An iPhone, a Blackberry and a Fishing Story

I read a study recently that said 98% of college students have a cell phone.  Of  that 98% the majority of students either had an iPhone, Blackberry or other  windows mobile device.  This is just another example of how America is placing its trust in mobile technology.  And why not?  You can plan your day, search for information, watch TV, communicate in a variety of ways with other people; it is easy to rely on your iPhone, Blackberry or smart phone to help you navigate through the busyness of life.  Last week, however, I had an experience that caused me to stop and question the degree that I am willing to trust my beloved iPhone.

I woke up last Friday morning with the idea that it would be fun to go fishing.  I called a couple of buddies of mine and we decided that we would do a little night fishing since the temperatures during the day were hovering around 90 degrees.  I could not wait for the work day to end so we could pick up my boat and get out on a lake.

As we were driving over to Geist, we all commented on how sunny it was.  I proudly proclaimed to my friends that the weather app on my iPhone said that there was only a remote possibility of rain.  There was no doubt in our minds that we would get a lot of quality fishing in before midnight.

Once at the reservoir we drove to the boat ramp and put the boat in the water.  We left the motors on shore opting instead to paddle around the lake.  Soon we were out in the middle of Geist catching a lot of seaweed instead of fish.  It was very enjoyable just hanging out drinking a few beers and hoping that the fish would soon start biting.

About 45 minutes into our fishing expedition one of my friends made the comment that it looked like it was going to rain.

“Probably storm,” my other buddy chimed in.

“That’s ridiculous!  The sun is still out,” I replied.  “Besides, the iPhone doesn’t lie!”

“Dude I’m telling you—”

“Whatever,” I interrupted.

We continued bantering back and forth about the weather.  I could still feel the sunshine on my face while they claimed a huge storm would be blowing in.

Finally, I asked my friend what his Blackberry said about the weather.  He looked up the weather and told us that we were under a severe thunder storm watch.  I laughed and told him once again that he was wrong.  Suddenly the sun disappeared behind a huge cloud, the temperature dropped and I heard the unmistakable rumble of thunder.

As my companions began gloating we heard the unmistakable sound of the emergency siren.  A severe thunder storm was bearing down on Geist Reservoir!  We debated whether we could make it back to shore before the wind and rain caught up with us.  This isn’t good, I thought to myself as we started feverishly paddling toward the boat ramp.

We paused briefly under a bridge where my friend began wondering out loud if we should stay under the shelter of the bridge instead of making a final push to shore.  As the boat began pitching wildly with the ever increasing size of the waves I told my friend that while riding out the storm on the lake would be interesting and entertaining, it seemed like the smart thing to do was to dock the boat and take cover in the truck.

The storm began growing in intensity as we resumed paddling into a persistent and stiff wind.  The sky began spitting rain and it seemed like the thunder was mocking us angrily proclaiming that the storm would overtake us before we would be able to dock the boat.

After what seemed like an eternity we finally reached the dock.  We quickly tied the boat off, grabbed our beer and sprinted for the truck.  Small-sized hail began pelting us as we ran.  Wet and out of breath we finally reached the truck which seemed to be our best option for shelter to ride out the storm.

An hour later the storm subsided and we went back to the lake to retrieve the boat and our fishing gear.  Hungry and looking quite disheveled, we made our way to a nearby restaurant for food and the chance to dry off.

As I sat there eating an order of wings it occurred to me that it is better to put your trust in people as opposed to technology.  I then started wondering since my friend’s Blackberry seemed to do a better job of predicting the weather; maybe it is time for me to trade in my iPhone?

Strange (Home) Brew

For years I have been searching for a hobby.  Sure, I work out and do some writing, but these activities are more a reflection of who I am as a person, and not interests that I have cultivated over time.  Several times I have attempted to pick up and play the guitar.  A few days later I put the guitar back in its case and shove it into the corner of a closet.  Last year I finally sold my guitar, putting an end to this potential hobby once and for all.  Finally, after years of searching, my quest for a meaningful pastime is over.

It all started last winter.  I was traveling in Southern California and Mexico with some friends.  A buddy of mine and I were talking one day, and we thought that it would be fun to try brewing our own beer.  Life got busy for us both, and the idea was set aside.  One day, about a month ago, we decided that if we were ever going to make our idea a reality, we needed to stop talking about it and actually do something.  After some internet research, we drove across town to a well-known brewing supply store.

There is a lot to think about when it comes to brewing beer.  You have to decide what kind of beer you want to make, how much money you are willing to invest, what type of equipment you will use, whether you have adequate storage space and if you are willing to commit to the necessary time that is required for crafting beer.  The number of beer kits we had to choose from was overwhelming.  There were Belgian ales, wheat beers, lagers, stouts and porters.  After some consideration we decided to do something basic and purchased the beer kit for making Indian pale ale. (India pale ale is a beer that ranges from amber to copper in color.  It is usually associated with a medium level of alcohol content.  Depending on how the Indian pale ale is brewed it may have a bitter taste, although it is possible to accentuate the malt or hops.) We purchased a beer kit and much of the necessary equipment.  We looked around and found other things we would need, like a 40-quart pot at a restaurant supply store for half the cost.

A little later than expected, on the evening of May 10, we began the brewing process.  The most important thing to keep in mind when making beer is to give yourself permission to become overly neurotic about cleanliness.  Everything has to be thoroughly sanitized.  Once everything was cleaned we boiled and steeped the grains.  After the grains cooled, we added the malt and hops.  We brought the mixture to an hour-long boil.  Then we quickly cooled the beer down to the designated temperature.  Using a hydrometer, we checked the gravity of the beer.  The alcohol content of our Indian pale ale would be approximately 5.5%.  We then poured the beer into a five gallon bucket with an airlock.  This would allow the fermentation process to begin.

Six days later it was time to transfer the beer into a new carboy.  We checked on YouTube to review the process for siphoning beer into a new container.  We were pleased to note that our concoction was an orange gold color just like the beer on the video.  Once we sterilized our equipment again, we began the siphoning process, taking care to reduce splashing which would increase the level of carbon dioxide.  When the beer was safely in its new fermenter, we ended up storing it in my entry closet to keep it out of the way and to insure that the beer could ferment at a consistent temperature.

Saturday, May 29 was bottling day!  The bottling process is similar to what we had done two weeks earlier when we transferred the beer.  Before we bottled our beer, it was time to add sugar which we boiled down.  As we bottled the home brew, we were able to take a taste.  The beer was not yet carbonated, but it had a very pleasant taste.  Outside of some minor mishaps with the bottle capper, we ended up bottling two cases of beer.  We plan to drink the beer in a week, although it is good to let the beer age up to a month.

One of the things that I learned during this process is that a person who is blind could not do this without sighted assistance.  There are a lot of measurements that need to be precise, and it is important to be able to determine the color of your beer.  The color of the beer you are brewing is very important.  Using video from YouTube we were able to insure that our Indian pale ale was the appropriate color.  A discolored beer would indicate unwanted irregularities in the brewing process such as old hops or unclean equipment. Also, sight comes in handy when making sure you don’t get unwanted sediment in your Indian pale ale.

Besides, sharing the brewing process with others is a great excuse to hang out and have some laughs. Hopefully our beer will turn out to be drinkable.  Even if it is not, we have plans to make a second batch of beer that includes our own unique twist.  Whether we ever become brewmeisters is not important, I am just excited that I found a challenging hobby that also calls for a degree of creativity.