normally use at least litre bottles, or two litre bottles for preference (to get the drink off the sediment) but you use what you can get. It'll take a few weeks for the pressure to build up and for the drink to carbonate: so sadly not ready for this weekend's Greenbelt ops meeting.

I'll take some of the mystery drink with me instead.

Things you find in the cupboard

While looking for Something Else recently, I discovered two demijohns in the cupboard. This is not, in itself unusual (there are usually demijohns in there) but I usually remember what I put in them. Two others are there: one is an experimental ginger beer that I'm afraid of going back to, and the other is a red wine in "long term maturation".

These two, however, were unknown. They contained a liquid that was a deep golden colour, a bit like a Balvenie whisky. The nose was pleasant, and in taste, it was surprisingly similar to a dry sherry.

The odd thing is, I have never made any sherry kits. Still, it goes down very well. Shame I can't get any more.

What's new in homebrew?

I paid a visit to Peter and Mark at the Brewshop in Edgeley on the Bank Holiday weekend to see what was available and blow me if they hadn't been keeping a set of Limited Editions back for me.

"Shall I help you load up the car?" says Mark.

I explain about the whole not-owning-a-car-anymore thing, so he says that he'll deliver them during the week. Four shiny boxes of wine kit.

I've just started the first of them: the Australian Riesling. Now, on the whole, I'm not keen on Riesling. However, that's mostly to do with the acidity-sweetness of the mass-market stuff: I should be able to dry this one out a bit and get more of the innate flavour. It worked OK with last year's gerwurstraminer...

I've also started this year's Puppykicker. It's going to be ginger beer again, since that seems to go down well, with the minimum amount of "becareful of Rob's lethal homebrew" comments.

Routine

Finally, after three weeks of here-there-and-everywhereness, I start a three month contract with a large corporation today. I don't have my log in details and access all sorted out yet, so actual work is proving difficult, but I've read a bit of process documentation and met some nice people, including bumping into my old payroll manager from a previous company. Small world, etc.
I haven't been so excited about a new job for ages. It's because usually changing jobs means going from one nine-to-five to another, but today is the first time since Christmas that I've had to get up, put office clothes on and do the commute. Suddenly it feels like the first time I went to work.
The office is deserted, as only two people from a team of what looks like about 8 are actually here (the rest are working at a different site) Bizarrely, I don't think I've yet heard a phone ring. Must all be done via email (which I don't have yet.)

Money won't arrive until at least the start of June. Plus, there seems to be some debate as to whether I file my hours on a electronic system or an old-fashioned time sheet. Still, once the pump is primed, weekly pay will be fun.

The phone just rang. But not for me or anyone on my team.

R&R in Wales

We spent the bank holiday weekend in North Wales, in a lovely cottage overlooking the Conwy Valley.

Some walking was done, some visiting of local pubs, some cooking and eating, and much resting. The views were superb, and plenty of geograpy was all around.

This is one thing that Cambodia lacks.

We're back!

It only took 28 hours of sitting in airports/on planes. No legroom. No upgrades. No real air.

And my sinuses kind of hurt from the stuff they sprayed the whole plane with in case we upset DEFRA by bringing in any foreign pests or plants. Maybe it's the 36 hours with half an hours sleep.

It is so blissfully nice to be COLD!

Wrapping up

The last team has gone.
The houses are all finished.
The fence is up.
Gifts are bought.
Packing is happening.
Good-byes are being said.

Soon, it will be time to depart.