I Heart Skeleton Crew

I was thinking about some books I like for a project I'm working on and one book that keeps popping into my thoughts is Skeleton Crew.   Skeleton Crew is a collection of short stories by Stephen King.   I know that Stephen King might be a little played out for a lot of people but I really dig this book.  I read it many years ago and some of those stories still resonate with me. One of the highlights of the book is the story "Mrs. Todd's Shortcut".  It's a whimsical tale about a lady who obsesses over finding shortcuts.  I don't want to give the story away so I won't go into details but this is one of my favorite stories in the collection.  There is a macabre (of course, it's Stephen King!) story called Survivor Type, in which a character named Richard Pine gets stranded on a desert island and resorts to eating his own body parts to survive.  It's over the top but an interesting tale.  There are 22 stories spanning 512 pages.  I've got to dig through some old boxes and find this book and read it again since it's been so long.

Wanna Brew Your Own Beer?

Brewing my own beer is something I've enjoyed for many years, although it has been quite some time since I have brewed a batch.  There's something about boiling wort that just makes me feel groovy.  So you'd like to brew your own beer but don't know where to get started?  I recommend The New Complete Joy of Homebrewing by Charlie Papazian.  It's a great reference for the beginning homebrewer and it includes a list of all the equipment you'll need to get started.  Also, it includes recipes for many styles of beer using both extracts for ease and also instructions for using all-grain techniques.  It's an easy reading book that doesn't get too technical for the beginner.  If you're interested in getting started, go buy this book, read it, apply your newly acquired knowledge and invite me over to taste your first batch!

Hello World!

This is my first blog post.  Today is July 28, 2013.  I went to the Oregon Brewer's Festival yesterday and sampled a couple of beers.  Some of the beers I tasted were Mango Moon Ale by West Highland Brewing from Vancouver, WA, Hell or High Watermelon by 21st Amendment Brewery from San Francisco, and Tangerine Wheat by Lost Coast Brewery in Eureka, CA.  I was most looking forward to the watermelon beer but was unimpressed.  The best beer was the Mango Moon Ale.  It was delicious.