So what did Santa bring you this Xmas?

[ibglowin]

So what did you get this year (wine related and NOT wine related)? LOL

Wine related I got a very nice Aerator from the kids. Called the "Norm" and highly rated and available from Amazon.

The big laugh was Mrs IB completely surprised me with a Phillips Hot Air Fryer........

If you recall we talked about these a few weeks back. Consumer Reports liked it (alot) and she got it off Amazon Gold Box deal for $99 so good price. We tried it out first with some tater tots. Did not overload it (first rule to follow) and cooked about 15 tots in 12 minutes. They came out absolutely perfect and delicious. tasted like they had just came out of the deep fryer. Xmas Eve we had our usual "smorgasbord" of apps and I decided to give Buffalo Wings a shot. You can fit eight wings at a time on it. I hit the wings with the usual S&P and then into the "fryer" for 26 minutes. Turned once halfway through. They came out as the crispiest wings I have ever made, even after tossing them in the Franks. Mrs IB found an insert that make it into two rack insert so you can supposedly cook 2X as much. Will have to review that at a later date but so far very pleasantly surprised (and happy) with it.

Got a couple of VERY nice Calphalon nonstick pots from one of our BFF's. So looking forward to using them this year. Very high quality.

As for Techno Geek things I got an Amazon Echo Connect that interfaces with all the Echo's and Dot's around the house as well as the Ooma VOIP Box. We can now make hands free voice activated calls from anywhere in the house using Alexa. The call quality is fantastic since it is directly connected to the Ooma VOIP box. All contacts were imported from my cell phone with the flip of a settings switch.

Lastly Santa brought me a Sphero R2 D2 (app controlled) Droid. I got the BB8 Droid a couple years ago and this will make tormenting the cat twice as much fun! LOL

Thats about it. We have off this whole week from work (Lab Winter closure) So enjoying the week off and the beautiful weather we are having (warm and dry) Not a good year for the ski slopes in the Rockies. I hope this changes or we are gonna burn up like California this Spring........


So what was underneath your tree?

 

[dcbrown73]

I recieved two wines. A mulled wine that I can't recall the name of. Another wine that seems to have great ratings on cellartracker, but I hadn't heard of it either. (it's at home and I can't recall the name of it)

The big gift was a Taylor 414ce acoustic guitar with spruce top, rosewood backing and ebony fret-board with beautiful artistic inlays. I'm just blown away by it. It's far nicer than my Taylor Big Baby which I love too.

 

[mainshipfred]

I asked my wife for an AIO but instead she got me The Super Transfer Pump. Bless her heart for getting it but it just too much for my use. Pumps too fast and lets a lot of air into the wine and I have no control of the sediment when it's getting to the bottom. I only transfered 3 batches until I realized it was not the rightthing to use. If I cleaned it real good do you think I could return it. I would have kept it and found a use but she told me to sell it. Also got $375.00 in Harford gift cards. Lots of fun work heading my way in March or April.

https://labelpeelers.com/super-tran...VbUzMKt8txMk5E2-MXGR58wZFCLweKqkaAldoEALw_wcB

 

[mainshipfred]

I recieved two wines. A mulled wine that I can't recall the name of. Another wine that seems to have great ratings on cellartracker, but I hadn't heard of it either. (it's at home and I can't recall the name of it)

The big gift was a Taylor 414ce acoustic guitar with spruce top, rosewood backing and ebony fret-board with beautiful artistic inlays. I'm just blown away by it. It's far nicer than my Taylor Big Baby which I love too.

Isn't that an accoustic electric? My son has been playing guitar for quite awhile now and always electric intill 2 Christmas's ago when everyone pitched and got him a Martin accoustic. It's incredible how much more straight accoustics are, especially Martins. His second choice though was a Taylor.

And speaking of Taylor, back in 2006, the year we got our Mainship we went to an on the water music festival. The featured artist was Taylor Swift. I remember everyone asking why they couldn't get anyone better. I quess someone knew what they were doing.

 

[jgmann67]

. I only transfered 3 batches until I realized it was not the rightthing to use. If I cleaned it real good do you think I could return it.

I bet if you call ‘em and tell them what’s up, they’ll let you return without hassle.

 

[jgmann67]

Got a Milwaukee MW102 pH meter, a new watch and some custom etched glass bottles for a batch of wine (gotta get the design to my daughter). Can’t wait to see what that looks like.

 

[mainshipfred]

Got a Milwaukee MW102 pH meter, a new watch and some custom etched glass bottles for a batch of wine (gotta get the design to my daughter). Can’t wait to see what that looks like.

Custom etched sounds really neat.

 

[dcbrown73]

Isn't that an accoustic electric? My son has been playing guitar for quite awhile now and always electric intill 2 Christmas's ago when everyone pitched and got him a Martin accoustic. It's incredible how much more straight accoustics are, especially Martins. His second choice though was a Taylor.

And speaking of Taylor, back in 2006, the year we got our Mainship we went to an on the water music festival. The featured artist was Taylor Swift. I remember everyone asking why they couldn't get anyone better. I quess someone knew what they were doing.

Yes, it has the electronics inside. The 414 is the series, string layout, and and body type definition. The ce part at the end defines the extra differences. c=cutaway (so you can get to the high frets) and e=electronics. So, 414ce stands for 400 Series guitar, six string, grand auditorium guitar body type, that is cutaway and has electronics!

It's my second acoustic. I have three electric guitars too. (Fender American Deluxe Strat, Gibson Les Paul Standard, and an Ibanez Prestige (RG2550E)

I really haven't listen to much Taylor Swift, (I'm a blues, rock, and classical guy) but I hear she writes all her own songs and obviously she is extremely successful. Very few solo artist write all their own music these days.

 

[mainshipfred]

Yes, it has the electronics inside. The 414 is the series, string layout, and and body type definition. The ce part at the end defines the extra differences. c=cutaway (so you can get to the high frets) and e=electronics. So, 414ce stands for 400 Series guitar, six string, grand auditorium guitar body type, that is cutaway and has electronics!

It's my second acoustic. I have three electric guitars too. (Fender American Deluxe Strat, Gibson Les Paul Standard, and an Ibanez Prestige (RG2550E)

I really haven't listen to much Taylor Swift, (I'm a blues, rock, and classical guy) but I hear she writes all her own songs and obviously she is extremely successful. Very few solo artist write all their own music these days.

Not that I'm a huge fan of hers, it was just kind of neat that a few years after seeing her she exploded. My son tells me the blues are hard to play. He never took a lesson in his life and can't read music but let him hear a song and 30 minutes later he's playing it.

 

[Ajmassa]

Yes, it has the electronics inside. The 414 is the series, string layout, and and body type definition. The ce part at the end defines the extra differences. c=cutaway (so you can get to the high frets) and e=electronics. So, 414ce stands for 400 Series guitar, six string, grand auditorium guitar body type, that is cutaway and has electronics!

It's my second acoustic. I have three electric guitars too. (Fender American Deluxe Strat, Gibson Les Paul Standard, and an Ibanez Prestige (RG2550E)

I really haven't listen to much Taylor Swift, (I'm a blues, rock, and classical guy) but I hear she writes all her own songs and obviously she is extremely successful. Very few solo artist write all their own music these days.

As a fellow axe man I can appreciate all these details. Taylors have always been my #1. She done good this Xmas! I can easily lose an hour at the Sam Ash acoustic room plucking away at the Taylors, Martins and Guilds. I dig your style! Les Paul std and American Strats are THE gold standard for quality American made rock guitars. (Had a les Paul std and a Jap strat before)
I used to buy and sell gear too often. Something that causes great pain and regret. I have 3 acoustics in rotation now. A 70’s Guild that I commandeered from my old man at age 12, my martin 12 string(mid level but solid), and Guild jumbo series f-150ce. A few electrics but currently nothing noteworthy. Next wishlist item - a Gretsch hollow body electric.
Take good care of her. She’s a keeper. (The guitar AND the gifter)

 

[dcbrown73]

As a fellow axe man I can appreciate all these details. Taylors have always been my #1. She done good this Xmas! I can easily lose an hour at the Sam Ash acoustic room plucking away at the Taylors, Martins and Guilds. I dig your style! Les Paul std and American Strats are THE gold standard for quality American made rock guitars. (Had a les Paul std and a Jap strat before)
I used to buy and sell gear too often. Something that causes great pain and regret. I have 3 acoustics in rotation now. A 70’s Guild that I commandeered from my old man at age 12, my martin 12 string(mid level but solid), and Guild jumbo series f-150ce. A few electrics but currently nothing noteworthy. Next wishlist item - a Gretsch hollow body electric.
Take good care of her. She’s a keeper. (The guitar AND the gifter)

Oh I will. I take immaculate care of my guitars!

As for the Gretsch. For my next electric I've been gravitating towards a Gretsch hollow body too. It's a deep gravity well too! Though since it will be my first. I think I want to start on the lower end to ensure I'm ready to invest heavily in a hollow body. (exactly what I did with my Taylor, I started with the Taylor Big Baby and graduated to my new one once I was sold!)

 

[GreenEnvy22]

Nothing wine related this year. I got some whiskey (a basil haydens and a wayne gretzky ice cask). The one on my list, Woodford Reserve double oaked, I didn't get, so I may pick that up on my own.
Some beer, a nice russian style fur hat, shoes, clothes, Small roku TV for our living room.

I got a star trek TNG ornament I love:

 

[kire]

Got the new 3 gal Fast Ferment conical!

 

[dcbrown73]

Love Star Trek!

 

[Ajmassa]

I did receive a beautiful wine decanter for Christmas btw. I absolutely love it, and we put it to use right away with my gift to to my pop. He recently read an article about appessimento and Amarone and we’ve had a few discussions about it, but neither of us have ever had one. So for Christmas I bought him all tiers of the Valpolicella grapes. A valpo Classico, superiore, Ripasso, and Amarone. He also received a single bottle chiller, with settings preset for varietals. Put in the Bottle set to “valpo” (57°) 20 mins later poured a couple glasses and the rest into the decanter for 15 min (just for the sake of using it). We hit the Classico and superiore, saving the Ripasso and 2007 Bertani Amarone.

 

[Ajmassa]

Smart move. They make it possible since they have 3 tiers now. A good buddy purchased the middle tier last year. Electromatic. They are a different breed and take getting used to. Almost like a lovable choppiness they way the pickups are purposely unbalanced (less on high strings) combined with the hollow body, it makes for a very unique sound and feel. Oh, and they are freaking gorgeous too!

Oh I will. I take immaculate care of my guitars!
As for the Gretsch. For my next electric I've been gravitating towards a Gretsch hollow body too. It's a deep gravity well too! Though since it will be my first. I think I want to start on the lower end to ensure I'm ready to invest heavily in a hollow body. (exactly what I did with my Taylor, I started with the Taylor Big Baby and graduated to my new one once I was sold!)

But my pain is from my mid 90’s heritage cherry Gibson SG standard. Bought at age 13 with my ‘life savings’ working wknds as a golf caddy. Her name was Gabrielle. One of the very few full solid bodied guitars- neck &body 1 solid piece of mahogany. Tony Iommi and Angus young were my inspiration. Chrome finishes. Non-matching gold finish machine heads after a repair. A weird tremola partial locking bar installed for fine tuning. (Something gimmicky and was on and off the market quickly). Installed these badass leather strap locks that I’ve yet to see anywhere else. I knew every ding and dent on her. I loved her. I really did.
Sold her maybe 10 yrs ago at a low point in my life for the cash (remember those adjustable option ARM mortgages they were just handing out? I was 23 with a ‘shoot first ask questions later’ mentality) Regrets, I’ve had a few. To this day i still search around keeping an out for her.
Here she is circa 1996. We used that lovely pic on our ‘remove tab’ flyers posted at Tower Records. The glory days.
To bring it back to wine, we also would practice in my dads garage where the barrel and Demis were aging (with spigots). Inspired an original song ‘Big Sip Drew’. You can connect the dots

 

[JohnT]

My father died on 7/1 of this year.

There was a time when I was not talking to anyone in my family. For a period of 7 years, I had no contact with them.

This all came to an end, and I reconciled with my family about 4 years ago. When My father died, I felt very lucky to have been able to reconnect with him before he passed.

Over the last several months, one of the things that I found heart breaking, was the fact that absolutely nothing of my father's was given to me. I had nothing, and I mean nothing, of my father's that I could hold on to.

This was not about monetary value. I just desperately wanted something, anything, to remember my father by.

On Christmas, my younger brother gave me Dad's carving knife.

Now, this was a beat up, misshapen, blade that would have gone for about 50 cents at any garage sale. To me, it was the knife that Dad used each and every Sunday to carve roast beef, London broil, turkey or any other roast you can think of. This knife dispatched countless barnyard animals over the years to feed a family of 5.

When my brother gave me this knife, I simply lost it. The memories of Dad using it were countless. Combine that with knowing that my brother felt I should have something of Dad's. In fact, I am sort of losing it know just typing about it.

It is without a doubt the best Christmas gift I ever received and the nicest thing my brother ever did for me.

 

[dcbrown73]

Cool story John.

My father is still alive, but it was my grandfather that actually raised me. (Mother and father separated and father was in the Navy)

Anyhow, I have all my grandfather's watches, pocket knives he collected over the years. I also have his last wallet that includes everything he had in it. His drivers license down to the money that was there when he went to the hospital for cancer.

I still rifle through the stuff ever couple of months remembering events when he was using the knives. He is the reason I carry a pocket knife to this day.

 

[mainshipfred]

Nice story John. My dad story is, he took up oil painting later in life and although he was no Rembrant his later paintings were well worth hanging. I have 2 of them but the thing I remember most is not his paintings but a seaport painting I bought from Starving Artists. Not sure if they are still around but you could get a decent original painting for a fair price. He came to visit one time after we bought the painting took one look at it and started criticing. He said the picture was all wrong. The sun was setting but the reflection on the water was going the wrong way and the shadows were on the wrong side of the buildings. To this day when I look at the picture I think about him.

 

[cmason1957]

Nice story John. My dad story is, he took up oil painting later in life and although he was no Rembrant his later paintings were well worth hanging. I have 2 of them but the thing I remember most is not his paintings but a seaport painting I bought from Starving Artists. Not sure if they are still around but you could get a decent original painting for a fair price. He came to visit one time after we bought the painting took one look at it and started criticing. He said the picture was all wrong. The sun was setting but the reflection on the water was going the wrong way and the shadows were on the wrong side of the buildings. To this day when I look at the picture I think about him.

I wonder if that was why the artists were starving? [emoji4] [emoji3] [emoji2]