The Bar 2014 Edition

[ygmir]

*wanders in*

dang I lost phone and internet last weekend, interesting how a forced "layoff" from internet leads to so much productivity!
I had written some super thing to post,too, and lost it, dang. Now can't remember the thought. (but I did have a lot of fun on the 70's and 80's).

I gotta get a new batch of mead going, so it can age by Burntime. Thanks for reminding me Trilo.

*heads for ROS*

[Savannah]

I hope Rhino shares a photo of his tree! (Rhino, did I mention it was a pleasure meeting you this year? 'Cause it was!)

I am currently in TWO bars, this, our glorious virtual bar, and one of the brick & mortar variety. Just did karaoke of "The Show Must Go On" by Queen and did NOT murder it; but it WAS a challenge . . .


. . . And now, "I Remember You" by Skid Row, which felt really, really amazing.

Okay, THAT one is going in my repertoire, 'cause I lack shame.

Next up, my best friend and I doing "Candy" by Iggy Pop & Kate Pierson. I've really missed my best girl. I haven't seen her since the Burn. She is getting all the stories . . .

Love to all. Hope you are having content and musical and/or dorky good times.

[Elliot]

Ygmir, I salute your mead-making. The batch I tasted was spectacularly tasty.

Savannah, thank you -- I, for one, am quite contented listening to the rain, sipping Bourbon that was "aged" at TTITD, and reading about Hawaii. That civilization must have been really something a few hundred years ago. But I need to know... what is Hawaiian for "skål!"?

[Savannah]

((((((Elliot))))))) . . . Thank you for being a doll to me this year when I was all solemn and sad and tired an' stuff.

I am about to do Fiona Apple's "Criminal".

[MyDearFriend]

Good morning!!!

Seems I miss a lot, around here. Happy to picture you singing, Savannah!

Edited to add: YGGY!!! MEAD!!!

[ygmir]

*wanders in, makes CCCW*

dang, looks like Savannah was all "lubed up" at the bar, singing and stuff....or so she says?.........I say "Photos"!!!!!!! But, yay for a good time, no matter!

Yeah, I think I found a forgotten case of that 30 year old "black honey", amazing, really. You can open it and it does need stirring because it seems some of the lighter stuff does come to the top but not much. nothing wrong and tastes great! Just gotta clean out the brewing kegs and get going.

Those photos from your trip north, MDF, look so fun!! thanks for posting them "over there".

*heads for IBBOD*

[trilobyte]

I love the live updates from the karaoke bar, Savannah... but seriously, no pics? We know your phone has a camera, and if it's a smartphone you should be able to upload said pic to the site. Either way, hooray for getting to catch up with friends

My limoncello recipe's online here. I will say though, that using meyer lemons is a bigger pain in the ass than using regular/eureka lemons. Meyer lemons have a thinner and softer peel, which makes for a lot more work (at least for me) in getting just the zest peeled off. What works best for me is to use the potato peeler to get the thinnest strips you can, then go back with a fillet knife to trim off just the white part. For me, Eureka lemons (with their harder and thicker skin) are much easer, after a little practice it's easy to get just the yellow without getting the bitter tasting white.

I think we're in a gray and soggy mode in the bay area. It was wet most of yesterday, and continues today. Our power cut out last night (fortunately right after I finished making a drink haha), but came back on again within half an hour. Actually, I've got to say, kudos to the power company for having a fairly decent system these days. Since I had a device that could connect to the internet via cell phone, I looked up their web site and they had a number listed to report an outage. I gave it a ring, then it prompted me to enter either the account number (who remembers that?) or the phone number on the account (whew, that I knew). The automated system spoke back the address to confirm, then let us know that the outage had already been reported and that they had already dispatched people. It gave an estimate of 2 1/2 hours. That's not ideal, but considering it had just gone out and they probably hadn't gotten anyone to whatever switch that had failed, it seemed reasonable. Then about 15 minutes later the phone rings - it's the automated system, thanking us for our patience and letting us know that the new ETA was within 30 minutes. And then not too long after, the power was back. I don't mind that the automated system was impersonal, they managed to give us useful information without busy signals or long hold times, plus they used their automated tech to give us an update.

[Aurelia]

Trilo, thank you !
That is so fine a recipe that I think I will copy it for a gifting "in Process"
Meyer lemons are worth it and I actually use them for almost everything as a tiny extra ping
love the real weather at last !
sometimes I worry that I am , as that song from a few years back , needing to leave CA before I get too soft
but no, that would be crazy.
xoA.

[Elliot]

*storms into Bar, waving a photo*

Folks, I simply cannot resist showing you this photo.

*spreads photo on bar counter*

This is my buddy Peter, frequent Kinetic Sculpture Racing partner and some years Burning Man camp-mate with his wife Jerri. (Their four year old son has been to BM twice.) The photo was taken by Leslie Lange at the Ventura KInetic Sculpture Race in October. E-Playan Tiahaar raced also, and ePlayan Gravity Mike was a judge. (I first met both those long-time burners here on ePlaya. Yay!)

It's simply a cool picture, and I hope it is good for a laugh here. By the way, Peter took Top Speed for the whole race -- water, sand, pavement and mud.

[ygmir]

is that a two wheeler?

wow so very cool!!

[trilobyte]

Very cool pic indeed!

[magicmarty]

Looks almost as fast as your tractor, Elliot! Great pic.

[Elliot]

Ha ha, my tractor is terribly slow. Still, somebody stole it in BRC this year. (A neighbor found it in a big sound camp at or near 10 and Espl.)

Yes, Peter's vehicle has only two wheels, and he has a heck of a time with it in terrain. Still, he has taken fastest time in several races -- he simply flies on level ground. Bizarre thing is, that Thing has no moving parts. Well, the wheels go around, and the steering turns, and there is a brake pedal, but that's it. No pedals, no chains. Instead, the rear wheel is eccentric, and he propels the vehicle with "body English". Basically the same concept as a kid on a playground swing.

This one is kind'a like Safety 38th! One time in Port Townsend, WA, I was right behind him going down a steep hill when he lost it. He went this way and that, flying higher and higher like a cowboy on a bucking bronco, and finally went ass over applecart into somebody's front yard. Big cut in his shin and other wounds. Oh well, that's why he carries a big roll of masking tape.

[Savannah]

Ha ha, my tractor is terribly slow. Still, somebody stole it in BRC this year. (A neighbor found it in a big sound camp at or near 10 and Espl.)

Yes, Peter's vehicle has only two wheels, and he has a heck of a time with it in terrain. Still, he has taken fastest time in several races -- he simply flies on level ground. Bizarre thing is, that Thing has no moving parts. Well, the wheels go around, and the steering turns, and there is a brake pedal, but that's it. No pedals, no chains. Instead, the rear wheel is eccentric, and he propels the vehicle with "body English". Basically the same concept as a kid on a playground swing.

This one is kind'a like Safety 38th! One time in Port Townsend, WA, I was right behind him going down a steep hill when he lost it. He went this way and that, flying higher and higher like a cowboy on a bucking bronco, and finally went ass over applecart into somebody's front yard. Big cut in his shin and other wounds. Oh well, that's why he carries a big roll of masking tape.

. . . This whole post!

And the GNOME COSTUME.

[Elliot]

...
And the GNOME COSTUME.

The vehicle is always called B.F.G., and Peter wears a corresponding outfit. Most recently it was Black Forest Gnome. Before that, Big Friendly Giraffe. Bounce For Glory. Bucking For Glory (rodeo cowboy outfit). Etc. Good fun.

As for the gnome outfit.... That's his own real beard.

[ygmir]

*strolls in, starts ECM, makes CCC*

who's got fun planned?

*heads for ROS*

[Aurelia]

Mm, Yes fun.
My daughter , 5 year old grandchild and my new son-in law fly in tonight
He is seriously Navy ,generations of the Academy, somewhat reticent to discuss his stuff
gee I wonder why
But, I hope that he will tell me a little of the history he was taught about Bay of Pigs
After watching PBS and befriending Cubans, I dont know anything.
xoA.

[^Rhino!]

...
And the GNOME COSTUME.

The vehicle is always called B.F.G., and Peter wears a corresponding outfit. Most recently it was Black Forest Gnome. Before that, Big Friendly Giraffe. Bounce For Glory. Bucking For Glory (rodeo cowboy outfit). Etc. Good fun.

As for the gnome outfit.... That's his own real beard.

B.F.G. - perhaps more appropriate: "Bound for Gerlach" <--also the name of the Dave Decibel 2009 BRC psytrance mashup remix......

[ygmir]

...
And the GNOME COSTUME.

The vehicle is always called B.F.G., and Peter wears a corresponding outfit. Most recently it was Black Forest Gnome. Before that, Big Friendly Giraffe. Bounce For Glory. Bucking For Glory (rodeo cowboy outfit). Etc. Good fun.

As for the gnome outfit.... That's his own real beard.

B.F.G. - perhaps more appropriate: "Bound for Gerlach" <--also the name of the Dave Decibel 2009 BRC psytrance mashup remix......

"bound in Gerlach"............cheese camps theme.

[magicmarty]

Fun tonight at the ARTery debrief at the new BMHQ. One of the Arterians is preparing dinner and I'm bringing dessert. Will be good to see the gang again. And yeah, the weekend is only 2 days away!

(((LF)))

[littleflower]

*peeks out from NEB*

g'morning bar!

limoncello! thank you for your recipe, Trilo. I made some a few years ago from my brother's neglected meyer lemon tree (no spray!), and i thought it was pretty good, so brought it to the burn .... but then my campmate, the Hot Italian Doctor, pulled out some of her mother's homemade limoncello, and ....woah. mine was too sweet, and totally lacked a depth of flavor. She attributed the excellence of her mother's to Italian lemons, and i have been meaning to try making it with some combination of Eureka and Meyer lemons ever since. i hope i get to try yours sometime.... yours too, as!

thanks for the mellowing tip, too, i've been keeping my liqueurs in the freezer, and thought that was probably not the best place. i made some from my home-grown blackberries last year, but it wasn't ready for the burn. now i have it in a cool, dark place, mellowing. i plan to bring some cherry, too, if the dang frost doesn't kill them this year!

muffins, anyone?


((((marty)))))

[Elliot]

...at the new BMHQ. ...

"New"? Have they moved again? My rolodex says 995 Market. ?

[magicmarty]

Yes, they moved in late October to 660 Alabama St in South of Market neighborhood of SF. I understand it to be a major improvement with some large open areas on a larger footprint than the Market St location. I'll post a report in the AM.

Mead, Lemoncello and fruit liquors should make for one very mellow Burn next year. Are we there yet???

Cheers

(((LF)))

[Elliot]

Spendid! Such a big and important operation needs proper office space.

[AntiM]

Right down the block from what used to be Project Artaud. I get chills and stupid grins just seeing "Alabama Street".

[theCryptofishist]

How long were they at Market street? One year? Two?

[ygmir]

*rides war rabbit into stall, unsaddles and pours him a beer and bowl of stew*
*strolls into bar, sticks war ax in door post, starts ECM, and fire in S.C.C."



So, this seems the last Friday of sanity, until we sink into the depths of "the holidays"........I"m looking forward to January!

*strokes Juke, heads for IBBOD*

[media]

[magicmarty]

AMEN, YG. With you all the way on that. Yay for January

Was at an ARTery meeting last night at the new BMHQ and it is really a HUGE improvement. There is ample close in parking in a very nice and safe neighborhood and the facility itself is really terrific. The 4th floor, where our meeting was held, is an open area of about 12,000 square feet with a 20 foot ceiling enabling a second tier on the sides for offices Very modern industrial and comfortable. Large self serve kitchen arrangement with dining area that works very well. One of the guys made a great pasta dinner for us all. Sorry, no pics

It's FRIDAY!!!

Have fun

(((LF)))

[MyDearFriend]

I have to admit that I like the winter holidays. I like making cookies, eating cookies, serving cookies, and giving cookies away. Same goes for candy and cakes. I don't much care for sitting down to dinner with 15 other people, ha, some of whom I would rather not see ever again, but, I love the smell of roasting turkey and the zen of making gravy.

And I especially love lying in the bathtub on xmas day and reading a new book. Consuming an adult beverage at the same time makes it perfect.

I am old enough now to be forgiven for being "eccentric" rather than harangued for "doing it wrong," so, I find it easier to say no to all the holiday things I don't like. Which leaves me free to have a lot of fun.

[Elliot]

Oooooo! I wanna be eccentric too! How....

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Ah.... Yea.... Never mind.