I feel like I’ve been productive in what little free time I have – we splurged on a new laptop with our tax refund, so I sold our old one on ebay, as well as our old digital camera with the half-wonky screen; made and hung a swing on the tree out front last weekend, made a raised-bed garden out back which is showing initial signs of success with tomatoes and an assortment of other sprouts coming up.  My hops are coming back this year, let’s hope for success on them.

I’ve got a keg of hefeweizen sitting in the closet, waiting a few more weeks for Brian and Sonya’s wedding, plus 3 bottles of Mirror Mirror in the garage fridge to enjoy sometime in the distant future.  As Brian put it yesterday, we’re living in times of some of the best beer availability.  It’s an obsession, tracking new special releases, what might be available in Reno or not, tasting sessions with friends, stowing ultra precious bottles away to age or wait for the right occasion.  I love it.

My other favorite thing besides beer (coffee) also has developments to report – Grandpa Dave sent us a big drip coffee and espresso machine recently that we just put into service.  It’ll take a few pots to figure out just the right grind, amount, and setting for the perfect cup, but the iced espresso I had earlier put me into this weird “tired from antihistamines but feeling heart palpitations from the caffeine” state that I didn’t like very much.  I’m reaching equilibrium now, both substances wearing off a bit.

On other fronts, we seem to be battling sickness on a regular basis.  We thought Lola’s ear infection had passed, but more recently she had such a bad cough that it kept us all up most of the night, so we took her in.  She was diagnosed with asthma and put on a daily steroid mist treatment that’s not much fun.  And her ear was still infected, plus a hold in her eardrum.  She seems well enough, but we’re to see an ear-nose-throat specialist next week and get this all figured out.  Sid’s mostly well, except for some mystery diarrhea the last couple days that we have no clue about.  Me, just allergies kicking my butt with everything in bloom this time of year, thus the aforementioned antihistamines.

EcoReno continues to keep us busy, although we could certainly use more business.  We’ve more or less decided our biggest impediment to raging success right now (besides the generally poor climate for business everywhere) is location.  We get virtually no drop-in serendipitous walk-in traffic, so we might be looking at moving at some point.  We’ll see.  The people who do shop with us really do love our store and our merchandise, we just need more of them.  No big news otherwise, we just keep chugging along, looking for ways to grow and succeed.

My work continues to plod forward in a dismal situation – the library’s budget cut 36% means doing more work with a lot less.  No layoffs for now, but lots of vacancies that means everyone’s working harder.  Our hours are being cut at the end of next month, and my schedule will change, so the child care situation will need to change as well.  And then again in a few months when Sid’s sitter goes to nursing school.

Well, I guess I’ve been a computer hermit long enough.  Time to open a cold one and relax on the deck I hosed off earlier today.  Days off are good.

I’m here to tell you about what happens when a four-year-old cumulatively loses about 4 hours sleep in a weekend.  We had people over on Friday and Lola was up late being the life of the party.  Then Saturday, we went to dinner at friends and she stayed up late with her DG who was babysitting.  So last night, the trifecta was completed and Rayna and Kelly came over for dinner.  We were determined to put Lola down and hour early, at 8pm, because she didn’t even get a good nap.  We started at 8.  Over the course of the next hour, we bargained, scolded, spanked (yes, we spank, but it’s pretty rare and really just for these most hellish occasions), coerced, and generally fought with our daughter.  She wants Dada, she wants Mama, she wants milk, she’s cold, she’s hot, her head hurts.  One thing after another, the games get played.  And Dada gets more and more frustrated and pissed off.  The screaming reaches a crescendo and another round of spanking.  Eventually, Lola got so upset she threw up in her bed.  And then on her floor while we were stripping the bed.  Great.  We took away her little Christmas tree.  Finally, after what felt like hours of battle, she settled in and went to sleep.  Let us never schedule a weekend like this again.

In other family news, we’re gearing up for the holidaze, the (real) tree is up, stockings are hung, and “we’ll tell Santa if you’re naughty” threats are tossed around casually.  I can only think of two things that might comprise my list, so I should really be thankful for all I have and don’t lack.  EcoReno is joining in – Morgan’s building a trash Christmas tree to show off during the CalAve merchants‘ annual Holiday Stroll (in which we are participating).  Winter is a mere two weeks away according to the calendar, but we have yet to see any real snow, and people are still riding bikes outside.

Library work is its typical self, but we’re circling our wagons for yet another cut to the budget.  People are now getting concerned about layoffs, but they are still telling us that’s the last possible option.  I’m feeling pretty solid and lucky to be able to feel that way – we’re seeing more and more people we know, or one degree of separation away, that are impacted negatively by the state of the economy.  If someone could please turn things around, now would be a good time to do it.

Been drinking some interesting beers lately.  Between two friends, I secured three bottles of The Abyss this year, as well as some Hallertau, and one precious bottle of Palo Santo.  As long as we’re talking festive, Morgan and I got a chance to go out to a movie recently, saw the new James Bond movie.  A little disappointing as a Bond movie, acceptable as a movie, and enjoyable as an opportunity to go out for an evening.

Not much else to report really, so I’ll sign off here.  I’ve got some EcoReno blogging to do too, so take a look there if you’d like.  We did just buy a new camera since the old one started failing, so I’ll have a whole slew of new photos of kids and holidays and stuff to post soon, but for now, check out this cool website.

That’s about all I can muster for now.  Birthday and Halloween behind us, Election coming soon.  EcoReno in full swing.  More news to come soon.

• Best brewery we tasted – Dogfish Head
• Best beer we totally missed out on – Utopias
• Quite memorable beer – The Abyss
• Local breweries represented – Buckbean, Brew Bros, Great Basin, and Silver Peak.  Reno, represent!
• Best schwag – stamped leather Mirror Pond coasters from Deschutes  (honorable mentions: Session Lager temporary tattoos, stickers galore, and at least four free beer magazines)
• Best non-festival things we did – Killer shopping for beer with Lance and Rosie, lunch at Bull and Bush, and late night snack and beer at Cheeky Monk Belgian Beer Cafe, breakfast at Tom’s Diner (straight out of Pulp Fiction, seriously), coffee at Illegal Grounds in a neighborhood full of cool old houses

Some pics, courtesy of Brian since I didn’t bring my camera…

Great American Beer Festival

Lance, Brian, and Marc at the GABF

Cool buildings in our neighborhood

$15,000 55-year-old Macallan single-malt

Yes, that scotch is really priced at $14,999.  That liquor store has 64 cooler doors full of beer.

PS: added a smattering of new pictures to the miscellany album, from a few various outings, none enough to get their own album.  Oh yeah, and I missed our first snowfall while I was gone.

I know yesterday we spent visiting Grandpa’s sister Marilou in Milford.   Quite a nice little place, from what little I saw, and she’s got a great old house nestled in the woods near a park.  We even saw a snake. 

Aside from that, it seems like we’ve more or less driven around a bit, gone to stores, taken walks, and bounced a ball in the street.  Paige and I took a nice long walk up to and through Siena Heights University which is more or less just up the street, then by one of the water towers here in Adrian.  We had some speculation about why all these little towns have a water tower, most of them with the town’s name painted on the side.  This seems to explain pretty well.

Anyway, I think that about does it for now.  Lots of pics to add to these little tales, of the snake and the water tower and other assorted fun.  No cable or card slot to upload them here, so they’ll just have to wait until we get home.

Beerlog: Hmmmm…another one (hoppy amber?) from Magic Hat, and one bottle of Hops Infusion from Weyerbacher I picked up in Toledo on a whim.

Today we hit the local farmer’s market, the quite respectable Adrian PL, a pretty acceptable burrito for lunch, and, after a couple errands and ice cream for dessert, the afternoon naptime.

Beerlog: Tons bought in Toledo, only thing new tasted was pale ale from the previously mentioned Bell’s.

After naptime (and grill assembly time), we ventured back out for steaks and assorted other goods for dinner.  On the way, we stopped and looked around the house that Grandpa’s dad built when he was a kid.  Empty for a year now, it’s in kinda sad shape, but it was neat to visit anyway.  Grilled ribeyes and corn on the cob are as good a way to end the day that The Abner started.

Toledo Zoo tomorrow.

Today’s beerlog: Leinekugel’s Red Lager

Beerlog: Magic Hat‘s Not Quite Pale Ale and Bell’s Two Hearted Ale.  Both very nice beers.

First, off it’s sort of spring birthday season around here.  Happy birthday to Lola’s Nana today, and last Friday to Morgan.  Had a nice little gathering Friday night here, followed by dinner out at Lulou’s on Saturday night.  Quite delicious, quite expensive.  I celebrated Morgan’s birthday by paying a visit to Reno’s first microbrewery, then picked up ingredients for a honey wheat beer I’m planning to brew and rhizomes to plant some hops out back.

Also speaking of birthdays, I just heard from an old friend (Bret for you out there who might remember him), announcing the birth of his daughter Evalina on Saturday night.  Congrats to Bret and his wife, welcome to Evalina.

In a recent spate of eco-activity around here, partially Earth Day inspired, partially coincidental, we’ve been purging some plastics around here to avoid bisphenol-A, and I’ve been ballparking solar systems.  Sort of dismayed to realize that just to offset about half of our electric consumption with solar, we’re looking at probably close to $20,000 up front, even after generous rebates.  So I dunno if that’s going to happen.  Might start with solar water heating.

Two final brief blurbs and then I’m out:

Sidney has two new teeth coming in.  Yay for teeth, but boo on the accompanying crankiness and how bad it makes him feel. 

Recent movies seen: No Country for Old Men – excellent, violent, tense, really enjoyed.  Juno – Excellent in all respects, story, characters, music, dialogue.  Totally loved it.

Mostly just decided that it’s been a shamefully long time since I added any photos, so we now have Easter photos, a few photos from Utopias night, a new Sid video on his page, a new Lola video on her page, and new photos in Sid and Lola‘s albums, respectively. Whew. Lots of uploading today.

It’s been sick time around here lately, first Lola’s cold, then Morgan’s cold and stomach issues, now Sid’s cold and my stomach issues. Nobody bad enough for professional care, just enough to feel crummy. Still, it’s getting easier to feel better as the weather gradually turns more spring-like. Another sign of spring: the nest out on our back deck that has been here since we moved in has been re-habitated, they’re adding on with more detritus, and looks like we might have eggs and baby birds before long.

Aside from that, I just have a few random tidbits to scatter to you, o faithful readers…..

• New brewery coming to town. Excellent. In other beer news, still expensive.
• Latest online game obsession pairs well with my sweepstakes obsession. Register for the sweepstakes, then Clear the Skies. Also found this fun little game today, perfect for me. I hate overly complicated games that take forever to finish. In case it’s not clear, you have to burn the rope.
• And lastly, I’ve been thinking about emergency preparation lately, partially due to hearing a speaker from the County department that plans for such things, partially due to recent earthquakes and murmurs over the possible impending big one. So one of my goals for the future is being ready for disaster.

That’s all for now. Upgrade time. Fingers crossing….NOW.