What R you doing today?

[ibglowin]

Desperate times call for.........

While freezer diving yesterday, I remembered that I had a ~5lb piece of pork belly. Turns out, it's been in there for two years. I took it out to thaw, and put it in the cure this morning. It definitely had some freezer burn, but I'll let 'er cure for a week then smoke it and see how it turns out.

 

[Boatboy24]

Desperate times call for.........

...bacon?

 

[ibglowin]

Usually desperate measures but bacon always works in a pinch!

 

[Boatboy24]

Finally got the 2018 Chilean Carmenere (with about 12% Petite Verdot) bottled this afternoon. ~10 gallons, 51 bottles, plus a little extra that I'll make disappear tonight or tomorrow.

 

[Kraffty]

Progress is slow and dusty, but I finished putting up the new wall's paneling then building and hanging the doors. Not much luck trying to match up the patterns at this point. Hopefully over the weekend I can clean up the ceiling and start hanging panels up there to finish it up.

 

[Boatboy24]

Back to baseball! My oldest is moving up to the "Big Field". Tryouts/assessments today! It will be interesting to see what social distancing baseball looks like.

 

[mainshipfred]

Back to baseball! My oldest is moving up to the "Big Field". Tryouts/assessments today! It will be interesting to see what social distancing baseball looks like.

Social distancing aside from my experience the first year on the big field is a step backwards especially for pitchers and catchers. Batters have an extra 14'6" to see the ball and the velocity is a bit slower than little league. Runners also have an advantage since pitcher are learning how to hold them and catchers arms are not quite strong enough to regularly throw runners out. Outfielders have to cover more field and learn to take different angles to the ball. Infielders probably have it the easiest with more time to react and the extra 30' the runners have. It is fun though watching them adjust. When I played we had a mid size field which made the transition a little easier. Have fun with it though they do learn and develop quickly.

 

[Boatboy24]

Social distancing aside from my experience the first year on the big field is a step backwards especially for pitchers and catchers. Batters have an extra 14'6" to see the ball and the velocity is a bit slower than little league. Runners also have an advantage since pitcher are learning how to hold them and catchers arms are not quite strong enough to regularly throw runners out. Outfielders have to cover more field and learn to take different angles to the ball. Infielders probably have it the easiest with more time to react and the extra 30' the runners have. It is fun though watching them adjust. When I played we had a mid size field which made the transition a little easier. Have fun with it though they do learn and develop quickly.

It went pretty well today. We've gone to one of the local 'big fields' a few times over the winter and this spring to start getting used to it. But you're absolutely right - it seems it takes these kids forever to run to first now. Only three kids hit the ball out of the infield on the fly today. Was happy to see my son was one of them. He hit two nice line drives into left-center. He hits lefty and loves going opposite field. He pitches and catches as well and it was especially interesting watching them warming up and throwing to 2nd from home plate. I don't know how many throws were made, but only one actually reached.

 

[Boatboy24]

First official baseball practice tonight. Even w/ all the protocols, it went really well. Kids (and coaches) were obviously glad to be back out there.

 

[Ajmassa]

Swung by my dads house to help tend to the wine. Since I’ve gotten deeper into the hobby he had backed off and hasn’t made his own in quite a few years. But Last year I finally got him to jump back in it with a bucket of Sangiovese.
Tonight we did the final racking, removed the oak and sulphited. All ready for the bottle

Its 9 months now. Poured a taster glass. Very young still. 15 minutes later though, it was enjoyable. He’s happy. A nice easy drinking sangio that went thru mlf and was oaked with a heavy toast French spiral for 3 months. He’ll be able to drink this and give it out with pride. Bottling within the next 3 weeks hopefully. And drinking this winter

 

[sour_grapes]

Swung by my dads house to help tend to the wine. Since I’ve gotten deeper into the hobby he had backed off and hasn’t made his own in quite a few years. But Last year I finally got him to jump back in it with a bucket of Sangiovese.
Tonight we did the final racking, removed the oak and sulphited. All ready for the bottle

Its 9 months now. Poured a taster glass. Very young still. 15 minutes later though, it was enjoyable. He’s happy. A nice easy drinking sangio that went thru mlf and was oaked with a heavy toast French spiral for 3 months. He’ll be able to drink this and give it out with pride. Bottling within the next 3 weeks hopefully. And drinking this winterView attachment 62418

In addition to all the nice sentiments, it was AWESOME to see a Bernie Parent jersey. I was a kid of just the right impressionable age when the Broad Street Bullies became king of the hill. To us, it seemed SO LONG since a Philly team had come out on top. As an adult, I now see that 1960 to 1973/74 is really not that long of a drought, in the grand scheme of things. Many cities suffer longer droughts. Anyway, we went crazy for the Flyers. We essentially stopped playing stickball and football and only played street hockey for years. I put together a ragtag set of goalie equipment: baseball glove, backwards hockey stick, homemade waffle from a garden glove sewed/taped to a piece of plywood, trashpicked football helmet with extra mesh in front, and pieces of carpet strapped to my legs with a belt.

 

[Ajmassa]

In addition to all the nice sentiments, it was AWESOME to see a Bernie Parent jersey. I was a kid of just the right impressionable age when the Broad Street Bullies became king of the hill. To us, it seemed SO LONG since a Philly team had come out on top. As an adult, I now see that 1960 to 1973/74 is really not that long of a drought, in the grand scheme of things. Many cities suffer longer droughts. Anyway, we went crazy for the Flyers. We essentially stopped playing stickball and football and only played street hockey for years. I put together a ragtag set of goalie equipment: baseball glove, backwards hockey stick, homemade waffle from a garden glove sewed/taped to a piece of plywood, trashpicked football helmet with extra mesh in front, and pieces of carpet strapped to my legs with a belt.

lol. We definitely had VERY similar goalie equipment for those street hockey games!

and I waited an entire lifetime for one of those championships. Was a mere infant in 83’. 25 years of pain and ‘almosts’ until a memorable ‘08 Phillies squad. That 25yrs of pain did some damage tho!

jersey is signed too btw

 

[sour_grapes]

lol. We definitely had VERY similar goalie equipment for those street hockey games!

and I waited an entire lifetime for one of those championships. Was a mere infant in 83’. 25 years of pain and ‘almosts’ until a memorable ‘08 Phillies squad. That 25yrs of pain did some damage tho!

jersey is signed too btw

Yeah, I s'pose 1983-2008 was both LONG and ill-timed for you. 1993 World Series appearance should've helped a bit, I think, but sucked to lose.

Fun Fact: I played Little League ball with Ruben Amaro!

Awesome that the jersey is signed. Is that the signature there in the numeral "1"?

 

[cmason1957]

lol. We definitely had VERY similar goalie equipment for those street hockey games!

and I waited an entire lifetime for one of those championships. Was a mere infant in 83’. 25 years of pain and ‘almosts’ until a memorable ‘08 Phillies squad. That 25yrs of pain did some damage tho!

jersey is signed too btw

Only 25 years, imagine growing up in outstate Missouri, having been born in Montana and playing hockey at 3. Seeing St. Louis awarded a hockey team in 1967, when you are at the ripe old age of 10. Listening to them play for the Stanley Cup in the first three season. Idolizing Barclay, Bobby, and Billy Plager, Noel Picard (I was always a big dumb defenseman). Them always making the playoffs almost every year, only to fall way short, sometimes dramatically. In last place at the end of January, talk of tanking the season and rebuilding, yet again. Then the 11 game winning streak, making the playoffs Win the first round in sixgames over the playoff favorite Winnipeg Jets. The second round in seven games over Dallas Stars. The third round in six games over San Jose Sharks an often Blues killer. With a game that was won by a hand-pass goal. It was after that game and the way the team handled it, game over, bad call, move on, can't change it now, another game tomorrow night and meant it. Followed by an absolutely stupendous seven game series over the bigger, probably better, Boston Bruins. My bonus daughter took video of me breaking down in tears and even today over a year later, my eyes well up, I get chills up and down my body that the St. Louis Blues after 52 years of existence were the Stanley Cup Champions. Bobby Plager finally got a parade.

Bobby Plager was an original member of the Blues, rough and tumble kinda guy. Has held a number of positions with the club and is a real fan favorite.

 

[sour_grapes]

Heart-wrenching!
But at least you had 3 World Series championships and one Superbowl win in the interim!

 

[cmason1957]

Heart-wrenching!
But at least you had 3 World Series championships and one Superbowl win in the interim!

I suppose, but it's not a real sport if they don't wear skates and can't fight.

 

[Boatboy24]

Just put a ~5lb piece of cured pork belly on the smoker.

 

[Ajmassa]

First official baseball practice tonight. Even w/ all the protocols, it went really well. Kids (and coaches) were obviously glad to be back out there.

Jealous. Nice to have the season back on. Our softball has been just cancelled altogether. Gonna be a long summer

but can be sure everyone will be ramped up for fall ball this year!

 

[Ajmassa]

Yeah, I s'pose 1983-2008 was both LONG and ill-timed for you. 1993 World Series appearance should've helped a bit, I think, but sucked to lose.

Fun Fact: I played Little League ball with Ruben Amaro!

Awesome that the jersey is signed. Is that the signature there in the numeral "1"?

Future Phillies GM Ruin Tomorrow? I mean Ruben Amaro? (Couldn’t help myself).

small world it is. I played for Crispin Gardens too! My neighborhood didn’t have a football team, Bustleton bengals. So grew up playing ball with all u Holme circle/Jeromes guys!

I don’t know the story behind it. That jersey wasn’t always there. My dad acquired that within the last 15 years. Pretty sure I never asked about it. It’s got Parent in the 1 and Dave Schulz in there too. ‘The Hammer’
I should ask him about it.

I know my old man enjoys the time we spend on the wine together. It’s tough for me to find the time but it’s nice when we do. I’m all business- locked in & focused on the task. And he’s like my helper. And also the record player DJ (the other day was Neil Young. his acoustic and signature choppy style solos sounds so good on vinyl imo)
And I always leave with some old tools- as he’s always cleaning out his shop.
And I enjoy it as much as he does, though I should probably say so. Instead of just posting about it anonymously online.
Can u say ‘Cats in the Cradle?’

 

[sour_grapes]

Future Phillies GM Ruin Tomorrow? I mean Ruben Amaro? (Couldn’t help myself).

small world it is. I played for Crispin Gardens too! My neighborhood didn’t have a football team, Bustleton bengals. So grew up playing ball with all u Holme circle/Jeromes guys!

Cool! I did not know that. Did you ever have to climb the fence to retrieve the ball off of one of those circa 1695 A.D. gravesites in Old Crispin Cemetery? Always freaked me out a little.

And I enjoy it as much as he does, though I should probably say so. Instead of just posting about it anonymously online.
Can u say ‘Cats in the Cradle?’

Perfect.