Stories of a short, fat bastard.

This:



Sounds like this:



The foam box keeps them warm at night without requiring additional heating.

To celebrate Australia day, the local council decided to deal with the Menace Of Peewees by chopping down a tree.

And as is traditional with events like this, Someone has to look after the chicks.

So...

This is why I don't trust cloud computing services. All your precious data are held by someone else and lives and dies at their whim, or at the whim of a foreign government.

The last beer from The Little Brewing Company in Port Macquarie.



Pours a cloudy honey-colour with some carbonation. The head is small and fades away slowly.

First Sip: Malt, sweet stone fruits (apricot? peach?), honey, and masses of alcohol which almost but not quite drowns out the other flavours. After-taste is mildly hoppy with some lingering malt. Mouth-feel is a little creamy with carbonation tingles on the tongue. The high alcohol content makes this beer very warming.

This is most definitely not a beer to drink in the middle of summer when it is (checks thermometer) 35C outside. This is one for quaffing in a comfy armchair in front of the fire in Winter, while you clean your ray-gun read a good book. Allowing the beer to warm in the glass seems to make the flavours mix together better, and lets some of the alcohol out of the brew. It is certainly better when not chilled. I think I'll save the last few bottles for a few months, to be opened when the weather is cooler.

Mad Abbot Tripel
The Little Brewing Company
9.5% alc/vol
330ml bottle



Same again, sir? Yes, but lets wait a few months.

Driving to work this morning started out so well! It was a mild summer morning - only 28C - and sunny. There was a line of traffic on Cobborah Rd, the residue traffic jam caused by a train that had just passed the level crossing. I stopped about a car length from the end of the queue, and glanced in the mirror at the little Hiace van that has stopped about 3 metres behind me.

I concentrated on the traffic in front, just chilling out to Steely Dan and relaxCRUMP.

The car jolted forward a little. I looked in the mirror in shock. The Hiace was right up my arse.

I sat there for a good 30 seconds, not in shock but in disbelief. My car was almost New! It had only done 9000km!

And so I pulled over onto the hard shoulder, feeling more than a little miffed. I was almost cross. Cranky, even.

I got out of the car and watched the Hiace pull in behind me. That was when I saw a Mitsubishi 380 with a very flattened front that started right where the Hiace ended. The driver managed to pull over behind the Hiace, but that was as far as that car would be going today. Debris on the road included the Hiace's spare wheel, which is usually chained in place under the van. The impact had shaken it loose.

I looked at the Hiace driver. He looked at me. I said "Well, fuck." He nodded.

I went to the Mitsubishi driver and asked if she was okay. She was, but a little shaken.

At that point everyone go on the phone and called various people and/or insurance companies. We all exchanged details, a tow truck arrived for the Mitsubishi, and I took photos of the damage to the Lexus.

And then I drove to work.

The damage doesn't look like much at first, but the bumper bar deformed enough to put marks on the hatchback. I don't know what damage has been done to the mountings or the reinforcing put in for ANCAP and NCAP tests.

Now I have to deal with the inconvenience of not having a car while it's repaired. If only it was some sort of self-repairing vehicle.

CT the Lexus has been rear-ended. It has only done 9000km.

Luckily we were car no.3 in a 3 car pile-up - the bloke behind me took most of the damage. More info to come after I've written up the insurance report.

Another one from The Little Brewing Company.



Pours a very dark brown with a large, bubbley tan head, which fades to a smallish head. Lots of carbonation visible.

First sip: dark roasted malts, a little fruity. Medimum amounts of hops that fade quickly to a mild, lingering bitterness on the back of the tongue. Mouth-feel is a little thin, with some tingly carbonation on the tongue. Quite warming in the stomach. Nice beer burp.

This Belgian-style beer is only sold at the cellar door, so it will be very hard to get in Australia and impossible over seas. Drop in when you're passing through Port Macquarie and try their wares. You will not be disappointed. The problem with the cellar, as explained by one of the Enthusiastic Brewers, is that they can only get one of those 4-outlet chilled taps, so they pour this one too cold. It most definitely improves as the glass warms. It is certainly a beer to drink in Winter, in front of a fire.

This is not a session beer. It's one to have with something: cheese & onion crisps, or Doritos & salsa, or (as I did) a meat pie with Worcestershire sauce. Is my Anglo-Saxon heritage showing through? Sorry about that.

This is a very nice beer - almost a yummy beer. I'm glad I bought a 4-pack. On the other hand, I'm sad I only bought a 4-pack.

Mad Abbot Dubbel
The Little Brewing Company
6.9% alc/vol
330ml bottle



Same again, sir? Yes please!

Pours a pale, cloudy honey colour with a big fluffy head. a moderate amount of carbonation is visible. The head is quite stable and fades away slowly.

First Sip: Malty but not too sweet, almost overwhelmed by a lot of citrus. A nice mild hoppyness with no lingering bitterness. The citrus taste lasts longer than the hops. Nice beer burp. Mouth-feel is creamy but a little thin.

This is a yummy beer. It is highly drinkable and goes down very easily. The only it could be better is if it had a little more after-taste.

Wicked Elf Witbier
The Little Brewing Company
5.0% alc/vol
330ml bottle



Same again, sir? Yes please!

Just before Christmas I mentioned a test rig we has set up at work to test a new ozone generator. Yesterday we entered the shed for the first time since then. We expected a horror show in the nose, but... Well, it was a little more organic-smelling than usual, but it wasn't that bad. Even when we stood over the tank and looked at the stuff growing on the surface and the things in the depths, it didn't smell that bad. Steve said he'd start the pump and stir it up a little.

Oh boy. THAT's what I was expecting! It was rank, and foul, and eye watering.

We quickly duct taped a plastic bag over the access hole to keep the evil in, and turned on the ozone generator.

Five minutes, it took. Five minutes to almost totally kill the smell in the water. It still looked foul, but it only had a faint organic and ozone smell.

Ozone is a strong oxidizer that breaks down organic matter on contact. It's like burning things, only in water. So we left it running all day. After 6 hours - and several duct tape changes because the ozone was killing the tape - the tank water was back with carbon and quite hot. The heat is a bit subjective since the unit is inside a tin shed and it was 41C outside. I think the lawn fertiliser and lurking horrors have been broken down into basic molecules.

Take that, you coliforms! I have defeated you with SCIENCE! MWAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!

I visited the Little Brewing Company while I was in Port Macquarie. The brewery is a large tin shed with a lot of stainless steel vats and a couple of *very* enthusiastic owner/brewers. We fell to talking about beers, and ended up in an impromptu beer-tasting session. They only make four beers; I was forced to buy a four-pack of each. It's a terrible job but I owe it to my readers.



Pours a pale brown with lots of fizz. The head is large and frothy, and breaks down into large bubbles moderately fast.

First sip: strong taste of grapefruit up front moderated by a nice malt taste. There is a lot of hops taste following, and a long lingering hoppy after-taste. A *very* long lingering after-taste. Not as strong in hops as the Sierra Nevada Torpedo but it is substantial. Nice beer burp. Mouth-feel is dry and a little fizzy.

This is an excellent hot afternoon's quaff. It may be a little too hoppy for some, but I like it. Interestingly, it retains its flavour as the glass warms. Normally ales and lagers get worse.

Wicked Elf Pale Ale
The Little Brewing Company
5.4% alc/vol
330ml bottle



Same again, sir? Yes.

Panorama taken from Moonbi Hill Lookout, near Tamworth.

( Large photo. )

Where I went. We took it easy: Stopped at Apsley Falls for lunch and a bush walk, Moonbi for tea, went via Werris Creek, stopped at Coolah for tea. That road took us through some very nice country across the Liverpool Plains and Goonoo Forest. Photos later. Bed now.

On Saturday I drove here.

Mum & Dad, Steve & Sheena, and Pete and I rented a flat for a few days. Yesterday was spent eating and doing nothing. This morning was spent having a bbq breakfast at Shelly Beach. Later we'll do some touring - nothing really planned as yet beyond getting in the car and going.

I discovered there is a micro-brewery in town. Wednesday is already *planned.*

Is everyone okay? How is the house holding up?



(Ref: Christchursh hit by 4 x >5mag earthquakes today)

Sun on a hill behind Castle Camp, where my donger was. Crappy phone photo taken at 5am.