Four weeks in and I've managed to miss two of those Sunday Sesh's. Various reasons, but suffice to say that there have been some distractions (to put it mildly), that have taken me away from both drinking beer, and my writing.
Not good.
Normal services will resume this Sunday.
Because yeh, I've pre-loaded a Sesh, so it'll go up whether I'm here or not.
Showing posts with label Sunday Sesh. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sunday Sesh. Show all posts
Monday, 25 June 2012
Sunday, 10 June 2012
An offer almost too good to refuse
As you can see, I'm trying out a new format this week. Let me know what you think in the comments section below.
Also, I should put a language and content warning on this one for those of you sensitive to words containing asterisks.
The Review
We all know the rivalry and the brotherhood we have with our cousins across the ditch. It's always been a love/hate relationship. We love them for giving us Russell Crowe (most of the time), Keith Urban, Rebecca Gibney and lesbian icon, Lucy Lawless. We hate them for taking the Bledisloe and World Cups.
We forgive them for beating us in the second test in Tasmania last year, if only because they hardly ever get close to us, and we also have a soft spot for Dan Vettori, Richard Hadlee and the Crowe brothers (the latter tearing us up in the 1980s).
I'm happy to report that they've given me something to crow about with Monteith's Black Beer.
It smells sweet and fresh in the bottle, and pours like sars. It tastes immedediately of coffee and caramel, but gives a slight aftertaste of burnt toffee. I have a mouth full of sweet teeth, so just writing that makes my mouth water.
It's another of those beers that isn't overly gassy, so it tingles your tongue. I like how you don't feel like you're drinking a mouthful of air as well as the beer.
Although not quite as sweet as Engine Oil and a little drier, this would make a great winter session beer because it's not as filling as the UK brew I tried last week.
At $3.60 a bottle ($52.99 a carton), this is a mid-shelfer.
The Post
I've been wanting to do a post on the shit that comes into my email box for ages but most of it's been relatively boring. Things like:- offers for replica Rolexes (as opposed to those nasty fake ones)
- Gambling offers ('Free $300 credit when you JOIN NOW!')
- Free viagra (I read it as "free vagina once" and almost clicked through)
- College f*ck books ('Two hot college girls want to sleep with you this weekend.' Such a pity I'm always busy - with my Wife!)
- Fifty Shades of Grey alert from Amazon. Oh wait, that was a legitimate one. (And literary fiction? Seriously, Amazon?)
So I took a look.
(The email in italics, and my comments underneath).
BABE... i guess your not getting any of my email huh? ive been tryign to email u so many times but this dam laptop is such a piece of garbage and keeps freezing.. anyways how u been? In case u dont know who this is its ME TORI.. we used to chat a bit on facebook and then I think u deleted me :(
First things first - I live in Australia. The only Tori's we have here are imported. I have never, ever in my 36 years, known a Tori.
Oh, but I've been good. Thanks for asking. And I hate to be pedantic but you know me - I'm a writer so spelling's kinda important. It's 'trying' not 'tryign'.
anyways guess what... I got 2 things to tell u.. 1) im single now.. yup me and my bf broke up about 3 months ago... and 2) guess where im moving?
RIGHT EFFING NEAR U
Oh see, now that's really unlucky, because I'll be moving soon to a small town far, far ,far away. Sorry about your break-up though. That's sad, right? (By the way, there's the reason for your content warning right there - I hope no-one's offended by Tori's use of 'effing', especially since she YELLED it).
I remember when we chatted u told me u thought i was cute and u wanted to chill so now we finally can HAHA! ...maybe even help me move my shit in...
I don't drive so you'll have to move your own shit in. Sorry.
And I tell so many people they're cute, I've lost track. You'll have to remind me who you are.
ok so more info about me.. well im 23.. virgo.. love the outdoors and love to socialize, go out for drinks, restaurants, movies etc.. travel.. i have a lil kitty named BOO and i luv her to death... uhhh oh im a super horny gurl too but every gurl is they just wont admit it. so ilove watching p0rn and all that..
You should have mentioned your kitty earlier. I totally would have clicked through right then. I also love how you evaded my filter by using 'p0rn' instead of 'porn'. That show's you're smart. I like smart women.
i hope u remmeber me and still wanna chill and arent married yet lol..
Does it matter if I am if I tell you I'm not?
OH YA also..
i need to find a job when i get there.. do u have any
hookups or know anybody hiring? id LOVE to work in a bar or osmehting like
that...really anythgin cause my current job is fun and all..
and technically i CUD keep doign it but i want a change..
i currently work from home and well thats cool but i need ot be out meeting
people.. oh wait. i dont think i ever actually told u what i did? hmm shud
i......????
Wow, you really don't ask for much, Tori. And there's that spelling thing again. You seem to have trouble with where the 'n' and 'g' goes in 'ing' words.
But yeh, why don't you tell me what you do.
But yeh, why don't you tell me what you do.
ok WELLLL... and dont get all weirded out on me.. i work
on a webcam chat community site and i get paid to chat with people
A webcam chat? Like skype? Cool. I like skype.
and get naked HHAHA...
Oh, riiight. THAT type of webcam.
anyways i hope u dont look down on that and NO THATS NOT WHY IM CONTACTING U RELAX URSELF lol... i actually need help once i move and i remembered u live there so im reaching out....like i said before this computer is a complete piece of CRAP and freezes NON STOP..
A webcam chat? Like skype? Cool. I like skype.
and get naked HHAHA...
Oh, riiight. THAT type of webcam.
anyways i hope u dont look down on that and NO THATS NOT WHY IM CONTACTING U RELAX URSELF lol... i actually need help once i move and i remembered u live there so im reaching out....like i said before this computer is a complete piece of CRAP and freezes NON STOP..
I'm so happy you're only contacting me because you want my help, and not because you want my business.
I do think you should get your laptop fixed though, otherwise your webcam chats could end up looking like they were filmed in a nightclub with strobe lights, all jumpy and pixelated.
ANYWAYS.. heres the deal....every month (my boss)
gives each of us 3 VIP codes to give out to whoever we want.. so with this code
u can lgoin to watch me at work for free and dont have to pay like everyone
else...
I love freebies :) Where do I sign?
i
only get 3 a month and she gets pissed if more than 3 people use them so DONT
SHARE IT MISTER...
Oh no problem. I don't like sharing anyway. Plus, it's Ms, but whatever.
i figured u cud
always email me back instead but my email account doesnt even let me login half
the time.. so the bets palce ot chat me is my chat room...
Freakin' email. It sucks when you can't log in. I'm glad you can still log in to your webcam chat account though. Such a relief.
Freakin' email Sucks when you can't send any. Just like this one. Must have gotten its little self through before it wigged out on you, huh? Lucky me.
Freakin' email. It sucks when you can't log in. I'm glad you can still log in to your webcam chat account though. Such a relief.
Freakin' email Sucks when you can't send any. Just like this one. Must have gotten its little self through before it wigged out on you, huh? Lucky me.
anyways ive rambled on and on now and ur probably soooo
annnoyed with me so ill stop now.. im gonna go start work..
k babe im out for now... chat ya soon..
kisses xoxo
Wow, I think I've got a good one here. What do you think?
On the up side, at least her english is readable, even with the bad spelling.
One question though, who wants the free codes?
Sunday, 3 June 2012
Harviestoun Brewery Old Engine Oil
It's been perfect weather up here on the Ridge for getting stuck into a few dark ales - cold, windy and rainy.
So, welcome to the first winter Sunday Sesh, brought to you by Harviestoun Brewery's Old Engine Oil Porter.
Well, this certainly looks like engine oil, but it does have some carbonation, hence the short, creamy head. Tastes a little of burnt caramel, and sweet like a good porter should. There's a hint of chocolate, but there's a most interesting aftertaste - vegemite. I guess that's because vegemite is a yeast-based product, but it was funny being able to taste the stuff I used to eat by the bucket-load for breakfast when I was a kid.
Anything that tastes like an Aussie staple is alright in my book. I really like this beer, but would maybe stop at two or three. It's quite heavy to drink, as in thickish compared to summery lagers, so fills you up quite quickly.
A side note on this, as I mentioned in an earlier post, the Porters were named after the transportation workers (porters) who enjoyed this type of beer in 18th century London. Apparently, they used to make a meal out the beers. And I can see why, as these types of ales fill you up fast.
A great beer to kick off the winter Sunday Sesh's.
A couple of things caught my eye this week.
The first was this news about swing bowling in cricket.
Apparently some scientists discovered that it's not moisture in the air that causes swing.
I think those scientists haven't been to a test match in Brisbane. When the humidity's high at the Gabba, that red ball is practically moving 90 degrees as can be seen by the very first ball of the 2006 first test delivered by Steve Harmison.
One commenter on this video said that maybe it was a tactic by England - to get the ball to Freddy Flintoff as soon as possible. It's a shame that tactic didn't quite work. We won that series in a white-wash.
The other thing that caught my eye was this mash-up from youtube. It's a very clever look at the goal celebrations in football (that's the round ball game), and adding in some Hollywood-style FX.
Some of the world's best players are known just as much for their celebrations as the goals they score. So I'll leave you with this little piece of brilliance to finish of the Sesh.
My favourite is the accordion playing 'keeper.
Next week, I'm trying out Monteiths Black Beer, a drop from our cousins across the ditch. The last time I had a Kiwi beer, I wasn't impressed. I have had a Monteiths before when I holidayed in Queenstown and it wasn't too bad. I'm looking forward to this one, since it promises lots of caramelly, chocolatey, nutty, and coffee goodness.
Until next Sunday's Sesh,
Cheers!
So, welcome to the first winter Sunday Sesh, brought to you by Harviestoun Brewery's Old Engine Oil Porter.
 |
| Something I drained out of the car earlier |
Well, this certainly looks like engine oil, but it does have some carbonation, hence the short, creamy head. Tastes a little of burnt caramel, and sweet like a good porter should. There's a hint of chocolate, but there's a most interesting aftertaste - vegemite. I guess that's because vegemite is a yeast-based product, but it was funny being able to taste the stuff I used to eat by the bucket-load for breakfast when I was a kid.
Anything that tastes like an Aussie staple is alright in my book. I really like this beer, but would maybe stop at two or three. It's quite heavy to drink, as in thickish compared to summery lagers, so fills you up quite quickly.
A side note on this, as I mentioned in an earlier post, the Porters were named after the transportation workers (porters) who enjoyed this type of beer in 18th century London. Apparently, they used to make a meal out the beers. And I can see why, as these types of ales fill you up fast.
A great beer to kick off the winter Sunday Sesh's.
A couple of things caught my eye this week.
The first was this news about swing bowling in cricket.
Apparently some scientists discovered that it's not moisture in the air that causes swing.
I think those scientists haven't been to a test match in Brisbane. When the humidity's high at the Gabba, that red ball is practically moving 90 degrees as can be seen by the very first ball of the 2006 first test delivered by Steve Harmison.
One commenter on this video said that maybe it was a tactic by England - to get the ball to Freddy Flintoff as soon as possible. It's a shame that tactic didn't quite work. We won that series in a white-wash.
The other thing that caught my eye was this mash-up from youtube. It's a very clever look at the goal celebrations in football (that's the round ball game), and adding in some Hollywood-style FX.
Some of the world's best players are known just as much for their celebrations as the goals they score. So I'll leave you with this little piece of brilliance to finish of the Sesh.
My favourite is the accordion playing 'keeper.
Next week, I'm trying out Monteiths Black Beer, a drop from our cousins across the ditch. The last time I had a Kiwi beer, I wasn't impressed. I have had a Monteiths before when I holidayed in Queenstown and it wasn't too bad. I'm looking forward to this one, since it promises lots of caramelly, chocolatey, nutty, and coffee goodness.
Until next Sunday's Sesh,
Cheers!
Sunday, 6 May 2012
Broadcasters - the new rule makers for the NRL
Turns out beer isn’t just for summer. I should have known this since the Poms drink beer even though it’s like winter all year round in their half of the world.
During summer, I discovered I quite enjoyed the dark ales - the traditional wintery brews - and want to get some more under my belt. I’ve done a little bit of research, and have come up with a “short” list of 26 beers I’d like to try, and will whittle this down to 13 over the coming weeks.
Each week, I’ll try to give you a heads up on what’s coming up next so you can enjoy a couple with me and tell me your thoughts. All of that kicks off with the official start of winter on the first weekend in June.
Until then, I’ve decided to reprise the Sunday Sesh sans beer, just to flex my writing muscles a little, and because there’s so much to talk about.
This week, it’s footy.
I wasn’t really going to take too much interest in it this year to be honest. The Origin is the only series that still really gets me excited, but I’ve been hearing things around the ridges and reading a few things that have taken my interest. Plus, I’m in a tipping comp so I really should take some sort of notice in order to have a chance at winning at least some of the pot.
So this weekend I was reading the Saturday paper (the courier mail) and a little article, tucked away beside an ad and under a match preview, caught my eye.
Apparently, the TV rights renewal for the NRL is coming up for renewal, and Channel Nine has launched it’s new bid, along with Fox Sports. Now, I don’t get pay TV, and I’m happy(ish) with the number of games I get to watch over a weekend. After all, I can’t possibly find time to watch all of them, and not all of them would interest me. If there are games I’d want to watch but miss out on because they’re not on free-to-air, I just suck it up and move on.
This article made me take pause though. Because apart from wanting to dictate on what nights are best for their bottom line, they also want to make subtle changes to the game in order to increase their advertising revenue.
This (from the Courier Mail) is (probably only part of) what they’re proposing:
- Increase games from 90 to 95 minutes
- Extend half-time from 12 to 14 minutes
- 30-second breaks for stoppages on scrums and line drop-outs, and between try conversions and restarts
On the surface, this doesn’t look like much. The stoppages occur anyway, and the extent of the time is at the referees’ discretion. Often, one team wants to keep the game moving, and the other wants to slow it down. Also, an extra 2 minutes at half-time could be good for coaches - we often try to squeeze as much out of the time we have in the sheds so I can’t imagine there would be too much of an uproar.
The problem, however, lies in who is asking for these changes. The broadcaster should not be the one dictating these types of changes to the group that provides the entertainment. Changes to the game, even small ones, should always be about the game itself. They should come from the players and the people who run the game, for the betterment of the game, rather than the maximising of revenue.
I know, I know. Sport is supposedly all about the dollar now, and I accept that to some extent.
My problem lies in the fact that if we allow a broadcaster to dictate how a game can change, where do we stop? Do we introduce stoppages for substitutions? Or how about we allow whole forward-lines and back-lines to be substituted at the same time, depending on whether a team is attacking or defending?
And who times these stoppages? Do the ref’s on ground get a call from another official that it’s okay to blow time on? And how do these stoppages in play affect the overall time in the game? Does the clock get stopped for these breaks or does the 30-seconds just tick down until the ref blows the whistle to say the ad break’s over?
My biggest problem, however, is that the game isn’t just about the fans who love it or the advertisers who support (and make money off) it. It’s about the players who play it. Most of them will tell you that they want a free-flowing game, that can ebb and flow on its own merits, not at the will of advertisers or officials.
There are subtle nuances of the game that I fear are being lost. I love yelling at the TV for players to get up and stop trying to slow the play down, or at the ref for letting them get away with it, or at my team for not doing enough to lay around on opposition players trying to make fast play-the-balls.
I get cranky with the opposition team when they're only 1 or 2 points ahead, kicking the ball out, or taking ages to get back for a restart. And don't get me started on the 10-metre rule (I swear the refs have no idea how far 10 metres really is).
All of that is at the discretion of the players and the refs during the game.
The thing that rugby league does so well that other codes could learn from is stressing the grass roots - the fans and the amateur players. If we start making it about advertisers and broadcasters, that grass roots philosophy starts to take a back seat.
Besides, isn’t it enough that we have to listen to Ray Warren and crew rabbit on about the betting odds at every opportunity? Not to mention cross-promoting The Voice and other shows I doubt they’d take any interest in. But that’s another post altogether.
What do you think? Are Channel Nine’s proposed changes good for the game? Should “partners” to the NRL be allowed to dictate them? And what changes, if any, would you want to see if you had a say?
Sunday, 4 March 2012
Sunday Sesh #26 - Blue Sky Pilsner
And so we come to the very final Sunday Sesh for this summer, brought to you by Blue Sky Pilsner. This is the same little brewery in Cairns that produces of one of my new favourites from this summer, FNQ lager.
This is a Czec-style pilsner, so it's a clear, pale-yellow beer with lots of carbonation. It smells sweet and florally out of the bottle, and pours well, with a small head that sticks around as you drink it.
This one's a bit spicy, and leaves your tongue feeling tingly. It's refreshing and very easy to drink. The sweetness in it reminds me of drinking shandies when I was younger, but it's got a bit of a bite that leaves you feeling the bitterness in the bottom of your throat.
This is on the heavy end of mid-strength brews, and would make a great session beer. Great to share with mates over a BBQ.
Another success from the north of sunny Queensland. Dare I say it - I think we do make some of the best brews Down Under up here.
So what's next for the blog if this is the last Sunday Sesh? Firstly, I'll be getting my head stuck back into some writing, which I've been neglecting over the last few weeks.
I intend on starting the Sunday Sesh's back up again with the onset of summer next year, which means 13 Sesh's instead of the 26 like this year. Summer got the hint this year and gave me some fantastically hot, steamy and sunny days, so I think I can forgo drinking through spring this time around.
In the mean time though, I'll be charting more of my writing journey on here, and occasionally throwing in some posts on things that amuse me, just for fun.
The posting schedule is going out the window for the time being, so I'll really be posting when I have something to say. I'm hoping that will turn out to be at least once a month, but since I can talk under water with a gag on, it's probably going to be more often. We'll just have to wait and see.
So that's it from me for the Sunday Sesh's. I hope you've enjoyed the beer reviews as much as I have. It's a little disappointing to be getting rid of my best reason to drink beer, but I don't think Wifey will be complaining.
As always though, I'm always on the lookout for good brews, so if you have any suggestions for something to add to my list for next summer's reviews, let me know.
Cheers!
 |
| Blue Sky Pilsner |
This one's a bit spicy, and leaves your tongue feeling tingly. It's refreshing and very easy to drink. The sweetness in it reminds me of drinking shandies when I was younger, but it's got a bit of a bite that leaves you feeling the bitterness in the bottom of your throat.
This is on the heavy end of mid-strength brews, and would make a great session beer. Great to share with mates over a BBQ.
Another success from the north of sunny Queensland. Dare I say it - I think we do make some of the best brews Down Under up here.
So what's next for the blog if this is the last Sunday Sesh? Firstly, I'll be getting my head stuck back into some writing, which I've been neglecting over the last few weeks.
I intend on starting the Sunday Sesh's back up again with the onset of summer next year, which means 13 Sesh's instead of the 26 like this year. Summer got the hint this year and gave me some fantastically hot, steamy and sunny days, so I think I can forgo drinking through spring this time around.
In the mean time though, I'll be charting more of my writing journey on here, and occasionally throwing in some posts on things that amuse me, just for fun.
The posting schedule is going out the window for the time being, so I'll really be posting when I have something to say. I'm hoping that will turn out to be at least once a month, but since I can talk under water with a gag on, it's probably going to be more often. We'll just have to wait and see.
So that's it from me for the Sunday Sesh's. I hope you've enjoyed the beer reviews as much as I have. It's a little disappointing to be getting rid of my best reason to drink beer, but I don't think Wifey will be complaining.
As always though, I'm always on the lookout for good brews, so if you have any suggestions for something to add to my list for next summer's reviews, let me know.
Cheers!
Sunday, 26 February 2012
Sunday Sesh #25 - White Rabbit Dark Ale
This is the second last beer review for this summer, and it's brought to you by White Rabbit Dark Ale.
This little beer proves the Victorians don't always get it wrong.
It's a rich dark colour, hints of caramel on the pour. Not much head at all, which isn't surprising since it's more fizzy than carbonated. Not many bubbles, and it goes down very smooth. It's a little watery, but otherwise not too bad. Very little after taste, which makes it a good session beer.
It's been a bit cooler up here on the Ridge, and this is the sort of beer I would enjoy in the cooler months.
If you like Kilkenny, you should give this one a go. It's not as creamy, and a little more bitter, but not bad all the same.
I'm looking forward to giving the White Ale a go, though I'll save that one for next summer.
Next week marks the last official week of summer, which means it's also the last Sunday Sesh until the weather heats up again.
I'm still open to suggestions for a beer to finish off the summer with, so feel free to email or add your suggestions in the comments.
Until next Sunday's Sesh,
cheers!
 |
| White Rabbit Dark Ale |
This little beer proves the Victorians don't always get it wrong.
It's a rich dark colour, hints of caramel on the pour. Not much head at all, which isn't surprising since it's more fizzy than carbonated. Not many bubbles, and it goes down very smooth. It's a little watery, but otherwise not too bad. Very little after taste, which makes it a good session beer.
It's been a bit cooler up here on the Ridge, and this is the sort of beer I would enjoy in the cooler months.
If you like Kilkenny, you should give this one a go. It's not as creamy, and a little more bitter, but not bad all the same.
I'm looking forward to giving the White Ale a go, though I'll save that one for next summer.
Next week marks the last official week of summer, which means it's also the last Sunday Sesh until the weather heats up again.
I'm still open to suggestions for a beer to finish off the summer with, so feel free to email or add your suggestions in the comments.
Until next Sunday's Sesh,
cheers!
Sunday, 19 February 2012
Sunday Sesh #24 - Mountain goat Hightail Ale
This week's Sesh brought to you by Mountain Goat Hightail Ale.
These guys have got a pretty cool story about how they established their brewery. It's a real backyard home-brewer to microbrewer tale.
I'm not sure what I was expecting with this one - I bought it because of the name more than anything. Certainly not because it was brewed in Victoria - I'm glad I didn't realise until after the purchase. I don't think I would have bought it otherwise.
As you can see from the first photo, it was a little bit excited to be opened.
It was a bit better behaved when I poured it though.
It's a bit of a surprise packet this one. It's a bit rich and heavy for a summer beer, but I would definitely enjoy this one on a cooler day. It's very robust, and the flavour sticks around giving a strong after taste.
It has the burnt toast taste of the Old Fart I reviewed previously, but it also has a sweetness that offsets it that makes it easier to drink.
Apart from the froth on the pour, there's not a lot of gas or bubbles, so it's quite smooth to drink. A good session beer in Autumn or Winter I think.
All-in-all, it's not a bad drop for something made in Victoria. Recommended if you like something rich and malty.
Until next Sunday's Sesh,
Cheers!
These guys have got a pretty cool story about how they established their brewery. It's a real backyard home-brewer to microbrewer tale.
I'm not sure what I was expecting with this one - I bought it because of the name more than anything. Certainly not because it was brewed in Victoria - I'm glad I didn't realise until after the purchase. I don't think I would have bought it otherwise.
As you can see from the first photo, it was a little bit excited to be opened.
 |
| Yep, it's a boy! |
 |
| Dark and dangerous |
It has the burnt toast taste of the Old Fart I reviewed previously, but it also has a sweetness that offsets it that makes it easier to drink.
Apart from the froth on the pour, there's not a lot of gas or bubbles, so it's quite smooth to drink. A good session beer in Autumn or Winter I think.
All-in-all, it's not a bad drop for something made in Victoria. Recommended if you like something rich and malty.
Until next Sunday's Sesh,
Cheers!
Sunday, 12 February 2012
Sunday Sesh #23 - Little Creatures Pale Ale
This Sunday's Sesh is brought to you by Little Creatures Pale Ale, and it's going to be a straight beer review since I am champing at the bit to get some writing done today. I've been struggling to get words down and I'm finally getting some momentum, so this post will be short but sweet.
I've been meaning to have a go of a Little Creatures of some kind for a while now, and I'm wondering why it's taken me so long.
This is a bright orange colour (though you can't tell thanks to my crap photography), and it has heaps of bubbles, which means the little creamy head from the pour sticks around even after you start drinking it.
I'm drinking this one on its own as opposed to with snacks like I would normally, and it's going down a treat.
It's a little fruity and very refreshing, though a little dry on the aftertaste. I could easily have a few of these, even on a cool day. I won't today though, since the 1.4 standards drinks is going to my head already, which means I'm drinking this a little too fast. A good sign I say!
I'm looking forward to trying the other Little Creatures beers in the future.
Before I go, there are just three more Sunday Sesh's left for the summer. I've got a couple of beers in mind for the next couple of reviews, but I'm searching for something special for the very last one. If you have anything you really think I should try, let me know in the comments. Or if you have two beers that you think would go well head-to-head, I'm certainly up for that. Let me know.
Until next Sunday's Sesh,
Cheers!
I've been meaning to have a go of a Little Creatures of some kind for a while now, and I'm wondering why it's taken me so long.
 |
| Little Creatures Pale Ale |
I'm drinking this one on its own as opposed to with snacks like I would normally, and it's going down a treat.
It's a little fruity and very refreshing, though a little dry on the aftertaste. I could easily have a few of these, even on a cool day. I won't today though, since the 1.4 standards drinks is going to my head already, which means I'm drinking this a little too fast. A good sign I say!
I'm looking forward to trying the other Little Creatures beers in the future.
Before I go, there are just three more Sunday Sesh's left for the summer. I've got a couple of beers in mind for the next couple of reviews, but I'm searching for something special for the very last one. If you have anything you really think I should try, let me know in the comments. Or if you have two beers that you think would go well head-to-head, I'm certainly up for that. Let me know.
Until next Sunday's Sesh,
Cheers!
Sunday, 5 February 2012
Sunday Sesh #22 - 28 Pale Ale
This Sunday's Sesh is brought to you by 28 Pale Ale, brewed by the Burleigh Brewing Company. The one thing I love about boutique breweries is the way they name their beers. Other brews in the stable include Big Head (claimed to be Australia's first no-carb beer), the Black Giraffe (a black coffe brew) and an English style bitter called My Wife's Bitter.
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| 28 Pale Ale |
I really enjoyed this one and will be adding this to my favourites to buy again in the future.
We're on the cusp of the end of the cricket season, and the beginning of the footy season here in Aus. How do I know? The NRL Allstar football match was on last night, and we're into the Tri-series One-dayers in the cricket.
Just before the Aus v India one-dayer started today, I caught the end of a charity cricket match in Wollongong, started by Adam Gilchrist three years ago. He had a few big names playing - Wendell Sailor, Merv Hughes, Darren Lehman to name a few - as well as some women's cricketers and locals.
It made me wonder, what happened to the old testimonial cricket match when a big-name player retired?
The teams for these matches were typically composed of retired players, football players from all codes, a few women's reps and media identities. The line-ups were enough to bring in bumper crowds, just to see all those big names together on one field.
I know we can't do that every time one of our players retires, but I think we need to take a leaf out of the NRL play book, and reinstate a charity match at the very least. It's something that could be the official opener of the cricket season, getting us prepped for the upcoming tour matches, and getting us excited about summer to come.
Twenty/20 has made cricket more popular since it's inception, and it's because it's extremely exciting to watch. I love my test matches, but I also love sitting down and watching a match that has a result in under three hours.
Why not combine the excitement of T/20 cricket with the fun of watching league, soccer and AFL players pit their wits against the likes of Shane Warne and Brett Lee? It showcases the game at it's most basic level - and that is how anyone can pick up a bat and a ball and have a go.
It does beg the question though - who would you have in your team?
Saturday, 7 January 2012
Sunday Sesh #19 - One Fifty Lashes Pale Ale
This Sunday's Sesh is brought to you by James Squire's One Fifty Lashes Pale Ale. I can't provide a link because on the Malt Shovel website, the pale ale hasn't been added for some reason, and on the only other site (called The Squires Bounty), there's nothing about the actual beer - just an advertisement for its launch last year.
Anyhoo, the review.
This is another winner from the James Squire stable. It's light and a little cloudy and not much head and smell crisp and fruity. Very refreshing and easy to drink, and went down a little to quickly to be honest.
It's just a little sweet - almost shandy-ish, but not quite. Highly recommend this one.
I think the lesson here is, if its a James Squire, you won't be disappointed.
Continuing on from last week's post about goal-setting for the new year, I've downloaded and read (on my sparkly new kindle) a couple of books that I hope will assist me in building my "author platform". In other words, how to get people to like me and buy my books, and how to get THOSE people to tell OTHER people to buy my books.
It's going to be a hard slog. I'm under no illusions, however, that it will be any different from writing my books - a marathon rather than a sprint - and damn hard work.
If you're interested, the books are How I Sold a Million Books in 5 Months by John Locke, and two books by Kristen Lamb - We Are Note Alone and Are You There Blog? It's Me, Writer.
If you're at all interested in writing and particularly in self-publishing, I highly recommend all three books. John's is very similar to Kristen Lambs, but John gets you fired up and Kristen Lamb sits you back on your rear and tells you like it is.
Anyway, there will be a few changes around the blog over the next few months. As I said last week, the Sunday Sesh's will continue, and that's because I enjoy writing them. And yeh, ok, I also enjoy the beer.
They will be the only blog posts on here for the next month or so though (unless something really takes my interest), as I re-design the blog and the direction I want it to go in. I need to re-focus on my writing as well, and it all needs to start overlapping. I've started the hard slog towards defining who my readers are, and I now need to work out where they hang out after work. That's harder than I first thought, but it has also helped me to decide where to focus my efforts with regards to which of my (currently) 18 ideas I will concentrate on over the next year or two to build my audience.
Enough of my writing plans though, because I want to tell you, if you're after a fast-paced, fun and dangerously addictive read, you need to check out John Locke's Donovan Creed novels. I downloaded and read two in two days, and I am just waiting for my book budget to tick back over into the black to buy the rest of them. They are purely entertainment, so if you're after literary genius, they're not for you. And at 99c a pop for the kindle editions, what's not to like? They're also in paperback, so you don't need an e-reader to enjoy them.
Donovan Creed, Locke's main character, is a gun-for-hire and is strangely endearing, even if he does have better relationships with prostitutes than real women, and even if he is happy for people to get their come-uppance.
My pick of the two I've read so far is Wish List. Without going into too much detail, it's about a group of friends who enter their wishes onto a website, never thinking for a moment that they would start to come true. As always where Donovan Creed is concerned, there are consequences. This book had me cringing and laughing out loud. Very highly recommended.
That's enough from me this week. I have to decide what beer I'm reviewing next week, since the cupboard is bare. If you have any suggestions, I'd love to give them a go. I'm always after recommendations on what to stock my beer shelf (ok, shelves) with, so don't be shy.
Until next Sunday's Sesh,
Cheers!
Anyhoo, the review.
 |
| James Squire's One Fifty Lashes Pale Ale |
It's just a little sweet - almost shandy-ish, but not quite. Highly recommend this one.
I think the lesson here is, if its a James Squire, you won't be disappointed.
Continuing on from last week's post about goal-setting for the new year, I've downloaded and read (on my sparkly new kindle) a couple of books that I hope will assist me in building my "author platform". In other words, how to get people to like me and buy my books, and how to get THOSE people to tell OTHER people to buy my books.
It's going to be a hard slog. I'm under no illusions, however, that it will be any different from writing my books - a marathon rather than a sprint - and damn hard work.
If you're interested, the books are How I Sold a Million Books in 5 Months by John Locke, and two books by Kristen Lamb - We Are Note Alone and Are You There Blog? It's Me, Writer.
If you're at all interested in writing and particularly in self-publishing, I highly recommend all three books. John's is very similar to Kristen Lambs, but John gets you fired up and Kristen Lamb sits you back on your rear and tells you like it is.
Anyway, there will be a few changes around the blog over the next few months. As I said last week, the Sunday Sesh's will continue, and that's because I enjoy writing them. And yeh, ok, I also enjoy the beer.
They will be the only blog posts on here for the next month or so though (unless something really takes my interest), as I re-design the blog and the direction I want it to go in. I need to re-focus on my writing as well, and it all needs to start overlapping. I've started the hard slog towards defining who my readers are, and I now need to work out where they hang out after work. That's harder than I first thought, but it has also helped me to decide where to focus my efforts with regards to which of my (currently) 18 ideas I will concentrate on over the next year or two to build my audience.
Enough of my writing plans though, because I want to tell you, if you're after a fast-paced, fun and dangerously addictive read, you need to check out John Locke's Donovan Creed novels. I downloaded and read two in two days, and I am just waiting for my book budget to tick back over into the black to buy the rest of them. They are purely entertainment, so if you're after literary genius, they're not for you. And at 99c a pop for the kindle editions, what's not to like? They're also in paperback, so you don't need an e-reader to enjoy them.
Donovan Creed, Locke's main character, is a gun-for-hire and is strangely endearing, even if he does have better relationships with prostitutes than real women, and even if he is happy for people to get their come-uppance.
My pick of the two I've read so far is Wish List. Without going into too much detail, it's about a group of friends who enter their wishes onto a website, never thinking for a moment that they would start to come true. As always where Donovan Creed is concerned, there are consequences. This book had me cringing and laughing out loud. Very highly recommended.
That's enough from me this week. I have to decide what beer I'm reviewing next week, since the cupboard is bare. If you have any suggestions, I'd love to give them a go. I'm always after recommendations on what to stock my beer shelf (ok, shelves) with, so don't be shy.
Until next Sunday's Sesh,
Cheers!
Sunday, 1 January 2012
Sunday Sesh #18 - New Year's Double-down
Since last Sunday was a dry sesh because of Christmas, this weekend is a double-down. That's right - two beers in one Sesh. Incidentally, Christmas wasn't exactly "dry", as much as I just never got the chance to write about the beers I drank while I was home. So anyway, here are the first two beers of the New Year.
First off the rank is a Matilda Bay Alpha Pale Ale.
This one is a big brew, and there's not much pale about it. It's a dark golden colour, smelling fruity and citrusy - fresh enough for summer.
It's got some big flavours but it's not overwhelming as you might expect. There's a bitterness that lasts a little while, but it's not too over-powering. They say to have this with roast meats, but I accompanied my beer with a rump steak and veg. It went down quite nicely and suited the steak well.
I will have this one again, but it won'te become one of my regulars.
The second of today's beers is from James Squire - Stow Away IPA (India Pale Ale) - quite appropriate since we're hosting a four test series against them this summer, but I digress.
This also pours quite well, with a frothy but light head. You can see the big difference in these two is the carbonation, but they're almost identical in colour.
The IPA is drier and has a lot stronger bitterness in the aftertaste. It's not too bad though, and I could have a couple of these on a hot day. It also smells a bit like potpourri out of the bottle, as well as wet paper - doesn't make sense to me either, but that's what I could smell.
I prefer the Alpha over the IPA, but I wouldn't say no to either of them if they were offered.
Today's sesh marks the first day of 2012. New Year is normally when most of us take stock of what we've done with the last year and in particular, how we're going to lose the weight we've gained over the Festive Season.
I plan on having a big year in 2012, but I'm not one to make resolutions. I think they're a fast way to failure. I do, however, believe in goal-setting - something I've been lacking over the past year or so. I've been coasting a little, going with the flow and seeing where it takes me. It hasn't been too bad this last year, but 2012 is the year I take the wheel back and start to steer for myself.
The one thing I do want to get done is a revision of my writing plan. I wrote one at the start of last year that more or less just said that I wanted to prioritise my writing. I managed to do that more than I have in previous years, but this year it will go further. One of the major changes will be to set a writing schedule, and stick to it.
I will also start introducing myself to people as a "writer" instead of an "accountant". At some point, I'm hoping that my brain starts to believe it and allows me to start acting like a writer instead of an accountant - not that being an accountant is a bad thing, but it's just not what I want to be when I grow up.
I'm excited about being a writer this year instead of an accountant, and I'm excited about what I hope to achieve. One of the last things I did in 2011 (oh so far away now) was to go through my ideas - books, notes, napkins, post-its etc - and write them down on note-cards. Some of them have working titles, others just start with "The one about...". I've added short synopses on each of them so I know what they're about, and because of that, I feel a bit more organised already.
The other thing I realised is that I can no longer tell anyone I don't have any ideas. I actually have 18 of them. That's 18 novels that are waiting to be written. It blew me away when I realised, and the thing is, I only wrote down the ones that had "formed" to a point where I had a couple of characters, plot points and a general idea. I have a tonne of other ideas that are still percolating in the furthest reaches of my brain. The other thing is, a couple of those ideas are looking more and more like they could be great as series, so who knows how many books 18 ideas can turn into.
With that in mind, and safe in the thought that at any time I feel I can't write anything I can just pull out a new note-card and start working on something different, I'm heading into 2012 with renewed vigour and energy,and particularly, enthusiasm, for my writing.
Blog-wise, I'm still pottering along trying to balance what I want to write about and writing about a lot less on "me". There'll be a few changes - not least of which when Summer is over, there will be no more Sunday Sesh's, but I'm kicking around a few ideas to take its place over the colder months - perhaps reviewing coffee in the local cafes, or even better, the hot chocolates.
I'm also looking at blogging more on writing and my journey, almost as a journal, and I definitely want to include more extracts so you can see what I've been working on.
I'm also considering a weekly post on something topical - politics, scandals, something to get passionate about. I've enjoyed writing about gay marriage this year, not least of which because it affects me directly, but also because I'm passionate about it. I'm passionate about a lot of other things though, and I want to step side-ways a little and post more on the things that make me cringe, face-palm, laugh-out-loud, and yell at the television.
Apart from that, there are a host of other things that I'd like to achieve this year, but rather than bore you with the details, I'll let you go and nurse your hangovers, and if you didn't overdo it last night, pay out on those who did.
Plus, I need to get back to renovating. We're now on a fast-track to getting the house finished as we're on a dead-line. As we speak, power tools are whining away in the back yard cutting timber and drilling holes for the deck. The ceiling has been fixed and patched, so my painting skills are being called on.
It will be great to get the house finally finished, but we may not get to stick around to enjoy our hard work for very long. As I said earlier, I think this year will yield big things, so stay tuned.
Happy new year, and until next Sunday's Sesh,
Cheers!
First off the rank is a Matilda Bay Alpha Pale Ale.
 |
| Matilda Bay Alpha Pale Ale |
It's got some big flavours but it's not overwhelming as you might expect. There's a bitterness that lasts a little while, but it's not too over-powering. They say to have this with roast meats, but I accompanied my beer with a rump steak and veg. It went down quite nicely and suited the steak well.
I will have this one again, but it won'te become one of my regulars.
The second of today's beers is from James Squire - Stow Away IPA (India Pale Ale) - quite appropriate since we're hosting a four test series against them this summer, but I digress.
 |
| James Squire Stow Away IPA |
This also pours quite well, with a frothy but light head. You can see the big difference in these two is the carbonation, but they're almost identical in colour.
The IPA is drier and has a lot stronger bitterness in the aftertaste. It's not too bad though, and I could have a couple of these on a hot day. It also smells a bit like potpourri out of the bottle, as well as wet paper - doesn't make sense to me either, but that's what I could smell.
I prefer the Alpha over the IPA, but I wouldn't say no to either of them if they were offered.
Today's sesh marks the first day of 2012. New Year is normally when most of us take stock of what we've done with the last year and in particular, how we're going to lose the weight we've gained over the Festive Season.
I plan on having a big year in 2012, but I'm not one to make resolutions. I think they're a fast way to failure. I do, however, believe in goal-setting - something I've been lacking over the past year or so. I've been coasting a little, going with the flow and seeing where it takes me. It hasn't been too bad this last year, but 2012 is the year I take the wheel back and start to steer for myself.
The one thing I do want to get done is a revision of my writing plan. I wrote one at the start of last year that more or less just said that I wanted to prioritise my writing. I managed to do that more than I have in previous years, but this year it will go further. One of the major changes will be to set a writing schedule, and stick to it.
I will also start introducing myself to people as a "writer" instead of an "accountant". At some point, I'm hoping that my brain starts to believe it and allows me to start acting like a writer instead of an accountant - not that being an accountant is a bad thing, but it's just not what I want to be when I grow up.
I'm excited about being a writer this year instead of an accountant, and I'm excited about what I hope to achieve. One of the last things I did in 2011 (oh so far away now) was to go through my ideas - books, notes, napkins, post-its etc - and write them down on note-cards. Some of them have working titles, others just start with "The one about...". I've added short synopses on each of them so I know what they're about, and because of that, I feel a bit more organised already.
The other thing I realised is that I can no longer tell anyone I don't have any ideas. I actually have 18 of them. That's 18 novels that are waiting to be written. It blew me away when I realised, and the thing is, I only wrote down the ones that had "formed" to a point where I had a couple of characters, plot points and a general idea. I have a tonne of other ideas that are still percolating in the furthest reaches of my brain. The other thing is, a couple of those ideas are looking more and more like they could be great as series, so who knows how many books 18 ideas can turn into.
With that in mind, and safe in the thought that at any time I feel I can't write anything I can just pull out a new note-card and start working on something different, I'm heading into 2012 with renewed vigour and energy,and particularly, enthusiasm, for my writing.
Blog-wise, I'm still pottering along trying to balance what I want to write about and writing about a lot less on "me". There'll be a few changes - not least of which when Summer is over, there will be no more Sunday Sesh's, but I'm kicking around a few ideas to take its place over the colder months - perhaps reviewing coffee in the local cafes, or even better, the hot chocolates.
I'm also looking at blogging more on writing and my journey, almost as a journal, and I definitely want to include more extracts so you can see what I've been working on.
I'm also considering a weekly post on something topical - politics, scandals, something to get passionate about. I've enjoyed writing about gay marriage this year, not least of which because it affects me directly, but also because I'm passionate about it. I'm passionate about a lot of other things though, and I want to step side-ways a little and post more on the things that make me cringe, face-palm, laugh-out-loud, and yell at the television.
Apart from that, there are a host of other things that I'd like to achieve this year, but rather than bore you with the details, I'll let you go and nurse your hangovers, and if you didn't overdo it last night, pay out on those who did.
Plus, I need to get back to renovating. We're now on a fast-track to getting the house finished as we're on a dead-line. As we speak, power tools are whining away in the back yard cutting timber and drilling holes for the deck. The ceiling has been fixed and patched, so my painting skills are being called on.
It will be great to get the house finally finished, but we may not get to stick around to enjoy our hard work for very long. As I said earlier, I think this year will yield big things, so stay tuned.
Happy new year, and until next Sunday's Sesh,
Cheers!
Sunday, 25 December 2011
Sunday Sesh #17 - Five of the Best
So unfortunately, this is my second Sunday Sesh with no beer, since I am bogged down getting ready for Santa's arrival and a road-trip home. I will, however, do a double-beer Sunday Sesh next weekend, so keep an eye out for that one.
Last week I promised you something special, and I hope you agree that this one is exactly that.
Tomorrow is Boxing Day and marks the first day of the Boxing Day test in Melbourne against the Indians. It's no secret that Boxing Day is my favourite day of the year - closely followed by Christmas and then my birthday. Then there's End of Financial Year Day (for the accountants out there), but I digress.
Since as I write this, no cricket has yet been played, I thought I'd bring you some crickety goodness by rehashing some of my favourite classic catches. My top five in fact. These videos are all thanks to youtube (what did we ever do without it?).
So, counting down from...
Number 5
Paul Collingwood shows off his amazing reach against the Aussies in 2005 to dismiss Matt "The Bat" Hayden.
Collingwood was a great fieldsman, and this rates as one of his best.
Number 4
You can't have a classic catches reel without including one of our best ever gully fieldsman, Mike Hussey. He's pulled off some unbelievable catches and saves back there, but this one rates as one of his best. Reflex catches look pretty awesome, but judging a catch going over your head is deceptively hard. As usual, Hussey makes it look easy - but he does do it one-handed, just for kicks.
Number 3
This next one from Dinesh Kartick of India, to dismiss Graham Smith of South Africa. Smith can't believe his bad luck. As you'll hear the commentator say, Kartick is one of those frustrating players who can produce moments of brilliance out of his back-side, but drops the simplest of catches under no pressure. Again, catching a ball behind you isn't easy, but he makes it look like a piece of cake.
Number 2
We're travelling back in time to 1999 at the MCG for this one.
Mark Waugh - need I say more? Mark Waugh goes down as one of our best fieldsman of all time. He produced some brilliant catches in slip, but this one at short cover defies belief. The hand-eye co-ordination required to make a catch like this stick could only be pulled off by a soccer goalkeeper, which Junior was before he chose cricket.
Also, watch the way Shane Warne moves his field around. Not one player remains unchanged - this catch is equally down to Warne getting into the head of the batsman - in this case, Nick Knight of England.
Number 1
Paul "Fatty" Vautin, football legend, and hero to backyard cricketers everywhere, thanks to this screamer taken in the Allan Border Testimonial match in 1993. This is a bit of pure Queensland genius. Tim Horan, caught Vautin, bowled Langer.
Why does this rate as my number one, above the "real" cricket catches and against some that are arguably much better? Simply because this is the thing us backyard cricketers do every summer, without cameras and without the crowds. We're legends in our own minds and families, and catches like these in backyards, parks and cul de sacs all over Australia go down into family folk lore and legend, getting better and better with each retelling.
Incidentally, stick around after they replay the catch to hear Fatty's comments.
One thing before I wrap up - what ever happened to these testimonial matches? I think a charity match for the McGrath foundation or something similar each year, maybe to kick off the summer or to wrap it up would be brilliant. I love seeing all sorts of sports men and women have a go at cricket. It's a great equaliser, and nothing draws people from around the neighbourhood like the screams of "Howzat!" and the thump of a piece of wood on a tennis ball covered in electrical tape on one side.
What do you think? Any catches I've missed? And what do you think about bringing back testimonials or charity matches?
Finally, Merry Christmas everyone, and until next Sunday's Sesh,
Cheers!
Last week I promised you something special, and I hope you agree that this one is exactly that.
Tomorrow is Boxing Day and marks the first day of the Boxing Day test in Melbourne against the Indians. It's no secret that Boxing Day is my favourite day of the year - closely followed by Christmas and then my birthday. Then there's End of Financial Year Day (for the accountants out there), but I digress.
Since as I write this, no cricket has yet been played, I thought I'd bring you some crickety goodness by rehashing some of my favourite classic catches. My top five in fact. These videos are all thanks to youtube (what did we ever do without it?).
So, counting down from...
Number 5
Paul Collingwood shows off his amazing reach against the Aussies in 2005 to dismiss Matt "The Bat" Hayden.
Collingwood was a great fieldsman, and this rates as one of his best.
Number 4
You can't have a classic catches reel without including one of our best ever gully fieldsman, Mike Hussey. He's pulled off some unbelievable catches and saves back there, but this one rates as one of his best. Reflex catches look pretty awesome, but judging a catch going over your head is deceptively hard. As usual, Hussey makes it look easy - but he does do it one-handed, just for kicks.
Number 3
This next one from Dinesh Kartick of India, to dismiss Graham Smith of South Africa. Smith can't believe his bad luck. As you'll hear the commentator say, Kartick is one of those frustrating players who can produce moments of brilliance out of his back-side, but drops the simplest of catches under no pressure. Again, catching a ball behind you isn't easy, but he makes it look like a piece of cake.
Number 2
We're travelling back in time to 1999 at the MCG for this one.
Mark Waugh - need I say more? Mark Waugh goes down as one of our best fieldsman of all time. He produced some brilliant catches in slip, but this one at short cover defies belief. The hand-eye co-ordination required to make a catch like this stick could only be pulled off by a soccer goalkeeper, which Junior was before he chose cricket.
Also, watch the way Shane Warne moves his field around. Not one player remains unchanged - this catch is equally down to Warne getting into the head of the batsman - in this case, Nick Knight of England.
Number 1
Paul "Fatty" Vautin, football legend, and hero to backyard cricketers everywhere, thanks to this screamer taken in the Allan Border Testimonial match in 1993. This is a bit of pure Queensland genius. Tim Horan, caught Vautin, bowled Langer.
Why does this rate as my number one, above the "real" cricket catches and against some that are arguably much better? Simply because this is the thing us backyard cricketers do every summer, without cameras and without the crowds. We're legends in our own minds and families, and catches like these in backyards, parks and cul de sacs all over Australia go down into family folk lore and legend, getting better and better with each retelling.
Incidentally, stick around after they replay the catch to hear Fatty's comments.
One thing before I wrap up - what ever happened to these testimonial matches? I think a charity match for the McGrath foundation or something similar each year, maybe to kick off the summer or to wrap it up would be brilliant. I love seeing all sorts of sports men and women have a go at cricket. It's a great equaliser, and nothing draws people from around the neighbourhood like the screams of "Howzat!" and the thump of a piece of wood on a tennis ball covered in electrical tape on one side.
What do you think? Any catches I've missed? And what do you think about bringing back testimonials or charity matches?
Finally, Merry Christmas everyone, and until next Sunday's Sesh,
Cheers!
Sunday, 18 December 2011
Sunday Sesh #16 - Bee Sting
This Sunday's Sesh is brought to you by Bee Sting Honey Wheat beer, brewed by Barossa Valley Beer.
I've tried a honey-infused beer in the past - Beez Neez brewed by one of my favourite breweries, Matilda Bay - and I have to say, Beez Neez wins the battle of these two beers hands down.
If you like good head, this is the beer for you!
As you can see from the picture above, it poured like a soft-drink out of the bottle. Now I'm pretty gentle with my pour, but this foamed up like I was pouring it over ice-cream. The head was higher than the beer in the glass, so I had to wait until it settled a bit before I poured again. And when I poured the last of it, it foamed up again, the bubbles racing up the sides of the glass.
There's no real hint of the honey until you've almost finished, and the aftertaste lingers right off the bat. It starts to get better the more you drink, but the bitterness is quite a shock at first.
To be a little fair though, it suggests to drink this with spicey asian food or BBQ'd meats, and I can see how the bitterness would cut through something like a marinated steak, so I might give this another go next time we have a BBQ.
This Sesh marks the last Sunday before Christmas, which means Wifey and I have been busy doing odd jobs around the house (which is why this Sesh is late, again!).
Today, I played apprentice to Wifey's superior skills as a concreter/paver. That meant I did things like dropping globs of concrete onto bricks instead of in the cracks where it was meant to be, starting jobs and not finishing them, and not cleaning up properly when we were finished.
In return, Wifey sent me to Mitre 10 for a left-handed screw-driver and a long wait, gave me the shit jobs and cursed at me under her breath.
The girls supervised by finding the only shady spot under the wheelbarrow, and then dropping the ball at our feet wherever we walked.
We still have a million jobs to finish, but today we tackled some paving near our front gate. When we did the front fence, we ripped up the old concrete paving so we could grow grass, but that meant that we started to get a muddy patch where we came in at the gate.
We had a pile of bricks Wifey was hoarding from when she pulled down the back steps, so we thought we'd put our collective creativity in action (my brains and Wifey's brawn) and put in a pretty little entrance to our abode.
The division of jobs went like this -
As you can see from the results below, we're pretty stoked with how we did. No more muddy entrance and one less job to do.
So that's it from me for this Sunday. Next Sunday I'll be busy catching up with fifty or so of my closest rellies on Boxing Day at a BIG family reunion. I'll be prepared though and will have a special treat for you next Sunday, so keep an eye out for the next post.
Until next Sundays Sesh,
Cheers!
I've tried a honey-infused beer in the past - Beez Neez brewed by one of my favourite breweries, Matilda Bay - and I have to say, Beez Neez wins the battle of these two beers hands down.
 |
| Bee Sting by Barossa Valley Beer |
As you can see from the picture above, it poured like a soft-drink out of the bottle. Now I'm pretty gentle with my pour, but this foamed up like I was pouring it over ice-cream. The head was higher than the beer in the glass, so I had to wait until it settled a bit before I poured again. And when I poured the last of it, it foamed up again, the bubbles racing up the sides of the glass.
There's no real hint of the honey until you've almost finished, and the aftertaste lingers right off the bat. It starts to get better the more you drink, but the bitterness is quite a shock at first.
To be a little fair though, it suggests to drink this with spicey asian food or BBQ'd meats, and I can see how the bitterness would cut through something like a marinated steak, so I might give this another go next time we have a BBQ.
This Sesh marks the last Sunday before Christmas, which means Wifey and I have been busy doing odd jobs around the house (which is why this Sesh is late, again!).
Today, I played apprentice to Wifey's superior skills as a concreter/paver. That meant I did things like dropping globs of concrete onto bricks instead of in the cracks where it was meant to be, starting jobs and not finishing them, and not cleaning up properly when we were finished.
In return, Wifey sent me to Mitre 10 for a left-handed screw-driver and a long wait, gave me the shit jobs and cursed at me under her breath.
The girls supervised by finding the only shady spot under the wheelbarrow, and then dropping the ball at our feet wherever we walked.
 |
| Daisy supervises from the comfort of the wheelbarrow |
We still have a million jobs to finish, but today we tackled some paving near our front gate. When we did the front fence, we ripped up the old concrete paving so we could grow grass, but that meant that we started to get a muddy patch where we came in at the gate.
We had a pile of bricks Wifey was hoarding from when she pulled down the back steps, so we thought we'd put our collective creativity in action (my brains and Wifey's brawn) and put in a pretty little entrance to our abode.
 |
| Wifey mixes the concrete |
- Wifey dug the hole
- I sorted the bricks
- Wifey checked the bricks and sent me back for more
- I got more bricks
- Wifey checked the bricks and sent me back for "prettier" ones
- I thought "stick it", but told Wifey we'd work with the bricks we had
- Wifey set out the bricks
- I re-set the bricks so they looked "rustic" rather then "linear"
- Wifey rolled her eyes
- Wifey mixed the concrete
- I watched and played ball with Daisy and Rubes
- Wifey showed me how to lay the concrete base and lay the bricks
- I shovelled the concrete, dropping bits onto the bricks
- Wifey explained (patiently) why I shouldn't drop big globs of concrete on the bricks
- I rolled my eyes
- Wifey asked if I wanted to lay some bricks
- I said no, I'm just the apprentice
- Wifey asked could I mix some more concrete
- I said, no, I'm just the apprentice, I don't know how to mix
- I opened a bag of concrete and held the hose
- Wifey mixed the concrete
- I watched and played ball with Daisy and Rubes
As you can see from the results below, we're pretty stoked with how we did. No more muddy entrance and one less job to do.
 |
| Our new front entrance |
 |
| The finished product |
So that's it from me for this Sunday. Next Sunday I'll be busy catching up with fifty or so of my closest rellies on Boxing Day at a BIG family reunion. I'll be prepared though and will have a special treat for you next Sunday, so keep an eye out for the next post.
Until next Sundays Sesh,
Cheers!
Sunday, 11 December 2011
Sunday Sesh #15 - Old Speckled Hen
This Sunday's Sesh brought to you by Old Speckled Hen, a UK brewed ale. This one was also a tip, by my mate in all things beer, Ang.
I bought a 6-pack of these, so I was hoping they were better than the last Pommy drop I had, Old Fart.
This one is a dark golden colour, almost the colour of syrup. If you look closely at the bottle, you can see the gassy residue after the first pour.
It's thinness disguises it's heaviness. It's frothy in your mouth, kind of like when you drink softdrink after you've had ice-cream. The first mouthful has a distinct and immediate taste of toffee, and it has a lingering bitterness that changes to burnt toffee by the last mouthful.
It's not a bad ale this one for a Pommy beer, but it's not something I'd drink in a session. One or two of these would be enough - after that the bitterness would get too much. It's also one you could keep drinking even after it gets a little bit warm in the bottle or glass.
After finishing my first one, I switched to the Great Northern's I had in the fridge from last Sunday to enjoy the cricket with.
This third day of the second test marks fourteen more sleeps until Christmas, so I thought I would write about Christmas spirit this week. No, I'm not talking about the whiskey in the egg nog. I'm talking about the intangible stuff - the stuff we do for people just to make them feel good.
I was thinking back over Christmas's past in an effort to come up with something funny and witty to write this weekend, when a story basically fell into my lap.
Quiet literally, I was the subject of a little bit of Christmas spirit this last week.
To put the following story in context for you, I'm not a big fan of shopping or shopping centres at the best of times. Christmas just annoys the bejeesus out of me. Too many people walking too slowly, and kids on school holiays gravitate to shopping centres, milling around everywhere, being collective pains in the rear.
I sound a bit like the Grinch, but I really do love Christmas. I just don't like having to go out and shop amongst it.
Anyway, I was asked to run an errand for Wifey's Aunt, which meant heading into one of those painful shopping centres to pick up a book, and then pop it in the post. Simple really, unless you're me.
As I rush back out the door I realise I've never actually been to the toilets in this centre, and I have no idea where they are, so as I run out the door, I'm scanning around for the signs. Thankfully, they're on the same floor and just up a bit from the post office. I race off towards them, and there's a woman, walking slowly, in front of me. The passage-way to the toilets isn't exactly very wide, and there are people coming out as we're going in, so I can't get past without pushing her over.
Her self-preservation instinct must kick in because she turns, very slowly, and sees me rushing towards her. She puts her hand on the toilet door, and she holds it open for me, eyes popping and mouth open. I say a muffled thanks and rush into an empty loo. I plant myself on the seat, pull off wads of toilet paper and push them to my face.
Now, my nosebleeds can last a couple of seconds, or they can last nearly half an hour. They can go away, or they can come back multiple times, with a few hours. I'm hoping that it's a short one, and I can get it under control at least in time to post the parcel and get back to work. It can bleed all it wants there.
So about this time when I'm listening to flushing and hand-washing going on around me, I remember the parcel, sitting all alone on the counter. I start admonishing myself. While I hadn't paid for the envelope, I HAD paid for the book. I should have taken the book out of the envelope before I left, just in case, but I was so worried about not bleeding all over the carpet, I just wasn't thinking straight.
Thankfully, my nosebleed doesn't last long. I wait until I think all the stalls are empty (only a minute or two more) and go out to clean myself up. There's one older lady at a sink pedantically washing her hands, and going through her handbag. I casually walk over to a sink, pull out some hand towels, wet them down and start dabbing at my nose. I can see the old lady in the mirror looking at me - she does that little furtive side-ways glance like she's really curious but doesn't want me to see that she's trying not to look.
There's something so B-grade-movie about cleaning blood off your face in a toilet. The child part of me wants to turn to the old lady and ask "What are you lookin' at", just to add to the atmosphere.
I also have to be extremely careful not to set my nose off again - once it bleeds, it can be set off again without a moments' notice - I have a very sensitive nose.
So I clean myself up (and the lady doesn't quite back out of the toilets, but close enough) and I head back to the post office. When I get back the parcel is gone! My worst nightmare has just materialised.
So I’m thinking “That’s just great! It’s Christmas for goodness sakes!”. Actually, the language was a little worse than that but you get the picture. So anyway, I go up to the girl and I ask her what’s happened to it. Apparently, a lady who was standing in line saw me rush past her with my hands to my nose, and she asked the girl what happened when she got to the counter.
And she paid for it! She left the receipt though, so I could be sure it was paid for. How wonderful!!
It was then I thought “Wow! It really is Christmas”.
So thank you to the lady who made my crap day a little brighter and brought a bit of Christmas cheer last week.
Wifey says I now need to do something good for someone else, and I will certainly be looking for that opportunity should it present itself.
This little episode made me realise two things:
1. I'm too much of a pessimist this time of the year, and I need to start acknowledging the good instead of bleating on about the bad.
2. It's always the smallest things that seem to matter the most.
That's all for this Sunday's Sesh, but I am curious - does anyone else have a story like this? I'd love to hear them.
Until next Sunday's Sesh,
Cheers!
I bought a 6-pack of these, so I was hoping they were better than the last Pommy drop I had, Old Fart.
 |
| Old Speckled Hen Ale |
This one is a dark golden colour, almost the colour of syrup. If you look closely at the bottle, you can see the gassy residue after the first pour.
It's thinness disguises it's heaviness. It's frothy in your mouth, kind of like when you drink softdrink after you've had ice-cream. The first mouthful has a distinct and immediate taste of toffee, and it has a lingering bitterness that changes to burnt toffee by the last mouthful.
It's not a bad ale this one for a Pommy beer, but it's not something I'd drink in a session. One or two of these would be enough - after that the bitterness would get too much. It's also one you could keep drinking even after it gets a little bit warm in the bottle or glass.
After finishing my first one, I switched to the Great Northern's I had in the fridge from last Sunday to enjoy the cricket with.
This third day of the second test marks fourteen more sleeps until Christmas, so I thought I would write about Christmas spirit this week. No, I'm not talking about the whiskey in the egg nog. I'm talking about the intangible stuff - the stuff we do for people just to make them feel good.
I was thinking back over Christmas's past in an effort to come up with something funny and witty to write this weekend, when a story basically fell into my lap.
Quiet literally, I was the subject of a little bit of Christmas spirit this last week.
To put the following story in context for you, I'm not a big fan of shopping or shopping centres at the best of times. Christmas just annoys the bejeesus out of me. Too many people walking too slowly, and kids on school holiays gravitate to shopping centres, milling around everywhere, being collective pains in the rear.
I sound a bit like the Grinch, but I really do love Christmas. I just don't like having to go out and shop amongst it.
Anyway, I was asked to run an errand for Wifey's Aunt, which meant heading into one of those painful shopping centres to pick up a book, and then pop it in the post. Simple really, unless you're me.
The girl who
served me at the book store couldn’t find the book, until the lady I had spoken to on the
phone came and served another customer and remembered me asking for it and
where she put it.
Then for some inexplicable reason, I went onto autopilot and walked out the door and was
half-way down the street when I realised that the post office was in the same
building as the book shop. So, looking like a real goose I u-turned and went
back inside and up to the post office.
I wanted to express post the package, but the post office only had HUGE express post bags and tiny document ones
(very limited stock, annoys the heck out of me but it’s three blocks closer than
the big PO). So I get a normal bag, fill out the addresses and go to stand in line (with the lunch rush of about thirty other people).
I've been suffering from sinus lately (thanks to the unseasonal crap cooler weather), so it wasn't surprising that I sniffled a little bit. The mix of perfume and deodorants in that small PO didn't help at all either. Anyway, my nose kept running a little so I fished around in my
pockets but couldn’t grab the one and only tissue I had because it was
underneath my phone - I have deep pockets.
I then did a very bad thing and sneakily just wiped
with my finger, only to discover I had a nosebleed. I rush out to go to the toilets but realised that
I hadn’t paid for the parcel. I'm standing there in the doorway, hand over my nose, probably looking like an idiot, and thankfully my common sense kicks in - sort of. I race over to the desk, ask if I can leave
the parcel there and go to the toilet. She says that's no problem.
As I rush back out the door I realise I've never actually been to the toilets in this centre, and I have no idea where they are, so as I run out the door, I'm scanning around for the signs. Thankfully, they're on the same floor and just up a bit from the post office. I race off towards them, and there's a woman, walking slowly, in front of me. The passage-way to the toilets isn't exactly very wide, and there are people coming out as we're going in, so I can't get past without pushing her over.
Her self-preservation instinct must kick in because she turns, very slowly, and sees me rushing towards her. She puts her hand on the toilet door, and she holds it open for me, eyes popping and mouth open. I say a muffled thanks and rush into an empty loo. I plant myself on the seat, pull off wads of toilet paper and push them to my face.
Now, my nosebleeds can last a couple of seconds, or they can last nearly half an hour. They can go away, or they can come back multiple times, with a few hours. I'm hoping that it's a short one, and I can get it under control at least in time to post the parcel and get back to work. It can bleed all it wants there.
So about this time when I'm listening to flushing and hand-washing going on around me, I remember the parcel, sitting all alone on the counter. I start admonishing myself. While I hadn't paid for the envelope, I HAD paid for the book. I should have taken the book out of the envelope before I left, just in case, but I was so worried about not bleeding all over the carpet, I just wasn't thinking straight.
Thankfully, my nosebleed doesn't last long. I wait until I think all the stalls are empty (only a minute or two more) and go out to clean myself up. There's one older lady at a sink pedantically washing her hands, and going through her handbag. I casually walk over to a sink, pull out some hand towels, wet them down and start dabbing at my nose. I can see the old lady in the mirror looking at me - she does that little furtive side-ways glance like she's really curious but doesn't want me to see that she's trying not to look.
There's something so B-grade-movie about cleaning blood off your face in a toilet. The child part of me wants to turn to the old lady and ask "What are you lookin' at", just to add to the atmosphere.
I also have to be extremely careful not to set my nose off again - once it bleeds, it can be set off again without a moments' notice - I have a very sensitive nose.
So I clean myself up (and the lady doesn't quite back out of the toilets, but close enough) and I head back to the post office. When I get back the parcel is gone! My worst nightmare has just materialised.
So I’m thinking “That’s just great! It’s Christmas for goodness sakes!”. Actually, the language was a little worse than that but you get the picture. So anyway, I go up to the girl and I ask her what’s happened to it. Apparently, a lady who was standing in line saw me rush past her with my hands to my nose, and she asked the girl what happened when she got to the counter.
And she paid for it! She left the receipt though, so I could be sure it was paid for. How wonderful!!
It was then I thought “Wow! It really is Christmas”.
Sunday, 4 December 2011
Sunday Sesh #14 - Great Northern Lager
This Sunday's Sesh brought to you by Great Northern Lager, brewed by CUB.
It's also brought to you by a hot tip from my cousin Tiff.
The thing about a clear bottle is that you have an immediate expectation that the beer inside it's going to be quite light, and that's about right with this one. It's crisp and refreshing and went down well while watching the cricket. I normally prefer something heavier, but this one surprised me.
It's quite thin, though not watery, so I could easily have a couple of these (and I just might since I bought a six-pack). At 1.1 standard drinks, I think this may be my new pick for "away" BBQ's. And it would definitely be one I'd be happy to share with a few mates. Cheap enough too considering my taste for more expensive boutique beers.
After a huge response to my last post (I had two months' worth of visitors to this site in the space of 24hrs), thanks to a big rant, I've decided to take it down a notch this weekend. By the way, thanks to everyone who shared the post and commented. I'm happy for you to share anything on here you think is good, or crap for that matter. That is, afterall, why I blog.
Summer has well and truly started. The First Test between the Aussies and Kiwis was a cracker - I found the ABC online broadcast and listened to it while I was at work for the first two days - and today I was finally able to sit down and watch it on the telly with a few beverages.
I'm a bit disappointed that it's all over in under five days, since I planned today and tomorrow around watching the cricket (ie doing nothing except watching and having a few beers).
However, I'm very happy to see the young bowlers doing well. Our future is certainly looking bright if we can get these boys to maintain some consistency. We'll never find another combination like McGrath/Warne, but we now have a couple of young quicks who we'll be able to start building a strong attack around. Nathan Lyon is also a find in the spin department. I think he's the first young spinner we've had in the side that hasn't been hailed as the new Warney. He has his own style and he's shown he's a great thinker.
Pattinson scoring the man-of-the-match was well-deserved I thought, since he built his attack well after a jittery start. I thought he had some good change-ups and proved that bowling to a plan no matter what's happening with the batsmen produces results.
The Kiwis on the other hand were a bit disappointing. They did well to make it to 295 in the first innings, but they should have cleaned us up for just over 300 which should have left them in for a good finish. I'm glad we got stuck into them early on Day Four, but gees, they could've put up a bit of a fight at least. They have to stop leaving the heroics to Dan Vettori.
I'm looking forward to seeing what they can come up with in Hobart. I think the conditions will suit them more than the conditions at the Gabba did. I'll also be looking forward to who the Aussie selectors pick for that Test, considering neither Hughes nor Warner fired. I think Hughes is sailing very close to the wind at the moment and he may be in a bit of trouble if Warner gets going.
The other thing I was impressed by was Clarke's captaincy during the match. He made some great fielding decisions, produced a great captain's knock with the bat, and made some great bowling changes. I still think he's living a bit in Ricky Ponting's shadow, and I think once Punter retires we'll see the best of Clarke.
I've never been a fan of Clarke, since we really do like our captains to be stoic and a little bit cranky even, and Clarke really doesn't fit that mould. But I think with the youngsters coming through now, we need a different type of captain. I think having the top job has added a different dimension to his game, and I think we're yet to see his best.
That's it for another Sunday Sesh. I'm off to hook into this Great Northern six-pack in preparation for going to Carols by Candlelight tonight with Wifey (and watch Wifey mows the lawn).
Until next Sunday's Sesh,
Cheers!
It's also brought to you by a hot tip from my cousin Tiff.
 |
| Great Northern Lager |
It's quite thin, though not watery, so I could easily have a couple of these (and I just might since I bought a six-pack). At 1.1 standard drinks, I think this may be my new pick for "away" BBQ's. And it would definitely be one I'd be happy to share with a few mates. Cheap enough too considering my taste for more expensive boutique beers.
After a huge response to my last post (I had two months' worth of visitors to this site in the space of 24hrs), thanks to a big rant, I've decided to take it down a notch this weekend. By the way, thanks to everyone who shared the post and commented. I'm happy for you to share anything on here you think is good, or crap for that matter. That is, afterall, why I blog.
Summer has well and truly started. The First Test between the Aussies and Kiwis was a cracker - I found the ABC online broadcast and listened to it while I was at work for the first two days - and today I was finally able to sit down and watch it on the telly with a few beverages.
I'm a bit disappointed that it's all over in under five days, since I planned today and tomorrow around watching the cricket (ie doing nothing except watching and having a few beers).
However, I'm very happy to see the young bowlers doing well. Our future is certainly looking bright if we can get these boys to maintain some consistency. We'll never find another combination like McGrath/Warne, but we now have a couple of young quicks who we'll be able to start building a strong attack around. Nathan Lyon is also a find in the spin department. I think he's the first young spinner we've had in the side that hasn't been hailed as the new Warney. He has his own style and he's shown he's a great thinker.
Pattinson scoring the man-of-the-match was well-deserved I thought, since he built his attack well after a jittery start. I thought he had some good change-ups and proved that bowling to a plan no matter what's happening with the batsmen produces results.
The Kiwis on the other hand were a bit disappointing. They did well to make it to 295 in the first innings, but they should have cleaned us up for just over 300 which should have left them in for a good finish. I'm glad we got stuck into them early on Day Four, but gees, they could've put up a bit of a fight at least. They have to stop leaving the heroics to Dan Vettori.
I'm looking forward to seeing what they can come up with in Hobart. I think the conditions will suit them more than the conditions at the Gabba did. I'll also be looking forward to who the Aussie selectors pick for that Test, considering neither Hughes nor Warner fired. I think Hughes is sailing very close to the wind at the moment and he may be in a bit of trouble if Warner gets going.
The other thing I was impressed by was Clarke's captaincy during the match. He made some great fielding decisions, produced a great captain's knock with the bat, and made some great bowling changes. I still think he's living a bit in Ricky Ponting's shadow, and I think once Punter retires we'll see the best of Clarke.
I've never been a fan of Clarke, since we really do like our captains to be stoic and a little bit cranky even, and Clarke really doesn't fit that mould. But I think with the youngsters coming through now, we need a different type of captain. I think having the top job has added a different dimension to his game, and I think we're yet to see his best.
That's it for another Sunday Sesh. I'm off to hook into this Great Northern six-pack in preparation for going to Carols by Candlelight tonight with Wifey (and watch Wifey mows the lawn).
Until next Sunday's Sesh,
Cheers!
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