I like this time at night on HBT

[opus345]

So my laptop finally died after about 7 years and all I can think of with regards to the laptop is that all of my beersmith files are gone and I don't have any hard copies of any of my recipes aside from the ones I've posted to HBT. Bummer.

Yank the HD and stick it in a USB enclosure?

 

[Fedora]

Good evening, late nighters.

 

[opus345]

Good tidings all!

I'm 51, starting to feel some body aches. My right knee for the last year gets sore. My wife thinks it's gout. I'm not convinced about that but don't ignore the idea either. I will research gout and the causes. I always thought it a lack of vitamin C. I was probably v c over covered and am now. ....

Cancer you bastid Die MFr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!' Die!!!

Dan,

Understand that any research involving WebMD will indicate you have two weeks to live!

And I agree with your sentiments about Cancer! I still wear a Livestrong bracelet, not because of Lanch, but because I believe the Livestrong manifesto about believing in life!

 

[nutty_gnome]

Dan - ask your doc to add the test for uric acid in your next blood test. If elevated, you are at risk for gout. Very simple way to know where you stand with gout.

 

[bigken462]

Dan,

Understand that any research involving WebMD will indicate you have two weeks to live!

[/URL]

And for the love, if you happen to go to the Doc. Do not under any circumstances use any terminology you picked up from such website, nor mention you even thought to point your browser there.

I can't tell you how many 911 calls we get from people who have advanced their medical knowledge from there, only to have it smacked down upon arrival to the ED. lol

But in all seriousness, get that uric acid checked. Excessive use of caffeinated drinks can be hard on the body. I say this, while just purchased 5 two liter sodas today. lol

Get to feeling better buddy!

 

[Dan]

Hello to all!

First off, thanks for the advice. I met a wonderful Doctor a month ago. I was pretty sick. Everybody at the hospital were pretty wonderful actually. I need to check back in with her, the doc. She and I had a good talk about my health. I admitted to her my lifestyle is no longer a healthy one and I don't like going to doctors because I don't want to be judged. She said, hey we're not all like that. Give me a chance. First doctor aside from my pops I ever hugged. [emoji3]

Had a long talk with my daughter today. It was great!!

I'm not sure if what I'm about to say, I should.

She's gay. Today we had a long talk about it. Believe me true. I'm Okay with her being gay. It's how she was born. She had no more control over her sexual preference than I have over the size of my ears. I'm not super religious, probably fall more into an agnostic category. But I do entirely believe in a creator of life. Men and women create life every day. Something created men and women. That is the creator.

The creator made you and me. Evolution is a natural occurrence. First time I made bread , (thank you yeast and the creator of yeast) my bread came out ok, not great. As time went on I used the same basic yeast and fine tuned my process. I think the creator of life did the same thing. If you believe we are made in Gods image,, our creator given flesh. We are him.

This is my girl, my baby, my blood, me in flesh and life. My child and part of me. I'm one with her as every father is to a child.

IMG_9451.mp4.mov

That link didn't work. Maybe this one will. Megs and my son's very old dog, Amos. You can see in his eye yes commitment but he's tiring

 

[Dan]

IMG_9451.mp4.mov

 

[Dan]

The links aren't working. I did something wrong

 

[Dan]

Ho Ho Ho. Merry Christmas![emoji41][emoji41][emoji41]
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1450050325.768747.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1450050356.315264.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1450050372.023753.jpg

 

[Dan]

Trying to get some pics sent. I'll try again. My daughter alnd my Mia my son's dog. The beach pic is Megs and my dog a dash or Dasher
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1450051846.123459.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1450051867.683550.jpg

 

[Dan]

LabRatBrewer, Albert...you still here?

 

[CGVT]

Dan, you have a beautiful daughter. I'm sure your love and support mean more than you can imagine. Times are changing, for the better IMO. Hopefully she will be able to be happy being who she is.

 

[bigken462]

Mr. Dan, a love for his daughter is unconditional. Thank you for standing up for your family.

I'm off tonight, but about to head to bed, but wanted to jump in and say hello to everyone. Tomorrow night I start back to work and already dreading it.

I've got to get started looking for a new pad, I'm not sure what's around the corner for me, but I'll get this off my back at some point. the house I was hoping for kinda fell through. I was ready to sign the lease, but by the time I woke up to schedule a apt to see the inside, they told me it was no longer available. I was kinda bumbed about that since it had a nice oversized garage.

The hunt continues, but for now, it's time to hit the sack.

Later everyone,

KT

 

[passedpawn]

Nice pics Dan. She's your future.

 

[brewingmeister]

The future is now.

 

[Dan]

Each of your comment's and support mean the world to me. I should address each individually. Give me time and I will.

Taking off work soon for Christmas and much needed time together with my kids.

Thank you all for your friendship and support!

Dan

 

[Dan]

Dan, you have a beautiful daughter. I'm sure your love and support mean more than you can imagine. Times are changing, for the better IMO. Hopefully she will be able to be happy being who she is.

I truly believe you are correct on the first three sentences. As for as the fourth, I have concerns about that too. The world is becoming more educated but there is still much ingrained insecurity and hostility towards gays. My girl is very strong. I just hope for her a happy life. She is happy now and understands the challenge laid before her.

I tried to put up a short video she sent me but it didn't work. I'm sort of glad it didn't. Not because I'm ashamed of her...just maybe it wasn't my place to show here. But I will say. She called it family check in

I'm not going to use her name, and it went like this

Family: are you still gay?
Her- a rainbow flag above her head. With a computer arrow pointing to it
Her: yes
It was a gif, not so much a video

I have no idea how those short abbreviated gif things work but they do get a point across

Mr. Dan, a love for his daughter is unconditional. Thank you for standing up for your family.
I'm off tonight, but about to head to bed, but wanted to jump in and say hello to everyone. Tomorrow night I start back to work and already dreading it.

I've got to get started looking for a new pad, I'm not sure what's around the corner for me, but I'll get this off my back at some point. the house I was hoping for kinda fell through. I was ready to sign the lease, but by the time I woke up to schedule a apt to see the inside, they told me it was no longer available. I was kinda bumbed about that since it had a nice oversized garage.

The hunt continues, but for now, it's time to hit the sack.

Later everyone,

KT

KT
Thank you for your good words!

I get the impression from your posts here you deal with life and death losses or wins on a daily basis. That could make a person; out of self preservation, very cold hearted - an only way to survive the trama of it all. Each day.

But you haven't been pulled into that; yet. Stay strong my friend. Please keep doing what you do. But never not ( is that a double negative grammar police?) let it take you down, long term from your conviction from helping others

Dan

Nice pics Dan. She's your future.

Pappy, she is. Truly!

The future is now.

No better words ever said. I live in the past a lot. Sometimes I wish I could go back to the past and do life differently but, unless I find a Delorean with a flux capacitor and Dr Emmett Brown - that's not happening.

I need move forward in life aggressively.

 

[DrunkleJon]

Dan,
While I must agree there is still some bias against those who prefer the company of their own sex over the other, tolerance levels are getting much better. When I was a kid and going through school, Gay was a bad word. When I made it to later years in school it was more accepted. You didnt judge someone because they weren't straight because you already knew them. Now I am seeing a lot more tolerance in the schools over sexual preference as well as with things like being the weird kid who wants to wear clothes from the thrift store to be ironic. Sure, there will always be people being singled out for this or for that but I attribute that more to the fact that people cant help but want to be giant A-holes when in a group rather than over any set bias. Things are improving by the year. Hopefully we can eventually find a way to get rid of the A-hole gene though.

Individual persons can be smart. Its once they become a group of people that they become idiots and jerks.

 

[lschiavo]

Beautiful daughter Dan. I have one too. She's 21 and straight. I think. She is my little girl forever and if she is happy, I am happy.

So, I hear way fewer people use tobacco products now days right? So cancer must be at an all time low right? Seems to me its as bad or worse. Maybe it's third hand smoke(scapegoat). Could it be chemicals someone puts in our food or cigarettes? Naw. The FDA takes care of that. I'm stumped.

 

[Dan]

DJ

I wrote a long text agreeing with your post and then posted which diet go through a glitch. I reposted new words; loosing my train of thought; rambling [emoji3]

Suffice to say; I agree with 98% of what you said. Why 98? Just an arbitrary number

 

[Dan]

Beautiful daughter Dan. I have one too. She's 21 and straight. I think. She is my little girl forever and if she is happy, I am happy.

So, I hear way fewer people use tobacco products now days right? So cancer must be at an all time low right? Seems to me its as bad or worse. Maybe it's third hand smoke(scapegoat). Could it be chemicals someone puts in our food or cigarettes? Naw. The FDA takes care of that. I'm stumped.

Brother Leon,

I can't agree with you more about fathers and daughters love. Same to be said for a father and son I'm know. I got to admit, one of my daughter's and my relationship has dwindled. I have three daughters one son. Three out of the four we have a great relationship.

Man being a great parent isn't always easy

 

[LabRatBrewer]

Hey guys....sorry been mia lately ..been a few bad months. .I need to scroll back and catch up..in the mean time..in went to movies alone for the first time ever. Luxury theatre (first time again) enjoyed an IPA while watching Star Wars...30 years later they got it right.

View attachment 1450501095644.jpg

 

[bigken462]

Good evening everyone. First night for the weekend. Things been kinda steady.

Ran a call tonight that kinda bums me a lil. I'll be the first to admit, I can't stand a belligerent drunk. Sometimes I would say any drunk, but I guess that's pushing it a bit. You can only pull so many children out of cars before you start to form your own cold opinion about those who drive the roads drunk and do stupid things at home while severely intoxicated. Sometimes I guess all we can do is laugh at them making a fool of themselves. But there are times when you look into the eyes of a patient and wonder why, why do you choose the bottle of Vodka over those that love you or would love to take care of you?

Tonight as I sat besides an old man sitting alone in a cheap roach infested hotel that he had made his home for quite sometime, I could't help but feel sorry for the dude. Perhaps it was his daughter who I just spoke to on the phone who was mad at me for not making the guy go to the hospital despite his constant refusal, when she herself would not even come get him from this filthy place.

I looked around in tiny room, smoke billowing out so thick I could barely breath. Piles upon piles of clothes and trash lay nearby. The guy was so malnourished it made me sick to think we would be leaving from this call to go get ourselves a hot supper.

Making a judgement call, I notified dispatch that we would be prolonged getting back in service while I thought about what to do. This of which just resulted in a pissed off dispatcher. I looked around the place again and the only thing I could find was a small can of beans and a few candy bars. I pleaded with the old man to let us carry him in, but he was only getting mad with each request.

I have learned over the years that there are people who will take advantage of every penny of provision you give them. I have volunteered with providing care under the bridges for homeless persons, only to pick them up later with beer and smokes in their bags.

Had I not just made the comment to my partner how damn hungry I was, I might could have left and not felt too guilty. In the end, this was someone who needed help and so, I reluctantly told my partner we were going to Burger King to get the old man some food. When I returned later, I found the old man still sitting in his chair sipping the damn bottle. I set the food out and encouraged him to hold off drinking for the rest of the night. I couldn't even detect if he was thankful for the food or not. I used his phone to call his daughter to let her know that we had provided a meal for her dad and to strongly encourage her to get this man some food. She seemed put off that I even called.

I probably opened a can of worms with this old man by going to get him a meal. But, at least at the end of the day, as we set eating our supper, I can have a lil comfort knowing the old man at least has a opportunity to eat as well. More than likely this will bite me in the ass later. I just can't comprehend how people drink their selves into such situations.

I've been in some deep dark times in my life. Some of the hardest was when my mom passed when I was a young adult. I've seen the failure of my marriage and the effects of that failure on two step children. Many things in my life I'm not proud of, but I am thankful I have been able to always make a decision when it was appropriate to be drinking or what paths I was taking.

I hope somewhere down the line this old man finds help for his addiction. If nothing else, maybe he can find a spot in life that he feels he does not have to use alcohol to fix.

Ken

 

[Dan]

Thanks for sharing that Ken. I would suppose in your line of work you see to much senseless tragedy and over time that could harden a heart. Self preservation, really. Glad to hear you aren't at that point.

Who knows? Maybe your kindness towards the old man will will be a catalysts to a change in his life, for the better of course. Somebody once said something like the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. (There must not have been cars back then. ]

 

[TylerAI]

+1 Ken. Help those you can, knowing those you try to help the most usually do bite you in the butt. There is always tomorrow, and everything works out in the end.

 

[Dan]

Year two, for me pounding sweet Mochi rice for the new year. A Japanese tradition and my wife's family is of Japanese descent. The wooden sledges/mallets are made of guava wood and needle wood. The carved rock bowl is rock, don't know what kind of rock. It has been in my wife's family for over 50 years and has been used each and every year her family had it; once a year for Mochi pounding [emoji3]

The night before everybody that wants Mochi gets a bag of the rice, washes it good and then soaks in water overnight. Then the rice is steamed in wooden boxes stacked one upon the other. The bottom box after an hour or so is removed and the hot rice rice is is dumped into the rock bowl. Then it's mashed for awhile to break down the starch into nearly a rough mash potato consistency. Next it's pounded, wetted, scrapped repositioned and pounded some more. The men do this part and one a load is ready it's given to the women and they roll it into balls, add flavorings. Honestly, when you eat it it's like eating a sweet chewy almost rubbery thing. I can generally eat about one and I'm good. We pounded Mochi, probably 30-35 pounds of it yesterday for 4-5 hours.

This Mochi will also be cooked in a soup called ozoni. A Japanese soup made for the new year. I don't know how traditional my wife's family ozoni is. But it's pretty good. Full of roots. No as in the past but as in roots of plants or plants like carrots and potatoes that grow under ground. My wife started using chicken stock as a base stock a few years ago. The soup tasted much better. One thing about it is that the ingredients are highly fibrous. Great cleansing stuff.

Me and my friend pounding the Mochi rice. Bee stopped because he saw some splintered wood from a hammer That often times happens. There is always a third person keeping a close eye on the process, he'll pull out the splinters, flip the Mochi wet it scraped the bowl. He's sort of the guy in charge. In Japan they don't even stop pounding while the guy does his part. Lots of coordination and trust there man

 

[Dan]

I just can't help posting this, maybe it's because I unexpectedly got to play Santa Claus at a cookie party my wife had for the family. My wife and her sister said "come here!!" I thought what the heck had I done wrong? Put on this Santa costume!! Now.

I said okay. Man you should have seen the kids eyes light up! Amazing. These were young nieces and nephews who still believed in Santa. I played it up pretty well if I say so my self it's like I was transformed. My voice got deep and jolly, I laughed loudly ho-ho-ho. Over and over. I suddenly remembered every word to childhood Christmas songs and sang them loudly with a voice not my own. The kids were very happy and sang right along. It was a good memory, is a good memory.

Merry Christmas to all and don't forget the wonder of the night before Christmas

"Twas the Night before Christmas Poem

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads.
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

 

[Dan]

Thirteen years ago. View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1450671931.716810.jpg

 

[brewingmeister]

So that's basically just rice and water that you pound?

That's a nice rock bowl, I don't know where I'd put it in my kitchen but I like it.

 

[Dan]

Nice rice bowl yep. I have no idea where I'd store it either for the other 364 days