Beet Beer, Bears and Grad Party!!

So Handsome and I have been brewing quite a bit now for almost 2 years. I dont always post about it here because I dont always post. Also we have a blog for that (See Terrible Lizard Brewing Link) but this one was so cool I had to share. We brewed up a lovely batch of Beet beer! Thats right. With boiled and pureed BEETS! it sounds super crazy pants but I promise it actually turned out quite nice, and almost berry like with earthy undertones. Also it has the best red color you can imagine! We started with a basic pale ale recipe and added 2 lbs of beets to the boil. Then when we transfered into secondary we peeled, cubed and boiled 5 more lbs of beets. We then blended the mix and added it once it had cooled to the carboy. when we kegged it, we had to be careful of the 5 lbs of trube in the bottom. But totally worth it. We want to try letting it ferment longer too and try it with less sweetness, but for this party it was PERFECT!

 So as posted before in another post, I sleep with a bear every night. Mostly its my childhood bear Binky. But Bink is getting old, and I have been reading horror stories of comfort animals splitting in half from old age and use. I also sleep with Chutney my other childhood bear, and my "New Bear" whom my dad had got for me to take pressure off of Binky... But in 1994. So Chutney isnt a spring chicken either. With the stress of finals and graduating I have been needing a comfort animal more lately and so my search began for a new sleepy animal. I tried my awesome Anteater plush, Octopus and Giraffe, but Giraffes neck kept getting tweeked even after 2 nights, and anteaters nose was getting mushed after 4 nights, and octopus just was the wrong shape. I was using Handsome stuffed African Wild Dog Kunta, and Wolverine (the animal) Logan. Logan was the best shape but he's not mine.
So I did some research and found they still made a childhood bear of mine that my mom has kind of kidnapped. Snuffles the Bear by Gund. Most people will remember the polar bear, which is what I had had.

Stock image of Snuffles 

I then asked Handsome if I could have one since Im not working and am a broke bitch. So guess whos got a new bear!!

He's really super cute. And is the right size and squishyness to sleep on! Plus he looks like a sunbear. I named him Waffles. Im a grown ass woman.

On that note, this last weekend I threw my gradubirthday party. it was a ton of fun and a bunch of people came who i didnt think would and i was way to busy to take many pictures. But it was wonderful and my heart is full of love and wonder.

Moto G and Birthdays

Ok, so as you may remember from other ranting, I had to upgrade from my old trusty iPhone 4, and decided to get a Moto G from motorola. I like it, quite a bit actually, except for one thing, the screen goes BATSHIT CRAZY sometimes. Its like a ghost is tapping on the right side of my screen blindly, and it opens apps, dials my mother and Handsome Gentleman Friend and sends one letter texts and basically tries to kill itself. Lucky for me I keep the boxes for everything because Im a hoarder and so its getting mailed back and i get a new one under warranty. Until then Im sorry if I accidentally call you and or text you gibberish.

This weekend was my handsome sexy amazing man's birthday! (happy birthday Handsome). Saturday we had a great party, with a small but amazing group who brought more food and drinks then we could have ever asked for. We talked and laughed and had a good time, and Handsome drank 4 Liters of beer (a liter less then last year mind you). We had a great time. Also I made Scotch Eggs and Brownies, and if you never have made either of those then I recommend you do that. now.

Yesterday was his actual birthday but his girlfriend is a broke bitch so she couldn't do anything spectacular. We did go over to Berkeley to a new brewery Field Work, which is a cool little place who happened to be having a donut and beer pairing. Their New Orleans coffee stout is delightful!! After that we had some fast Chinese at Chef's then headed back to his place to hang out in our underpants and watch movies. One of the great movies we watched was for my italian class, called Demons. Its a 1980's horror movie, so if your into that sort of thing, make sure this is on your list!! Its about a group of people who go to a free movie, get locked in the theater and get killed and possessed by demons. the special effects are pretty awesome, and while there is some gore its 1980's gore... so i only covered my eyes like 4 times.

I feel guilty because Handsome is really amazing and so good to me, and Im not in a position to do the same. I mean, i am damned good to him sure, lol but he whisks me away on trips and pays my phone bill and all i can do is make him some art and some lunch with stuff he bought. soon. soon i wanna make enough to help out the people  love. 

Birthday Joy and San Mateo County Fair!

So Alaska pictures are still being processed...ya Im slow.This week has been insane..I though summer was supposed to slow down, be easy and fun...So before all the joy, heres some angry rant.

Upon my return i learned my horrible job and my horrible union were locked in a pissing match of Jean Claude proportions. so first we were gunna have a vote on strike, which ment the managers ran around like idiots harrassing everyone. We got letters from the GM of both buildings saying he would fire us, and essentially kill our families and piss on our ashes (in a corporate way). then my manager made sure to max out my time off pay while i was gone so now i have none... even though i planned it so i would save some. This also ment my next paycheck was... $71. uuugghhh.... Anywho then another creepy ass manager from a lower floor took pictures of my with his phone in the LOCKER ROOM. There were like 30 people there but now their all saying they didnt see it even though we all did. I decided I was going to over react and fight this as sexual harrasment... but now i have had panic attacks at work and am thinking.. Im not over reacting, apparently this is really freaking me out. I had to leave work yesterday (not making for good paychecks...) and am job hunting as we speak. (what if your manager reads this? wont you be fired? if anyone is really reading this... HEY VANN AND TIM, GO FUCK YOURSELVES YOU PERVERTED ASS HATS.)

Can I say Handsome Gentleman Friend has been absolutly amazing through all of this. Thank you handsome :3

OK! Onto the JOY!! It was my birthday on the 8th!! I turned 29 years old.. for realsies! not a fake! a true 85 baby. Anywho, Flea and Tess and Husband and Tess' man all came down and we had an awesome time! We met at Steve's, and fun fact, Tess hadnt eaten and was grumpy and late... But oh well. We awaited Flea and Ryans arrival. eventually we headed to Cafe Avalino's, one of my favorites (but the owners sold.. Pizza's still good but Im scared!) After Avalinos we all headed to Pacifica for Tacobell. For those who dont know, Pacifica is a little seaside town just past San Francisco, and the tacobell backs up to a gorgiose white sand beach. Therefore its heaven, correct?

Tess and Chris split, so Flea Ryan Handsome and I all headed to Rogue! As a Rogue member I have been promised a TShirt, and free pint for my bday. Of course they dont do that anymore.... but they do offer a LITER of beer in exchange... (I kinda wanted a tshirt :/) but the Chocolate Porter is AMAAAAAZING. We also had Marionberry Mead, some samplers, Potato Nacho's (crisscut fries covered in yummyness), a hummus platter and all kinds of yum. We also headed to gelato after with Flea and I kiiiiinda drunk. All in all a great time

Then on Saturday, my cousin Jeff came home from the airforce!! :D just for a short leave, but yaaaay! so to have family birthday and celebrate Jess we headed to the Nantucket, which i havnt been to in yeeeaaarrss... BTW the food is AWESOME. 

Handsome, Amy, Jeff, Sue, Nan, and Janet! 

I hope everyone has a wonderful day!

My Return!

So Im back from Alaska! It was absolutly amazing. I can't thank Handsome Gentleman Friend enough for everything he does for me. :3 Thank you. Ill so a full recap soon, but i need to resize my pictures. I used my fancy new camera, and my handheld so theres like... 3k pictures? But I cant wait to go back. I love wild places, and you cant get much more wild then the far North. Just a teaser, whales were seen. And porpoises. :3

So my birthday is on Sunday. I managed to get it off, thank you Toure, and my sister and Flea are supposed to come down... We will see. Either way it will be delightful. Holy cow im going to be 29... but im on a better course then i was even 4 years ago, working through school and almost done, have some projects on the back burner, the greatest family around and a wonderful man who treats me like a princess.

So just a quick update that says nothing really, but now that im out of school updates will abound! plus i can get my laptop online at home now, even if its just a little its better then nothin!

My Baby Sister is Old!

So it was Tess' birthday this last Monday, happy birthday!! So Handsome and I went up to Lincoln, aka the middle of the boonies to hang out with my old crew. I miss sacramento. Anywho, everyone was there, the aunts came up, dad and his girlfriend were there, and my wife!! With husband!! Aka Flea an Ryan. It was a good, redneck time and we got to celebrate at her new house on 10 acres! So much fun! And our home brew was a hit

Best Birthday Gift EVER

Thanks to the wonderful, amazing, handsome, tall and manly Gentleman Friend I got to experiance a SAFARI!! Right here in Cali!! He took me to Safari West, up in Santa Rosa. We got up around 6 am or so and headed out, with sandwiches and snacks in hand :3 Safari West is a privet collection of wild animals on 400 acres, and a member of the Assosiation of Zoo's in America. Btw I LOVE Giraffes. The only bummer is between 2 of us there were 4 cameras and all out of commision that weekend. Luckily my phone actually took some beautiful pictures :3

Thats a Masai Giraffe. They have feathered dark spots

White Rhino's

BTW My head is about to explode at this point

Yes, Wildebeasts!!!

The Water Oxen are one of the most dangerous Animals on the savanna, they will attack you one at a time, in a herd of over 100. and they will wait for days if your up a tree

Our Chariot, BTW I want one....

Sacred Crane and Whistling duck

Hard to see, but theres an hours old baby money in mamas arms

Tortoise and Cheetah's

More Monkeys and a Lagoon

Also, 3 kinds of flamingos!!!

The Sacred Cranes again

Mama Reticulated Giraffe!!:D

Two of the cutest baby Giraffes!! And a little guy wanting to feed them

Baby Giraffe and Daddy Giraffe

And just to be super nerdy there are 9 subspecies of Giraffe. Most are threatened or endagered, and one if extinced in the wild. Save the Giant Goats!! (not really but kind of)

Also They had a cute little gift shop.. I was an adult. 

After a few hours of blowing my mind that handsome man took me for In-N-Out Burger, then to the Charles Shulz Museum. Who is Charles Shulz? Maybe you've heard of Snoopy and the Peanuts Gang? "Sparky" as he was known, lived in Santa Rosa for 30 years, where he drew, iced skated and generally made the town a better place.. or even a place (lets face it Santa Rosa, theres not much there) The museum has his personal collection of comics, his actual office and a wall from his house where he painted a mural for his daughter. more head splodies

The mural there is made of....

These!!

My parents used to have a pony named Spark Plus after the cartoon that inspired Shulz

The fountains had rainbows!! But its California so the sun is bright so your blind if you try to drink

Ya thats a penny smash machine. I collect them if you are unaware.... and so now I have 4 more for my collection!! Well, when I find them... I misplaced them in i think Gentleman Friends Car.... I also got a cute little toy atSafari West, a build a Giraffe!!! :D OMG I love it!! 

Thanks you Handsome, This was the greatest gift I've ever gotten.